Varys Rugen



Varys Rugen was born across the Narrow Sea in the Free Cities of Perth which are located northeast of the Iron Islands and North of Pontus. He is a member of the Emperor's small council, where he serves as Master of Whisperers, the Emperor's foremost spymaster and intelligence agent. He holds no inherited title or land in Westeros, but is called 'Lord' as a courtesy due to his position on the council, which traditionally is made up of great lords.

Though nothing that Varys says can be completely trusted, he claims to have been born a slave in Lys that was sold and apprenticed to a traveling folly, a troupe of mummers who worked the Free Cities, Oldtown, and occasionally Pontus, by means of a fat little cog owned by the troupe's master. During their stay in Myr, a man offered a large sum of money for Varys, an offer his master found too tempting to refuse. The man gave Varys a potion that made him powerless to move or speak, but did nothing to dull his senses as his manhood was cut off at the stem, then burnt in a brazier in a Blood Magic ritual. Varys claims to have held a hatred for all things magical ever since. He then spent years in Pontus where after working his way from being a slave he became one of the most feared men in the city, and this fear he brought out in people eventually led to his constant near death. During this time he heard of the defeat suffered by those of Westros during the War of the Harp and he became interested in this House Targaryan and thus he created an alias in Pontus and then fled the city to find these Targaryans. He would find them years later as they were growing in Dragonstone, and although mistrusted by many he gained the trust of Aryes and became the Master of Whisperers and a considerable force within the Empire of Dragonstone.

Early History
Though nothing that Varys says can be completely trusted, he claims to have been born a slave in Lys that was sold and apprenticed to a traveling folly, a troupe of mummers who worked the Free Cities, Oldtown, and occasionally Pontus, by means of a fat little cog owned by the troupe's master. During their stay in Myr, a man offered a large sum of money for Varys, an offer his master found too tempting to refuse. The man gave Varys a potion that made him powerless to move or speak, but did nothing to dull his senses as his manhood was cut off at the stem, then burnt in a brazier in a Blood Magic ritual. Varys claims to have held a hatred for all things magical ever since.



Pontus
See Also : Pontus

With the ritual complete, the man had no further use for Varys and tossed him out on the streets. By that time the mummers had sailed and Varys was left alone. He resorted to begging and thievery and soon was as good a thief as any in Myr, eventually becoming recognized as the best thief in the city until a rival forced him out and he fled to Pentos. In Pentos, Varys befriended a poor sellsword named Illyrio Mopatis and they started a business where Varys would steal objects from lesser thieves and Illyrio would get the objects back for their original owners for a small fee. Soon, every man and woman in Pentos who ever had valuables stolen from them all knew who ask to get their valuables back. In addition, the thieves in Pentos soon began to seek Illyrio and Varys out, half to try (and failing) to kill them, the other half to sell them the objects they stole in order to prevent Varys from stealing them back. Varys and Illyrio grew very rich. Varys came to the realization that information was much more valuable than gold and gems and began training his spy network, then known as "little mice", to acquire the information, letters, ledgers and charts of the wealthy and powerful. The "mice" were orphans purchased by Varys; he chose those that were small, quick, and quiet, and taught them to read and write, as well as the skills required for sneak thievery such as climbing walls and slipping down chimneys, so that they might copy the information Varys desired without disturbing or alarming their targets. These secrets increased Varys and Illyrio's wealth tenfold, and in time Varys became so infamous that word of his talents reached the ears of King Aerys across the Narrow Sea, who in his growing paranoia no longer trusted his son, his wife, or his Hand.



Empire of Dragonstone
Main Article : Empire of Dragonstone

this fear he brought out in people eventually led to his constant near death. During this time he heard of the defeat suffered by those of Westros during the War of the Harp and he became interested in this House Targaryan and thus he created an alias in Pontus and then fled the city to find these Targaryans. He would find them years later as they were growing in Dragonstone, and although mistrusted by many he gained the trust of Aryes and became the Master of Whisperers and a considerable force within the Empire of Dragonstone.