Richard Stark

## Heir to Winterfell and the North

**Ser Richard Stark** is the son of Rickon Stark, grandson of Cregan Stark, and the current Heir of the North. He is currently 21 years old, and resides in The Vale, on Clayton Arryn's court. He is a member of House Stark

## Appearance

Richard Stark called "The Dreaded Wolf" is a growing man at the age of twenty-one.

Standing at 6 feet and 5 inches tall and weighing at 210 lbs, he's got broad shoulders and muscular arms. The Heir is sturdy and well-built, a true northerner. He has long, smoky black hair reaching the back of his neck, and dark grey eyes he inherited from House Stark.

He poses a striking figure, Inheriting his mother's beauty and his father's powerful Northmen physique.

## History

Richard Stark was born Rickon's Stark first son in the year 351 AC to Rickon Stark. The rightful ruler of the North, and his wife, Jeyne Royce. He is the Grandson to Cregan Stark "The Wild Wolf" who won The Pack Wars and became the Lord of Winterfell.

Lord Rickon had Five children with Lady Jeyne Royce before she perished from childbirth from the fifth child, they managed to have three sons and two daughters, Richard being the oldest male making him the Heir to Rickon Stark, His father never remarried after the loss of his wife cutting himself off from women. He was never the same since.

Richard came out into the world as an attractive child, with his smoky black hair and his dark grey eyes he got from House Stark. Growing up, Richard soon found out that his father would not rule the North after his grandfather, his father Rickon had renounced his birthright for peace. instead allowing a bastard kid born from Cregan raping a Bolton girl, Richard disliked this from an early age, thinking himself robbed of his birthright.

Richard wanted nothing more than to be a great warrior and knight since he was a little kid, like Arthur Dayne the Sword of the Morning, or his Uncle Lord Royce who was renowned all around the Seven kingdoms as one of the best knight alive. wanting to be a knight was no longer unusual in the North, as Robb Stark was a follower of the Seven and so were his five children, Lord's Cregan second son and Richard's uncle Brandon Stark was a great Knight and even better warrior. although Richard respects the Seven he is a follower of the Old Gods as he prefers the old ways.

Because of this, Richard began to train at a really young age showing great promise, Brandon Stark brother of Rickon Stark took notice of Richard's talent and decided to take his nephew as his Page at the age of Five. in order to form him into the warrior Richard wanted. Richard performed simple errands for his Uncle, who in turn began to train his nephew in martial skills, such as jousting and swordsmanship. his typical training involved sparring with blunted weapons and tilting at rings. but to Brandon's shock Richard was a natural for fighting, he had the talent and proceeded to tell his brother Rickon Stark.

This followed his father to decide his son and heir to be fostered with his uncle, Lord Royce. Richard was afraid to leave home at first, but he knew he would get to meet his other half of the family and the great knight he had always admired.

Over the next few Years, Richard was trained by his uncle when he was not busy with Lordly duties. when he was not available he was trained by the Randyll Stone. His reputation as a fantastic Master-at-Arms was well-known all around the Vale.

When Richard was Nine training under both his Uncle and the Randyll Stone a small conflict broke out in the year 359 AC, the clansmen had risen against House Arryn. a man called Alvar had proclaimed himself king of the Vale and had taken and sacked many villages taking one of them as a base of operations. he managed to hold it for a month until Richard's Uncle, Lord Royce and Lord Arryn liberated the villages from the clansmen.

Richard resumed his Training under Randyll Stone when he had the time. day and night he trained till his hands were bloody. after the Randyll Stone was done with his sessions with Richard and had to attend to his duties Richard would continue on day and night training by himself.

Over the Years, Lord Royce trained Richard like no one had before, Richard learn how to properly care for and use weapons, armor, and horses as well as learning about chivalry. from the very best there was. Richard later realized that he was as martially adept as Lord Royce himself. he was also growing strong and gaining muscle from all his years of training, this only boosted his confidence even more.

That same year in 363 AC when Richard was twelfth Lord Royce was tasked to take out a group of bandits named The Unseen that was terrorizing Gulltown.

Richard sprayed blood for the first time, killing no less than seven men at the young age of twelfth and word soon spread throughout All of the Vale of Arryn or Lord Royce and Richard's deeds.

After this event what Richard had accomplished at such a young age earned him many renowned the small fork and Valemen began to call him "The Dreaded Wolf" by mostly everyone at the Vale at some point, Richard had gotten attached to his nickname. He felt a sense of strength and proudness for not only being recognized for his skill in battle.

Upon returning to the Runestone Lord Royce gifted Richard a Greatsword for his Valor, he had named it Dread after his new nickname. Even with Richard's impressive physique he was still unable to effortlessly wield the Greatsword, In the end he was still a kid of twelve. He was very strong for his age but at twelfth not even he could wield a greatsword, to prepare for this, Richard began to use a Bastard sword purposely made heavier in order for him to be able to wield a heavier sword.

Lord Royce continued his training with his Uncle polishing his skills, Richard was talented, and Lord Royce had brought out his immeasurable potential. all Richard needed was experience.

The next year in 364 AC a melee for young men was held in the castle of Stone Hedge in the Riverlands, almost everyone on the Riverlands and some of the Vale and Crownlands attended. Lord Royce and Richard being some of them. when the melee began Richard decided to stay back and let the other men do the fighting until there were only Ten left, he quickly took out two squires who has been fighting for quite some time, unlike all the others Richard was at full strength and managed to eliminate the other contestants fairly easily. in the end after a full hour of fighting Richard Stark was named the winner of the Stone Hedge besting twenty-one other worthy competitors.

Richard with his boosted confidence decided to enter the Joust as well, only to be unhorsed by the eventual winner in the Semi-final, The Sword of the Morning.

Richard kept training over the years as Lords Royce Squire, he entered a handful of Melees and Tourneys with Richard winning and losing some, by now he was outstanding with either Mauls and Great Swords with Great Swords being his preferred choice of weapon, as well as lances for all the training for jousts he had trained for.

A year after the Tourney of Stone Hedge in 365 AC a war broke out in the North. Lord Paramount Goodbrother of the Iron Isles had decided to invade the North, by the time Lord Royce was send a raven Cape Kraken had already fallen.

Richard being a foolish boy that he was, decided to leave Runestone in order to gain renowned in the war. It was a long journey, Winter was upon them, and the cold and snow slowed their troops tremendously, at one point Richard thought he would freeze to death and regret ever leaving Runestone, but in the end, he managed to get to Winterfell, and join up with the Forces of the pretender Eddard Snow, the Bastard who had taken his birthright.

The battle was a bloody one, Eddard smashed his levies again and again into the Ironborn shield walls, resulting in the near annihilation of the force under his command. Richard was quick to learn from his bastards cousins mistakes on how to not lead troops.

At the Battle of Fevers Richard would prove himself yet again in battle, Richard was part of the force that smashing through a thinly held Ironborn flank and contributing heavily to the overwhelming Northern victory. Richard found Lord Goodbrother and challenge him to a single combat himself, He dueled for nearly an hour before defeating the Lord. The duel was considered a sight to behold. both Severely injured from the duel, Richard and Lord Goodbrother were taken to the rear to see to their wounds. Richard was in no shape to fight any more after the duel.

In the aftermath of the battle, when Lord Goodbrother was discovered to have been taken captive by Richard, Eddard immediately ordered him to the block, wishing to personally execute the reaver. He was only dissuaded by the insistent advice of his regents and instead of his neck, the Goodbrother’s wrist met the cold sting of Ice. Eddard had taken the Ironborn’s sword hand so that he would never be able to rise it against the North again.

Soon after the war, Richard Returned to Runestone along the rest of his family, he did not feel welcome in Winterfell with his grandfather dead and the Bastard ruling the North, as his father should be the rightful Lord.

after returning to Runestone with his family continued to train under his uncle lord Royce, joining many Tourneys along the years polishing his skills. over the years Richard grew very apart from his father, as he thought him a coward for allowing a bastard more than half his age take his rightful seat, he began to look at his uncle Brandon as the father he wished he had.

Being robbed of his birthright made Richard bitter over the years, having huge issues with what he thinks belongs to him, Richard was cocky but never good with words, only being good for battle and in war times where he shined, but not very good at anything else and feeling empty with anything else.

When Richard was Sixteen back at the Vale as Lord Royce ward at 367 AC he joined yet another Tourney hosted by His uncle Royce, this time at Runestone. Richard then proceeds to Win the Joust unhorsing the famous Sword of the Morning himself in the final joust, getting revenge for his lost against him in the Tourney of Stone Hedge. Right after the victory The Sword of the Morning, Edric Dayne Knighted Richard.

Soon after the tourney at Runestone, Richard's father Rickon passed away making him the Heir to the North.

## Recent Events

Richard attends the Tourney of Lannisport