Name: Benjen Royce, Lord of Runestone
Age: 36
Appearance:



Benjen Royce has the look of a worldweary man, with green eyes - once bright and vibrant in his youth - now somewhat dulled and subdued, a result of the things that he has seen and experienced. His skin was once a pale colour, although it has been browned as a result as his exposure to the sun, and he has the muscular physique that is to be expected of any martial Lord.

He sports a beard at most times, clipped and neat, and is never seen without his sword.

Personality: In his youth, Benjen was a lighthearted man who enjoyed life and the pursuits that were available to him as the heir to a rich and noble family. However, after having seen his younger brother slain and been helpless to save his own father as he watched his head roll from his shoulders, Benjen has become a more reserved and stern man, hiding his true emotions behind a steel facade.

A Knight who holds to the values and virtues of old, Benjen is bound by ideals such as duty and honour, which seem to have been forgotten - at least in his eyes - by the majority of those who call themselves Knights in Westeros. He upholds all the tenants that he swore to when he was knighted, and serves his masters in The Eyrie with loyalty, after years of internal struggle, despite the animosity that he feels towards them - this feeling of acceptance and servitude born, in no small part, from the fact that his son was in their grasp from the day the rebellion had been lost.

As if his father being executed before him was not enough, Benjen had his oldest - and only, at the time - taken from him and flurried off to The Eyrie, where he was to be fostered under the influence of the very family who had slain his grandfather. Benjen had been indifferent to the Arryns before his family’s involvement in the rebellion, but as a result of his family being torn apart, he harbours a deep-seated and (mostly) hidden resentment towards those who rule over him from The Vale proper.

Calm and reserved in public, Benjen is not one to ever show his true emotions to anyone but those in his very inner circle. He metes out justice, and is known to be a fair man by those who know and serve under him: likeable, despite his stern nature, and wise beyond his years, a trait he has picked up from his mastery of the sword.

Biography: Born in Runestone, the heir of Lord Balon Royce, Benjen had a relatively easy upbringing. His father was a strict but loving man, and was devoted to his son: ensuring that he received an excellent education, honing his skills with both his intellect and his sword. Benjen demonstrated an affinity for swordplay, and even by the tender age of six it was clear that he was going to be a Knight of some ability.

He was uninterested in academics, save for the tales of the knights and heroes of old: the Lordling did all he could to avoid and wriggle his way out of his lessons on mathematics and the history of the realm: but he listened with rapt, undivided attention whenever his tutor opened the cover of one of the epic sagas. Lord Balon tolerated his son’s acts of rebellion for a time, but eventually cracked down upon him: demanding that he attend all his lessons, at the cost of being banned from training any longer with his father’s bannermen.

Balon’s threat did the trick, and Benjen attended all his lessons until he was released from the compulsory academia on his twelfth nameday. Free from the dreaded shackles of mathematics and simple accounting, Benjen focused all of his energy on his desired occupation: becoming a knight, and serving those weaker than himself. He squired for his uncle, and took his duties extremely seriously - bringing a proud smile to his father’s lips.

Benjen was knighted in his fifteenth year, and slowly began to take up more duties for his father: leading patrols in the lands owned by House Royce, training his younger brothers in the way of the sword, and settling petty disputes between the smallfolk who lived on the lands over which his House held influence.

The young Lord made a name for himself as a knight and swordsman of an excellent calibre, through his victory at numerous tournaments throughout The Vale, and even a few in the Crownlands and The Reach. He even had an interest in falconry, a pastime somewhat native to the kingdom from which he hailed.

Despite his many duties and the amount of time he spent practicing his swordfighting skills, the man still made plenty of time for recreational things: he was the life and soul of the party, and was known by his friends - and even those who did not know him - for his easy smile and quick, lighthearted humour.

He bedded his first woman - a minor noblewoman from another Vale House - at the age of sixteen, rather a late age for a man of his station. However, the union was a sweet one, but resulted in an unexpected pregnancy: Benjen had not been able to control his release, and was given a bastard son, who he had no choice but to acknowledge.

Balon was displeased by the news of his son’s siring, but allowed Walder - as the bastard’s mother called him - to come and live at Runestone when he was of an appropriate age. In an effort to prevent his son from siring any more children, Balon arranged a match with a noblewoman from The Riverlands, securing a union between the two Houses.

Benjen was married at seventeen, and the consumation of his marriage resulted nine months later in the birth of his son and heir, a babe who was named Lucas. He was a kind father to both his sons, although his wife’s influence caused Lucas to be favoured somewhat over his half-brother: the woman’s contempt for the bastard evident, but ignored by Benjen in his efforts to keep a harmonious Household. He sired another child, his first daughter Lythene, a year later.

When the deceased King’s bastard, Daemon Blackfyre, revolted in open rebellion against his half-brother Daeron, Benjen was twenty-three. Lord Royce declared for the rebel, despite his liegelord’s summons to fight on behalf of House Targaryen, and Benjen and his younger brothers loyally followed him into battle - but not before Benjen and his wife coupled on the night before his departure, giving him another son when he returned home.

Benjen made a name for himself among the other heroes on the Blackfyre side, fighting alongside Ser Quentyn, Redtusk and Robb Reyne alike. His sword claimed a great many lives - highborn and lowborn alike - during that conflict, and he was instrumental during the rebels attack on Lannisport.

However, at the Battle of Redgrass field, the tides of the rebellion changed: House Blackfyre was defeated, and Benjen’s brother Cerrick was killed during the battle. Lord Balon surrendered to House Arryn, begging for mercy for his remaining sons and their children - which was granted, at the cost of the man’s life. Benjen’s life changed as he saw the sword cleave his father’s head from his shoulders, and he became a different man that day.

He was changed even more so when he returned home to Runestone and found himself the Lord of an empty castle, his son and heir having been taken by the Arryns to foster at the Eyrie. His wife despised him, and the majority of his childhood friends were dead.

Lord Benjen turned to drink for a few years, before realising that he was disgracing his father’s memory by his behaviour. Since that day, he has served The Eyrie loyally, despite the feelings of hatred that he harbours towards the Great House.

Name: Ser Lucas Royce, Heir to Runestone, The Untainted
Age: 18
Appearance: Lucas Royce is a mirror image of his father as he was at the same age - with the same bright, intelligent green gaze that the now sombre man once possessed. He has the broad shoulders and defined musculature of a man who spends most of his time outside, swinging a sword, hunting and enjoying other noble pursuits.

He has a small scar just above his right eye - the result of a spar he once had with Jasper Arryn, when the young Lord bested him. His hair is the straw-like blonde of his mother, and has been cut short to match the similar styles that the majority of the Knights at The Eyrie sport. Despite having only spent a small amount of his life at Runestone, his father had a set of their family’s ancestral bronze armour sent to him, and he wears it with pride.

Bio/Personality: Lucas Royce is a lighthearted and laidback individual - a stark contrast to Jasper Arryn, with whom he spent the majority of his childhood. He, like his Lord father at the same age, enjoys everything that life has to offer: from hunting to swordfighting to whoring, he is the definition of a young, noble-blooded playboy. Despite his easygoing nature, he is a skilled and dutiful knight, who serves his liege lord loyally (although somewhat reluctantly): knowing when to shut up and do as he is told, a result of his squiring under Ser Danwell Arryn.

When he was sent to The Eyrie - a subsequent result of his grandfather’s rebellion against House Arryn and the Crown - he was but a boy, a child of five years. The Arryns have had an influence on him, certainly: but he is a polar opposite to Jasper, proof that Septon Gilwood never had much of an influence upon him. In fact, Lucas despised the old man whenever he arrived, and did everything that he could to stay away from him.

Even before the arrival of the Septon and the death of Jasper’s father, he and Lucas never got along: Lucas was lighthearted and easygoing, and Jasper had the air of a Lord about him already; stuck-up and pompous, he disliked losing anything, and the pair of them squabbled near constantly. Had it not been for Lucas’ friendship with Jasper’s elder sister, and the father figure that he found in Danwell Arryn, it is likely that he would have grown to hate the Arryns entirely.

Whenever Lord Ronnel passed away, and his son was declared Lord of the Vale, Jasper became nearly insufferable. This, combined with the arrival of Danwell’s uncle who Lucas nicknamed “Old Man Gilwood” made him hate The Eyrie, and almost everyone in it: again, apart from his best friend Jonella and Danwell, who served as a surrogate father for the traitor’s son.

Thankfully, before things came to a head between Jasper and Lucas - who butted heads far too regularly than was healthy for boys of their age - Danwell announced that he would be leaving for Riverrun, and Lucas would be going with him, to serve as his squire. Under Danwell Arryn’s guiding hand, Lucas’ rebellious nature was harnessed, all the energy he spent complaining was instead transferred and applied to his studies: both martial and academic.

By the time the two returned to The Eyrie from their travels, Lucas was a Knight - and no longer a spoilt, rebellious boy. Certainly, there was still no love lost between him and Jasper (and the two had their share of shouting matches before Danwell took Lucas aside and had firm words with him about his behaviour), but Lucas had taken his vows: he would serve the man loyally as long as he was his Lord, even if he was insufferable.

Although he has not seen his father - or the rest of his family - for the most of his life, having only visited his home a few times after he was taken from it as a boy - Lucas is a Royce through and through: loyal to his family, and the interests of his father.

"Being the lord of scum makes you no less scum."

Age: 30

Biography
Ambition has always been the downfall of the Sunderlands. Jonos grew up believing himself to be a true lord's son and that Wetwalls was the finest castle there was, oblivious to how the rest of the world viewed the Sisters and the damp infested stones he called home. He lived in this ignorant fantasy for a most of his childhood until his humbling came at the hands of the Blackfyre rebellion.

Only 14 when the black dragon arose, Jonos had been squiring for his father for a number of years and the pair of them had both been taken in by the larger than life figure of Daemon Blackfyre. Jonos had never been ashore beyond visiting various ports and was taken aback by the riches and splendor he saw not to mention how easily disregarded their house was, something his father promised would change once they won. As it happened rebellion failed and when it did the Sisters were brought down with it, Jonos' father was executed and his younger sister taken as ward by house Templeton, not to mention hefty financial loses.

Young Jonos, now lord of the Sisters, was left to rule surrounded by a growing group of advisors who in truth were a selection of the worst smugglers, thieves and pirates from Westeros and beyond, it was from them he received his true education and moral values, they took him in like a gaggle of uncles. The Sisters quickly became a haven for all kinds of illicit activity, more so than it was beforehand.

Jonos revelled in his new lawless life, a 15 year old with no-one to tell him what to do. He became involved with the various smuggling operations on the islands, helping organise and even charging tolls for safe-passage. He opened several brothels on the island and sired a bastard in one soon after. Before long Jonos became the mastermind behind many of the illicit operations going on in the narrow sea, using the various smugglers that came into port as an expansive spy-network, bringing him word from across the world.

Personality
A rogue at heart but doubts have entered Jonos' mind of late. He's lived a life without limits, king of his own little world; but as he turns from a boy to a man and soon a father he finds he craves something else in life. A cunning man by nature, soft spoken but with a knack for leadership. The lord of the Sisters is an a-moral man but he is not cruel and will only harm others if there's something in it for himself.

Age: 15

Personality:
A fierce young boy, proud and sullen. Mace grew up in the roughest areas of the Sisters before he moved to Wetwalls to be with his father and has the human attitude of a stray dog. Like many bastards he seeks the approval of his father and though the pair get along Jonos has always been quite oblivious to Mace, if anything treating him more like a younger brother than acting as a father figure.

Biography:
It's said that lord Jonos Sunderland opened a brothel and fathered a bastard in it all in the same night, that was the start of Mace Stone's life and it went downhill from their. His mother treated him with contempt more of a dead-weight than a son and he soon learned to fend for himself in the bustling docks of Sisterton. It wasn't until his mother died from a pox that things changed for him.

Having no family at the time Lord Jonos allowed Mace into his household, a dream come true for the young bastard and while a world away from the life he had left he could only be disappointed with what he found in life at Wetwalls. Pirates and smugglers consisted of the majority of the household, one of the worst was Lord Sunderland himself. Mace soon found himself on various smuggling expeditions as ships monkey he once dreamt of becoming a knight but that hope has long ago started to fade.

Name: Rolland Dayne
Age: 37
Appearance: Rolland is large and muscly. While perhaps not greatly skilled with weapons, his fists packs a mean punch and he looks the part. Finely trimmed and kept hair and beard helps reimbursing the aura of discipline and strictness that surrounds Rolland, while his purple eyes makes sure no one forgets his heritage.

Personality: Honorable and commanding, Rolland is a natural leader. He holds his word and trusts others to hold theirs. He is kind and loyal, yet strict in his charge and direct in both action and thought. Most consider him a practical man who gets things done, and Rolland lives by these words. He has been not just involved but by and large responsible for the prospering state Starfall and it's surrounding lands now find itself in, likely a result of his excellent organizational skills. Often considered the most intelligent of his house, many of his subjects are glad that Rolland is the heir to their beloved and soon-to-be late Lord Mallor. He has a weak spot for his younger brothers, often consciously or sub-consciously refusing to see Tregar for what he is.

Biography: Rolland was born when his grandfather Ulrick Dayne was at the height of his prime. Ulrick was considered one of the greatest knights of his generation, and Rolland's father Mallor did everything he could to live up to Ulrick's expectations. As such, Mallor came to expect a lot of his firstborn son, and Rolland was in his turn steeped in the same mold as those before him. He learned to take initiative, be active and always think two steps ahead. As the boy grew older, it was evident that while he was as big as his father and grandfather, he didn't have the same affinity for swordplay. He did however prove capable in learning the tactics and strategics of warfare, and was named Commander of the Starguard - the soldiers of Starfall - at a tender age of 18. It was mostly symbolical at the time, but Rolland has held the title ever since, gradually starting to perform its duties.

It was at this time, when he was 18, that Rolland was married to Nymeria Vaith in an attempt to strengthen the relation between the distant houses, While Rolland was immediately taken by his wife's beauty, it would take years until his feelings were reciprocated. Nevertheless, their first child was born a mere year after their marriage, with two more soon to follow. As Lord Mallor was severely wounded in battle during the Blackfyre Rebellion, Rolland came to be the acting ruler of Starfall in all but name, with his uncle Criston serving as a mentor and advisor. As time passes, Rolland is growing increasingly comfortable and proficient in his role, and now that House Dayne has been stabilized once more, he seeks to weed out the remaining threats.

Name: Tregar Dayne
Age: 31
Appearance: Of average height, Tregar is athletically built with strong, wiry muscles and an innate capacity for agility. He sports black hair - unusual for a Dayne - that is a starch contrast to his violet eyes, and is generally considered very attractive. A long, vertical scar above his left eye, courtesy of Ser Drayton Dayne, seem to only strengthen this notion. Typically dresses in black and gold.

Personality: While Tregar retains his older brothers intelligence, they share little else. Whereas Rolland is stern but kind, Tregar is humorous but callous. While Rolland is just and honest, Tregar is arbitrary and deceitful. While capable enough, Tregar isn't as good in command as his brother, and far from a natural leader. He is, however, a terrific combatant, unlike his mediocre brother. Weilding sword as well as spear with deadly purpose and precision, Tregar would often fight toe-to-toe with his equally talented cousin Drayton when the two were younger. When Drayton then was named the new Sword of the Morning by Rolland and Tregar's uncle Criston, Tregar's pride was immensely wounded.

Disillusioned and hurt by this, in his eyes, betrayal, Tregar has become an increasingly violent and cruel man, doing little to hide his natural affinity for blood, death and mayhem now that he no longer stands to gain Dawn. Putting the blame on his goody two-shoes cousin, Tregar is viscious in his determined attempts to make not just his brother and uncle, but especially Drayton, pay for their sins.

Biography: Known as "The Black Steed" for his hair, riding abilities, skills in fighting and success with women, Tregar has ever since being but a boy been profoundly fond of two things: combat and women. He would often compete with his younger brother Edric in winning the opposite gender's affections. Tregar viewed women as little other than objects, things to be gained and disregarded, while his brother seemed to love each and every one of them. While their competition often ended in stalemate when they were younger, Tregar's callousness did him few favours as the brothers and their prey matured, Edric eventually coming to outdo Tregar on a general basis as the two left their teens. Since then, Tregar has been nearly wholly focused on his other hobby in life - fighting.

Much like Tregar fought Edric over girls, he literally fought his cousin Drayton over who was the best warrior, and who deserved Dawn more. As children, it was more of a game than anything else, but as they grew older it became more and more reality, especially for Tregar. The young man was shorter and weaker, having to outdo his skilled cousin in every aspect to match him. After having lost one sparring too many, Tregar challenged Drayton to a real duel using real swords rather than wooden ones. With the old Ulrick Dayne watching and knowing such an emotional duel being against the Sword of the Morning's wishes, Drayton refused to duel, sparkling an attack from Tregar. The two fought intensely, with the outraged Tregar gaining the upper hand. As Tregar successfully disarmed Drayton, the latter managed to punch Tregar in the face. Drayton had then reached for his knife and slashed the bewildered Tregar across the face, effectively ending the duel as Tregar's vision was blurred by his own blood, and Drayton, refusing to kill the man, knocked him out.

At this time, the two were 24 years old. After that it was a fact set in stone that Drayton would be the next Sword of the Morning, a reality Tregar refused to accept. As Lord Mallor slips deeper and deeper from reality with every year that passes, Rolland is soon likely to officially be named Lord, with Tregar likely to take up the command of the Starguard. Refusing to acknowledge that he was ever defeated by Drayton (he had disarmed him!), much less not being deserving of Dawn, Tregar has been very disciplined in his training and adamant about receiving the title of Commander, as a means to lick his wounds. He has still not married and is not in the least interested in doing so, yet fears that Rolland will require him to do so if he is to be the new Commander. Due to Tregar's famous reputation as a fighter and womanizer, any woman who ends up being his bride will be in for a grim surprise.

Name: Belgrave Dayne
Age: 30
Appearance: While rather short, clearly below average height, Belgrave has broad shoulders and a thick frame, making him imposing to most even if he has to look up to see them in the eyes. He has dark-blond, unkempt hair and beard and, much like his father, lacks the violet eyes so typical for his house, instead sporting bleak blue ones. He has a very sturdy handshake and is in general a physical man, doing little to appear otherwise. His body is marred in all sorts of scars. Some by swords, som by arrows, some by accidents and one by fire.

Personality: As wild and ferocious as they come, Belgrave appears little more than a rabid dog. He angers frequently and irratically, becoming absolutely insane at mundane things while remaining perfectly calm at times he should be angry. He is in general as unpredictable as is temper, and changes his needs and ambitions on the fly. While being a hurricane of emotions and desires, there are a few things Belgrave is consistent with; he hates other people, he invariably enjoys hurting others, and he is madly in love with [placeholder], even though they've never met.

Belgrave is a very martial man. While not originally of notable skill, Belgrave has learned his trade as mercenary and thief by practical experience, as his many scars makes evident. When Belgrave enters a fight, only one man will ever leave it while still breathing, and so far Belgrave has been that man every single time. He prefers the versatility of swords, but sometimes resorts to axes as they are easier to come by. He is a terrible rider, completely incapable on a horseback in battle, and prefers to travel by foot or boat whenever possible.

Biography: As his mother died giving birth to him, Belgrave's path in life has always been set in blood and despair. He was wild as a child, often picked on by other children because of his small size and the way his mother died. Never backing down, Belgrave fought his enemies with tooth and nail, often ending up the winner by simply never giving up, despite the pummelings he received. He would often take out his wrath on animals, torturing various little creatures to release the ever building pressure of angst and anger.

His father served as a sworn sword to Ulrick Dayne, often carrying out missions in various cities and settlements around Dorne, and sometimes beyond. Criston usually took Belgrave with him, and this was how Belgrave would come to spend most of his childhood - on the road. Even as the boy came to be a man Criston would bring him along every time, all the time, as the father feared what his son might do unsupervised. Belgrave became fond of this travelling, always moving and never stopping, and so when Lord Mallor suffered his wounds and Criston settled in Starfall, acting as mentor for Belgrave's cousin Rolland, Belgrave was far from happy. Confined to the walls of Starfall, he soon began lashing out violently once again.

Although always violent and blood-thirsty, these feelings were enhanced once again as Belgrave felt like a captive. And when he started picking fights this time around, the results were much more severe. He'd get in tavern brawls, not seldomly ending up killing the other combatant or combatants, and the craving among the public for his blood grew, as did the dark rumours - that held true - about the man. As such, Belgrave finally decided to simply leave Starfall one day, with no intention of returning.

The last two years on the road has been the best of Belgrave's life, and arguably the worst of those he has met. Moving into the Reach, Belgrave has taken up command of a small group of rag-and-tag thieves, rapists and murderers that roam the countrysides in a continuous search for gold and victims. Belgrave has bigger ambitions than that, however, often ranting to his gang about his plans to sail to Essos and become a pirate. Whether these ambitions are anything but the bullshit that usually stems from Belgrave's mouth remains to be seen.