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A Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Still room ;)

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

House Bracken

Seat: The castle of Stone Hedge lies east of Riverrun and south of the Red Fork, and therefore between High Heart and the Inn of the Kneeling Man.

Sigil:
They blazon their arms with a red stallion upon a golden escutcheon on brown.

House Words: With Thundering Hooves

Recent Events:
During the Blackfyre Rebellion, Lord Bracken sided with his kinsman Aegor Rivers whom was called Bittersteel. Barba Bracken was Aegon’s mistress until she was replaced by Melissa Blackwood. When Barba joked that Melissa was flat as a board, Aegon had the Teats renamed from Barba's Teats to Missy's Teats to honor his new mistress. While her son Aegor grew up alternating between Stone Hedge and King’s Landing, she remained at Stone Hedge to nurture her grievance.

After Melissa Blackwood’s disfavour with Aegon IV, Barba hoped to regain the king’s favour, only to be passed by for Aegon’s eye had fallen on her younger sister, Bethany Bracken.

When the time of war came, Lord Bracken travelled to Essos to hire mercenaries to aid in Daemon Blackfyre’s bid for the throne. However, he and the contingent of Myrish crossbowmen were delayed by storms, and so did not make it to the Battle of Redgrass Field in time. As such, House Bracken did not suffer too many losses, until the time of reckoning came. Some of the Brackens and knights sworn to Stone Hedge opted to leave with Aegor Rivers to the Free Cities, joining up with the Second Sons and later the Golden Company. Others stayed in Westeros and submitted to the mercy of the Crown.

Pardons were extended, and the Brackens forgiven. Lord Tully functioned as a jugde and conciliator and guided Stone Hedge back into the King’s peace. As the realm calmed down and order was reestablished, Simon Tully, the heir to Riverrun, married the young Helena Bracken, who was no older than thirteen but already shapely.

When in 205 AL Ser Otho Bracken unhorsed and slew Lord Quentyn Blackwood of Raventree, the old rivalry between the two houses reignited. Ser Otho also participated in the tourney at Ashford, and was present when Baelor Breakspear spoke his last.

House Members:

• Lord Raymund Bracken


• Ser Otho Bracken, the Brute of Bracken, his son and heir



• Ser Luthor Bracken, his younger brother, with Aegor in Essos


• Barba Bracken, fifth mistress of Aegon the Unworthy, mother to Aegor “Bittersteel” Rivers


Aegor “Bittersteel” Rivers, in exile in Essos, Commander of the Golden Company


• Bethany Bracken, seventh mistress of Aegon the Unworthy


• Helena Bracken, married to Simon Tully the heir to Riverrun

Lord Bracken of Stone Hedge

Lord Raymund Bracken, Lord of Stone Hedge
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:
Strong-headed like most of the Brackens and bristly like an old boar, Raymund has had his aggressive nature somewhat tempered by age. He is an experienced administrator and was considered a battle-commander well-versed in warfare. A slowly angered man, he is however known to harbour grudges for a long time. Raymund often glowers and blusters, using his physical bulk to intimidate people.

In his youth, Raymund was boisterous and wild, often engaging in petty squabbles. He repeatedly went looking for a fight, and crossing the Red Fork into Blackwood lands became a favourite pastime for him. In order to remove Raymund from the eyes of Raventree, the late Lord Bracken had his heir brought into the retinue of Aegon IV the Unworthy. It was via this way that Raymund’s sister Barba caught the dragon king’s eye.

After his sister Barba was cast from the royal bed, Raymund removed himself from court as a protest against Aegon’s rule. Some say though it was because otherwise he would have tried to kill the Unworthy due to the way he had treated his sister. Instead of returning home to the Riverlands, Raymund went to Essos and fought on the Stepstones and in the Disputed Lands for Myr.

When he became the lord of Stone Hedge upon his father’s death, Raymund calmed down considerably. It seemed responsibility suited him well enough to halt the feud with the Blackwoods, at least for the time being.

During the Blackfyre Rebellion, Stone Hedge supported Daemon Blackfyre’s claim to the throne and threw its full support behind the Black Dragon. This proved cataclysmic, since Daemon was slain by the Blackwood bastard Bloodraven and the future of Raymund’s House became obscure. He was not present at the Battle of Redgrass Field due to leading a contingent of Myrish crossbowmen that were delayed in Essos by storm.

Though he holds no love for the Iron Throne, Lord Raymund Bracken is a loyal bannerman to Riverrun. Nevertheless, he is patiently awaiting to rise ever further if possible, for he and his have to move cautiously as the label ‘traitor’ looms forever over them. Indeed, many might argue that Raymund is keeping a foot in both camps, for his younger brother Luthor is with Aegor Rivers in Essos.

Lord Raymund is a careful man, ever since the Blackfyre Rebellion, for he had sided with the pretenders due to his kinship with Aegor “Bittersteel” Rivers. After the death of Daemon and his eldest sons at the hands of the craven Bloodraven, House Bracken was about to lose a lot of its influence and lands. Fortunately Raymund could count on Lord Janos Tully, whom petitioned for mercy with King Daeron II on his behalf.

Pardoned by Daeron the Good, Raymund devoted his time to rebuilding Stone Hedge and the influence of his house. When his son, Ser Otho, killed the lord of Raventree Hall in a joust in 205 AL, he was quick and decisivie to exploit the situation to take Blackwood land. Brynded “Bloodraven” Rivers’ intervention through Lord Janos Tully put an eventual end to the fighting the second year.

The Brute of Bracken

Ser Otho Bracken, the Brute of Bracken, heir to Stone Hedge
Age: 29
Appearance:

Personality:
Ser Otho is well-known for his size, brutality and prowess in battle. The Brackens have always been a rather burly breed, but Otho is certainly one of the largest and brawniest members of the house. He is built like a bull and fierce as a mastiff, with a jut of jaw and arms thick with muscle. He advocates that sharp steel and strength is what rules the world.

Otho likes violence, good food, wine, women and killing things. Fortunately he has been blessed with a physique like the warhorse on his house’s sigil. Stubborn and known for his irascible temper, Otho dominates and terrifies others. Behind his back, he is often accused of being a slave to his base desires, though insulting him to his face might cause loss of limb. He has reputedly put men and women in the ground with his bare hands.

Because of his hulking bulk, the Brute of Bracken is ofttimes dismissed as witless and dumb. However, beneath his crude face resides a more than average intelligence, sharpened by ambition, hatred for the Blackwoods, and a penchant for cruelty. He hates weakness.

Otho’s redeeming qualities would be the devotion to his family, and that once his loyalty has been earned, it is practically impossible to imagine him to stray. He has his own corrupted sense of honour. Favours are never forgotten, nor are slights.

The Brute’s weapon of choice is a heavy mace, though he is an able swordsman and excellent lance. He finds ranged weapons to be cowardly and despises bowmen. Brynded Bloodraven Rivers (a bowman and a Blackwood) is unsurprisingly someone who the Brute of Bracken hates with a passion that it is almost adulation.

Biography:
Otho grew up at Stone Hedge, squiring for his uncle Luthor Bracken. While his sister was introduced to the world of numbers and letters, Otho found his love for weapons and warfare. Together with his uncle he would travel around Westeros to compete at tournaments.

After the Battle at Redgrass Field, Ser Luthor fled Westeros with Aegor Rivers. Otho had been captured following the battle, and it was only due to the fact his traitor father was backed by the Lord of Riverrun that he was ransomed and returned to the Bracken seat. Though his house has been pardoned, Otho is still resentful towards the Iron Throne and to Bloodraven in particular.

After earning his knighthood at a tourney in Darry, Otho began travelling the tourney fields of Westeros on his own. His ferocity and savage style of combat earned him the moniker ‘the Brute’. Once Otho starts fighting or brawling, some bones have to be broken ere he can be brought to a stop.

When in 205 AL he killed Lord Quentyn Blackwood at a tourney in King’s Landing, he single-handedly reinvigorated the feud between Bracken and Blackwood. In the following year, he led several raids into the Blackwood lands and fought in numerous skirmishes with men from Raventree. For a time, it seemed the Brackens had the upper hand, until Bloodraven intervened and Lord Tully ordered the conflict to stop.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Name: Ascario Cosca, Captain of the Bright Banners a Free Company
Age: 42
Appearance:


“You can never have too many knives.”

Personality:
Literally a whoreson, Ascario is a capable warrior and, like most sellswords, is fickle, faithless and brutal. His greed is so much of a fault that it almost turns into a quality. You can always trust Cosca… trust him to side with the highest bidder. As a soldier of fortune, he tries to enjoy life as much as possible, for tomorrow you might find your heart pierced by an arrow, or your spleen ruptured by a spear.

In a fight, Ascario Cosca is vicious, swift and incredibly agile as befits a bravo and mercenary. He is utterly pragmatic and ruthless, caring little for the fates of his men (though he is careful to conceal it of course lest the fools lynch him), always pressing them. The job needs to be done, as long as he is paid. He might look like just a joker, but he is far more cunning than he seems.

Incredibly vain and witty, he considers himself the epitome of manly attraction, in spite of having some feminine quirks. He likes to display his qualities, and is blind to his own faults. Lacking scruples and morals, Cosca has committed terrible and heinous crimes in his life, from murder and all sorts of abuse to wholesale torture and merciless slaughter.

Ascario has several great loves in his life that all compete but are never mutually exclusive. Though not exclusively attracted to women, Cosca is a great womanizer and sees all women as conquests. Other than carnal pleasures, he is fond of the bottle, dice, fists and of course the thing that makes it all possible: coin.

Biography:
Cosca was born to a Tyroshi concubine and so there is quite some doubt about his parentage. His mother always told him it was a Braavosi ship captain, but it could just as well been a lowly sailor. Nevertheless, Ascario was forced to look out after himself, helping out in the brothel occasionally, or working the streets as a purse-cut. He was little more than a gutter-rat. As he grew up, it became apparent he had a talent for violence and manipulating, joining one of the local gangs.

At the age of fourteen he left the city, using his flamboyance and genial ways to join up with the Bright Banners. He served first as a mere kitchen boy and farrier, until one of the crossbowmen took him as his shield boy. After carrying a large pavise for a few years, Ascario enlisted as a regular soldier of fortune.

Fighting in the Disputed Lands saw him wounded several times, even when he climbed the ladder of the company. It also introduced him with exploiting the company’s strengths when negotiating contracts. Aside from commanding the pike-men of the Bright Banners, Ascario functioned as a notary who drafted contracts. Aware of the military power monopoly in the Free Cities, Cosca became notorious for his capriciousness, and after rising to captain-general soon dictated terms to his ostensible employers.

Ascario Cosca preferred fighting indirectly, not directly— thus, only reluctantly endangering himself and the enlisted men, avoiding battle when possible, also avoiding hard work and winter campaigns, as these all reduced the total number of trained soldiers available, and was detrimental to the company’s political and economic interest. The Bright Banners set a trend. They fought by outmanoeuvring the opponent and fighting his ability to wage war, rather than risk uncertain fortune —defeat, capture, death— in battlefield combat.

The Company:

You'll See Us Coming


Though not with the best reputation, the company is well-known and infamous throughout Essos. A motley crew of disparate and displaced soldiers, the Bright Banner has become the home of many a desperate man who knows how to fight. There are axemen from Qohor and Norvos, bravos from Braavos, Lyseni sellswords, Tyroshi pikemen and all other sorts of mercenaries from both sides of the Narrow Sea that serve with the Dun Banner. The units of bowmen are mostly made up of Dornish, and some Summer Islanders with their deadly bows, while occasionally contingents of Myrish crossbowmen march along. In total, the Bright Banners number 2,000 regulars, of which two-hundred are mounted fighting men.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

You're always welcome to make additional chars! As far as your ward idea goes, I'd be up for having a Lothston at the Twins. I am sure there are others more than willing to have one of your house's members reside at their courts.

Added a chatroomlink.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Ruby: Of course! Tully. I thought I smelled something fishy. So you see, there are three Great Houses still up for grabs.

dreamshell said
This is what A Wiki of Ice and Fire says about the Starks around this time;
"Around 213AC, House Stark faced a difficult succession. Several Lords of Winterfell had perished fighting wars in the North against rebellious Skagosi, the wildling king Raymun Redbeard and other threats, leaving Beron Stark as the lord of the house. As he too lay slowly succumbing to wounds he received fighting Dagon Greyjoy and his ironborn, his wife and four other recent Stark widows struggled over who would succeed him. There were a number of potential heirs, with some ten Stark children about."

So if we're playing a few years prior, it seems the Starks are probably in the thick of some Skagosi-stompin' and dealing with another King-Beyond-the-Wall. But with ten or more potential heirs to Lord Beron, it's certainly possible a few are spread out.

You would be correct. So that indeed means Beron Stark would be Lord, with a lot of Starks around. If they're in the North or not, would be up to anyone interested in playing them. Raymun Redbeard's invasion was longer ago, 25 years if I'm right (184 AL), so less important than the Blackfyre Rebellion. Then again, Daemon Blackfyre's plight was less important in the North than the Wildling invasion or Skagosi plague, I wager.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Maxwell57 said
Is the North up for nabs?I think it's the only great house left but not sure.

House Baratheon is also not taken yet. The North is available, but it has been a recurring issue to get them involved with the rest of Westeros.

A Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Just a wee bump to let everyone know we're still accepting. There is practically always room for more people.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Willem “Willie” Morningwood, Lame Willie, assistant to the Master of Coin
Age: 40
Appearance:


Sigil: A golden oak tree on a field of green
Words:To Rise and Shine

picture

Personality
Willem Morningwood is bitter and whimsical towards life in general, often mocking his own condition, and views steps as his greatest enemies and chairs as his greatest allies. After the accident and depression, Lame Willie became extremely cynical, capable of appreciating irony to its fullest extent. He despises his fat employer, but enjoys the influence and protection his position bestows on him.

Spat out by his peers has made Willie thrive on isolation. Instead of the strength of his sword-arm, he had to rely on his wit. He has a sly and ruthless nature, branding himself as a survivor at all costs, trying to out-think his adversaries. Being a cripple, he has resolved to ignore, even amputate, his scruples. As such, he is no stranger to strong-arming, bribing or cajoling to have things his way. These often come in handy in both the worlds of commerce and politics.

Willem has turned himself into a caricature, and likes to mock everyone and everything. Keenly aware of the world laughing at him, he has turned to a sickly mockery and laughs back. His cane made of black oak, for instance has a silver knob in the shape of a large acorn, with leaves wrapping downward alongside the length of it.

Biography:
Willem grew up as the son of a landed knight, sworn to Ashford in the Reach. As the years went by, he received a traditional upbringing, and showed some promise while being a squire and page. Like many a nobleman’s son, Willie, generous with his smile, dreamed of making a name for himself as a tourney knight. In spite of his humble origins, the son of Morningwood was a rising star in the firmament of the Reach.

His tale of glory and fame came sharply to an end when he, at the age of 18, participated in a tourney at Maidenpool. Over-confident and careless, Willem had challenged a much older and experienced knight to a bout. The subsequent exchange of tilts ended with Willem’s horse tripping, falling and crushing its rider’s leg.

For the next two months, Willem drifted between life and death for his broken, wounded leg had begun to fester. When he finally was on the mend, it became clear that his mutilated right leg would not be able to bear his full weight any longer. His old friends left him, and he could no longer bask in the adoration of fair maidens. Instead, he was shunned by most of the society and abandoned by those he held dear. Though his father did not say, it was clear he considered Willem as less than before.

Crippled, Willem experienced a period of debauchery where he consumed vast quantities of poppy-milk, dicing and whoring. A failed attempt at suicide later, he set sail for the Free Cities. After spending some time in Pentos, he moved to Lys in order to escape his debts. There he was employed by a pleasure house to handle the ledgers, accounts and sensitive information.

However, eventually he returned to Westeros at the request of his ageing father. Willem agreed to pass his inheritance over to his younger brother, Ser Joss Morningwood while he took up a position as steward in Ashford, dealing with market days and financial affairs.

After the Blackfyre Rebellion, Willie ventured to the capital and worked as a custom’s officer and port official, until he was selected by Lord Sandor Celtigar, the Master of Coin. For the past five years, Lame Willie has toiled in Lord Celtigar’s office ever since, and made a reputation for himself as a brilliant accountant.

Thriving in a metropolitan environment such as King’s Landing, Willem has acquired a steady income and works on gathering his fortune and influence. He has, ever since his time in Lys, sworn off knighthood and donned the cape of a politician, though some might call him a crook.

OOC

Yes, this is meant as somewhat of a joke. In the past we have often joked about making a House Morningwood. I am making it happen this time.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

The sheets I've seen so far are looking promising. Good work everyone.

Sizzlin Bacon said
Would an individual assassin be acceptable?

I don't see that getting a lot of action without deaths of characters. Maybe it would make more sense as a secondary character. What did you have in mind exactly?

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

(WIP)

House Frey
Seat:
The Twins – The Crossing


“The Twins—two squat, ugly, formidable castles, identical in every respect, with the bridge arching between—had guarded the crossing for centuries.” – Catelyn Tully

The Twins, sometimes known as the Crossing, are the seat of House Frey in the northern Riverlands. It is a fortified crossing of the Green Fork of the Trident and consists of two identical castles and a tower in the middle of their bridge.

The Twins consist of two identical castles standing on a margin of the Green Fork of the Trident. A stone bridge arches between them. This bridge is wide enough for two wagons to cross abreast, and is guarded by a tower in the middle known as the Water Tower. It is the only crossing point over the Green Fork for hundreds of miles in either direction, from the North to the western Riverlands. It lies directly athwart the main route from Winterfell to Riverrun.

The Freys have held the crossing of the Green Fork for six hundred years. It took them three generations to complete the bridge, after which they built timber keeps on each bank of the river. Since then, the Freys have grown wealthy by charging a heavy toll on all those who need to cross - a fact which irks many older or more powerful houses. The timber keeps have since been replaced by stone. These castles are what give the stronghold its name, for they are identical. They have high curtain walls, deep moats and a barbican and portcullis in each. The bridge footings rise from within the inner keeps. Given their strong castle, strategic location, lands, wealth, and numbers, the Freys are one of the most powerful bannerhouses sworn to House Tully.

The seat of the Lord of the Crossing is a massive chair of black oak. Its back is carved in the shape of two towers joined by an arched bridge.


Two blue towers united by a bridge on silver-grey, representing the Twins.

Words: We Take Our Toll

History:
House Frey is one of the younger houses in Westeros, dating back some six centuries when its founder was awarded lands and nobility. The founding Frey had a vision of building a great bridge spanning the Green Fork of the Trident and began its construction. His grandson ultimately finished the bridge's construction and built wooden keeps on both sides as well. Later generations replaced the timber keeps with identical stone keeps that were named the Twins. A large tower was constructed in the middle of the bridge and called the Water Tower.

The Twins' defensible construction and strategic location allowed the Freys to prosper by exacting tolls for passage across the river. The Freys grew into one of the richest and most powerful houses of the Trident. Their quick rise to prominence has caused other powerful houses to look down on them as upstarts. Animosity with the Darrys from Darry was nursed, for instance and the Freys also became bitter rivals with their neighbours to the north, the Crannogmen ruled.

House Frey aided Aegon the Conquerer during his War of Conquest and rebelled against King Harren the Black of Harrenhal. Afterward, the Freys joined the other river lords in swearing fealty to House Tully. During the Dance of the Dragons, House Frey sided with the blacks against the greens. Lord Forrest Frey died fighting Westermen in the Battle by the Lakeshore.

Sworn to the Twins:
House Charlton
House Erenford
House Haigh
Housa Nayland of Hag's Mire

Members of the House:

• Lord Calder Frey, Lord of the Crossing


• Walda, Lyana, Amerei, Selyse, his four daughters


• Walder Frey, his infant son


• Lady Darla Frey, elder sister to Calder, former wife to Jon Lothston, died when falling off a horse


• Domeric Lothston, son of Jon Lothston and Darla Frey, squire at the Harrenhal


• Ser Franklyn Frey, his brother, a good tourney fighter


• Steffon Frey, a squire


• Ser Addam Frey, a cousin, a good lance


• Marei, his sister


• Ser Benfred Frey, another cousin


• Ser Tom Fishbone, a Tully bastard sired on Bethany Frey, sister to Ser Benfred Frey, has a fish-skeleton for his sigil

Lord Calder Frey of the Crossing

Calder Frey, Lord of the Crossing, the Crippler, Black Calder, Cold Calder
Age: 32
Appearance:

Lord Calder is stout for a Frey, broad of shoulder though less so than his younger sibling. He has brown hair, with bristly brooding brows and keen eyes.

Personality:
Born a Frey, and raised at the lofty court of Daeron II the Good, he has developed a disdain for the poorest farmers, the paupers. He is a staunch believer of the nobility lording over the commoners. The lowborn people should recognise their betters and work the land, adhere to their duty. He is a proud man, and believes himself the superior to many.

Lord Calder is a mediocre fighter, able to stand his own in personal combat but preferring not to. Though he does not lack courage, he sees his mind as his most powerful weapon. Unlike his kinsmen Franklyn and Addam, he is no warrior but has specialised in the practical aspects of warfare. On several accounts, Calder has displayed an aptitude for tactics and planning, relying on knowledge, surprise, timing and opportunism to gain victory.

He has a mind for organisation and politics, and always tries to gain the advantage and negotiate or strike from a position of strength. Cunning, Calder uses his strengths in a versatile way, carefully guards his weaknesses and exploits those of his enemies. The game is always being played, he believes, it is just a matter of playing your cards right.

Biography:
Growing up in the Twins meant growing up among a host of ruthlessly ambitious family members. As the firstborn to the late Lord Aemon Frey, Calder was groomed from an early age to inherit the Twins and become the head of the powerful Frey family. With that responsibility came the duty to be ever vigilant of the enemies of House Frey, and they are several.

Up until the age of ten, Calder spent his time at the Twins, studying history and poetry mostly. When he went away as a ward to the Eyrie and later King’s Landing, his studies turned to more practical fields, Calder taking an interest in engineering and logistics.

Though Calder spent sufficient time practicing his skills with weapons, he was not particularly a prodigy, unlike his younger brother Franklyn or his cousin Addam. While he displayed reasonable aptitude for swinging a sword, Calder’s weapon of choice is a single-handed war hammer, better known as a horseman’s pick.

Calder squired first for Ser Harry Haigh, but it became clear that this was not a beneficial position, for while he may have been a knight of some renown in his heyday, Harry, washed up in the capital, had turned to the drink. Calder thought him a useless half-wit, and wrote to his father that he would choose and negotiate his own commission. After being turned down by Ser Lyonel Baratheon, the Laughing Storm, in a rather humiliating exchange, young Calder Frey began to see the world for what is really was, putting behind him the ideas and fancies he had obsessed about in his childhood years.

A lad of fifteen, Calder became the squire to a young Ser Humfrey Hardyng of the Vale. House Hardyng was sworn to House Waynwood from Ironoaks, and so it was a good thing Ser Humfrey was intent on making a name for himself as a tourney knight, for the Waynwoods were notoriously obsessed with ceremony, leading to more than one incident when Calder and Humfrey attended.

For the next two years, Calder followed Ser Humfrey as he went from fair to fair, from tilt to tilt. During this time he learned a lot of how politics influenced practically everything, as well as how to acquaint himself with people born high and low.

When travelling from the Twins to the Vale through the Mountains of the Moon, Ser Humfrey and Calder were beset by a group of Mountain clansmen. It was in this skirmish that he earned his spurs, Ser Humfrey knighting him for it at a gathering in the Eyrie.

Later on, Ser Calder distinguished himself against raiding Crannogmen in a few swift engagements. Ever since, the men of the marsh think twice before staging incursions into the Freylands. During one of these skirmishes, Calder knighted his younger brother Franklyn who then set out with their cousin Addam to break lances at tourneys.

Calder spent some time travelling around the Riverlands and visited Oldtown and Lannisport before returning to King’s Landing. For a time he resided there, and worked in the port’s customs administration. When the Blackfyre Rebellion broke out, he even functioned as a temporary advisor to the Small Council to organise and oversee the expansion and modernisation of the city’s defences. He helped prepare the city and Red Keep for a siege, though that proved unnecessary.

However, Lord Aemon Frey called him home to protect the Twins and Freylands, for when war engulfs Westeros, the Riverlands burn. Calder secured supplies and led expeditions to pick off looters, deserters and bandits, while his father stayed at the Twins due to prolonged sickness.

Lord Aemon was careful not to declare for any one in particular, only sending a token force of two hundred footmen and fifty knights to Riverrun to reinforce his liege lord.

After Lord Aemon’s death in 199 AL, the Crossing passed to Calder without much incident. Lord Calder earned his nickname, the Crippler, due to his treatment of unruly subjects. Some runaway serfs had been caught, causing Calder to utter a well-known epigram at the Twins. “Give peasants half a chance, and like pigs in the forest or sheep on a mountainside, might all too easily stray. Rein them in and cull them on time.” The serfs lost their feet so they could never run away again. From then, seeing his initial mild approach did not work, Lord Calder Frey adopted a stern and rigid mode of punishment.

Thieves lose hands, runaways lose feet, muderers lose heads, rapists lose… Lord Calder’s harsh but fair justice is non-discriminative. Ser Harry Haigh, the first knight he squired for, had manhandled a farmer’s daughter and was subsequently offered the choice between taking the black or of being robbed of his manhood.