Marillion

"The boar's great tusks, they boded ill, for good King Robert's health. And the was every bit as fat, as Robert was himself. But our brave King cried, Do your worst. I'll have your ugly head. Nowhere near as murderous as the lion in my bed." King Robert lost his battle, and he failed his final test. The lion ripped his balls off. And the boar did all the rest."

- Marillion

Marillion is a recurring character in the first season. He is played by guest star Emun Elliott and debuts in "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things." Marillion is a singer in the Seven Kingdoms. He has his tongue cut out by Ser Ilyn Payne on the orders of King Joffrey Baratheon for writing and performing a limerick about Joffrey's parents.

Background
Marillion is a troubadour and singer wandering the Seven Kingdoms and selling his skills in return for bed, board and coin.

Season 1
Marillion is entertaining the patrons of the Crossroads Inn when Catelyn Stark and Ser Rodrik Cassel arrive. His offer to perform for them is rebuffed, as are his attempts to impress Tyrion Lannister when he arrives. He witnesses the Lady Catelyn taking Tyrion prisoner with the help of some of her father's bannermen.

Marillion, sensing the potential for a great song or story, decides to accompany Catelyn's party as it travels to the Eyrie. He works on a song about Tyrion's capture along the way. He survives an attack by the hill tribes and reaches the Eyrie safely with the rest of the party.

He travels back to King's Landing. He is brought before King Joffrey because he wrote a song mocking the late King Robert and the Queen Regent Cersei. Joffrey asks whether Marillion prefers to keep his hands or his tongue. Marillion objects and Joffrey orders Ser Ilyn Payne, his executioner, to remove Marillion's tongue. The guards seize him, and Payne rips out his tongue in front of the entire, horrified court.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Marillion is a talented musician but also arrogant: he's both vain about his skills and his good looks. He is searching for a lord or lady who will be his patron. The bard who is mutilated is an unnamed character in the books, while Marillion remains in the Eyrie as a favorite of Lysa after Catelyn's departure.

According to George R.R. Martin, the character was not named after the band, which he had never heard of prior to writing the first book.