House of the Dragon brings fans of George RR Martin back to the beloved world of Westeros after the unfortunate ending of the final series finale. Three years later, fans seem elated with the prequel series, and those not yet immersed in the books already have a ton of questions.
Set about 200 years before the events fans know and love, the prequel series tells the story of the Targaryen family’s vicious war of succession. The first few episodes pit Rhaenyra, the princess and her father’s chosen heir, and Daemon, the king’s rogue brother, fighting for the throne. But there are other forces at play in the battle.
Among the other topics of discussion, besides the internal family struggle, are the three free cities of Lys, Myr and Tyrosh. After generations of bitter fighting between these three powerful locations, they decided to put their differences aside and form an alliance. In the novels, that alliance was known as the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, but the show calls them the Triarchy. With their forces combined, the Triarchy united to drive another hostile nation called Volantis from the disputed lands. This area was part of Essos, located east of the continent of Westeros. The conflict was known as the Battle of the Borderlands, and the immense combined power of the Triarchy secured the victory. The Triarchy was led into battle by a Myrian native Prince-Admiral named Craghas Drahar. Better known by his nickname, Craghas Crabfeeder.
Those who have seen the show saw firsthand how Drahar got his name. His most notable act in the books is the one depicted in the episode. As a means of brutal torture and murder, Drahar has his crew taken captive at low tide to shore, where they can be slowly devoured by crabs. It’s a nightmarish fate for everyone to suffer, but interestingly, the victims alternate between book and show. In the novel, it is a fleet of pirates who feed Drahar to the crabs. In the show, Drahar has started attacking Westerosi ships as they pass through the area. This is a minor change that suggests a bigger one for Drahar’s character, potentially upgrading him from a minor role to a more substantial role.
In the books, Drahar isn’t around that long. He earns his cool nickname in the action that secures the Stepstones as property of the Triarchy. From there, he and his army begin to demand exorbitant fees from any ship bound for Westeros that attempts to navigate the seas they control. In the beginning, the powerful people of Westeros are more than willing to pay the Triarchy’s toll, as it is a fair return for the extermination of the pirates that once ravaged the area. It takes a long time for the people of the nation, led by Lord of the Tides Corlys Velaryon, to decide they no longer want to pay the fee. Velaryon’s shipping activities suffer from the tariffs, prompting him to recruit Daemon Targaryen to help him overthrow the Triarchate’s control of the area. In the show, however, this problem will come up much faster. Since Drahar attacks Velaryon ships directly, sooner or later he has to get to work to stop the Crabfeeder. But this is just one change in Drahar’s presence.
Drahar’s signature mask is also a new detail added by the show. He doesn’t get much of a physical description in the novel, very little is known about him in general. Drahar’s appearance is immediately striking, partly because of his damaged mask and partly because of the reason he wears it. Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed patches of discoloration on Drahar’s skin. This iteration of the character visibly suffers from grayscale, the terrible plague that gradually disfigures its victims with stony rot. It is usually fatal, but the survivors are forever marked with its terrible scars. Jorah Mormont is the most notable survivor of grayscale in the show, his chest and shoulder having horrendous damage. Drahar’s mask covers his condition, but the two features give him an eerie, inhuman look.
Daemon is ordered by Velaryon to go to war with this nightmarish figure. The show has gone to great lengths to set up the Rogue Prince as one of the least likable figures in all of Westeros, but pitting him against a man who is as monstrous in his face as he is in his actions would make things can change. Fans of the books may already know how the conflict between Daemon and Crabfeeder ends, but elements have already started to change. House of the Dragon has proven that it holds many surprises in store. The show must continue to elevate small details into more important moments, as Crabfeeder is one of the show’s most powerful elements to date.
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