Bred as a slave in Meereen, Strong Belwas was made a eunuch and trained as a pit fighter,
growing into a tall, heavy set, expert warrior, with some estimating his weight near to 300
pounds.
Armed with an arakh and small round shield, Belwas had a tradition of allowing his opponents
to cut him once before viciously defeating them, proudly claiming his scars revealed
how many men he’d killed.
After years earning a reputation as a veteran fighter, he was sold to a new owner in Qohor,
and then again to Illyrio Mopatis, a wealthy magister of Pentos.
Illyrio was not only involved in the politics of his homeland, but also dedicated time and
money to help his allies claim the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms across the narrow sea.
Part of the plan involved looking after the exiled prince Viserys Targaryen and his younger
sister Daenerys, who fled to Essos when their father King Aerys II was dethroned.
To help them raise an army, Ilyrio arranged for Daenerys to marry Khal Drogo, a Dothraki
horselord with a Khalasar of 40 000.
Illyrio also gave her 3 petrified dragon eggs as a wedding gift in honor of her ancestors
who once conquered half the world with their dragon armies.
Although Viserys was an unstable fool who got himself killed, the prince’s sister
survived, becoming widely known as the Mother of Dragons after hatching all 3 of the eggs
she received from the Pentoshi magister.
When the princesses husband Drogo dead, Illyrio knew he needed to keep Daenerys safe and so
ordered Strong Belwas to sail east and find Daenerys, offering three ships so she might
return to Pentos.
To aid him in this mission, Belwas was paired with an old man named Arstan Whitebeard to
serve as his squire, though the man’s true identity was Ser Barristan Selmy, the former
kingsguard to Aerys II and other who now wished to serve the last living child of House Targaryen.
Arriving just in time to save Daenerys from the many enemies conspiring against her in
Qarth, she decided not to return to Pentos and instead had the ships to take her to Astapor
in slaver’s bay where she might purchase an army.
Under order to ensure her safety, Strong Belwas served as the princesses bodyguard and champion,
standing by her side and fighting on her behalf as she conquered the Slaver’s bay cities
of Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen.
During the siege of Mereen, Oznak zo Pahl rode out of the gates armed with a 14 foot
lance, challenging the invaders to a duel of champions.
Daenerys choose Strong Belwas as her representative, a man so confident in his victory he put on
a performance for the crowd.
After wounding his opponent’s horse and forcing him to the ground, Belwas allowed
himself to be cut once before severing the warrior’s head.
Holding it high in the air, he then defecated in front of the Meereenese nobility looking
on, before wiping himself with the slain champion’s cloak and looting the body.
Though Belwas had no interest in having his cut treated, Daenerys remembered how her husband
Khal Drogo died of a similar wound, and insisted he see a healer.
In order to complete their conquest of Meereen, Belwas joined the warparty which infiltrated
the city, and successfully rallied local slaves and pit fighters to turn against the masters.
With Daenerys now ruling as Queen of Meereen, Strong Belwas was made one of her Queensguard
and served alongside his friend and former squire Barristan Selmy, who revealed himself
before the most recent victory.
Though the Queen’s enemies soon rallied to retake Astapor and Yunkai, Daenerys forged
a peace through her wedding to the influential nobleman Hizdar zo Loraq.
To honor the agreement, a great celebration was held in the fighting pits of Meereen,
where Hizdar insisted that Daenerys try the Honeyed Locusts.
However she had no appetite, leaving Strong Belwas to eat them all and fall severely ill.
At the same time the dragon Drogon interrupted festivities and cause a panic, which led Daenerys
to mount its back and fly off, unintentionally abandoning the city.
Soon after her disappearance, they discovered the locusts were poisoned, and the amount
Belwas ingested would have killed a normal man.
Yet he was so big and powerful he ultimately survived.
Even so the former pit fighter did not escape all consequences, as the ordeal sapped him
of much size and strength.
Yet his will never faltered, and once recovered Belwas remained a fervent Targaryen loyalist,
supporting Barristan Selmy in his coup against Hizdar Zo loraq.
With the peace broken and the queen’s enemies gathering around Meereen, Belwas offered to
fight a duel of champions.
However the ruling council chose to engage in a more traditional battle.
Ready to defend the city in the queen’s name, Strong Belwas followed Ser Barristan
Selmy to war.