Maron Martell

Maron Martell, known primarily by the title of Pirate King of Stepstones, is a member of the Exiled Branch of House Martell, and currently claims dominion over all the Stepstones Isles besides Pryr and Tyrosh.

## Appearance and Character

Violent and unpredictable, but intelligent and calculating, Maron is a fearsome individual. A pragmatist who is more than willing to employ unorthodox tactics to achieve his goals. There's a method to his madness.

Maron's colourful history has left its mark. On his left hand, he has no pinky finger, half a ring finger, and the tip of his middle finger removed. A vertical scar runs from his left brow to the top of the cheek and the top of his right ear has been cut clean off. A long horizontal scar runs along his neck from an attempted assassination. Numerous scars decorate his torso, most notably a crescent in his left flank from a shark bite.

## History

Born in Tyrosh, a relative safe haven for the exiled Martells, Maron knew many of the Targaryens from a young age. At the age of 15 he joined the Honorable Company of Merchants in Lys. He soon demonstrated a talent and quick wit at the Company but found the business itself dull. The only joy he got out of it was the sailing and the gold. Given command of a merchant vessel at only seventeen, Maron quickly gained the respect and admiration of his crew. He was a hard taskmaster, giving no quarter to lazy and dissenting sailors, and as a result increased efficiency and gained the respect of those that sailed under him.

In 262 AC, Maron was tasked to transport a shipment of silk from Yi-Ti to Lys. He never returned to the city, instead taking the silks for his own and turning to a life of piracy. Maron sailed the Fourteen Seas for years, raiding and plundering while growing the size of his fleet. During this time, he became known as a ruthless leader of men and an intimidating captain in his own right. In 270 AC, Maron used Durran's Defiance as an excuse to raid Dorne with the rest of the pirate lords. He attacked Hellholt and Tor as revenge for their historic betrayal of the Martells. For it was they who forced his ancestors to flee Westeros.

In 275 AC, Maron returned to Tyrosh and to the Targaryens. He had the ear and friendship of Maekar Targaryen, and urged him to take Lys by force. If it were not for the loose lips of the Bloodraven's son, perhaps it could have been successful. As it became clear that they were on the losing side, Maron abandoned the Targaryen cause and sailed into the Sunset Sea with his band of pirates. Realizing that the recent chaos and bloodshed wrought upon Westeros left the Stepstones wide open and undefended, Captain Martell turned his fleet upon the islands. When all was said and done, the ‘Pirate King’ had been crowned upon Bloodstone, and he settled into rule nicely with his small kingdom. It was even rumored for that the Martell Pirate King had been seen with an unknown woman and small child, but after that year, no words were spoken nor a woman seen by his side again.

For the next two years, Maron’s armies and coffers steadily grew, and he decided to venture back to Tyrosh, the home of his old friend the Bloodraven, in order to make peace. The years not been kind to the Targaryen cause, but with Maron in power in in the Narrow Sea and the Seven Kingdoms looking complacent, the Pirate King thought it best to return to his old allies. Maekar welcomed Maron back into the fold eventually, though before long, the Martell King was co-opted by the Ironborn in their raiding on the Summer Isles, brought to the south by the promises of exotic riches and untold rewards.

Maron was present in the rear guard aboard his ship the *Bloody Lemon* at the battle of Last Lament. Only his flagship made the journey at first, and when it was decided they would stay and take on the Girl Queen, Maron made preparations for the rest of his fleet to follow. At Lotus Port, the Pirate King fought valiantly in the attack on the bay of the city. However, he was thrown from the *Bloody Lemon* as it was rammed by another ship and sunk beneath the waves. For his trouble after the devastating battle, Maron was given a swan ship and a cut of the spoils from the city, which he took almost without a word, and set off for Bloodstone only a few days after the battle.

## Timeline

* 243 AC - Born in Tyrosh
* 258 AC - Spends time in Lysene Merchant Guild
* 262 AC - Abandons the Merchant Guild and becomes a pirate, sailing far and wide
* 269 AC - Anonymously takes part in Tourney of Blackhaven
* 270 AC - Raids Hellholt and the Tor in revenge
* 275 AC - Returns to Tyrosh and counsels Maekar to attack Lys
* 276 AC - Abandons the Targaryen's cause and begins his conquest of the Stepstones
* 278 AC - Crowned King of the Stepstones. Beats back Dornish in the Battle for Dustspear
* 280 AC - Makes amends with Maekar Targaryen. Travels with the Ironborn fleet to the Summer Isles
* 281 AC - Slain by Vogan Nestoris after the Archon's Coup.