Post by Edwyn Blackfort on May 23, 2016 21:45:05 GMT
Name: Ser Edmure Blackfort
Age: 24
Name Day: 26th day of the 9th moon
Relation to Lord: Next oldest brother of Lord Belric.
Religion: depends on circumstances
Position at Harrenhal: Castellan
-Swords (+5 Against Leather): 80
-Plate: 80
-Shield: 30
-Command (Land): 85
-Siege: 45
-Governing: 70
Social
--Persuasion: 50
Intrigue
-Espionage (Managing a Spy Network): 70
-Horsemanship: 20
-Common Tongue: 20
Total: 550 / 550
Character History: Born in Lord Harroway's town to the lowly knightly House Blackfort of the Black Gate, Edmure was the second child of his parents with only his elder brother Belric his older sibling. While he had a number of younger siblings - three sisters and a youngest brother Nyles, it was Belric he was initially closest to. Living in his elder brother's shadow was, in his early years, not a problem for Edmure but as they grew to adulthood Edmure discovered that he was much more intelligent than his elder brother. Yet it was Belric who received the accolades due to his strength and the benefits due to his superior birth order. More than once Edmure could not help thinking that he would have been been far more suited to being the elder brother, guiding his family's fortunes and Belric providing the brute force. However growing up Belric seemed to regard him with significant affection and despite their differences, Edmure could not help but feel some fondness in return.
Edmure's father Ser Bruce took notice of Belric’s strength and aggression, taking every opportunity to teach his eldest son the sword. In contrast Edmure, who was slighter than his brother seemed to be neglected although he became competent in the use of weaponry, particularly the sword. Belric tried to help his younger brother but Edmure - his resentment rising - shrugged off Belric's offers of training and assistance. Instead Edmure developed his own interests - finding that, despite his aloof nature and a growing dispassionate view of the world, he had a natural ability to lead men. His men may not have loved him but he found they respected him or feared him due to his position or through his growing competence with the sword, or even what some saw as an above average ability to fossick out the truth. He also developed a fascination for machinery particularly the massive siege engines he occasionally saw in the employ of Lord Roote. As his elder brother began to spread his wings as a soldier renowned for his strength, it was Edmure who began deputising for his ageing father on small matters regarding the family knightly holdings. During this period he discovered the usefulness of having paid informers to tell him who was hiding produce, who was missing taxes and who was speaking disparagingly of either himself or his father.
When his elder brother Belric eventually earned his knighthood and a post guarding the black gate; a position held by his family for seven generations and began to serve Lord Harroway, Edmure became the squire of his uncle Richard who had returned to Lord Harroway's Town to marry with two young sons. As he squired for Richard, Edmure found that while not as strong as his brother, he grew in strength and stature and competence with the sword.
When the Blackfyre Rebellion ignited, Edmure, by now a knight, joined the rest of his House in following Daemon Blackfyre under the Harroway banners.
At the Battle of Redgrass, Ser Edmure was nineteen years old, While his brother was the nominal commander of their forces, it was Edmure that took on the onerous task of seeing their men were fed adequately, armed properly and drilled appropriately including set the guards at night. When it was reported to him that Ser Belric had left their encampment one night on foot with three followers to scout the enemy positions, Edmure thought nothing of it as this was a common occurrence.
When Belric returned suddenly informing them of what he had found, Edmure saw the opportunity, urging his brother to act quickly - to possibly deal a decisive blow upon the enemy. As Edmure charged with the rest of the Blackfort men against the forces of Bloodraven, the young knight was struck in the chest by an arrow from Bloodraven's archers. Despite the arrow luckily glancing off a rib and hence most likely saving his life, the young knight was rendered senseless, missing his brother's defining moment - the slaying of Bloodraven.
It took Edmure some months to recover from his wound and indeed it was only the skill of Daemon Blackfyre's maesters that saved his life. As he slowly rose from his sickbed it was to hear his brother acclaimed as "Ravensbane" and taken into the Daemon's closest circle. Despite Belric's affection towards him remaining the same, it seemed that Edmure was forgotten - his destiny to live in his elder brother's shadow.
Redgrass Field saw the ruination of Vale support for the war, the destruction of Targaryen's own forces in the field, the death of two legends, and the birth of three more. For the next four years hiding in the woods, Daemon Blackfyre accompanied by Edmure's brother evaded superior Dornish troops, overwhelming Stormlands forces surrounded on all sides by disease, treachery, and crippling doubt.
Edmure played his part as he slowly recovered, although the uncommon strength that his family had always seemed to have had and which he himself had been developing was never the same. While he recovered to be on a par with most other men, the strength he had inherited from his father's family seemed to be gone. The scar that ran from the point of his shoulder to his bottom rib, was a daily reminder of what he had lost. There were other problems too, that he seemed to have developed, but these were sporadic and only seemed to flare up when he was under stress. Nonetheless they did not seem to hinder his daily life too much and in fighting a war it didn't seem to matter all that much..
The following year in 197 aged 21, while his brother and Daemon Blackfyre led the Blackfyre resistance, Edmure found himself at the Siege of Riverrun the longest and bloodiest siege of the war. It is said more men died trying to take Riverrun from Medgar Tully than ever attempted to take King's Landing from Maekar Targaryen. With many of Daemon's allies hailing from the Riverlands, it was logical they should attempt to wrest control from the Targaryen loyalists in House Tully. The siege itself would last nearly three years before Bittersteel ordered all Blackfyre supporters to march south in preparation for the final siege of King's Landing. Over the nearly two years he was present at the siege, Edmure, somewhat now out of the shadow of his brother, developed a reputation as a man cool in a crisis and a man who had an eye for seeing a weakness in a castle's defences. More often than not it was Edmure placed in command of men and ordered to assault a holdfast or small keep and he was almost always successful. Occasionally it was his diplomacy that caused the lord to come over the Blackfyre cause or it was the infiltration of his paid informers that took the stronghold by subterfuge.
Having been instrumental in taking a few of the surrounding strongholds of Riverrun, with a combination of good leadership and innovative siege tactics, Edmure was placed in command of the siege weapons at Riverrun only a few short weeks before the order came from Bittersteel to abandon Riverrun and march on Kings Landing to try and take the city on their third attempt. With regret, Edmure did as ordered, feeling that had he had another six weeks Riverrun would have fallen to the Blackfyre forces.
Unlike his liege at Kings Landing, Bittersteel had no patience for pleasantries and immediately employed siege equipment, a unit of siege weapons being placed under the command of Edmure at the Lion Gate. The defenders were led by Prince Maekar himself, who gave back as much suffering as his opponent could deliver. When Maekar finally abandoned the city to its fate, sailing out under cover of smoke, Grand Maester Alford ordered the Goldcloaks to open the doors to their new masters. King Daemon I was crowned by the High Septon a week later.
When victory was finally won, the new King Daemon awarded Edmure's brother Belric a Lordship over Harrenhal and the hand of his half-sister. Despite not being the most intelligent of men Belric still seemed to realise his limitations knowing he was no politician. On being told of his younger brother's own contribution to the war - while not as glorious as that of Belric's - it was suggested strongly to the new Lord Belric that his next younger brother might make an admirable Castellan for his new holding of Harrenhal. Despite the obvious drawbacks in once again falling under his brother's massive shadow, Edmure was nonetheless no fool and accepted the offer when Belric approached him.
Physical Description:
Reputation: Edmure has growing reputation as a dangerous swordsman and good commander of men.
Boon:
Out of His Shadow-Edmure gets +5 to ALL rolls when his brother is not present
Curse:
Weak Swimmers (I swear, this never happens!)-Instead of the usual 35% of impregnating a woman during relations, Edmure only has a 10% chance. In addition, Edmure will flip the Coin of Doom during each carnal act. Tails will result in impotence and a loss of disposition level with his partner (as well as any woman she tells about the embarrassing incident).
Bloodline Trait: None
In game advances
+1 to Persuasion dealing with Myrcella Reyne.
+1 to Sword fighting Olaf the Bear
+1 to espionage.
