Harrenal. The great fortress of Harren the Black, made almost three hundred years still rivalled when most well known castles in Westeros. Destroyed by dragons of Aegon Targaryen in his conquest, many could still see the scarred walls where dragon fire had melted them and men. Yet this was in the past, and much had been done to repair the damage in recent years by their current owners, House Whent.
A whole tournament field had been built within the walls of the monstrous fortress, with stables for horses and several large benches for people to watch the proceedings. A specially box had been built for the King's party, allowing for his protection during the event. Venders from all over came to sell their goods, money flowing in and out as people from across the Seven Kingdoms arrived.
Flags showing the arrival of a various houses were flung from tents assigned to the Knights and men who would ride in the joust or fight in the melee, or maybe take part in the archery contest. More "high" ranked houses were offered quarters in one of the five towers of the Harrenhal, with the royal party being given the Kingspyre as their own.
It was announced that two days would be given for those arriving to enter into the lists of the event they wished to take place. After those two days were up the joust would be held over five days and the melee the day after. The other events, archery, axe-throwing, a horse race, and a tourney of singers would be held the same day as the melee. The next day the winners would be crowned, and the lofty awards given. Of special note, Lord Walter Whent declared his daughter, Wynfrei, the Queen of Love and Beauty, with her brothers and uncle stepping up to defend that claim and her honor. The stage was set for one of the grandest events in Westeros' history.
My dear Lords and Ladies, Knights, Hedge Knights, and all those who wish to come! I am set to host a Great Tournament at Harrenhal and invite all those that wish to partake. Great feasts will be had, entertainment for all to see, and great prize for those that complete.
First Place - 50,000 Gold Dragons
Second Place - 35,000 Gold Dragons
Third Place - 25,000 Gold Dragons.
Name: House Stark of Winterfell Realm: The North Lord Paramount: Rickard Stark Heir: Brandon Stark Words: Winter is Coming Religion: The Old Gods of the forest Ancestral blade: Ice Seat: Winterfell Other holdings: Moat Cailin, Highwood Hall Cadet branches: House Karstark of Karhold Economy: Average +
Lord RICKARD STARK (b. 244), Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North,
His late wife, {LYARRA STARK} (245-270), the Wandering Wolf's daughter,
Their son, BRANDON STARK (b. 262), heir to Winterfell, betrothed to CATELYN TULLY (b. 264), of Riverrun
Their son, EDDARD "NED" STARK (b. 263), the Quiet Wolf, a ward at the Eyrie,
Their daughter, LYANNA STARK (b. 266), the She-Wolf of Winterfell, betrothed to Lord ROBERT BARATHEON (b. 262), Lord of Storm's End,
Their son, BENJEN STARK (b. 268),
RICKARD STARK
Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North
It has been said that war never changes. What is all too often forgotten is that war is not the object of change, but the agent of transformation, for war changes, and it changes people. For Rickard Stark, born and bred at Winterfell, such change was begotten by the War of the Ninepenny Kings, when all the lords and hosts of the Seven Kingdoms gathered in one place to bring death and doom to the last of the Blackfyre pretenders. When Rickard left Winterfell and journeyed south, he was only a boy of not quite sixteen years. When he returned, he was a man grown, the boy having fallen in the war. It was on the Stepstones where the young Stark heir slew his first man, held his first command and had his first woman. He had been trained in arms by Artos the Implacable himself, but it was Rickard's father-in-law the Wandering Wolf who followed him to the Stepstones and taught him how to wage and win a war. Rodrik Stark would die in battle as he had always wanted to, but his spirit lived on in his great-nephew. Rickard was never a reckless adventurer, however, but the sheltered Northern heir could not help but be bewildered by the splendid display he witnessed in the war. As a child, he had been taught all the houses and sigils of the Seven Kingdoms by his grandmother, Melantha Blackwood, and he saw all of them on the Stepstones. He stood witness to the power and might of the lords and ladies of Westeros in unison, a single mailed fist aimed against their enemies and turning them into dust. That experience would change him forevermore.
His return to Winterfell was blackened by Lord Edwyle's premature death and a disputed succession with a cousin, the Implacable's grandson, but Rickard overcame all his obstacles and rose to the lordship. By his side he had his faithful wife Lyarra, who had barred the gates of Winterfell to the pretender and held the castle after Lord Edwyle's passing, and young Walys Flowers, a sharp and gifted maester from the Citadel who was quick to befriend the new Warden of the North. Rickard himself did not abandon his friendships forged in the war; Jon Arryn, Hoster and Brynden Tully and a dozen other prominent southron lords were courted and cultivated, for Rickard Stark was above all else an ambitious man. His childhood ambition had once been to rule the North better than any of his predecessors for the past hundred years and bring his enemies to heel, but the War of the Ninepenny Kings had expanded his horizon tenfold. Cold and grey Winterfell seemed almost lifeless and unimportant after the vibrancy of King's Landing and the Free Cities across the sea. The Northern hosts he could raise seemed paltry when compared to the tens of thousands of men and ships he had seen in campaign, the combined forces of all the Seven Kingdoms acting as one. After all had been said and done, it seemed that the North was too small for his ambitions. The world grew much larger, and Rickard grew with it.
The Lord of Winterfell is a stern and solemn man who holds the North with the scales of harsh and unrelenting justice, and who believes that the Starks of Winterfell deserve their spot in the sunlight. After all, theirs is the oldest house of Westeros, one of the two last remaining ancient lines of First Men royalty. The North is said to be as large as the rest of the Seven Kingdoms combined, and the ferocity of its warriors and honor of its people is widely known. And yet, the wolves have not wandered south since the Dance of Dragons and are ignored, when not derided, by their southron peers and inferiors. For Rickard Stark, that is an unacceptable state of affairs. His southron ambitions have met resistance in the instability and unpredictability of King Aerys II's once promising reign. A man once eager for recognition and royal patronage, Rickard has been wary of the Targaryens since the brutal end to the Defiance of Duskendale. The merciless torture and immolation of all the Darklyns and Hollards, two ancient lineages of the First Men dating back to the Age of Heroes, left a sour taste in the Stark's mouth. Perhaps his intimate ties to Arryn, Tully and Baratheon can still yield more fruit in times as dark as these.
WALYS FLOWERS
Maester of Winterfell
It is said that bastards grow and mature faster and that certainly seems to be Maester Walys' case. Born as Walys Flowers, the bastard son of Lady Amerie Hightower, Walys was promptly hidden away after birth and rarely saw his mother thereafter, whose virtue had been disgraced by the pregnancy. Instead, Walys was raised in one of the several Hightower estates bathed by the Honeywine near to Oldtown, by Lord Hightower's own bastard son, Ser Gwayne Flowers and the estate's governess, Septa Mathilda. Walys had been living a rather mundane and comfortable life there until Lord Hightower commanded him to join the Citadel, undoubtedly in a move to prevent him from siring children, excluding him from succession and packing him off to somewhere far away.
Naturally, it is rumored that there was a more sinister motivation for Walys' recruitment to the Citadel. At the Hightower, the gossip they whispered was that Lady Amerie had been impregnated by an archmaester of the Citadel, one who sat in the Conclave and was therefore one of the most powerful men of Oldtown, if not Westeros. Further whispers pointed at Archmaester Walgrave being Walys' true father. For those who knew what to look for, the evidence was damning; beyond the similarities between the names, Walgrave kept the painting and golden locks of hair of a woman in his quarters, and always promoted and protected young Walys' career at the Citadel. Could it be that more nefarious forces were involved in Walys' assignment to Winterfell? Perhaps, perhaps not.
Since his arrival, Maester Walys has been a constant and shadowy figure at Winterfell, having won himself the patronage and friendship of its lord. He is an intelligent and scheming man, but also one of Lord Rickard's most trusted friends and servants. Indeed, some say that Walys holds almost unnatural influence with the words he whispers to Rickard Stark's ears, and many have claimed that Rickard's southron ambitions are his Maester's work made manifest.
BRANDON STARK
Heir to Winterfell
Brandon Stark was born as the greatest hope of an ancestral dynasty which had been brought low for the past century through a destructive mixture of rebellions, foreign invasions and dynastic struggle. His very name was a representation thereof; his parents, Rickard and Lyarra Stark, had chosen the most traditional and prestigious of the Stark names for their eldest son and heir, sending a message for all the North and would-be pretenders to see - after decades of decadence and mismanagement, winter had come again. Since his early childhood, Brandon was a pawn in his father's higher games. Firstly raised at Winterfell, he was taught letters and history by Maester Walys, who undoubtedly attempted to instill in the young rebellious heir a sense and taste for intrigue and plots that the maester shared with his charge's father. Brandon truly excelled in swordsmanship, however, growing up to be a fiercer warrior than even his father had ever been, all under Ser Rodrik Cassel's watchful gaze. Brandon was born as the heir to the vast Stark legacy, and had to be raised accordingly.
At age nine, he was old enough for the next step in his father's grand plan. Sent to Barrowton, he was to be fostered by the Dustins. Lord Rickard's choice for Barrowton can be explained from several angles. On one hand, the Dustins were an old noble line of the First Men which, although they had never claimed kingship, was directly descended from the Barrow Kings themselves. Unlike many of their peers, they shrewdly placed due importance in stewardship, a skill which might benefit the future Stark of Winterfell. Perhaps Lord Rickard wished to build a Western coalition to defend the Northern shores from the Ironborn as well, in accordance with his realm-wide view, given his heir's fostering in the Barrowlands and the Rills and his later favor shown to the Glovers and the Wulls. Most of all, however, what must have weighed the most in Lord Rickard's decision was the uniqueness of barrow martial culture. The Barrowlands had been home to the barrow knights for many centuries. As a land ideal for horsemanship and nearby to the vast horse-raising Rills, as well as centered around a trading town connected to the South, their presence came as no surprise... and neither did Lord Rickard's decision. To gain the respect of the southron lords and the Iron Throne, the Starks needed to adopt some of their customs and ways of life, even though they would never abandon their Northern essence. Barrowton and the barrow knights afforded the right balance between Andal and First Men (unlike a fostering under the Manderlys), and soon enough Brandon Stark was set to become the most southern of the Lords of Winterfell, although the wolf's blood ran deep in his veins. Squiring under Ser Mark Ryswell, a household knight and kinsman to Lord Dustin, Brandon learned how to joust and was even taught chivalry; southern in principle, but northern in intensity.
Brandon Stark is not an ideal heir to his father. Lacking in Rickard's characteristic patience and temperance, Brandon is headstrong and hot-tempered. The wolf's blood also grants him certain ferocity and martial skill, nonetheless. He is brilliantly talented both in swordsmanship and riding, spending half of his time on horseback in the Rills. Brandon is a man of great passions; not only for horses and swords, but also for women, whose pursue his own sense of honor has not prevented. Indeed, he enjoys a lustful romance with Lady Barbrey, Lord Ryswell's daughter, in spite of his betrothal to Catelyn Tully. Lord Rickard has groomed his heir into a great leader of men and a well connected friend of the southern lords in the Riverlands and the Vale. Only time will tell what role he will fulfill in his father's dream.
EDDARD STARK
The Quiet Wolf
Ned, as he is known to his family and friends, is an altogether different man to his brother. Silent and withdrawn, the wolf's blood runs thin in his vein, unless provoked. That has not prevented his father from using his second son as a pawn in the game of thrones, however. Since his childhood, Eddard has been fostered with Jon Arryn at the Eyrie, in the effort of building an alliance not only the Knights of the Vale, but with Lord Arryn's fellow ward Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and the Stormlands. In spite of Eddard's private and timid character, that goal has been achieved to tremendous success, for the second son of Winterfell regards Jon Arryn as a surrogate father and Robert Baratheon as his truest friend and foster brother. Having lived half of his life at the Eyrie, Eddard has grown into an honorable man, molded by Andal and Valeman notions of honor as much as his struggling Northern identity. He is a man who misses his home (especially his sister Lyanna), but one who also dreads homecoming as it would draw him away from his friends and guardian, up to the frigid North. Furthermore, he knows not what to expect of his true father Rickard, and nor of his elder brother Brandon, who he respects and loves well despite their distance. He stands with his ideals: loyalty, duty, honesty and service, and, in spite of his insecurities, yearns for the day when he rediscovers his family.
LYANNA STARK
The She-Wolf of Winterfell is Lord Rickard's only daughter and, as such, a valuable treasure in his game. Lyanna has been a spirited and strong-willed girl ever since she could stand on her two feet, always prone for adventure and escape from her rigorous schedule at Winterfell, enforced by her father. As a girl, she liked to play with swords in the godswood, often battling her younger brother Benjen, but once strict Lord Rickard came to know of their play, Lyanna was scolded and forever banished from the armory. She has poured her passions into horsemanship since then, which her father has been willing to indulge. Her relationship with Lord Rickard is naturally complicated, only exacerbated by the loss of her mother (a tragedy worsened whenever Rickard looks at Lyanna and sees much of his beloved late wife). Although she has been betrothed to Robert Baratheon out of political interest, Lyanna is a romantic at heart. She adorns her head with a crown of blue winter roses and dreams of an ideal husband, a knight in a shining armor, come to take her away from Winterfell and allow her the freedom she sorely needs. As with her older brothers, her romantic desires may be explained by further Andal influence, for she has been raised by a Septa at Winterfell at her father's behest, to mold her into a great lady of the Seven Kingdoms (much to the chagrin of poor Old Nan). She has learned to knit and dance and sing, but her true passion remains her horses and her wild and vivid imagination: both her fantasies of freedom. Although not a rare and astonishing beauty herself, Lyanna is often considered to possess a kind of wild beauty which makes her stand out in the crowd.
BENJEN STARK
The youngest of Lord Rickard's children is also the most genial of them. Benjen is a cheery and easily loved boy. He lives his life at his own pace and sports a splendorous imagination which rivals that of his own sister, who is his favorite sibling (him being too young to firmly remember Ned and too distant to prefer Brandon). As Lyanna, Benjen is a romantic at heart, but has thus far been blessedly left out of his father's schemes. Indeed, some say that Lord Rickard indulges his youngest pup beyond the usual and even considers Benjen his favorite child. Whereas perhaps not his favorite, Benjen certainly is the child he protects and shelters the most, having only been an infant when Lady Lyarra passed away. Benjen is the joy of Winterfell, although he years to see the outer world for himself and perhaps embark on his own unique adventure.
My dear Lords and Ladies, Knights, Hedge Knights, and all those who wish to come! I am set to host a Great Tournament at Harrenhal and invite all those that wish to partake. Great feasts will be had, entertainment for all to see, and great prize for those that complete.
First Place - 50,000 Gold Dragons
Second Place - 35,000 Gold Dragons
Third Place - 25,000 Gold Dragons.
I shall be attending alongside my sons Brandon and Benjen and my daughter Lyanna.
To the lords of the North
From Lord Rickard Stark
I ride south to the winter tourney at Harrenhal and wish to compose a retinue worthy of the North - who rides with me? Of course none will be faulted for choosing to winter at your own seats.
I shall be attending alongside my sons Brandon and Benjen and my daughter Lyanna.
To the lords of the North
From Lord Rickard Stark
I ride south to the winter tourney at Harrenhal and wish to compose a retinue worthy of the North - who rides with me? Of course none will be faulted for choosing to winter at your own seats.
:: Various ravens arrive over the next few days, can yes they will ride or no they will stay home::
Those that will ride south are: Martyn Cassel, Jory Cassel, Lord Willam Dustin, Robett Glover, Ethan Glover, Lord Rickard Karstark, Harrion Karstark, Ser Jorah Mormont, Dacey Mormont, Lord Rodrik Ryswell, and Lord Jon Umber.
Now, before you shout, i just want to say, Ned was complete unaware of what i was going to do and i was perfectly safe. Also i appear to have scared away one of the tribes near the Eyrie.
From: Robert
To: Ser Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully, Ser Nestor Royce, Ser Gilwood and Eustace Hunter, and Lyn Corbray. @EliudFS1@Ceslas Private
I just wish to thank you gentleman for your company upon our ride. I hope the entertainment was sufficient.
Now, before you shout, i just want to say, Ned was complete unaware of what i was going to do and i was perfectly safe. Also i appear to have scared away one of the tribes near the Eyrie.
From: Robert
To: Ser Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully, Ser Nestor Royce, Ser Gilwood and Eustace Hunter, and Lyn Corbray. @EliudFS1@Ceslas Private
I just wish to thank you gentleman for your company upon our ride. I hope the entertainment was sufficient.
Now, before you shout, i just want to say, Ned was complete unaware of what i was going to do and i was perfectly safe. Also i appear to have scared away one of the tribes near the Eyrie.
From: Robert
To: Ser Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully, Ser Nestor Royce, Ser Gilwood and Eustace Hunter, and Lyn Corbray. @EliudFS1@Ceslas Private
I just wish to thank you gentleman for your company upon our ride. I hope the entertainment was sufficient.
Ser Nestor and the Hunter Brothers say it was their duty to see you safely returned, while Lyn Corbray asks if you go out again if he can tag along (and hopefully join the fight next time).
Well it does mean that clan is now staying out of whatever fighting is going to happen. It means we can either deal with them later or leave them as an example of they don't raid the Vale, we don't hunt them down. Either way, it means that whoever is leading the Hill-men can't claim he's representing all of them. Or was that a rhetorical question? It won't happen again Jon. Ned's quiet ,disapproving stares are already punishment enough.
Ser Nestor and the Hunter Brothers say it was their duty to see you safely returned, while Lyn Corbray asks if you go out again if he can tag along (and hopefully join the fight next time).
Well it does mean that clan is now staying out of whatever fighting is going to happen. It means we can either deal with them later or leave them as an example of they don't raid the Vale, we don't hunt them down. Either way, it means that whoever is leading the Hill-men can't claim he's representing all of them. Or was that a rhetorical question? It won't happen again Jon. Ned's quiet ,disapproving stares are already punishment enough.
Though if you truly want me out of the way, send me and Ned south whilst the mustering waits out winter. My brother is being wed in Highgarden and a tourney is to be held at Harrenhal. I'll see if there are any second sons in the Reach and Stormlands who are in need of a war to fight.
I shall be attending alongside my sons Brandon and Benjen and my daughter Lyanna.
To the lords of the North
From Lord Rickard Stark
I ride south to the winter tourney at Harrenhal and wish to compose a retinue worthy of the North - who rides with me? Of course none will be faulted for choosing to winter at your own seats.
To the Lords of the Reach@Skrevski From: Mace Tyrell
I ride for the tourney at Harrenhall. I seek affirmation from those who seek to join my entourage so that we may show the Seven Kingdoms the glory of the Reach.
To: Lord Selmy @Skrevski From: Jon Connington, Lord of Griffin's Roost
Greetings,
I find myself without wife and heir while sitting as Lord. I would offer my hand to your daughter and only child Alara. I hope that this might lead to a fruitful union.
To: Lord Errol @Skrevski From: Jon Connington, Lord of Griffin's Roost
Greetings,
I find myself without wife and heir while sitting as Lord. I would offer my cousin, Ronnet, to marry your only child and daughter to bring about a fruitful union.
::Ravens from across the Stormlands come in during the next few days. Words of congratulations and joy are written within and many write they will attend.::
Notable people attending: Lord Arstan Selmy, Lord Bryen Caron and his wife, Lord Manfred Dondarrion and his wife, Lord Bryon Swann and Ser Gulian Swann, Lord Patrek Errol, Lord Andrew Estermont, Lord Selwyn Tarth, and Lord Jon Penrose. Other houses are sending family as well, but those are the major ones.
To: Lord Selmy @Skrevski From: Jon Connington, Lord of Griffin's Roost
Greetings,
I find myself without wife and heir while sitting as Lord. I would offer my hand to your daughter and only child Alara. I hope that this might lead to a fruitful union.
To: Lord Errol @Skrevski From: Jon Connington, Lord of Griffin's Roost
Greetings,
I find myself without wife and heir while sitting as Lord. I would offer my cousin, Ronnet, to marry your only child and daughter to bring about a fruitful union.
My Lord Connington, I find this arrangement acceptable. Though I warn you that Alara is of high spirit but also few of joy and intelligent. When do you wish to see this marriage done? I will be travelling to Stannis Baratheon's marriage soon.
From: Lord Patrek Errol
My Lord Connington, while I appreciate your offer, your cousin is but six years old and my Shyra just turned three and ten. Perhaps when your cousin comes of age and if Shyra is not married by then we can speak again.
To the Lords of the Reach@Skrevski From: Mace Tyrell
I ride for the tourney at Harrenhall. I seek affirmation from those who seek to join my entourage so that we may show the Seven Kingdoms the glory of the Reach.
::Ravens are sent and ravens return with word of who will ride to Harrenhal with the Tyrells::
They include: Lord Arthur Ambrose and his wife, Lord Jon Bulwer and his wife, Lord Gilbert Elwood, Lord Owen Merryweather and his son Ser Jonothor Merryweather, Lady Arwyn Oakheart, Lord Randyll Tarly and his wife, Lord Paxter Redwyne and his wife, and Lord Mathis Rowan and his wife. (OOC: Other smaller houses come also, but these are the main ones)
Of noticeable note: Both House Peake and House Florent do not attend.
My Lord Arryn, i wish to apologise for my behavior, unbecoming a fosterling and a guest in your home. My actions were unwanted, reckless and disrespectful, something that pains me for the love i hold to you as my foster father and as a man i respect deeply. I only ask for your forgiveness and understanding that i am a young fool, still learning from your example and will not disobey undermine you again.
Named the Commander of the Gold Cloaks after the retirement of the previous Commander, Lord Manly Stokeworth has spent the past decade in King's Landing as Judge, Jury, and Executioner. While he is far from the most forgiving or lenient man, in fact it is often said that Lord Stokeworth has sent more men to the gallows than Aerys had burned alive for most crimes in his eyes warrant death, there is little doubting that his time as Commander of the Gold Cloaks has been a net boon for King's Landing. Taking over after the previous Commander, a notoriously corrupt Stormlander by the name of Arlan, was hung after the King accused him of treason following the stillbirth of one of his sons, Lord Stokeworth has spent near a decade restoring the Gold Cloaks to it's former glory. Hanging the corrupt, the incompetent, and the plain annoying, the Gold Cloaks have become, under his tenure, a respectable institution once more with watchmen such as Captain Janos and Ser Nicolas forming the backbone of the institution. Such a feat has in turn made Lord Stokeworth the toast of the Royal Court, particularly the King who is fond of his strong sense of justice and appreciation for capital punishment, which has in turn allowed him to prolong his stay away from is seat in Stokeworth and, in turn, his wife whose looks and wit are enough to drive even the most lustful man into the Watch.
---
The Captain of the Iron Gate
Captain Janos
---
There are few tales in King's Landing that are quite so inspirational as that of Captain Janos' rise to the Captaincy of the Iron Gate. Born the son of a butcher, a man known to the Gold Cloaks as a drunken sot who had beaten his wife half to death over perceived infidelities, Janos' youth was similar to all those who dwelt in Flea Bottom with vagrancy, petty theft, and violence being a regular part of daily life. Earning a reputation as an aggressive, if somewhat savvy, criminal, Janos was seemingly destined to spend a life in the shady underbelly of King's Landing until a chance encounter with Lord Stokeworth would set him upon a different path. Arrested at twelve after being caught stealing the coin purse of a young woman, whom he would later marry in a twist of fate, Janos would be offered the choice between returning everything that he had stolen or facing the noose, a choice afforded to him by virtue of his age if little else. Unsurprisingly, Janos would choose temporary humiliation over death and would, after his atonement, ultimately come to join the Gold Cloaks as Lord Stokeworth's protege, something that would see him groomed not only for a Captaincy but eventual command of the Gold Cloaks itself according to rumours.
All of this has, of course, served to make Captain Janos a success story among the smallfolk of King's Landing who see him as proof of the heights that they might aspire to. As for Janos himself, it is said that he takes little pride in his rise from poverty with the Captain largely being more focused upon doing his job well, if with more understanding than his mentor, and providing for his new family whose well being and prosperity remains ever at the front of his mind.
To the Lords of the Reach@Skrevski From: Mace Tyrell
I ride for the tourney at Harrenhall. I seek affirmation from those who seek to join my entourage so that we may show the Seven Kingdoms the glory of the Reach.
My lord, your Father in law will join you at Harrenhal. However I'm affraid your missive has missed him and he has already set off for the tourney grounds.
Im sure he will be delighted to see you and his grandchildren again.
