Yara Greyjoy

**Greyjoy** is the daughter and only daughter of Balon Greyjoy, and Alannys Harlaw. She has three brothers, Rodrik and Maron are older and Theon being the youngest child.

She was raised at Pyke, the stronghold of House Greyjoy. Yara is a fierce warrior and commands her own longship, the *Black Wind*.

## **Appearance and Character:**

Yara Greyjoy is an Ironborn woman of the finest calibre: courageous, clever, determined and proud. In sharp contrast to the allusions people have about her on the basis that she is a woman, Yara is extremely headstrong and formidable towards anybody who dares cross her, as well as possessing a sharp, cynical, and sarcastic sense of humour.

Yara is a wild and headstrong young woman, raised by her mother to be bold. There is a boldness to the way she walks, part saunter, part sway. She possesses a sharp wit and has no problem with holding her own against men, both in a verbal battle and in a physical fight.

Yara enjoys ale and wine. Defying the classical gender roles of Westeros culture, Yara was appalled early on by the idea of becoming a lord's wife. She is also known to like sharing the company of both men and women, once again breaking the stereotypes of Westeros.

She is a reaver, a fierce warrior and a staunch leader, and obdurate about her own independence. Yara is a renowned leader and, in Balon's words, has commanded and killed men with her own hands.

Because of her sharpness, Yara can come across as aggressive towards people she doesn't like or people who try to put her in her place. She can be slightly judgmental

Out of all her siblings she is the only who cares for Theon, she begged him not to die 'so far from the sea', gently recalling the two of them as children. There is still a bit of resentment towards Theon for growing up as a Northman and not knowing the ways of the Ironborn. Because of this she has a great hatred for House Stark.

Yara personally leads her men into battle. She captains her own ship, *Black Wind*, and has the devotion of her crew, who take a perverse pride in the deeds of their female captain. According to Yara, half of them love her like a daughter, while the other half want to sleep with her. Regardless, Yara loves her men, and is willing to die for them, as they are for her. Yara is also well liked by the servants of Pyke and people of Lordsport. Yara is not devoted to the Drowned God.

## **History:**

Yara was fairly unattractive in her youth. Her uncle, Victarion Greyjoy, remembers Yara as a little girl swimming naked in the sea and playing with her doll. Yara's younger brother Theon departed for Winterfell to be Eddard Stark's hostage and ward.

Yara's mother, Lady Alannys Harlaw, fostered five boys at Pyke after Theon's departure. Yara experimented with Tristifer Botley, the boy closest to Yara in age, during puberty, although his feels were stronger than hers. Tris was sent away to Blacktyde after Maester Qalen caught the youths together.

Yara grew into an attractive and bold young woman, and Balon effectively raised his wild and headstrong daughter the same as his two older children. However, Yara preferred Ten Towers, the seat of her uncle Rodrik Harlaw, to Pyke. She lost her virtue at age 16 to a sailor from Lys. Yara sailed *Black Wind* on a trading voyage which included stops at Fair Isle, Lannisport, and The Arbor, where she introduced peaches to one of her lovers, Qarl the Maid. Yara was away raiding Lyseni pirates at The Stepstones when her father exiled her uncle, Euron Crow's Eye, from The Iron Islands in 297 AC for having impregnated Victarion's third wife.