The Shrike was a priest of the Drowned God on the Iron Islands during the reigns of King Harmund III Hoare and his brother, King Hagon Hoare.
History[]
Harmund III had been raised to follow the Faith of the Seven and, due to this background, announced that reavers would be hanged as pirates, outlawed salt wives, claiming the offspring of such marriages were no more than bastards and held no right to inheritance, and considered outlawing the tradition of thralldom also. The Shrike started to preach against him as a result of these actions.
Soon, other priests took up the call, and the lords of the Iron Islands listened. The Shrike managed to overthrow Harmund bloodlessly. Afterwards, the Shrike took Harmund's tongue, to prevent him from speaking "lies and blasphemies!. Harmund was also blinded and his nose cut off.
Harmund's brother, Hagon Hoare, succeeded him, and allowed for the mutilation of his mother, Dowager Queen Lelia Lannister, whom the Shrike blamed for turning King Harmund II Hoare away from the Drowned God and towards the Faith of the Seven.
The westermen wanted vengeance for what happened to Lelia and, led by Ser Aubrey Crakehall, defeated Hagon. Aubrey then named himself the new King of the Iron Islands. His reign lasted for less than half a year. He was captured by the Ironborn and the Shrike sacrificed him to the sea.