Recaps

Yulon presented pure “Platinum Sand” as a manifestation of the Drowned God’s will, and Victarion declared it a divine blessing for the Iron Islands. Kolen refused to reveal how it was made and established Pyke’s power to allocate supplies according to each island’s loyalty, leaving the other lords under Greyjoy control of the salt trade.

• Victarion tasted Yulon’s “Platinum Sand” and proclaimed it a blessing from the Drowned God.
• News of the holy salt spread, and Dunstan Drumm, Gimond Pottery, and Baelon Blacktyde demanded that Kolen share its secret.
• Kolen invoked the oracle to declare Yulon the Drowned God’s chosen vessel and refused to share the method.
• Kolen announced that Pyke would grant “Platinum Sand” quotas according to each island’s devotion, loyalty, and contributions.
• Dunstan, Gimond, and Baelon fell silent as Kolen made access to the salt a measure of loyalty to House Greyjoy and the Sea Stone Seat.

Euron Greyjoy trained to overcome his physical weakness, explored dangerous locations on Pyke Island, and used his accumulated Exploration Points for four lucky draws. He gained new skills, a Vivre Card, and a rare foal named Faruru, then turned his attention to expanding the salt trade.

• Euron trained with Balf, recognized that brute force did not suit him, and asked Daggmo to have Mario find a Braavosi Water Dancer Swordsman.
• Euron explored Flint Cliff and the Blind Lord's Ghost Tower, earning Exploration Points and uncovering hidden locations.
• Euron spent his Exploration Points on four draws and received Basic Navigation, Fish-Man Karate v1, a Vivre Card sub-card, and the juvenile mount Faruru.
• Euron welcomed Faruru and planned how to promote Platinum Sand, expand salt trade, revitalize the port, and bring disobedient lords under control.

Euron Greyjoy’s salt strategy transformed Pyke into a wealthy commercial power and strengthened House Greyjoy’s control over the Iron Islands. King Kolen entrusted the six-year-old Euron with authority over salt and raids, while the lords began proposing him as heir.

• Kolen Greyjoy gave Euron the seals granting him authority over the Iron Islands’ salt trade and raid permissions.
• Euron tied sales of Platinum Sand to Ironborn salt, made Platinum Sand a costly luxury, and used the Ice and Fire Trading Company to enforce a monopoly.
• Euron allocated raid permits according to each island’s loyalty and contributions, directing raids toward profitable targets and requiring a share of their spoils for Pyke.
• The Ice and Fire Trading Company expanded its legitimate trade and its hidden networks for fencing spoils, supplying fleets, and gathering intelligence, bringing Pyke more wealth than its previous decade of income.
• As Pyke’s harbor and treasuries filled with gold, lords proposed naming Euron Kolen’s heir.

At a family banquet, Kolen tested Yulon’s ambitions by raising the possibility of naming him heir, but Yulon claimed a destiny beyond the Iron Islands and deferred the throne to Baron. After the brothers’ playful fight, Kolen revealed that rumors of their rivalry might be a plot, and Yulon proposed pretending to feud to expose the plotters.

• Kolen told the family that lords had proposed naming Yulon his heir and asked Yulon what he thought.
• Yulon cited eldest-son tradition, then declared that wherever the sea could be sensed was his territory and quoted the Grey King’s oath.
• Yulon said Baron could keep the Iron Islands, teasing him as fit to watch the house, and Baron chased him around the banquet hall in anger.
• Kolen collected his bet from Balf, and the family realized that rumors of conflict between the brothers might have been deliberately spread.
• Yulon advised Kolen and Baron to feign discord so that those seeking to exploit the succession dispute would reveal themselves.
• Baron agreed to act, then ruffled Yulon’s hair and pinched his cheeks as the brothers resumed teasing each other.

Euron urged Kolen Greyjoy to stockpile food for the coming three-year winter and began arranging Balon Greyjoy’s marriage to Aranys Harlaw. He introduced Aranys to Balon through gifts and stories, leaving the brothers sparring in the training yard.

• Euron advised Kolen Greyjoy that the Iron Islands should stockpile at least three years of food before the Long Summer ended.
• Euron reviewed information about Aranys Harlaw and decided that her Harlaw and Blacktyde connections made her a suitable bride for Balon.
• Euron brought Balon a cask of Dornish Red Viper liquor and said Aranys had sent it for him.
• Euron showed Balon Aranys’s dagger and described how she had killed a Myrish sailor who tried to steal her necklace.
• Balon angrily challenged Euron to a sparring match, and Euron dodged his attacks around the training yard.

Euron Greyjoy negotiated Balon Greyjoy’s marriage to Aranys Harlaw as an alliance between House Greyjoy and House Harlaw. The wedding took place at the Temple of the Drowned God, and Euron watched the newlyweds begin their life together while worrying about their future children.

• Euron traveled to Ten Towers and asked Earl Rodrik Harlaw for Aranys Harlaw’s hand on behalf of Balon Greyjoy.
• Rodrik said he would consult Aranys and her mother before answering, then allowed Euron to explore Harlaw Island.
• Balon and Aranys exchanged blood in a bowl of seawater during an Ironborn wedding ceremony and were declared wed.
• The Ironborn nobles and captains struck the temple floor with their weapons to approve the marriage.
• Euron watched the ceremony and silently blessed Balon and Aranys, while worrying that their future children might suffer tragedy.

Euron spent 100 points to obtain Brook's Soul Reaver Sword, renamed it Cold Spirit, and prepared to tour the Iron Islands before winter. Over the next two months, he used his influence and island visits to gather points and assess the lords, leaving his planned voyage across the Narrow Sea ahead.

• Euron exchanged 100 points for Brook's Soul Reaver Sword and renamed it Cold Spirit.
• Euron asked Lysa how long remained before winter, and she said the Citadel predicted it would arrive in three months.
• Euron announced that he would visit the other Iron Islands over the next two months to inspect their preparations and consider whether they needed help.
• Euron traveled island to island aboard the Hao Yin, using his control of Platinum Sand, sea routes, and religious backing to command the lords' attention.
• Euron assessed the islands' loyalty and resources while seeking more points to strengthen himself for his future voyage across the Narrow Sea.

Yulon explored the Iron Islands, used his accumulated points for a ten-pull draw, and gained several skills and items before consuming the Lineage Factor. It awakened the Grey King bloodline and two powerful eyes, leaving Yulon with extraordinary ocean abilities that he still needed years of practice to master.

• Yulon surveyed the Iron Islands and earned 1,030 points for exploring their islands and reefs.
• Yulon used his points for ten draws and gained abilities including Kami-e, Archaeologist, Fishman Breathing, Dance Powder, Seastone, and the Lineage Factor.
• Yulon trained with Raphael Ortega, improved his evasion and swordsmanship, learned High Valyrian from Lysa, and explored the sea with Fishman Breathing.
• Yulon swallowed the Lineage Factor atop Pike Island and endured a painful transformation while seeing a vision of the Grey King.
• Yulon awakened the Grey King bloodline, gaining enhanced ocean perception, deep-sea strength, and an aura that inspired awe and obedience in sea creatures and Ironborn.
• Yulon discovered that his Abyssal Eye could expose illusions and destroy impurities or flames, while his Azure Eye could control water and summon storms, but using the powers left him dizzy.

The chapter described how Westeros prepared for and endured brutal winters, from hunger and isolation to the Night's Watch's hardship. It focused on how Yulon and King Kolen used trade, stored provisions, and strict rationing to help the Iron Islands survive the coming winter.

• Westeros's people stockpiled food and fuel in summer and autumn, slaughtered livestock, and faced hunger, cold, disease, and death during winter.
• The Night's Watch endured freezing conditions at the Wall, while some black brothers fled south despite knowing they would die.
• The Ice and Fire Trading Company, following Yulon's plans and King Kolen's support, sent Ironborn longships to trade for grain, timber, furs, and medicine.
• King Kolen ordered island lords to ration food fairly and keep fishermen and craftsmen alive and occupied through winter.
• Yulon's Platinum Sand had brought the Iron Islands gold and silver reserves that could buy provisions and help their people survive.

Euron Greyjoy considered traveling to Essos as a refuge from Westeros's deadly winters, a source of supplies, and a chance to explore its lingering magic and expand his power. After Kolen warned that winter storms made the Narrow Sea crossing dangerous, Euron remained determined to inspect and strengthen the Ice and Fire Trading Company's foothold there.

• Euron studied the map of Essos and imagined its milder climate, resources, and magical mysteries as an alternative to Westeros's harsh winters.
• Euron saw Essos as a potential sanctuary if Westeros fell to the White Walkers and as a place to gather knowledge, supplies, and power.
• Kolen warned Euron that autumn and winter storms made crossing the Narrow Sea perilous and could halt all trade.
• Euron resolved to travel east and personally take control of the Ice and Fire Trading Company's network, which already had agents in several Free Cities.

Euron told Kolen and Sansa that he planned to travel to Essos after winter began to inspect the Greyjoys’ trade holdings and protect their supply routes. Kolen agreed only on the condition that Euron complete a detailed review of every ship, guard, mercenary, and supply point before leaving Pyke.

• Euron said the Long Night would last three years and argued that he would not spend it waiting behind Pyke’s walls.
• Euron explained that he would inspect the Greyjoys’ holdings in Essos with three ships, three hundred Ironborn, and a hundred mercenaries hired by Maleo Romis.
• Sansa protested that Euron was too young to travel and feared he would be kidnapped, fall ill, or die in Essos.
• Euron promised he would wait until the first snowflake fell on Pyke before leaving.
• Kolen recognized that Euron had already decided to go and ordered him to prepare complete records of his ships, guards, mercenaries, and supply points before he would allow him to leave.

Before setting sail, Euron reviewed his attributes and held a private gift-giving ceremony at Pyke for his family. He gave Baron a warship to command after a joke gift, leaving him excitedly naming it.

• Euron examined his system attributes and decided to save his four free points while he was still growing.
• Euron presented the King of the Iron Islands with a detailed model of the Iron Islands and gave his mother a jeweled crown from Qarth.
• Euron gave his younger brothers a model longship and a small wooden sword with a coral bracelet, then presented Baron with a Valyrian steel dagger.
• Euron teased Baron with a crude wooden boat before revealing that he was giving him the warship in Dragonbone Bay.
• Baron learned the ship was his and declared that he would name it Oceanic Behemoth.

Yulon sailed from Pike Island toward Braavos, studying Essos and reviewing his intelligence network during the journey. On the tenth day, his awakened Grey King bloodline connected him to the legendary Golden Kraken, which sheltered his ships from a violent storm and won the Ironborn’s devotion.

• Yulon departed Pike Island aboard the Hao Yin with Balv and two escort ships, bound for Braavos.
• Lysa and Raphael taught Yulon about Essos’s politics, customs, and fighting styles as he prepared for the voyage.
• Yulon reviewed the names, leverage, and loyalties of his intelligence agents across the Narrow Sea.
• During a gale on the tenth day, Yulon sensed the Golden Kraken beneath the sea and asked it for help.
• The Golden Kraken calmed the waters around Yulon’s ships, then surfaced and let him touch its tentacle before sinking away.
• The Ironborn witnessed the encounter and pledged their lives to Yulon, increasing his Charisma by one point to 15.

Yulon arrived in Braavos and unexpectedly encountered Oberyn Martell, who was leading the Red Viper Mercenary Group. After Oberyn insisted he served as a mercenary rather than as a prince, Yulon accepted his company for the journey while remaining wary of him.

• Maleo Romis welcomed Yulon and his party as the Hao Yin reached Braavos.
• Balv recognized Oberyn Martell leading the Red Viper Mercenary Group at the docks.
• Maleo introduced Oberyn to Yulon and framed their meeting as a chance for partnership.
• Oberyn told Yulon that he worked for pay as a mercenary and judged clients by their contracts, not their titles.
• Yulon accepted Oberyn's company for the rest of the journey and resolved to guard his secrets.

In Braavos, Euron Greyjoy hired Oberyn Martell to lead the Red Viper Mercenary Group on a two-and-a-half-year expedition across Essos, with strict deadlines and ample funding. Euron also remained intent on approaching the Hall of Black and White and learning about the Faceless Men.

• Yulon treated Oberyn Martell as the captain of the Red Viper Mercenary Group after Oberyn agreed to serve as a mercenary.
• Euron Greyjoy ordered Oberyn to prepare a complete expedition plan within a month, recruit any needed specialists, and return to the Iron Islands by the first spring breeze after winter.
• Euron warned Oberyn that he trusted self-interest more than loyalty and urged him to stay wary of everyone.
• Oberyn accepted the dangerous expedition after Euron challenged the courage of the Red Vipers and mentioned the Golden Company and the Second Sons as alternatives.
• Euron planned to handle trading-company business and enjoy himself in Braavos while keeping the Hall of Black and White and its Faceless Men in mind.

Yulon Greyjoy reached Braavos and spent the night exploring the city to earn enough points for seven lottery draws. He gained a range of unusual items and mastered Two-Sword Style, then prepared to visit the Faceless Men the next day.

• Yulon sailed into the Shivering Sea and received exploration points for discovering it, the Titan of Braavos, and Braavos.
• Yulon explored several establishments around the Purple Harbor district, earning enough points to reach 700.
• Yulon spent all 700 points on seven lottery draws and obtained an Eternal Pointer, Das Qi's Glasses, a Sky Island Pumpkin, a Stand-in Scarecrow, storage space, Sea Pig Hormone Broth, and Two-Sword Style.
• Yulon absorbed the Two-Sword Style's techniques and gained confidence in his fighting abilities.
• Yulon, Lysa, and "Cracked Jaw" Daggmo settled in for the night before planning to visit the Faceless Men.

Euron visited the Hall of Black and White with Lysa and Daggmo to learn how the Faceless Men carried out killings and what their service cost. He left knowing that becoming one of them required surrendering his identity and ambitions, which he could not do.

• Euron entered the Hall of Black and White with Lysa and Daggmo and felt the deathly power gathered inside.
• A Faceless One appeared and told Euron that the Many-Faced God accepted sacrifices in exchange for a death, with the price determined by the target’s worth.
• Euron asked whether an enemy could pay to have him killed, and the Faceless One said the contract could be undone only at a much greater price.
• Euron asked to learn the Faceless Men’s art, but the Faceless One said he would have to abandon his name, identity, desires, loves, and hatreds.
• Euron recognized that the Faceless Men’s path of self-erasure conflicted with his ambition to control the world.

Euron Greyjoy asked whether he could gain the Many-Faced God's favor without hiring the Faceless Men or surrendering himself to their faith. After drinking the Hall of Black and White's water and resisting its call to death, he received an ancient Iron Coin marking him as watched by a higher power.

• Euron asked the Faceless Men whether friendship with the Many-Faced God could keep him off their assassination list.
• The Kind Man offered Euron black water, and Euron drank it.
• Euron relived his drowning and resurrection as the Many-Faced God's voice urged him to accept death.
• Euron defied the voice, awakening the Grey King's bloodline and causing lightning to coil around him.
• The Kind Man gave Euron an ancient Iron Coin and warned that his death was watched by powers above the Faceless Men.
• Euron put the coin away, understanding that the mark would keep the Faceless Men from targeting him.

Yulon Greyjoy met with Sea King Ferrego Antaryon and the Iron Bank to strengthen trade and financial ties for Platinum Sand, then explored Braavos and its Isle of Gods. He left with a clearer understanding of Braavos’s system and abandoned his idea of building a similar religious center in the Iron Islands.

• Yulon persuaded Sea King Ferrego Antaryon to treat him as a business partner and discussed stable port access and future trade between Braavos and the Iron Islands.
• Yulon presented Platinum Sand’s business prospects to the Iron Bank and exchanged his Gold Dragons for Braavosi Iron Coins.
• Yulon sampled local food and drink while gathering rumors and intelligence from Braavos’s streets and taverns.
• Yulon visited the Isle of Gods and concluded that Braavos’s strength came from managing many faiths within its secular system.
• Yulon asked Lysa about creating a similar religious center in the Iron Islands, but agreed with her that it would not suit the Ironborn; Daggmo affirmed their devotion to the Drowned God.

Oberyn Martell presented Yulon with a route through the Free Cities and onward to the Serpent Isles, and Yulon approved nearly all of it. Yulon assembled a diverse crew of fighters, guides, scholars, and practitioners of magic, leaving the expedition ready to begin.

• Oberyn Martell mapped a route from Braavos through the Free Cities, the Dothraki Grass Sea, and Qohor Forest, ending at the Serpent Isles.
• Yulon listened to Oberyn Martell's plan, suggested a few changes, and accepted almost all of the route.
• Yulon recruited Vittorio Grey, Areo Hotah, Bastian Fernandez, Lomas "Long Lomas," and Castor Daniels for their knowledge and skills.
• Yulon questioned Samur about his loyalty and welcomed him aboard after Oberyn Martell vouched for his reputation.
• Edwyn Ramirez joined to guide the expedition through the Summer Sea and the Serpent Isles while seeking revenge on the sailors who betrayed him.
• Yulon recruited Gwendoline and Evelyn to study and guard against the powers of R'hllor and the Shadow Lands.

Yulon toured Pentos and Norvos, assessing their trade, customs, and goods during his travels. He left Pentos after fourteen days with 2,600 points and continued on to Norvos, where he explored the divided city and its religious order.

• Yulon visited Pentos, observed its trade and wine merchants, and found the city's celebrated sweet wines disappointing.
• Yulon toured the vineyards and planned to use Pentos's grapes and his own methods to produce and sell a richer wine after returning to the Iron Islands.
• Yulon spent fourteen days in Pentos and earned 2,600 points before traveling onward.
• Yulon arrived in Norvos and met with the bearded monks, hoping to trade gold for sturdy textiles and fine oak.
• Yulon descended Sinner's Stair, sampled Winter Cake and Nasa, and heard the three great bells ring.

Yulon traveled through Qohor Forest, Qohor City, and Lorath, surviving the forest’s dangers while seeking skilled workers for the Iron Islands. He left Qohor with many smiths taken by the Ironborn and recorded Lorath’s mines, craftsmen, and feuding families for a future return.

• Yulon’s party passed a ruined temple and avoided pursuing bandits in Qohor Forest, then kept watch through the night as an unseen presence circled their camp.
• Yulon and his companions escaped the forest at dawn and entered Qohor City, where he offered smiths triple pay to move to the Iron Islands.
• After some smiths refused, Yulon reminded the Ironborn of their Old Way, and many smiths disappeared after the party left Qohor.
• Yulon traveled to Lorath and offered stonemasons more than the going rate while his Ironborn companions pressured those who hesitated.
• Yulon recorded Lorath’s mine locations, craftsmen, and family feuds in his journal for a future visit.

Yulon and his companions spent twenty days in Lys, where he trained several women in combat and bought madams to help establish brothels as information networks. In Tyrosh, a tavern clash with pirates killed thirteen of their companions, and the survivors cremated the dead before leaving.

• Yulon gave his companions three days to enjoy Lys while he trained Lysa, Gwendoline, and Evelyn, earning Pirate King System points for defeating them.
• Oberyn Martell returned from a night of revelry and mistook the women’s resentment toward Yulon for evidence of his exploits.
• After twenty days in Lys, Yulon bought several madams for his planned brothels and ordered the group to leave, leaving two Ironborn and one sellsword missing.
• In Tyrosh, a tavern clash between the Ironborn, sellswords, and pirates escalated into a massacre that killed three Ironborn and ten sellswords.
• Yulon’s group cremated their thirteen dead companions and departed Tyrosh.

Yulon described Valantis’s decline, then traveled through the Dothraki Sea and Slaver’s Bay, observing their customs and trading for people he needed. After defeating Jorah and securing a horse deal with Khal Drogo, he left the region intent on gathering talent for the Iron Islands.

• Yulon visited Valantis’s Black Wall, Temple of R'hllor, House of the Merchant, and Long Bridge during the magistrate election, and reflected on the city’s decline.
• Yulon and his companions joined a Dothraki khalasar as guests and followed it to Vaes Dothrak.
• Yulon defeated Jorah, son of Khal Drogo, with a Fish-Man Karate move, earning 40 points and Khal Drogo’s respect.
• Yulon traded salt, wine, and iron with Khal Drogo for Dothraki horses, while the Red Viper wondered why an Ironborn wanted them.
• Yulon toured Yunkai, Meereen, and Astapor, witnessing their slave trades and the Unsullied training process.
• Yulon traded with the slave masters of Slaver’s Bay to acquire useful people for the future of the Iron Islands.

Yulon traveled through the ruins of Valyria, where the Dragon Crystal Compass led him to a Dragon Egg and a rune-carved horn, then visited Qarth and considered helping Lysa take control of the city through its merchant guilds. After turning away from dangerous Sothoryos, the travelers sailed toward the Summer Isles.

• Yulon followed the Dragon Crystal Compass into Valyria and found a Dragon Egg and a black horn inscribed with Ancient Valyrian Runes.
• Yulon stored the egg and horn in the system space for possible future use.
• In Qarth, Yulon noticed Lysa's reaction to a member of the Thirteen Magnates and offered to help her pursue a grudge against them.
• Yulon asked Lysa to devise a way to take control of Qarth and offered to invest, while the Red Viper also agreed to contribute.
• Two mercenaries left the ship after seeing a girl on the shore of Sothoryos and disappeared into the rainforest.
• The travelers abandoned the dangerous approach to Sothoryos and sailed northwest toward the Summer Isles.