Cornelian Hill

## Biography

### Childhood and Early Youth

Cornelian Hill is born as the first (and only) child to 27 year old unmarried Gwynesse Hill. A woman of wit, beauty and good character, she had made her career from servant girl to shop girl, to handmaiden of a noblewoman and finally a handmaiden of a Lannister lady at Casterly Rock. When she becomes pregnant, she is dismissed and returns to her mother’s home in a village nearby. During the hardships of the Great Schism local smallfolks’ frustration turns against the curly blond woman with her curly blond son. And finally she and her mother leave the Westerlands, taking 4 year old Conny along with them, to search for better conditions in the Riverlands. They work hard in ever-changing kinds of employments, moving from village to village and from town to town. And soon young Conny has to add to the small family’s income by tending gooses, sheep and pigs. He learns how to read and write but forgets much of it soon after again. He assists in spinning, broom making, and whatever other tasks that are suitable for his age. Finally, he accompanies his mother to a new work position in the Reach and spends his years between the age of 12 and 15 years there.

### Youth

Though he has never been told about the origins of his small family and he has become a very modest boy, he would never stop turning his head to shyly gaze at soldiers, mercenaries, guardsmen and especially knights riding by. Even more so than other boys of his age. One day, while he works as a stable boy at a large inn along the Roseroad, a knight of a distinguished House offers him to become his squire for he considers the boy martially-adept. But his mother forbids Conny to accept the offer, and soon afterwards they return to the Riverlands to look after his grandmother. The next three years Cornelian spends trying to get a proper apprenticeship. Some masters accept him, but he earns too little to additionally support his family. Masters of higher paid crafts reject him for being too poor sometimes and for being a bastard most often. He is again offered to become a squire or train to become a soldier but has to turn down the offers because his family needs him in the countryside. He works as a day-labourer mainly, one year as farmhand, assists the local blacksmith, and gets the chance to learn to ride at which he proves to be quite good. He keeps searching for a proper apprenticeship, even though it proves unsuccessful all the time.

### Years of Warfare

His life changes dramatically when the Third Targaryen Rebellion dawns on the Realm. His mother tries to forbid him to join the war efforts, but amidst weeks of confusion and smallfolks trying to find refuge in the cities, Cornelian is accidentally separated from her. He makes the tough decision not to continue searching for her, but joins the Liberation Front instead. And 18 years now, for the first time in his life, he gets the chance to engage in martial actions of guerrilla warfare, to receive military training, and to finally prove himself. And he turns out to be outstanding in most things he does. He participates in reconnaissance, ambushes, and is keen to learn as much as he can. Facing first losses of comrades, he becomes a corporal soon, starts leading small groups of men and is chosen as adjutant to a higher officer. He gets involved in fights on the outer fringes of the Battle of Smoke and Sorrow.

All in all, his war experience lends him keen understanding of logistics and navigation.

### After-War Years

After the war Cornelian returns to his village and meets his mother again. His grandmother has died meanwhile. And while they rebuild the village, the young man fails to stay in contact with his comrades and leaders from the Liberation Front. Thus, when the village is rebuilt, he suddenly realizes that his ordinary life is about to return, with the hopelessly bleak prospects he had faced before the war. His mother chooses to move into a town. She finds work there and after two years of starting and quitting several fruitless apprenticeships, Cornelian gets a position in the city watch. He serves there for half a year successfully but then gets a new commander who starts bullying and harassing him. Therefore, after his service has ended after the year, he leaves the city watch again. And soon he and his mother are forced to move to another town. By now the young adult is so frustrated, he has given up his old dream of finding a future in the military. He returns to day-labourer chores and hardships and it is hard for his mother to lift his mood for months. He becomes a servant and leaves soon again. He becomes an apprentice to a cloth cutter and quits. He starts an apprenticeship as a tailor but earns too little. He continuously tries to receive a more professional education and works meanwhile in unskilled labour. Until he is finally granted an apprenticeship as a black dyer and learns this craft for two years. But then his master dies before Cornelian can finish his training. He returns to unskilled labour, with the years going by. Until a new master of black dying would take him on – in case he can pay a fixed sum for it. And in order to hopefully manage to collect such a sum, his mother sends 26 year old Cornelian Hill to the Westerlands to ask for money and hand over a letter to some Lannister Lord.

## Timeline

372 AC Born near Casterly Rock, Westerlands

376 – 384 AC Grows up in the Riverlands

384 – 387 AC Lives and works in the Reach, then returns to the Riverlands

390 AC Fights for the Liberation Front in the Riverlands mainly

390 – 398 AC Unsuccessfully tries to receive a professional education as a craftsman

398 AC Leaves the Riverlands in the hope of collecting money to continue his education in this mother's home country.

## Family

Gywnesse Hill - Mother (Administrator, born 345/ 53 years of age)