Yurkhaz zo Yunzak
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Supreme Commander of the Armies and Allies of Yunkai[1] | |||
| Allegiance | Wise Masters | |||
| Culture | Ghiscari | |||
| Born | Yunkai | |||
| Died | In 300 AC, Daznak's Pit, Meereen[2] | |||
| Book | A Dance with Dragons (appears) | |||
Yurkhaz zo Yunzak is a Yunkish noble and the Supreme Commander of the Armies and Allies of Yunkai.[1]
Appearance
Yurkhaz is bent-backed, wrinkled, and toothless.[3] According to Tyrion Lannister, Yurkhaz looks like a human prune, and is rather frail.[4] Yurzkhaz is an old man, and Daenerys Targaryen thinks to herself he might have been alive during Aegon's Conquest, judging by his appearance.[3]
He is a vain old man. While on the march during the war between Meereen and the slavers, he is carried around upon an palanquin so large forty slaves are needed to carry it.[5]
History
Yurkhaz is an old Yunkish hero.[5] He owns a group of Yunkish castrati slaves who sing songs in the ancient tongues of the Old Empire of Ghis.[3] He is the man who hires the Windblown during the war against Meereen, signing their contract on behalf of the city of Yunkai.[6]
Recent Events
A Dance with Dragons
Yurkhaz zo Yunzak's army besieges Astapor, but is only victorious because of the sellsword legions hired by the Yunkai'i. His leadership skills (along with the rest of the Wise Masters) are considered to be highly dubious and questioned by many of the sellsword captains such as the Tattered Prince.[5]
When Yezzan zo Qaggaz hosts the Yunkish supreme commander, a dozen other Yunkish lords attend. During the antics of slaves Penny and Tyrion Lannister, the guests all wait to see how Yurkhaz responds before joining in. Yurkhaz appears so frail that Tyrion is afraid laughing might kill him. When Penny's helm gets struck off and flies into the lap of a sour-faced Yunkishman in a striped green-and-gold tokar, Yurkhaz cackles like a chicken. When said lord reaches inside the helm and draws out a large purple melon dribbling with pulp, Yurkhaz wheezes until his face turns the same colour as the fruit. He then turns to his host and whispers something that makes Yezzan chortle and lick his lips … though Tyrion thinks there is a hint of anger in Yezzan's slitted yellow eyes. Once Yurkhaz has departed, Nurse informs Tyrion that Yurkhaz has persuaded Yezzan that it would be selfish to keep such droll antics to himself and that his dwarfs should have the honour of jousting in the Great Pit of Daznak to celebrate the singing of the peace.[4]
Yurkhaz is among the seven commanders who enter Meereen to sign the peace and witness the opening of the fighting pits. During the feast held in the Great Pyramid to celebrate the signing of the peace, Daenerys Targaryen sees Hizdahr zo Loraq laughing with Yurkhaz and the other Yunkish lords.[3]
During the opening of Daznak's Pit, Drogon appears and panic ensues.[7] Yurkhaz perishes in Daznak's Pit as he tries to flee the dragon, either having been crushed beneath the feet of his own fleeing slaves and companions, or because his heart burst in terror.[8] In the Purple Lotus, the Tattered Prince tells Quentyn Martell he saw Yurkhaz die.[6] The Yunkish try to use Yurkhaz's accidental death to their advantage, claiming it is a breach of the peace, which merits blood for blood, and a life needs to be exchanged for his life - for which they execute their hostage Groleo and demand the deaths of Viserion and Rhaegal. According to Skahaz mo Kandaq, they are using Yurkhaz's death to give Hizdahr zo Loraq a pretext to kill Daenerys Targaryen's dragons.[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Dance with Dragons, Appendix.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 55, The Queensguard.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 50, Daenerys VIII.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 47, Tyrion X.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 25, The Windblown.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 60, The Spurned Suitor.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 52, Daenerys IX.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 59, The Discarded Knight.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 67, The Kingbreaker.