Prince Oberyn Nymeros Martell, also known as the Red Viper, was a Prince from Dorne and brother to Elia Martell, the murdered wife of Rhaegar Targaryen. He was named the Red Viper for using a poisoned sword to kill a man in a duel to first blood.
Appearance and Character[]
Oberyn has a lined face with thin eyebrows, black "viper" eyes and a sharp nose.His hair is lustrous and black with only a few silver streaks and recedes from his brow into a widow's peak.
Oberyn is a forceful, lusty man with a quick wit and barbed tongue. He studied at the Citadel for a while, and apparently forged several maester links but eventually grew bored and left the order. Oberyn had traveled the world, and even founded his own mercenary company. He had a very close relationship with his sister Elia, and they were inseparable as children. Some rumors hold that he is bisexual. His squire (and one of his many rumored lovers) is Daemon Sand.
Oberyn rides a black stallion with a tail the color of fire. He wears a pale red silk cloak and a shirt armored with overlapping discs of bright copper. His helm is adorned with a copper sun and he owns a steel round shield in the Dornish style that is decorated with the sigil of House Martell.
Oberyn is an exceptional fighter, his speed and skill with both spear and sword are renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms. In battle, along with his brightly-polished round shield, Oberyn wields an ash spear eight feet long with a steel spearhead and spike. He chooses to wear lightly armored greaves, vambraces, gorget, spaulder and steel codpiece, in addition to supple leather and flowing silk. He wears a helm without a visor and scales of gleaming copper over his byrnie. Oberyn is unbreakably confident in his own skill, enough to face Gregor Clegane hand-to-hand - though this may have had more to do with the fact that he was obsessed with revenge for his sister's murder.
Oberyn was a fiery, wrathful, dangerous and unpredictable man who is feared for his temper everywhere he goes - even his older brother Doran, with whom he had a complicated relationship, recognised that Oberyn was a fearsome individual and that nobody dared to cross him. Oberyn was not stupid, and clearly intelligent, and he had the foresight to poison his spear before he fought the Mountain - however, Oberyn manipulated the poison so that it caused unimaginable pain to the victim, when if he hadn't done it would have quickly killed his opponent and enabled him to survive. Oberyn was also able to work with his brother on their pact with the surviving Targaryens, and his visit to King's Landing was meant to get the measure of the enemies of Dorne - Oberyn's treasured revenge is still carried on in his remaining family, who loved him and wished to avenge his brutal death.
Early Life[]
To Be Added
Books.[]
A Storm of Swords[]
He rides to Kings Landing to attend the wedding of King Joffrey, but also seek justice for his murdered family members. However Tywin Lannister refuses to give up Ser Gregor Clegane, The Mountain That Rides, because he is such an effective murderer and a feared lieutenant. So Oberyn decides to act as champion of Tyrion Lannister against Ser Gregor in hopes to attain the revenge he yearns. At the trial, a brutal duel begins, in which Oberyn wields a spear to counter the arm span of Gregor and his own speed to counter the Mountain's ferocity. Although the Mountain claims not to recognise oberyn or know of Elia and her children, Oberyn relentlessly shouts "Elia of Dorne you raped her, you murdered her. You killed her children", infuriating his enemy. After wearing down the Mountain and repeatedly wounding him, he goes in for the kill and stabs Ser Gregor through the chest, but as he stands over him and continues to demand a confession from Gregor, the Mountain pulls him down, tells him how he murdered Elia, then bashes his skull in with his fist. As his spear is poisoned, the Mountain dies.