Sparia Bulwer

### Relatives

Tommard Bulwer - father, born 319 ACSelyse Bulwer(nee Dunn) - mother, born 317 AC

Bertolt Bulwer - brother, born 342 AC

Brynden Bulwer - brother, born 346 AC

Bors Bulwer - brother, born 350 AC

### Alternate Characters

/u/I\_Ygritte\_Nothing

Sparia Bulwer is the fourth child and only daughter of Lord Tommard Bulwer. Since 367AC she has worked as a handmaiden to Lady Denyse Hightower.

## Biography

Even from a very young age, Sparia was a frail child. the Maester of Blackcrown diagnosed her with a frightful affliction of the chest that he predicted would leave her physically unfit and weak, and in constant pain with no conceivable cure for the rest of her life. To this day, any level of exertion beyond simple movement leaves Sparia suffering and at high risk of having an attack which may kill her.

For most of her life, beginning in her early teenage years, Sparia suffered from night terrors relating to severe childhood attacks and became an insomniac, fully dependent on sweetsleep to achieve adequate rest. In the daytime, she mixes milk of the poppy into her drinks discretely when she is able to ease her chest pains, quickly succumbing to it’s addictive effects and continuing to crave it ever since. This substance abuse has led to her building up a strong resistance to all forms of weaker depressants, such as alcohol, and first-hand experience of when drinks have been tampered with.

As a result of her illness she often was not allowed to risk her health by leaving the keep. Due to this reclusive lifestyle, and restriction from playing like a normal child, Sparia sank her time into her studies, becoming highly adept and learned with several subjects. Her favourites by far were lessons in numbers and complex arithmetic, which she excelled at. She also found that she had a great talent for writing in a myriad of adaptable handwriting styles and at incredible speeds, able to copy quickly from dictation.

Her aptitude for learning and the time spent at court under her mother’s wing turned into a polite and clever young lady, and she was accepted as a handmaiden for their liege’s daughter, Denyse Hightower. Her parents ultimately made this decision to force upon her some responsibility of her own and dissuade her from her antisocial and solitary lifestyle in the hopes that she would improve her prospects of marriage.. Sparia was anxious at first, afraid that she would be affected by an inability to sustain her habits without Denyse finding out. However, she quickly managed to make contacts with medicinal suppliers, and learned the art of keeping her “side purchases” of medicines and ingredients a secret, making her able to maintain a stash of her drugs whenever and wherever they are needed.

## Timeline

353 AC: Sparia Bulwer is born to Lord and Lady Bulwer.

354 AC: The infant Sparia is diagnosed with a serious and debilitating weakness of the chest.

359-362 AC: Sparia has a number of life-threatening attacks during her childhood, which go on to fuel unrelenting recurring nightmares.

363-364 AC: Sparia develops a routine of taking milk of the poppy for her chest pains and sweetsleep at night, becoming addicted and dependent on regular medication.

367 AC: Sparia is accepted as a handmaiden of Denyse Hightower.

370 AC: Sparia travels with Denyse to the tournament in King's Landing.

## Family

Tommard Bulwer - father, born 319 AC

Selyse Bulwer(nee Dunn) - mother, born 317 AC

Bertolt Bulwer - brother, born 342 AC

Brynden Bulwer - brother, born 346 AC

Bors Bulwer - brother, born 350 AC