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Jon


“We’re in some kind of fucking Westerland sector!” growled Kennet Nash in his accustomed gruff tone. The grizzled Master-at-arms was five and fifty and the decades had only served to make him grumpier and ever more cantankerous.
Jon pressed his fingertips to his temples. The last day’s ride has been through squalid autumn rains and after weeks of journeying and long leagues of irritable familial tensions, tempers were frayed and the Knight of Ninestar’s head was pounding.

“Alright! Ken, then we’ll back up and circle around.” The Master at arms had the right of it though; the splendid awnings and pavilions of Lannister-sworn houses: Brax’s purple unicorn, The resplendent white and blue star of House Tarbeck and in the centre, dominant and imposing, the crimson and gold sea of the Lannister encampment itself.

Kennet grumbled some more and the Templeton column had to turn and go back on themselves, the cumbersome carts and ragged columns had to about turn and file back to the outskirts of the sprawling encampment of Summerhall again.

“Why are we turning around?” Asked Harold Stone, Jon’s bastard nephew as they followed the entourage of a modest 150 leal men of Ninestars. Jon would have been happy to bring a third of that number but his late brother’s widow had urged a greater strength. 150 was around a tenth of the strength House Templeton could likely summon but Jon was wary of expecting too much of their generous hosts.

“I think this area’s reserved for Westerland houses.” Jon tacitly admitted as they ducked under a banner boasting the red lion of House Reyne. Certainly the disgruntled glances they were attracting supported the notion that they were somewhat out of place. Nonetheless, Jon laughed off the odd jibe about being lost and made the laboured retreat as good-naturedly as he could. By then, his uncle Gawarth had acquired a queer sort of guide. A little dwarf girl, no more than two feet tall and with hair as white and brittle as a crone’s claimed to know where the Vale Houses were camped and Jon led his ragged retinue round the vast encampment.

“How do you know this place so well, child?” Jon asked the girl as they walked, him leading his destrier by the bridle and taking one stride to the dwarf’s four. As she turned to answer he noticed her unsettling red eyes, blood orbs in a face the colour of milk.
“I know lots of things. Summerhall is beautiful but this is a place of sadness.” She replied enigmatically. By the time they could see tall Arryn banners, Jon turned to thank the odd child but found she had disappeared. Just how tired was he?

A place of sadness Jon mused. He hoped not; he sought advancement for his House at this tourney. For over a decade since Ronnel’s death House Templeton had done precisely nothing. They were in danger of becoming the forgotten House of the Vale and it was past time Jon changed that narrative. At long last, a space was secured between the red sun of House Donniger and the cyan wave of House Upcliff; Jon made a point of greeting his neighbours personally whilst not staying long enough to be drawn into lengthy conversation. He was pleased that much of his camp had already taken shape by the time he returned.

“No sign of any of the Sisters, Jon.” His Uncle admitted. House Sunderland had been compelled to send a child to Ninestars to foster thirteen years past by Donnel Arryn and had never even written to the girl since. Birgitte was a maiden flowered and passing comely, by all accounts (Jon looked on her as an uncle should a niece) and he’d hoped the Tourney would at least grant the girl an opportunity to meet her family even if only to put a face to their names. Birgitte was practically the adoptive daughter of Jon’s sister-in-law, Allayne. Formerly a Waxley, Allayne had insisted they stay at Wickenden two nights en-route to Summerhall. The hospitality had been generous for their daughter and her family but Jon couldn’t help feeling the delay had cost them more time than he’s have liked. Albeit he hadn’t complained when his brother’s widow had writhed like a cat beneath him in those Wickenden nights…

That was another reason he’d be glad once the tilts began, the woman had spent long years urging him to take her to wife. Many younger brothers did so, it was true. But Allayne was clearly barren and Templeton needed an heir. Jon was over thirty now and if he could impress with sword and lance, he might catch an approving eye from the daughter of a Lordly House. Besides, with all the gossip and scandal abroad about rival claims in the Targaryen household, war was a whisper away from everyone’s lips and war brought its own opportunities.

“Uncle, did you see where Lady Allayne and Birgitte went?” He mused. But for those lust-filled trysts at Wickenden, Jon had seldom spoken to Allayne throughout their journey but had little doubt she’d have her own motivations for attending the tourney. Machinations that, doubtless, were already underway…



Purpure, Nine stars, one of seven points and eight of six points, on a gold saltire, on a black field
House Templeton of Ninestars

Knightly House Sworn to Arryn


House Description:


Whilst hardly the Vale’s most impressive stronghold, Ninestars’ fringe position helps to facilitate it as an administrative hub for the various farming communities in the fertile peninsula. There are comfortably upwards of 1'500 men that owe fealty to the Knight of Ninestars and it is this that has enabled each Ser Templeton to command the respect of the Lordly counterparts such as Corbray, Royce and Hunter.
The centrepoint of the castle is the Sept, or ‘temple’, after which the House is named.

Their house seat is Ninestars is the name of the castle that forms the seat of House Templeton. Sitting NorthEast on the Southern Edge of the Fingers, Ninestars Castle is fashioned from white-grey stone and consists of fairly short, squat battlements framed by two square towers. It lurches up from long yellow grasses with its back to the tides, ducking out of the salty winds gusting off the narrow sea.

Of huge strategic importance, Ninestars has proven invaluable in forming a defensive fortress guarding the Fingers, whilst looking out across the Narrow Sea to its rear.

History:


Templeton’s history dates back as far as the Andals who are credited with the building of the Temple which became a significant way castle for those accessing the Vale by sea. Whilst not boasting ought so grandiose as a harbour or port; over generations Ninestars grew around it and the Templeton House was given Knightly status and dominion over the castle by House Arryn many centuries ago.

Essentially the first ‘Templetons’ were required to maintain the temple and keep residence of the villages clustered in the vicinity. It is rumoured that this task was oft doled out to ‘bastards’ of the Arryn House; if true, it would provide a blood-tie to the Noble House for Templeton. Certainly their allegiance to Arryn has never wavered.

As the fortifications grew, Temple-town (from whence the name derives) was the colloquial moniker given to the amalgamated villages who eventually moved to within or beside the castle grounds. The hugely popular Templeton market and annual Fair drew more and more settlers to the vicinity. In acknowledgement of the time-honoured diligence and capable management of the temple and surrounding township, ‘House Templeton’ was formerly recognised by Lord Arryn, that same evening a meteor shower purportedly featuring ‘nine falling stars’ shone across the darkening sky- giving the castle its name, and House Templeton its sigil; the yellow of the stars representing the long grasses of the vale and the black field representing the night sky.




Family Members:


Ser Jon Templeton- Knight of Ninestars- 30 (called the blackstar colloquially)
The Widow Ninestars- Lady Allayne Templeton- 34 (Ronnel’s Widow)
Miss Birgitte Sunderland– Daughter of Lord Sunderland and a ward sent to Ninestars to secure Sunderland’s fealty in future. - 13
Kennet Nash – Master-at-Arms – 47
Yohn Cowley – Kennelmaster – 47
Maester Corbyn – A maester – 55
Harold Stone – The late Ronnel Templeton’s bastard – 17
Gawarth Templeton– Jon’s Uncle – 55


Character Sheets:







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