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Chapter 229: The Magister of the Pirates
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 13:19:26 +0000 UTCAlthough Ghoyan Drohe was destroyed by the Valyrians and never rebuilt, it was far from abandoned. In fact, Ghoyan Drohe remained remarkably prosperous—more so than most towns on the continent of Essos—primarily due to its advantageous location.
Situated between the Free Cities of Pentos and Norvos, Ghoyan Drohe lay along the Valyrian road that connected the two. Additionally, it was positioned on the upper reaches of the Rhoyne, where its waterways provided easy access to every town along the river’s main flow and tributaries. Even during the time of the Old Empire of Ghis, it had been a crucial trade hub.
Long before the rise of the Valyrian Freehold, Ghoyan Drohe was already renowned for its beauty and wealth, earning it the title "Pearl of the Rhoyne."
Even after the Valyrians laid waste to the city, its function as a trade center did not disappear. Instead, the ships that once transported goods along the Rhoyne shifted from legitimate merchant and cargo vessels to smuggling operations.
The rise of Ghoyan Drohe as a smuggling hub was a direct consequence of the hostile relationship between Volantis and the other Free Cities.
Following the fall of the Valyrian Freehold, its colonies and city-states declared independence. Volantis, claiming to be the rightful successor of Valyria, sought to restore the empire. Just as it had invaded the Disputed Lands, it also sent forces up the Rhoyne to attack Norvos and Qohor.
However, Norvos and Qohor managed to defeat Volantis at the Battle of Dagger Lake, expelling its forces from the lands north of the lake and barring Volantene ships from sailing upstream.
While this successfully halted Volantis’s inland expansion, it also had severe economic repercussions for Norvos and Qohor. Both cities relied heavily on Rhoyne-based shipping for trade. With the river route cut off, they were forced to rely on the Valyrian road network, which drastically increased transportation costs and travel times. As a result, their economies plummeted into a steep decline.
To address this crisis, the two cities sought an alternative: smuggling. Coincidentally, Volantis also found itself in need of clandestine trade routes. Thus, with an unspoken agreement between all parties, smugglers began operating on the Rhoyne. Over time, the trade flourished, and even after hostilities eased and the three cities reestablished official trade, smuggling did not vanish. The profits were simply too great for any ruling power to control or eliminate.
Alongside the growing smuggling network, the Rhoyne also saw the rise of river pirates. These groups, most notably concentrated in the waters around Dagger Lake, became so powerful that even a joint military campaign by the three Free Cities failed to suppress them. They were often likened to the notorious pirates of the Stepstones.
Beyond Dagger Lake, these river pirates seized abandoned or weakly defended towns along the Rhoyne, using them as bases from which they extorted passing vessels—acting much like feudal lords demanding tolls.
As the most important transit hub on the upper Rhoyne, Ghoyan Drohe inevitably fell under the influence of these river pirates. Just outside its ruined remains, they constructed a floating fortress along the riverbank. The leader of this stronghold styled himself as the "Magister."
Originally, the pirates used the fortress to collect tolls from passing ships. However, one particularly shrewd Magister saw a greater opportunity. He ceased the toll collection and repurposed the fortress into a market for smuggled goods. Over time, this evolved into a thriving distribution center for contraband, with an estimated 70% of smuggled goods on the Rhoyne passing through here before being transported to Pentos and, from there, shipped across Westeros.
When Maester Hugh’s group arrived at the floating fortress of Ghoyan Drohe, they were not subjected to the usual inspections that other merchant caravans faced. Instead, they were led directly to a private estate and given accommodations.
Sensing that something was amiss, the group awaited an explanation. Hugh soon revealed the reason: the current Magister of the floating fortress, Kevira, was actually one of his former students. Once a powerful noble in Pentos, Kevira had lost everything in a political struggle. His entire family was wiped out by their enemies, and only he survived—thanks to Hugh’s assistance. Fleeing Pentos, he took to the Rhoyne as a river pirate, rising through the ranks until he seized control of the floating fortress at Ghoyan Drohe and claimed the title of Magister.
This was why Hugh felt safe bringing his students to a place teeming with outlaws, smugglers, and fugitives. With the Magister’s protection, they had nothing to fear.
"Lord Lynd, please come with me. There's something I need your help with."
Just as Lynd was about to leave after collecting his commission, Maester Hugh suddenly leaned in and whispered to him.
Lynd froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected to be recognized by Maester Hugh. Without a word, he followed the maester to the manor's back garden.
"Maester Hugh, how did you recognize me?" Lynd couldn't help but ask, his curiosity piqued.
"I once had a friend who was a priest of the Many-Faced God. He taught me how to recognize the disguises of the Faceless Men," Maester Hugh replied honestly. "At first, I thought you were a Faceless Man assassin who had infiltrated my group, but after observing you for these past few days, I realized you definitely weren’t one of them. Then, I recalled the events that took place in Pentos before I left." As he spoke, he gestured toward the Banished Knight greatsword at Lynd’s waist. "Although these two greatswords have been altered in appearance, I can still tell they’re forged from Valyrian steel. And as far as I know, you are the only person in the world who possesses two Valyrian steel greatswords. That made your identity fairly easy to confirm."
Lynd removed the mask from his face, glanced down at the disguised greatswords at his waist, and let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "And here I thought I had hidden myself well. It seems I’ve made a fool of myself."
Maester Hugh offered an explanation. "Aside from the flaw of your recognizable swords, your disguise is nearly indistinguishable from that of a Faceless Man. However, the Faceless Men carry with them a distinct aura—something extremely subtle, yet noticeable to someone like me, who is particularly sensitive to such things. You, on the other hand, lack that aura."
Understanding dawned on Lynd’s face. No wonder his disguises had never fooled the priests of the Many-Faced God or the Faceless Men within the House of Black and White. It was clear that devout followers of the Many-Faced God could easily recognize their own kind.
This realization served as a warning to Lynd—he would have to be more cautious when using the Faceless Men's methods in the future.
Pushing aside thoughts of his disguise, Lynd turned to Maester Hugh and asked, "What do you need my help with? I should warn you, I won’t be staying here for long. If you're asking me to help excavate ruins, you’re going to be disappointed."
"Of course, I know you're eager to reach Qohor. This won’t take long—everything will be settled by tonight." Maester Hugh’s face lit up when he saw Lynd agree. "I need you to meet someone first—the pirate Magister of this stronghold, Kevira."
Lynd considered it briefly, then nodded.
Maester Hugh instructed Lynd to once again disguise himself as an ordinary mercenary before leading him out of the manor. They moved through the wooded area beside the estate and arrived at another manor near the fortress.
After undergoing a rigorous inspection by the guards surrounding the estate, the two were finally allowed entry into the grand hall of the manor.
The moment they stepped inside, Lynd sensed that something was off. There wasn’t a single servant in sight—only armed mercenaries and Unsullied soldiers. The entire place was on high alert, as if preparing for an imminent attack. Even entering this hall required three separate security checks—an extreme level of caution.
"It looks like your student has gotten himself into serious trouble," Lynd murmured as he stepped closer to Maester Hugh.
Hugh gave a wry smile. "I’ll explain everything soon."
A few moments later, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall. Soon after, a middle-aged man emerged, dressed in luxurious clothing that made him look more like a noble from Pentos than a river pirate leader.
Whatever he had once looked like was hard to tell, as his current state was one of utter exhaustion. His hair had turned completely white, and the dark circles beneath his eyes made it clear he hadn’t slept well in some time. As he walked in, he stumbled over a small obstacle near the doorway, nearly falling before catching himself. His body seemed frail, as though he hadn’t fully recovered from an illness.
"Teacher, has something happened to Linna and the others?" The middle-aged man asked Maester Hugh with deep concern the moment he saw him.
Hugh quickly reassured him, "No, they’re all safe. They’re staying in my friend’s manor under strict protection—nothing will happen to them."
The middle-aged man let out a sigh of relief before asking, "Teacher, have you come to see me because you've encountered difficulties with your excavation? I can spare some men to assist you if needed."
"No, it's not about me," Hugh shook his head. "I’m here to help you solve your problem."
As he spoke, he glanced around the room, then made a subtle gesture toward Hugh.
The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "Teacher, you don’t need to worry. These are all my most trusted men. Anything that happens here, anything that is said, will not leave this room."
Seeing his confidence, Hugh turned to Lynd. When he saw Lynd give a small nod, indicating he didn’t mind, Hugh continued, "Let me introduce you. Lord Lynd, this is my student Kevira Jarad, son of the former Prince of Pentos. His cousin is now the Tattered Prince of the Windblown."
After introducing the middle-aged man, Hugh then introduced Lynd, "And this is Lord Lynd Tarran—Lord of Summerhall, King of the Isles of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea, Chosen of the Seven Gods, Incarnation of the Storm God."
Hearing Maester Hugh recite Lynd’s long list of titles, it was reminiscent of the way Missandei had once announced Daenerys’s titles on Dragonstone while Jon Snow stood there, utterly lost.
Compared to Lynd’s calm demeanor, however, Kevira and his men were completely stunned. Even deep in the inland territories, they had all heard of Lynd. His name carried a weight that echoed through countless taverns, where tales of his deeds had long become immortalized in song. Even people as far as Yi Ti knew that Lynd was perhaps the closest thing to a god in this world—not just because of his title as a Chosen One, but because of his sheer power.
Kevira quickly recovered from his shock. Though he had no idea why Lynd was here, he realized that if his teacher had brought him, it was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to resolve his current crisis.
Excitedly, he stepped forward and bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Chosen One."
"There’s no need for formalities. Let’s get straight to the point," Lynd said bluntly. "You’re clearly in serious trouble, and your teacher brought me here to help you with it. So tell me—what exactly is the problem? I'll see if I can solve it."
Kevira hesitated briefly before composing himself and explaining his predicament.
The situation was straightforward. Quinon Tashi, the second son of House Tashi of Norvos, had set his sights on Ghoyan Drohe, recognizing the immense profits hidden within this smuggling and contraband hub. However, he couldn't afford to openly involve Norvos in the matter. The stronghold’s proximity to Pentos meant that if Norvos stationed troops here, it would provoke a reaction from Pentos, potentially igniting a conflict between the two Free Cities—something Quinon wanted to avoid.
To circumvent this, the Norvosi elite reached out to White Skull Udawu, a notorious river pirate from Dagger Lake, to launch an attack on Kevira’s forces from the water.
At the same time, they enlisted a band of Dothraki raiders who had been active in the region to assault the floating fortress from land. The plan was to utterly destroy the stronghold, after which Quinon could have men disguise themselves as river pirates, rebuild in the ruins, and take control of the territory.
However, while the plan was sound, its execution encountered unexpected obstacles. As White Skull Udawu sailed north, he was intercepted by a rival pirate force, delaying his arrival in Ghoyan Drohe. Without their naval support, the Dothraki launched a brief raid on the floating fortress but quickly withdrew.
Realizing that the initial plan had faltered, Quinon devised a new approach—hiring the Faceless Men to assassinate Kevira.
The Faceless Men acted swiftly and successfully carried out their mission. The problem? They killed the wrong person—one of Kevira’s body doubles. Kevira himself had actually been leading his river fleet south to deal with White Skull Udawu at the time. When he learned that his decoy had been assassinated, his concern for his family caused him to make a critical tactical error. As a result, nearly half of his men perished, their bodies sinking to the riverbed.
When Kevira returned and pieced together what had happened, he realized that the Faceless Men would likely attempt another assassination. To ensure the safety of his wife and children, he sent them ahead to Maester Hugh in Pentos, while he remained behind to prepare for the next assassination attempt and to organize defenses against the approaching White Skull Udawu.
Lynd listened carefully before speaking in a measured tone. "The Faceless Men are not just assassins—they are priests. They kill to offer sacrifices to their god, for the Many-Faced God has already chosen His victims. The Faceless Man sent to kill you, however, made a mistake—he offered the wrong sacrifice. That means he must correct his failure by presenting the Many-Faced God with a proper offering—typically, someone of equal status to the original target. If the assassin is a particularly devout follower, they might even offer themselves as the sacrifice."
"You mean… I won’t be targeted by the Faceless Men again?" Kevira asked, a trace of hope in his voice.
Lynd shook his head. "No. You will be targeted again. A new assassin—more skilled than the last—will take up the contract and continue until the task is completed. If you manage to survive three assassination attempts, only then will you be considered blessed by the Many-Faced God, no longer a worthy sacrifice. The Faceless Men would never come for you again."
Kevira's face turned deathly pale. One assassination attempt had already left him shaken. Now, he had to endure two more? He doubted he had the ability to survive them.
Lynd’s voice was steady as he continued, "I can help you deal with the river pirate Udawu. I can protect you from the Faceless Men. I can resolve this entire crisis for you. But I have one condition."
Kevira immediately asked, "What is it?"
Lynd’s expression remained firm. "I want you, your men, and control of Ghoyan Drohe’s floating fortress."
