Ever since the premiere of House of the Dragon back in August 2022, audiences have been in for a violent tale that pulls no punches (except during its season 2 finale, that is). We've seen many different confrontations unfold, such as the Battle of the Gullet and the Battle at Rook's Rest. Lives have been lost, blood has been spilled, and, worst of all, dragons have passed away.
But amidst all these catastrophic events, there is one that will always be legendary because it was the first to grace our screens.
The War for the Stepstones was a long and grueling fight that took place over many years. In it, House Velaryon joined forces with Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) to face the Triarchy, a terrifying group that resulted from the alliance among the Free Cities. The Triarchy's prince-admiral, Craghas Drahar, was quickly given the nickname of "the Crabfeeder" due to his very original methods of torture.
Daemon and Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) eventually managed to defeat Craghas and his forces during the events of House of the Dragon season 1 episode 3. While that happened long ago, a callback to such a monumental victory was spotted on Corlys' ship in season 3.
The Queen Who Never Was features the Crabfeeder mask
HBO recently released a behind-the-scenes tour of the set of House of the Dragon. The video takes viewers aboard Corlys Velaryon's ship, called "The Queen Who Never Was" in honor of the captain's late wife, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best).
Steve Toussaint and Abubakar Salim—who play Corlys Velaryon and Alyn of Hull, respectively—are the stars of this short featurette. They go over the ship set and break down all the little details that make it come to life. Halfway through the video, it is explained that the Sea Snake's private quarters aren't built into the ship itself. Instead, there's a different set for this specific area, and the door that should lead to it merely gives the perception that there's something else behind it.
In Corlys' private quarters, audiences are able to spot the Crabfeeder's mask. It is located to the right of the captain's desk and showcased as a "trophy" for the world to see. That way, anyone who comes into the room will know from the get-go that Corlys is not to be messed with. Otherwise, they may be put on display as well.
Unfortunately, The Queen Who Never Was was eventually destroyed in season 3 episode 1. During the Battle of the Gullet, Corlys and Alyn fought against a new version of the Triarchy led by Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn). But even though the Blacks came out victorious from such a catastrophic fight, the price to pay was too high.
Not only did Corlys lose his ship, but he also lost High Tide when the Triarchy set it aflame. Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) paid with his life, and countless members of House Velaryon were killed in battle. Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) also exiled herself after worsening the situation by recklessly bringing Sheepstealer into the action, and Ser Lorent Marbrand (Max Wrottesley) may have lost his life after betraying Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).
With so many tragedies unfolding at once, it is highly unlikely Corlys will want to take a trophy as proof of his victory in the Battle of the Gullet. As he himself would say, "If this be victory, I pray I never see another."
New episodes of House of the Dragon season 3 air every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
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