Raise a Glass of Dornish Red: ‘Game of Thrones’ Casts Oberyn Martell

It's going to be a while before Game of Thrones returns to HBO for a fourth season, but the network is already casting new characters. Actor Pedro Pascal (Burn Notice, The Adjustment Bureau) will be taking on the role of Oberyn Martell (a.k.a. The Red Viper), a nobleman from Dorne who has an ax to grind with House Lannister. Specifically, the Dornish Prince is still bent out of shape about the rape and murder of his sister Elia Martell by Lannister bannermen during Robert's Rebellion.

"What the hell is a Dornish prince?" I'm glad you asked.

Dorne is the southern-most kingdom in Westeros, and is separated both geographically and culturally from its northern counterparts. Due to its barren landscape and rugged terrain which rests entirely on a peninsula, it is the only kingdom that was able to resist Aegon the Conqueror, although it was eventually brought into the fold by intermarrying with the Targaryens. The rulers of Dorne are House Martell, who refer to themselves as Prince and Princess rather than Lord and Lady, a custom resulting from heavy Rhoynish influence on the region.

I'm so alone. (Source)