Lyonel Merryweather

**Lyonel Merryweather**is the Lord of Longtable and the current head of House Merryweather.

## Appearance and Character

Lyonel Merryweather is tall and thin, with a frame more suited to peacetime than war. Though 40, a rigorously healthy lifestyle ensures that he looks a man almost ten years younger. Despite the colorful bounty of the Horn of Plenty, Lyonel is rarely seen wearing anything but stark blacks or dark blues, and his personal coat of arms reflects this, as the sigil of his house is placed instead on a field of midnight blue. In wartime, little changes- Lyonel wears light armors more suited to a general than a warrior, with a flowing cape of light blue that contrasts the coal-black tint of his plate.

Lyonel, though kind and outgoing, is rather... stoic about it. He rarely smiles or emotes, instead preferring to let his words convey his disposition. He is a friendly man, always offering kind words, even to his adversaries, and often makes a point of visiting his neighboring Reach lords or making tours through the realm when the opportunity is afforded to him. He is practiced at listening to the grievances of his friends, and is widely trusted as a man who can keep a secret. After all, he has a few of his own.

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## History

Lyonel was the second born child of Lord Braxton Merryweather and Lady Sara Merryweather, nee Rowan, and their only son. Braxton cared little for his children, instead focusing his attentions on writing every wrong done to him, both perceived and actual. As such, most of Lyonel's time was spent with his mother and siblings, who had a much more positive effect on his growth than his father.

One thing Lyonel inhereted from his father, though, was his intellect. Lyonel was a sharp boy, sharper than most of his siblings, and one of the few things Braxton did for his son was educate him. From an early age, Lyonel was drilled in academics- warcraft, politics, history, economics, no facet of Lordship was left untouched. Whereas his father was a clever, devious man, however, Lyonel took to more upfront methods. He'd a savant's talent for war and tactical theory, and absorbed military history, tactics, and technology like a sponge. Just as well, for his father had proven an apt commander in his own right, and taught his son everything he knew about irregular warfare. These lessons would prove invaluable later in Lyonel's life.

Lyonel's mother died when he was fairly young, in 103 AC. His father hardly reacted, but it had a profound effect on young Lyonel. The heir retreated deep into his studies, preferring the company of books to that of even his own family for almost a year before his grief had passed. When the boy returned to the public eye, nearly a man grown, he had changed. He had mastered his emotions, forcing a stone face that betrayed no weakness, a lesson from his father, and one of the few that young Lyonel took to heart.

Very soon after Lyonel was a man grown, Braxton had managed to secure a valuable marriage for his house, and the heir to Longtable was betrothed to Danelle Tyrell, the sister of Lord Dorian. It was by no means a love match- Braxton had desperately been seeking a marriage to the Lord Paramount's house for years, an attempt at protecting himself from the ire of his neighbors in the wake of the White Rose schism, and with this, he had made himself a powerful ally. Though Lyonel and Danelle didn't abhor each other, they saw each other more as acquaintances than spouses-to-be.

Braxton had many enemies, and perhaps his untimely and unexplained death in 109 AC was a result of making said enemies. Regardless, he was gone, and the 19 year old heir was now Lord, a bit sooner than he would have liked. Thankfully, he had a capable family, and his uncle, Harys Merryweather, assisted him in his transition to head of the House, ensuring that it went smoothly. Shortly after his ascencion, Lyonel and Danelle were properly married, further securing House Merryweather's ties to House Tyrell. Now in a much stronger position than his father had left him in initially, Lyonel's gaze turned outward. He made a tour of the Mander and the Bairn, attempting to mend fences with the Lords his father had drawn the ire of, at least outwardly to great success. Meanwhile, his capable uncle and cousins focused on the administration of Longtable, covering the gaps in Lyonel's yet-young understanding, assisting Lyonel in finding favorable matches for his sisters in the meantime.

Within a few years time, the Lord of Longtable was well-known and respected in the Reach as a far better and more agreeable man than his father, and the Gods saw fit to bless him with children- in 112 A.C., Danelle bore him twin sons, Leo and Lyn. Though rarely an emotional man, Lyonel made an exception to dote on his boys whenever he possibly could.

However, opportunities arose for Lyonel to grow his reputation and make further inroads throughout Westeros in 114 A.C.- the Cobbler Uprising in the West and Riverlands was causing the Lords Paramount of the regions no small amount of headache, and they appealed to the Reach for relief. Lyonel was among those who answered the call, marching a relief force from Longtable to the Golden Tooth, linking up with the Lannister forces and accompanying them until the end of the war at the Mummer's Ford. His knowledge of his father's irregular warfare strategies ended up being quite the boon to Lyonel, specifically because it allowed him to dismantle the similar, if a bit more sloppy, tactics of the rebels, crushing their ambuscades and raiding parties with precise intelligence and a deliberate campaign of misinformation and subterfuge.  It was during the Cobbler's uprising that Lyonel met and befriended Walderan Tarbeck, then but a humble squire, a friendship that Lyonel meticulously maintained long after the war's end.

While Lyonel was away, Danelle had borne him another child, a strong, hearty girl named Margaery. With war now behind him and his name known to the West and Riverlands for his exploits, Lyonel was content to return to his home and be a family man. His eyes turned to the affairs of Longtable, finishing the improvements to the keep and its surrounding holdings that his father and grandfather had begun. The rest of the decade passed uneventfully, with Lyonel's final child to date, young Morgon, being born at the turn of the year 120 A.C.

However, the years that followed were troubled indeed. In the earliest days of the year 121 A.C., the Poor Fellows began a resurgence, which deeply troubled Lyonel. Though he was a devout man, he knew that the Poor Fellows were zealots, willing to kill or die for their beliefs, and Lyonel has kept the sept of Longtable under tight surveillance in the following years. A year later, his uncle Harys died, striking a deep blow to Lyonel, as the man had almost been a second father to him. Harys' eldest son, Axell, would tragically follow his father in 125 A.C., murdered by Rhllorite zealots in Dorne, and leaving his wife, the lady Vaith, a widow. All the while, affairs in the realm grew more tense, with the Faith seperating further and further from the nobility with each passing year, and tensions across the Kingdom reaching a boiling point.

## Family

* Lord Braxton Merryweather (62-109 AC)
* Sarra Rowan (63-103 AC)
	+ Lyanna Merryweather (86 AC- present)
	+ Lord Lyonel Merryweather (90 AC- present)
	+ Danelle Tyrell (89- present AC)
		- Leo Merryweather (112 AC - Present)
		- Lyn Merryweather (112 AC- Present)
		- Margaery Merryweather (114 AC- Present)
		- Morgon Merryweather (120 AC- Present)
	+ Lynesse Merryweather (93 AC- present)
* Henly Merryweather (69- 116 AC)
* Harys Merryweather (71- 121 AC)
* Margaery Osgrey (75 AC- Present)
	+ Axell Merryweather (89-125 AC)
	+ Lady Mara Vaith (101 AC- present)
		- Deziel Vaith (120 AC- present)
		- Elyana Vaith (122 AC- present)

## Household NPCs

**Leo Merryweather**: One of Lyonel's twin firstborn, Leo is sanguine, charismatic, and strong-armed, always ready for conflict, be it verbal or physical. He's the spitting image of his father, but Lyonel has his doubts about his fitness as heir. He often butts heads with his twin brother.

**Lyn Merryweather**: Cool-headed, calm, and ever-collected, Lyn looks every bit his mother's son, and inhereted both his father's intellect and his mother's cutting wit. Lyonel would prefer that Lyn inherit Longtable, but knows that the issue will likely not be easily resolved in a way that both brothers are satisfied with.

**Margaery Merryweather:**Bellicose and brutish, Margaery Merryweather is no 'lady', not in the traditional sense, anyhow. More comfortable in plate than a dress, Margaery often can be found in Longtable's yard, practicing with her mace. Though not a pretty woman, she has a surprising number of suitors, most of whom she spurns in favor of female company.

'*Morgon Merryweather'***:**Near-silent even at the best of times, Morgon is an intellectual boy who possesses an uncanny talent for reading people, as well as a skill at arms that rivals Leo's. He takes the most after his grandfather of any of the Merryweathers, for better or worse.

**Danelle Tyrell:**The lady of Longtable, and a friend of Lyonel even prior to their marriage. Though not a marriage of love, Danelle and Lyonel have grown to love each other deeply over the years, and their union has been a boon for both their houses. Danelle is more than just a bedwarmer, however- she attempts to ease her husband's mind by informing herself of all the goings on of those around Longtable, and any potential enemies her husband might face.

## Meta

**Attribute: Gregarious**

Mastery: Field Commander

Skills: Leadership, Formation, Ambuscade