Blitzy — Roleplayer Guild

House Information

Synopsis
Formerly High Kings, the Yronwoods were the most powerful family in Dorne before the arrival of Nymeria and her union with the Martells, and have continued as the second most prominent Dornish house thereafter. House Yronwood once ruled from Wyl to the Greenblood, feuding with the petty Kings of Houses Dayne and Fowler before swearing fealty to the Princes of Martell. Tension between the Bloodroyals and their Martell overlords has resulted in several conflicts through history, but never one that has ended with an Yronwood victory. In years past, the Yronwoods were proud and bitter, having supported the Blackfyres against the Iron Throne and, more importantly, the Martells in three of the five Blackfyre Rebellions. More recently however, the Yronwoods have remained close to the Martells, with Cletus Yronwood losing his life in service to Quentyn Martell. Yronwood itself sits just below the Red Mountains as the last castle along the Stone Way into Dorne, earning them the title Wardens of the Stone Way. Their strategic position gives them tight control of travel and trade, combined with comparatively fertile and mineral rich holdings allowing the Yronwoods to be a particularly rich and prominent house in Dorne.

Head of House
Lord Yohn Yronwood

Seat
Yronwood

Demesne
The Yronwoods rule over one of the few reasonably fertile areas in the desert kingdom of Dorne, as well as boasting an abundance of timber and natural resources like tin, iron and silver. Strategically positioned at the end of the Stone Way, Yronwood controls trade and travel from Dorne into the Stormlands and beyond and represents a stubbornly strong defensive position. Any would-be invaders must traverse the Boneway, and bypass the treacherous and cruel Wyls that hold the northern end of the pass and once swore fealty to the Yronwood Kings. These days, no house pledges its banner to the Yronwoods, but the Yronwoods themselves are one of few Dornish houses with the might to potentially rival the Martells.

Recent History
House Yronwood were important supporters in the restoration of the Targaryen dynasty. Lord Anders' only son, Cletus Yronwood, and his nephew Ser Archibald ‘the Big Man’ Yronwood were part of the group that escorted Quentyn Martell across the Narrow Sea in the plot to marry Quentyn to Daenerys. Cletus lost his life defending Quentyn from corsairs on the way to Volantis and Archibald Yronwood stayed with the Prince all the way to his fiery demise when he attempted to capture a dragon. After Quentyn’s death, Archibald struck a deal to act on Barristan Selmy’s behalf as an envoy to recruit the Windblown mercenary company to the Targaryen cause in Slaver’s Bay, in exchange for a pardon for the attempted theft of the dragons and Quentyn’s bones to return to Sunspear. Upon returning to Dorne, Archibald and the Yronwoods continued to serve the Martells until the end of the war. Ser Archibald and Lord Anders lead Dornish troops in support of Daenerys Targaryen when she eventually landed in Westeros.

The war for the Iron Throne ended in 300 AC, with Daenerys Targaryen now Queen of Westeros and Barristan Selmy acting as her hand. With Lord Anders’ only son Cletus dead, and his eldest daughter Ynys happily married to Ryon Allyrion and living in Godsgrace as the mother of two sons, the second daughter Gwyneth was prepared to inherit Yronwood when her father passed. For his service to the family, the crown and their liege the Martells, Anders decided that Anders would rule over the small castle town of Stonegate; a humble keep situated in the Stone Way some way north of Yronwood itself. Anders also declared that Stonegate would be the focus of developments to create a lively post that traders along the pass could stop at. The town was filled with inns and brothels, encouraging trade, while Lord Anders simultaneously imposed a toll on all good and travellers coming through the pass. These developments saw the wealth of the Yronwood family skyrocket in comparison, refilling coffers previously emptied by war contributions.

Lord Anders sought security for his family above all else in these trying times, left with one female heir. He attempted to broker marriage alliances with several houses, almost successfully marrying Gwyneth matrilineally to men of houses Redwyne, Swann, Mertens and Uller. Eventually, however, in 303 AC, Gwyneth Yronwood married Andrey Vaith. Gwyneth was not ready for childbirth; her firstborn, a son named Cugel, did not survive the difficult birth. Four years later, Gwyneth gave birth again; this time to a healthy baby girl named Baldera Yronwood after Gwyneth's own mother. Her next child would be Sylva Yronwood, who would go on to marry Daemon Martell and give birth to 5 children including the father of the current Princess of Dorne, but the birth would be bittersweet. Just a week after Sylva was born, Gwyneth's mother and Lord Anders' beloved wife passed away. Gwyneth had six living children in total; a son named Yorwin Yronwood and three more daughters named Dinah, Jynessa and Ysella.

Lord Anders was not the same following the death of his wife. The two had been together since their childhood and Anders had raised many an eyebrow with his decision to marry a girl with no name for no other reason than the love he bore her. The loss broke him. He would spend days alone in his room without food, and the guards posted outside claimed to hear sobbing at all hours, as if the man did nothing but sit and cry, not even taking a break to sleep. Gwyneth inherited rulership of Yronwood in all but official titles, overseeing the day to day running of her family's holdings with help from her husband Andrey and her loyal cousin Archibald. Eventually in 321 AC, years of neglecting his health caught up with Anders and he passed away at the age of 58, leaving Gwyneth Yronwood as the Warden of the Stone Way.

Gwyneth arranged a public funeral and invited all the people of Yronwood, as well as all the Lords and Ladies of Dorne. It was at this gathering of lords that Gwyneth skilfully negotiated a marriage alliance for her eldest daughter and heir Baldera Yronwood to marry Cullian, the third son of Lord Qorgyle, matrilineally. Gwyneth learned a great deal from listening to other Lords at the funeral, and set about immediately expanding on Yronwood's mining operations to fully take advantage of the great veins of iron, tin and silver that Yronwood was fortunate to sit upon. Gwyneth also declared that Yronwood would stockpile a portion of its harvests so that it could supply food to northern kingdoms when winter came and the fields could no longer be worked. The Yronwoods took a particular focus to horse breeding, with Archibald having told a dozen stories of how the Dothraki screamers were dominant in the field. Gwyneth hired a horse master from across the Narrow Sea to train riding instructors and help the Yronwoods to breed strong horses.

Baldera Yronwood became the Bloodroyal after her mother's death in 345 AC. By this time Baldera and Cullian already had four healthy children; two sons named Yohn and Andrey, and two daughters named Loreza and Moryssa. Yohn wed Liera Jordayne, securing good relations with the Lords of the Tor. Andrey never married, but was suspected of fathering a number of bastards none of whom he officially acknowledged but was often heard bragging about. Loreza Yronwood married Walter Wyl, and Moryssa Yronwood married a knight named Yandry. Baldera maintained her mother's work, and became well known and well liked throughout Dorne. She was caring, kind and just, and held regular summer festivals and feasts to which she invited all the noblemen and women of Dorne and sometimes beyond. Baldera even managed to somewhat smooth over relations with House Fowler, with whom the Yronwoods have had a blood feud for generations.

The Stepstones Rebellion in 369 AC saw heavy involvement for the Yronwoods. Andrey Yronwood personally lead Yronwood troops in helping to end the treachery of Aegon Velaryon, supported by the sons of Archibald Yronwood Cletus and Gerris. Yohn, as heir to Yronwood, did not participate. Yronwood spearmen fought alongside the other Westerosi houses, assaulting the rebel holdings on the islands of the Stepstones and eventually emerging on the victorious side. Andrey Yronwood, having demonstrated honour, ability and bravery, was appointed as a Knight of the Kingsguard by Queen Daenerys to replace one of her fallen bodyguards, a moment of great pride for the Yronwood family. 

Baldera Yronwood died in 372 AC. Her eldest child, Yohn, became the Bloodroyal and has been ruling over Yronwood ever since. Now, in 379 AC, the death of the Dragon Queen is looming and an heir has not been named. Yohn has travelled to Gulltown, with his two eldest children Yorick and Alysanne and his father Cullian Qorgyle.

Realm Relations
TBA

Storyline Premise
TBA

Characters

IdentityYohn Yronwood

Age47

RoleLord of Yronwood, the Bloodroyal and Warden of the Stone Way

CharacterizationYohn is the eldest child of the beloved Lady Baldera Yronwood and her husband Cullian Qorgyle. His mother's dedication to ruling Yronwood meant that Yohn was raised more by Cullian and a plethora of tutors. Yohn was a deviant child, often missing lessons and sneaking out at night. His father's approach was soft, meaning Yohn was left unchecked for most of his formative years. He was bookish, but unlike most children found himself more interested in reading about the reigns of past kings, politics and intrigue than the conquests of heroes and stories of dragons. Yohn learned the value of knowledge from a young age, listening in on the gossip of servants and guards and using it to twist their arm, such as blackmailing guards into keeping quiet when they saw him sneaking out in the night.

Yohn has little time for things or people that do not interest him. As a youngster he would attend his training sessions with Yronwood's master-at-arms, and even showed promise as a swordsman and archer, but simply did not care for it and so deliberately turned up late and complained the whole way through, eventually stopping attending sessions entirely. Yohn was far more interested in attending meetings alongside his mother, learning the intricacies of politics and gathering information on people and events. As he grew older, Yohn's intelligence and wits helped him to firmly grasp what it meant to be ruler; a curious mixture of doing what is right and doing what is necessary.

Yohn married at his mother's behest, taking Liera Jordayne of the Tor for a wife. He had never met the girl before, nor did he particularly care for her in the beginning, but did not complain once as he understood that significance of his marriage to a member of House Jordayne and that it would secure a strong alliance with another important Dornish house for years to come. One of Liera's retinue, a knight named Yandel, would eventually take the hand of Yohn's sister, Moryssa. Eventually the pair would grow fond of each other, and Liera would bear Yohn three children; his oldest son Yorick, a beautiful daughter named Alysanne and a younger son named Qalen. 

Yohn did not fight at the Stepstones in 369 AC. Instead, Yohn travelled to Sunspear, where he was part of the group of lords overseeing the logistics and management of the loyalist Dornish forces that did fight on the Stepstones. Yohn committed 3,000 Yronwood soldiers, led by his brother Andrey, to the fighting. Yohn was displeased when Andrey was named to the Queensguard; despite the pair bickering incessantly, Andrey and Yohn were as close as two brothers can be, and losing Andrey's presence in Yronwood was a blow for Yohn. Especially when their mother died three years later.

Yohn had been preparing for it his whole life. The lady Baldera Yronwood had grown frail and infirm in her years since turning sixty, and Yohn had in essence been running Yronwood for the past four or five years. Nevertheless the loss was hard to take. The man who inherited was vastly different to the devious, obnoxious child that had terrorised the serving staff all those years ago. Instead, Yohn inherited as a well rounded, world-aware man, intelligent and shrewd. Yohn understands the realities of the world, how the right thing is not always the best course of action and how a person's state intentions are often far, far from the ones they hide beneath the façade of a friendly smile.

Yohn has ruled Yronwood for seven years with a firm, fair hand. He is well liked but nowhere near to the same degree as his mother. There are few that count as trusted friends in Yohn's eyes, even wary that his own children may be a danger to the future of the house with their impulsive and reckless natures. The most trusted among Yohn's friends is his father Cullian, although now the dusty old scorpion's mind has begun to wane. Now, in 379 AC, Yohn travels with his father and children to the tourney at Gulltown, both to see his son and brother compete, and to seek new friends and possible marriage alliances for his children.

Attributes & TalentsYohn's talents lie more with administration and intrigue than the martial prowess that past Yronwoods like Anders, Ser Yorwin, Ser Cletus, Ser Archibald and even his own brother Ser Andrey have boasted, making him something of an oddity as far as the men of the family are concerned. Yohn is witty and friendly, making him easy to talk to and trust. He is trustworthy and good at keeping secrets. He has a good head for numbers and logistics, taught to him by his mother so that he could ensure Yronwood prospered from its harvests and trade routes, as well as direct soldiers and supplies if it came to it. Yohn is good at retaining information and drawing conclusions from combinations of rumours and clues that he hears, dangerous in his ability to obtain and use information. Thankfully, Yohn is not a bad man; he bears no one any ill will and does not go out of his way to cause trouble or hurt others. One of the skills Yohn is exceptionally proud of is his ability to outdrink almost anyone in Yronwood, and he is looking forward to matching his skills against other Lords at the coming tourney.

Immediate FamilyYohn is married to Liera Jordayne. They have three children; Yorick, Alysanne and Qalen. Yohn's father, Cullian Qorgyle, remains at Yronwood since his mother's death and helps guide the family a wise old voice. Yohn's younger brother Andrey serves on the Queensguard of Daenerys Targaryen. His sister Loreza resides in Wyl with her wife Walter and their children, while his other sister Moryssa lives in Yronwood with her husband Yandel and their children (Yohn's nieces and nephews).

Personal RelationsTBA

Storyline PremiseTBA

IdentityYorick Yronwood

Age25

RoleEldest child of Lord Yohn and Heir to Yronwood

CharacterizationYorick Yronwood was born in 354 AC, the first born child of Yohn Yronwood and his wife Liera Jordayne. Much like his father, Yorick spent much of his childhood running amok. He was often in fights with other children and was accused almost daily of being rude to and playing pranks on the serving staff in Yronwood. Yohn took a much harder approach to Yorick’s misbehaviours than his own mother ever did to him, having him birched and forcing him to apologise to those he had wronged. Although all Yohn wanted was to raise a well-mannered, pleasant boy, his methods did nothing more than breed resentment and turn Yorick into an angry boy.

All of Yorick’s anger and frustration came out in his sword fighting practice. Unlike his father, Yorick cared little for books and numbers, and spent every second he could get sparring with sword and spear, learning to ride horses and shooting arrows at straw men that he imagined had his father’s face on them. As Yorick poured himself into his training, his behaviour improved; he didn’t care about teasing and tormenting others, he just wanted a weapon in his hand a dummy to whack with it. He showed promise and would develop into a talented spear fighter. As his behaviour improved, the punishments form Yohn stopped, and were replaced with praise, encouragement and gifts like his own horse and spear. It quelled the resentment between the pair and bought them closer, but did nothing to eliminate the traits that were now deeply ingrained in Yorick's personality.

Years of being birched for pranks and missteps made Yorick angry. Fighting grew from a release of anger into a passion. As Yorick aged, he did not mellow. Instead, he became even more erratic and unpredictable. The boy of five and twenty years that, as things stand, will eventually inherit Yronwood when Yohn dies, is impulsive, reckless, and cares too much about what people think of him. His temper is feared throughout the castle and he is easily offended by any slight, leaving many a servant scared to knock on his door for fear they are interrupting something. He is not a bad person; he was raised by his father to be polite and well mannered, but he is often overbearing in conversation and does not think before he speaks, leading him to make blunt and unnecessarily offensive comments despite having no intention of offending anyone. 

None of this is helped by the fact that his sister is just as free-spirited and stubborn, and the two often exacerbate each other's behaviour, encouraging one another to just do what they want to do. Alysanne is very good at manipulating Yorick and stoking the flames of his anger, and Yohn has expressed concern in the past that Alysanne would be able to entirely control Yronwood through Yorick unless the boy wises up and realises that Alysanne can control his behaviour. As horrible as it may seem, Yohn is eager to marry both Yorick and Alysanne in the hope it will separate the close bond between the two and allow Yorick to grow as a person into a more calm, collected and all around better Lord.

Attributes & TalentsYorick is a very talented spear fighter, fighting with nimble agility and grace. He is also capable of fighting with a sword, and is capable of using a spear effectively from horseback. He has a basic understanding of what is involved in ruling, thanks to the compulsory lessons that he and all of his siblings were forced to attend by his father. He lacks the compassion and people skills that his father has, and would be more suited to battle than lordship. He cares little for politics, does not like the idea of marrying someone he has not chosen and a small part of him secretly hopes he dies before his father so that he never has to inherit the lordship of Yronwood. Of course, despite being reluctant to take on the mantle of Bloodroyal, he would no doubt be furious if anyone suggested he should not be Lord of Yronwood.

Immediate FamilyYorick is closest to his younger sister Alysanne. He does not get on well with his younger brother Qalen, who is very similar to his father both in looks and personality and used to often call Yorick out for things he said and did before deciding it wasn't worth suffering through the tantrums that resulted from it. His father Yohn encourages him to be the best man he can be, to pursue his passions and trying to prepare him for the lordship, but Yorick does harbour some bitterness towards the man that used to punish him daily. His uncle Andrey is Queensguard to Daenerys Targaryen, his aunt Loreza lives in Wyl and his aunt Moryssa usually gives him a wide berth.

Personal RelationsTBA

Storyline PremiseTBA

IdentityAndrey Yronwood

Age44

RoleAnointed Knight, Member of the Queensguard, Brother of Lord Yohn

CharacterizationAndrey Yronwood was the second child of Lady Baldera Yronwood and Cullian Qorgyle. Andrey had a similar upbringing to Yohn but was not as unruly. Instead, Andrey obeyed the rules, did as he was told, attended all his lessons on time and gave his all to every task put before him. Andrey tried his best to study history and numbers, but just did not have the knack for it that his older brother did. Instead, Andrey showed great promise with a sword. Yohn and Andrey have often joked that the only reason Yohn got away with ditching his lessons was because Andrey was good enough for the both of them.
 
As Andrey’s abilities grew, he was quickly uncovered as one of the best young swordsmen Dorne had seen in years. He made a name for himself by placing second in his first ever tournament aged 19 and has gone on to place highly and even win a string of tournaments since then. As his reputation grew, Andrey came out of his shell, and went from a reserved and quiet child to a self-assured young man with great faith in his own abilities. He loved playing up for tournament crowds and revelled in the affection and admiration that came with his success. Andrey never married, refusing every suitor suggested despite the insistence of both his mother and his older brother. Instead, Andrey travelled from tourney to tourney and left a string of bastards in his wake, none of whom he has officially acknowledged. 

Andrey was finally put the test in 369 AC, aged 34, when Aegon Velaryon kidnapped Daenerys Targaryen and started the Stepstones Rebellion. Fighting on behalf of his brother Yohn, Andrey was placed in command of the Yronwood forces that were sent to fight for the Crown. While many were terrified by the prospect of their first real combat, Andrey was excited by it, and revelled in the chance to prove himself even further. Andrey fought nobly, brave in the face of danger and with determined ferocity that inspired the troops under his command to follow suit. When all was said and done, Andrey’s deeds were recognized by the queen herself, and Ser Andrey Yronwood was elevated to the Queensguard.

Since then, Andrey has served the Queen loyally. He is friendly but often struggles to walk the line between confidence and arrogance. Ever the showman, Andrey loves the attention that has come from swaggering around in ornate armor and donning the white cloak, but as thanks to his Queen will uphold his vows to his dying breath. Staying celibate for the last 10 years has been exceptionally difficult, but Andrey has somehow just about managed it.

Attributes & TalentsAndrey is possibly the most talented fighter House Yronwood has ever produced. He has shown great skill in horse riding, jousting and sword fighting. He is not a bad commander; although he is not a scholar of battle strategy, he understands how to fight and has proven he can command and inspire troops to victory. He is well-tempered and has good self control, traits that make him useful as a bodyguard as he is incredibly unlikely to be provoked or tricked. He is loyal to the last, and would die for his Queen without a second thought.

Immediate FamilyAndrey's closest family member is his brother Yohn, the Bloodroyal. Andrey has been mostly separated from his family since he was named to the Queensguard and has not seen either of his sisters Moryssa or Loreza for the past decade. His father Cullian does his best to visit when he can but he is growing old and Andrey's duties do not leave him much spare time to catch up with friends and family. His nephews and nieces through his brother Yohn all like their uncle Andrey, and Yorick has made no secret of the fact that Andrey is who inspired Yorick to pursue fighting. Like Yohn, Andrey is wary of Alysanne, and believes the level-headed young Qalen would make the best ruler of any of the three, joking to his brother that the Gods put them out in the wrong order.

Personal RelationsTBA

Storyline PremiseTBA

House Information

Synopsis
House Payne is one of the principal noble houses sworn to House Lannister in the Westerlands. The Paynes have served always served their Lannister overlords loyally, with Ilyn Payne acting as Tywin Lannister's Captain of the Guards and helping Jamie Lannister train to overcome the loss of his right hand. Ser Ilyn died fighting against the Targaryens during the war for the restoration, and his cousin Cedric Payne died fighting for the Lannisters in the Riverlands during the War of the Five Kings. As unlikely as it seemed, the young squire Podrick Payne, the sole male survivor of the Payne family line, managed to survive both the Targaryen restoration and the Long Night, somehow avoiding the extinction of the Payne family.

Head of House
Lord Willam Payne

Seat
Payne Hall

Demesne
House Payne rules from a sturdy castle town named Payne Hall in the south eastern region of the Westerlands. While their holdings are relatively large, they are sparsely populated, with the majority of people focused in the town around Payne Hall and the rest of their lands consisting mostly of vast farmland. The Paynes have no houses sworn to them and answer directly to their lieges of House Lannister, with whom they have historically maintained good relations.

Recent History
House Payne fought under the Lannister banner right up until the moment Daenerys sat the Iron Throne. Ser Ilyn, the King's Justice, perished in the fighting against the Dragon Queen, leaving Podrick Payne as the last legitimate male of the family. Podrick, squire to Brienne of Tarth, evaded execution at the hands of Lady Stoneheart and the Brotherhood Without Banners, and stayed with Brienne throughout the succession war, during which he was knighted Ser Podrick Payne. As a show of good faith and because Podrick himself had never taken up arms against Daenerys, Podrick was allowed to retain Payne Hall and inherit the title of Lord.

Podrick Payne was just a boy of five-and-ten, and had been considered so far out of the succession line that he had never received lessons or training to prepare him for the lordship. He had no immediate family to rely on, and the only people he could count as a friend were Brienne of Tarth, Ser Bronn of the Blackwater and the imp Tyrion Lannister. At Tyrion's behest, Pod sought a wife, eventually agreeing to wed Seria Clifton, a daughter from a family of reasonably respected landed knights in the Westerlands. Pod was happy in his marriage, and advised by the same council that had helped rule over Payne Hall for years prior, Pod began a steady and stable reign that saw much of Payne Hall's surrounding farmlands restored as the Westerlands attempted to recover from both the War of the Five Kings and Daenerys' restoration.

Pod and Seria had two sons, Tyrion and Harys. Harys married a daughter of another landed knight house, Brienna Vikary, while Tyrion married into a lesser noble house by wedding Sofina Sarsfield. Harys and Brienna had a son and a daughter who both married lesser nobles and continued the side branch of the Payne family. Tyrion had three children; a son named Tommard, the eldest of the three, and two daughters Amyra and Meya. He was smart and noble, well liked by the small folk, but unfortunately would never live to inherit. Tyrion died in 341 AC, aged just 32, in a hunting accident. Many suspected his brother Harys, a withdrawn and shady individual, of staging the accident in an attempt to coerce his father into naming him as the heir. Regardless, Pod maintained that Tyrion's son Tommard would inherit after his death, leading to much tension with his son Harys for the rest of his day.

Podrick Payne's rule over Payne Hall ended in 347 AC. Pod, a well liked lord who had guided his people through a successful and relatively tension-free restorative period, passed away in his sleep aged 61. During his reign he had secured the future of his family and restored a sense of normality to their holdings. Podrick's grandson, Tommard Payne, became Lord of Payne Hall, and his first act was to hold a funeral to which all the lords of the Westerlands were invited. It was at this funeral that Tommard met the second daughter of Lord Algood, Lylian. The two connected instantly and Lylian stayed at Payne Hall, marrying Tommard two years later.

Tommard and Lylian had two healthy sons, Willam and Desmond. Willam in particular grew into something of a paragon to the small folk of Payne Hall, a noble, honourable, kind and generous man, known as much for his good humour and smile as his skill with a sword. Desmond grew into a much more realistic, grounded individual, often acting as a counter to Willam's idealism. The two made quite a pairing, balancing the favour of the people gained through Willam and the level-headedness needed for rule through Desmond. The two visited Casterly Rock often on the behalf of their father Tommard. Willam became a favoured sparring partner of Loreon Lannister, while Desmond did all he could to learn from the court at the Rock. The Paynes could not have been better prepared when Tommard Payne passed away from a heart attack in 376 AC aged 49. Willam Payne became Lord of Payne Hall, and has been ruling successfully for the last three years with his brother Desmond as his closest friend and advisor.

Realm Relations
House Algood - The mother of both Willam and Desmond Payne was Lylian Algood, a kindly woman who raised her sons to be polite and respectful. Even though Lylian passed away a few years before the boys' father, the Paynes and the Algoods maintain a friendly relationship out of respect and the love Lylian and Tommard bore one another.

House Brax - Willam Payne is married to Grayce Brax, and the marriage is warm and happy. The heir to the lordship of Payne Hall is Willam and Grayce's four year old daughter Anysa. Through this marriage, House Payne and House Brax have sowed the seeds of a strong and lasting friendship.

House Lannister - House Payne has loyally served the Lannisters for decades. The Paynes are loyal bannermen; Ilyn and Cedrick died fighting for the Lannisters, and Podrick always pushed loyalty to the family due to his close friendship with Tyrion Lannister. In more recent years, both Willam and Desmond have spent time at the Rock, maintaining friendly relationships. Willam was one of Loreon Lannister's favoured sparring partners in their youth.

Storyline Premise
House Payne have come back from the brink of extinction, surviving only thorugh Podrick Payne. Decades later, the holdings of the family have managed to recover somehwat through an active effort to restore the farmland that is essential to Payne Hall's economy. Ever the loyalists, the new Lord of House Payne has a close personal relationship with the Lannisters aside from his loyalty to his liege, and will undoubtedly stand by them whatever they choose to do when the Dragon Queen's reign finally comes to an end.

Characters

IdentityWillam Payne

Age27

RoleLord of Payne Hall

CharacterizationWillam Payne is the eldest of the two sons born to Tommard Payne and Lylian Algood and has ruled over the lands of Payne Hall for the last three years since his father’s death. Willam is well liked by people; he is generous and kind, humble, genuinely caring and friendly. He is rarely seen without a wide grin on his face, and has a hearty laugh heard too often for some. He wholeheartedly believes in the importance of a man’s honour and is considered naïve and foolhardy by many of the shrewder lords in the realm. It is undisputable that Willam lives in something of an idealistic bubble; despite fighting himself in the Stepstones Rebellion and witnessing the horrors of war first-hand, Willam is still trusting and believes that everyone has goodness in them despite the obvious evidence for the opposite. 

Raised in an era of relative peace, Willam has never had any reason to doubt the hearts of men.  Still recovering from several wars costly in both coin and manpower, the Payne boys grew up in modest accommodation, bereft of the same luxuries that many of the richer and more powerful houses of Westeros enjoy as commonplace. As such both boys grew up humble, with more respect for the value of money and with greater empathy for the smallfolk that suffer in the fields yet have so little. Willam did much during his time growing up to build strong relationships with his people, visiting most of the farms that were restored with token gifts to show the appreciation of the family for the people who feed it.

Willam was gifted as a swordsman growing up, becoming a favoured sparring partner of Loreon Lannister. The two would fight often on Willam’s visits to Casterly Rock, although Willam rarely if ever was able to best the talented young warrior. As the time passed, Loreon dedicated himself to mastery of the sword and began touring tournaments, while Willam’s skills went in a different direction. He became something of a scholar of military strategy, studying historical battles and trying to understand the tactics that lead to victory. He has grown into a man armed with the knowledge to become a competent battlefield commander, although he has never had the opportunity to put his knowledge and skills into effect.

Since coming into his Lordship, Willam and his brother Desmond have tried to maintain the steady developmental work that has seen success under the last two lords of Payne Hall. Willam and Desmond are close and work together to rule Payne Hall effectively. Willam finds Desmond to pessimistic, always expecting the worst of people and bringing the mood in the room down. However, there is no doubting that Desmond has the brain for diplomacy and logistics that Willam does not, and Willam is smart enough to realise where his weaknesses lie and make use of the knowledge of others to improve the rulership of his lands.

Attributes & TalentsWillam Payne is compassionate and it serves him well as a leader. His people love him and look up to him, and he can inspire loyalty in others with ease thanks to his pleasant personality and martial prowess. He has training as a swordsman and is a skilled warrior, but his true martial talents like in a deep understanding of strategy. His biggest shortcoming on that front is a lack of experience to back up his knowledge but given his chance Willam would be able to prove himself a competent battle commander. Willam is smart enough to recognize his own weaknesses and would be able to learn from his mistakes, making him an adaptive commander. Willam is not the ideal ruler himself, lacking a head for numbers or knowledge of the ins and outs of diplomacy that many of the best rulers have, but is able to counter this with his willingness to not be single minded and ignore the ideas of others just because he is the one with the title in his name.

Immediate Familyboth of Willam Payne's parents are deceased. Willam lives in Payne Hall with his brother Desmond Payne. He is married to Grayce Brax, with whom he has two children, a four year old daughter named Anysa and a two year old son named Curtass. Desmond's wife Rina Ruttiger lives in Payne Hall with them, and is currently pregnant expecting Desmond Payne's first child.

Personal RelationsTBA

Storyline PremiseTBA

IdentityDesmond Payne

Age23

RoleBrother of Willam Payne

CharacterizationDesmond is the youngest of the two sons born of Tommard Payne and Lylian Algood and has been helping his brother Willam as an advisor for the past three years since their father’s death. Growing up Desmond was always withdrawn and quiet, often overshadowed by the lively and friendly personality of his older brother. As such, Desmond spent most of his younger years simply watching the behaviours of others, observing and learning, trying to understand their interactions and thoughts. He spent a lot of time shadowing his father Tommard, learning about the sorts of decisions and organisation that was needed to run their lands and keep their people and family safe, despite the fact that Desmond was second in line to inherit.

As an adult, Desmond has grown into a stern man. He has a ruthless edge that his brother lacks and is certain in his own mind that he will do whatever it takes to protect his family, operating in the background to ensure everyone has enough food and money to be happy. While his brother plays with swords and smiles charmingly at the other nobles, Desmond works quietly in the background to ensure the smooth running of their holdings. It was Desmond who organised Willam’s marriage to a Brax, securing an alliance with one of the more powerful noble houses in the Westerlands. Not bad progress, considering that Podrick Payne could find no suitor beside the second daughter of a house of landed knights.

Desmond is ruthless, cunning and world wise. He is grounded and realistic, often tearing down his brother's bold and horribly naïve statements. Like his brother, Desmond was raised well to be respectful and polite, humble, and deeply caring for the small folk that the Payne family is responsible for. Desmond is hard to get a good conversation out of, often choosing to remain quiet and simply listen to what other people have to say. Many think him odd, or if not odd then simply dull, but instead the gears in Desmond's head are turning all the time, calculating and concluding.

Attributes & TalentsDesmond has training as a swordsman but does not possess the same natural ability as his brother. What he lacks in sword skill, Desmond makes up for with a knowledge of diplomacy and intrigue. While Willam spent time reading about historic battles and heroes, Desmond studied great politicians like Tywin Lannister. Desmond understands the logistics and decision making that goes on in running one's lordship, and many of the difficult decisions that need to be made for the successful running of the holdings of House Payne actually are made by Desmond rather than Willam. Unlike his brother, Desmond is sceptical of people, far less trusting and always considerate of someone's ulterior motives, traits that make him a strong leader and make up for Willam's own weaknesses in that regard.

Immediate FamilyBoth of Desmond Payne's parents are deceased. Desmond lives in Payne Hall with his older brother Willam, Willam's wife Grayce and their two children Curtass and Anysa. Desmond's wife Rina is currently pregnant and the pair are expecting their first child, which Desmond is hoping will be a son.

Personal RelationsTBA

Storyline PremiseTBA
Blitzy Member

Status

Bio

Most Recent Posts
