Cold — Roleplayer Guild

Dyre Den Harbour, Crackclaw Point, Crownlands

Accompanied by three bodyguards and four servants, Lord Balfar Brune, his brother Ser Armon and his nephew Ser Oswald proceeded down the waterfront to the ship waiting to bring them to Gulltown. It was still early in the morning but already the waterfront was filled with dockworkers and merchants standing at every pier and warehouse. The harbour of Dyre Den extended for over a mile and was flanked on both sides by tall looming cliffs. Merchant ships brought wares predominantly from the North and King's Landing but many ships would also anchor overnight to seek shelter from rough waters or for the crew to enjoy the local ale and women.To the west lay the road to Maidenpool; to the east high on the cliffs stood the castle Dyre Den with its three crooked towers.

The Houses of Crackclaw Point had always quarrelled over one thing or another and more often than not such disagreements ended in violence. However, for the last few years things had been remarkably quiet. Armed patrols still walked along the pastures in the country side and the quarries hidden in the forests but it has been a long time since the last skirmish. After the Blackfyre Rebellion, with many noble houses still recuperating from their losses, Lord Balfar brune took the opportunity to mend old grievances. Along with his allies by marriage the Pynes, Balfar bribed and intimidated the other Houses into a shaky peace.

Arriving at the ship Balfar and Oswald dismounted and the servants started unloading the cart. Two coursers were brought on board and soon the servants followed carrying gifts, clothes and the armour and weapons of Ser Oswald. Ser Armon would not join on the trip however, choosing to oversee things in Dyre Den rather than deal with stuck up Andals.

“I doubt the little brat even knows who you are.” Ser Armon said as he watched a chest of silks being carried aboard.

“We’re not going for that stuck up Andal whelp” Balfar replied and gestured for Oswald to board the ship. “No one is.”

“You are out of place. You just refuse to see it. In Crackclaw Point we matter. Out there we are alone.”

“You only dream about gold, about your whores in Crackclaw Point, about the Dyre Den… I dream about the Crownlands, about King’s Landing.”

“You only dream of yourself!”

“Because no one else fucking does!” Balfar snapped and turned away. “Nothing is given to me. Everything I leave to my son is what I worked for, what I have bled for. Your son is a knight because of me.”

And your son ran away. Armon almost said but thought better of it.

No more words were exchanged. Armon turned his horse and headed back to the castle. There was work to be done. Lord Balfar used money and political connections to create stability on the Point, or so he convinced himself. Ser Armon used soldiers and thugs to beat people back in line. Perhaps some lords were swayed by Brune gold and promises but if things turn sour, so Armon mused, he would have the support of knights and men-at-arms. While Balfar and Oswald would sail for Gulltown, Armon would pay a visit to a minor lord sworn to the Crabbs. Every man has his price Balfar would argue, but Armon saw that every man also had his limit. A limit to how many soldiers he was prepared to sacrifice… or how many fingers he was prepared to lose.

House Brune

"We Ask No Gifts"

Seat: Dyre Den
Sworn to King Daeron II

History:

The Brunes have lived and warred in Crackclaw Point since the time of the First Men. Knowing the terrain like no other, the people of Crackclaw Point thwarted Andal invasions, repelled Darklyn kings and fought off all others who thought to control the valleys, pine barrens and bogs of the peninsula. With little in the way of resources other than timber and what could be caught at sea, the Brunes, like their neighbours, were never rich. Castles were built to last, not to impress. Built on a cliff overlooking the sea, the Dyre Den of House Brune has stood for centuries, if not millennia. Its three crooked towers can be seen from far out and even miles away they can be spotted sticking out above the pines.

Around the castle lay the town where many ships can drop anchor in the port between the cliff. The town at the end of the road from Maidenpool has become a bustling place with an extensive market and warehouse district. Dotted along the coast are little fishing villages and a few small towns. Land inwards the people live a more simple life and are spread out over farming communities and towns between the forests and bogs. With little to gain and staunch defenders, Crackclaw Point remained isolated from the rest of Westeros and developed its own set of customs and traditions. Certainly one of these traditions was quarrelling with neighbours over harbours, pastures and grudges whose origin none could remember.

During the War of Conquest House Brune, like all of its neighbours, surrendered peacefully and swore itself to the Targaryens. Having always been loyal to the Targaryens, the Brunes fought by their side in the Dance of the Dragons and more recently in the Blackfyre Rebellion. Their financial and military support, along with the bravery displayed in battle by Lord Balfar on the Battle of the Redgrass Field, earned the House more sway at the royal court.

Though most of the history of Crackclaw Point was one of infighting and isolation, Balfar has managed to create a fragile peace in the region. Along with the Brunes of Brownhollow, Balfar has invested coin and favour to foster better relations with the Pynes, Hardys and Crabbs. In a bid to increase his influence beyond Crackclaw Point, taxes have started trickling down to the Iron Throne where historically few lords could ever be bothered to pay their dues. However, all things are not well as all over the peninsula unused blade hands are starting to itch and the heir to the Dyre Den has run away to Essos. With Balfar’s only son fighting for the Bright Banners in self-imposed exile, there are new pretenders to his seat. His brother Ser Armon could claim rightful succession if Balfar were to pass away but word has spread of a bastard son by the name of Roland Waters who could one day return and demand his birthright.

Members and Retinues:

Family Tree 209AC [+]

- Lord Balfar Brune of the Dyre Den (58)

- Lady Lyna Pyne (46), his wife
- Theo (26), heir to the Dyre Den, currently a member of the Bright Banners
- Lynne (17), firstborn of the twins
- Laryssa (17), second twin
- Roland Waters (10), bastard of Balfar

- Ser Armon (55), brother of Balfar

- Lady Danica Darkwood (36), his wife
- Ser Oswald (20), his son
- Utwyn (18), his son

- Marten Tall (35), merchant and informant
- Maester Erwin (50)
- Castellan Eddrick Shallow (38)

Characters: WIP

Balfar Brune [+]

Balfar Brune
Lord of the Dyre Den, Balfar the Frail, The Dyre Corpse

Age: 58
Appearance:
Personality:

He may be a shrewd politician and charismatic enough in conversation, at the core Lord Balfar is self-centred and heartless. Any good he does for others has ulterior motives or is pure coincidence. The only thing he cared for besides himself was his son Theo, but only because he saw in him the continuation of his line and legacy. His justice is swift but corrupt, as it is more often than not based on coin or favours.

Like any true Crackclaw man with a little bit of money, Balfar dresses quite plainly but boasts a stable full of fine horses from fine coursers to locally bred garrons suited for moving through the thick forests and swamps. Through his interactions with the lords and ladies in Kings Landing, Balfar has become skilled at hiding his Crackclaw traits but is still rough around the edges. If he does not guard his tongue he can easily slip into old habits of cursing the Crabbs, the Boggs, the Caves, the Hardys and every other lord or lady that has at one time or another crossed House Brune. With enough wine and the right company, the rotten Darklyns and Celtigars get a special mention of course.

History:

Born a sickly child to Uther Brune and Inge of the Brownhollow, many thought Balfar would not live past infancy. Similarly, after the child survived, many thought he would never live to inherit the Dyre Den as throughout his life Balfar was plagued by episodes of illness. For days on end Balfar would neither eat nor sleep. There was no fever, no nausea, no coughing and none of the maesters could determine the cause. In the end Balfar was simply said to suffer from poor physique and soon acquired the nicknamed Balfar the Frail. Despite his issues, Balfar grew up to be a gaunt but tall young man and completed a thorough martial education under the guidance of his father.

In his childhood there was a lot of rivalry between Balfar and his younger brother Armon. Over the years it subsided and the two developed a closer bond, but certain issues kept gnawing at the two that proved to be too hard to overcome. It was no secret that Armon wanted to inherit the Dyre Den and with Balfar suffering so often from his mysterious illness this was not an unrealistic dream. The firstborn son, however, had no intention of dying and would do anything in his power to prevent Armon from claiming his seat. A regular family may break apart with such division, but their shared love for coin and power kept the two together.

Driven by the fear of death, Balfar aimed to achieve that which his forefathers never attempted, to extend the arms of the Brunes beyond the pines and bogs of Crackclaw Point. In times of health not a day was wasted to further the interests of House Brune in the region and in Kings Landing. Slowly but surely, through negotiation and generous gifts, Lord Balfar buried old grudges and fostered new friendships with the noble houses on Crackclaw Point. Though not at peace, the region was stable meaning taxes could be collected and Balfar would be recognised by the court in Kings Landing as an able ruler.

In the Blackfyre Rebellion House Brune sided with King Daeron II and Balfar himself led the van of his troops. Illness interrupted some of his campaigns but at the final battle of the Redgrass Fields, Balfar distinguished himself in battle as he slew several foes with his favoured steel greatsword. He won the king’s ear but not long after the civil war he lost that which he loved almost as much as himself, his only son and heir. Lord Balfar, as a ruler and a father, was ambitious and self-centred. His son wanted no part in his scheming and politics, but Balfar never realised. When young Theo ran away to Essos to join a band of mercenaries, Balfar was devastated. Hoping for his son to return and inherit that which he has worked for all his life, Balfar has never been more scared of death, be it by his illness or by the hands of his jealous brother.

Armon Brune [+]

Ser Armon Brune
Knight in service of House Brune

Age: 55
Appearance:
Desription:

Realising at an early age that his brother could die at any moment, Armon grew up with a feeling of superiority and one of great expectation. He was shorter but stronger and most important of all, healthier. He would often accompany his father when Balfar was confined to his chambers and to most at court he would undoubtedly become his father’s successor. Every passing year with his brother still alive was another disappointment. He was jealous and he was arrogant which created a bitter rivalry between him and his brother which they only overcame when Balfar inherited the Dyre Den.

Serving as a squire for one of the Brune bannermen, Armon was part of skirmishes on Crackclaw Point. Even at this early age he had a reputation for quickly losing his temper and being particularly violent. He settled arguments with fists or sword and soon enough people around him learned not to argue anymore. Completing his service as squire, Armon was knighted and awarded a position of command for his father’s troops. With little on his mind between skirmishes and raids, the young knight developed a taste for drink and women. Even before his older brother was married, Armon was rumoured to have sired a dozen bastards.

What he ruined with his temper, Armon made up for with his generosity. His men feared him for what he could do on a bad day, but loved him whenever he had money to spend. In the end the soldiers respected him, which was all that mattered, but after his first wife died he lost a lot of favour at court. Supposedly she lost her footing when walking along the cliffs but most are convinced that Armon beat the poor woman to death. In his second marriage Armon sired two sons who mean more to him than even women or claiming the Dyre Den.

Despite his rivalry with Balfar, Armon has never disobeyed his brother. He would not mind seeing him die but Armon never doubted that Balfar would never do anything to hurt him or House Brune. Moreover, with Theo the heir in Essos, Balfar has no choice but to depend on Armon and his two sons. Even though Armon is loyal, the thought of killing his dear brother often crossed his mind.

Oswald Brune [+]

Cold Member

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