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Melisandre is a fictional character created by American author George R. R. Martin. She is a point of view character in Martin's award-winning A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy books, and a main character in HBO's adaptation of the series, Game of Thrones, where she is portrayed by Carice van Houten. Melisandre first appears in A Clash of Kings.

Background
Melisandre is originally from Asshai By The Shadow. She is a priestess of the religion who worship The Red God R’hllor, and as his devout follower she has magical and prophetic abilities. Little of Melisandre’s earlier life is known and is only vaguely explored during her single point of view chapter in A Dance with Dragons. As a child, she was a slave known as '''Melony. ' It is implied that she was auctioned off as Lot Seven'' to the Red Temple of R’hllor and likely began her training as a priestess thereafter. Her age is unknown but she says she has practiced her art for “years beyond count.”

Appearance
Melisandre first appears in A Storm of Swords. She is described as “young, full-bodied, and strangely beautiful, with her heart-shaped face, coppery hair, and unearthly red eyes.” Her voice is sonorous, with an exotic accent. As is the custom of the Red Priests of her faith, she wears red or crimson clothing, usually long gowns of silk. She is never without the gold choker, set with a ruby, which fits snuggly around her neck. When she works magic; the ruby glows with power.

Storylines
The character of Melisandre is first hinted at in A Game of Thrones when Tywin Lannister tells Tyrion Lannister of rumours he has heard about Stannis Baratheon bringing a shadow-binder from Asshai. Melisandre first appears in A Storm of Swords where she has arrived in Stannis Baratheon’s court at Dragonstone as she believes him to be the reincarnation of a legendary hero of her faith. She proselytizes Stannis and members of his court and they abandon their former faith of the seven. When Stannis resists his brother’s claim to the Iron Throne, Melisandre conjures a shadow assassin to eliminate him. Similarly, to remove a Knight (Cortnay Penrose) who opposes Stannis’ siege on Storm’s End, she has Davos Seaworth sail her to the stronghold where she births another shadow assassin who murders him. She was forbidden to attend the Battle of the Blackwater, so that if Stannis were victorious, none of his decriers could ever say he used sorcery to win. Unfortunately Stannis was beaten at the Blackwater, and retreated to Dragonstone. She promises to awaken him a dragon if he allows her to sacrifice Edric Storm, the bastard son of his deceased brother King Robert Baratheon as she believes there is power in a King’s blood. He refuses but she manages to leech some of Edric’s blood and, on Melisandre’s direction, Stannis casts the swollen leech into a fire whilst chanting the names of three of his rivals to the Iron Throne, all of whom later die. Following this, Stannis mobilises his forces towards The Wall to aid The Night’s Watch resist a Wildling invasion. They manage to crush and scatter the Wildling forces with Melisandre herself taking part in the battle. A while after, Stannis marches South to attack the Boltons and leaves Melisandre at The Wall. Her powers seem to grow stronger at the wall and she spends some time with Jon Snow who is wary of her but does not completely dismiss her visions. She prophesises that Jon may be in danger (and is later attacked) and also saves the life of Mance Rayder by placing a glamour on him and another wildling to make them appear as each other, and the latter wildling is executed in Rayder's stead (for his previous desertion of the Night’s Watch).