House of the Dragon brings fans of George R. R. Martin back to the beloved world of Westeros after the unfortunate outcome of the last series finale. Three years later, fans seem elated with the prequel series, and those who haven't dipped into the books have a ton of questions already.
The prequel series, set around 200 years before the events fans know and love, tells the tale of the Targaryen family's vicious war of succession. The first couple of episodes set up the opposing forces of Rhaenyra, the princess and her father's chosen heir, and Daemon, the king's rogue brother, who is fighting for the throne. But, there are other forces at play in the struggle.
One of the other topics of discussion, beyond the internal family struggles, is the three free cities of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh. After generations of bitter battles between these three powerful locales, they decided to set aside their differences 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 powers combined, the Triarchy banded together to drive another opposing nation called Volantis from the Disputed Land. This area was a chunk of Essos, located to the east of the continent of Westeros. The conflict was known as the Battle of the Borderlands, and the Triarchy's immense combined power secured them the victory. The Triarchy was led in battle by a Myrish native prince-admiral named Craghas Drahar. Better known by his sobriquet, Craghas Crabfeeder.
Those who've watched the show saw first-hand how Drahar got his name. His most notable act in the books is the one depicted in the episode. As a means of vicious torture and murder, Drahar has his army stake captured crewmen to the shore at low tide, where they can be slowly devoured by crabs. It's a nightmarish fate for anyone to undergo, but, interestingly, the victims change between book and show. In the novel, it's a fleet of pirates that Drahar feeds to the crabs. In the show, Drahar has begun attacking Westerosi ships as they pass by the area. This is a slight change that suggests a larger one for Drahar's character, possibly upgrading him from a minor figure to a more substantial role.
In the books, Drahar isn't around for very long. He earns his cool nickname in the action that secures the Stepstones as Triarchy property. From there, he and his army begin demanding exorbitant fees from any ship bound for Westeros that seeks to pass through the sea they control. At first, the powerful people of Westeros are more than willing to pay the Triarchy toll, considering it a fair exchange for the extermination of the pirates that once plagued 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 wish to pay the fee. Velaryon's shipping business suffers from the tariffs, leading him to recruit Daemon Targaryen to aid him in overthrowing Triarchy control of the area. In the show, however, this issue will be coming up much faster. Since Drahar is attacking Velaryon ships directly, he'll have to set to work stopping the Crabfeeder sooner rather than later. But this is only one change made to Drahar's presence.
Drahar's distinctive mask is a new detail added by the show as well. He doesn't get much of a physical description in the novel, there's very little known about him overall. Drahar's appearance is immediately striking, partially due to his damaged mask and partially due to the reason he wears it. Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed patches of discoloration on Drahar's skin. This iteration of the character is visibly suffering from greyscale, the terrible plague that gradually disfigures its victims with stone-like rot. It's typically fatal, but its survivors are forever marked with its terrible scars. Jorah Mormont is the most notable survivor of greyscale in the show, his chest and shoulder bare terrible damage. Drahar's mask covers his condition, but the two features combine to give him a creepy inhuman look.
Daemon is set to head to war with this nightmarish figure at the behest of Velaryon. The show has done a lot 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 the face as he is in his deeds might change things. 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 has plenty of surprises in store. The show should keep elevating minor details into more important moments because Crabfeeder is one of the most powerful elements of the show so far.