Thaddeus Hightower

**Thaddeus Hightower** is the third son and fourth child of Lord Manfred Hightower and Lady Rohanne Hightower. Born in 358 AC, Thaddeus' life has been tumultuous since his mother's death at the age of two-and-ten, causing him to grow into a cynical, tempestous individual who spends his time drinking and whoring.

With the Dragon's Defiance over, Thaddeus knows loss just as much of the realm does, and looks to the future just as he always has: with jaded eyed.

## Appearance and Personality

Thaddeus stands at 5'9". Though he retains some muscle from his time as a squire, he is nowhere near as strong or large as he used to be, sporting a rather average build instead. His eyes are a dull hazel and a head of dirty blonde hair rests on his head, kept short but not always neat.

Thaddeus is, at heart, a complicated individual, something he will readily admit. The rose-tinted glasses worn through his youth have long since been abandoned, leaving him with a heavy cynicism of nobility, religion, knighthood, authority, and even himself. Jaded from the ceaseless, domineering influence of his father and the constant expectation for him to be the most respectable of nobles, Thaddeus has given up entirely on trying to live to his father's visions for him, spending his days drinking and philandering to his heart's content. He still knows not what to do with himself or his future, and instead attempts to cover this hole with a dry and sarcastic humor and a passive aggressive, tempestous attitude that hardly lets up. When around the few people he tolerates and even enjoys the company of, though, he is much more agreeable.

Though not appearing it on the surface, Thaddeus is, in truth, quite an intelligent individual, and it shows in the coin he draws in from the various businesses he operates in and around Oldtown. His knowledge of politics and intrigue is quite expansive as well, but he generally spends too much time drinking to care about such things and has given up on making a difference in the greater political games the realm plays or even the politics of his own house. He loathes royalty, with them being the epitome of authority in the Seven Kingdoms, and believes that authority should lie more in the hands of the regional lords rather than the crown.

Committment is Thaddeus' greatest fear, whether it be committment to a person, an ideal a goal, or himself. He dreads the thought of marriage and having to set aside his womanizing ways, and his pervasive cynicism keeps him from forming much loyalty to any cause, especially that of nobleman. He believes strongly that the smallfolk should be afforded more rights and liberties and despises the constant mistreatment they endure.

## History

### Early Childhood and Starpike

Thaddeus was born in the Fifth Moon of 358 AC as the third son and forth child to Lord Manfred Hightower and Lady Rohanne Hightower nee Bulwer. His early childhood was mostly in line with that of a noble lad: happy and fairly insignificant. His father was generally kept occupied by his duties and was fairly absent, while his mother was the one that gave more focus to him. He formed a rather close bond with his older brother, Alekyne, who he would often run around with getting into adventures and more often, trouble.

Even in his early youth, Thaddeus was quiet and studious, gaining an interest in matters of coin early. He took well to his maester's lessons and in his spare time, began playing the harp, albeit one more fitted for a child to learn. His childhood at Oldtown would quickly be turned upside down though when he was sent to be warded at Starpike under Lord Addam Peake at the age of eight. Though initially saddened at being seperated from his siblings, he soon found himself at home within Starpike's halls, forming strong friendships with all the Hightower childrens, especially Rhea Peake, only a year younger than him.

His years at Starpike were spent happily. While his relationships with his family and siblings back home were decent, Thaddeus regarded the Peakes much as a second family, looking up to Lord Peake as a father and to his heir, Ryam, like an older brother. As for Rhea, Thad would find himself developing a crush for the Peake, making him more than happy to sneak out of Starpike with her, often with Rowan or Rylene in tow, for an adventure in the countryside.

Unfortunately, though, all good things must come to an end, and Thaddeus' time at Starpike ended when a raven brought news of his mother's death. He returned home to attend her funeral, accompanied by Lord Peake, Ryam, and Rhea, the latter of whom comforted him throughout the service. When the Peakes departed for Starpike, Thaddeus did not return with them, instead being kept at Oldtown by his father, though he would later return to Starpike on a few different occaisons: once in 372 to attend the wedding of Ryam Peake to Lynesse Tyrell and another time in 374 to attend Lynesse's funeral after she passed in childbirth.

### Adolescence and Bitterness

The Hightower that Thaddeus left four years before was not the same Hightower he returned home to, and he knew it. Whereas before his father was absent more than anything else, he was now austere and domineering, cold but *certainly* not distant. The expectations set out for him were higher than he'd ever known before, and due to the moodiness that had sprung up in him from his mother's death, he was quickly handed off as a squire to his uncle, the firm Ser Leyton Hightower, in an attempt to straighten him out. His fun-loving days at Starpike were over.

Over the next few years, it became clearer and clearer that Lord Hightower would not let up anytime soon, but no matter how hard he tried to drill the importance of their faith, name, history, and blood, it fell onto deaf ears. Seeing the way his father preached of nobility and piety while also being morally corrupt himself only disullisioned Thaddeus further and allowed the seeds of cynicism that were there to take root.

Unlike the quiet, but happy child of his youth, Thaddeus was now withdrawn and bitter. Despite Leyton's best efforts, Thad had already taken up drinking as a hobby by the age of five-and-ten. Though his uncle did what he could to train him, show him the value in virtue and honor, and push him hard, Thaddeus' view on knighthood was already warped by his cynicism, leading to his squiring moving *very* slowly and painfully for both knight and squire. His relationships with his siblings also started to shift, most especially with Lynesse, who took after their conniving father and became just as unyieldingly narcissistic. When not forced to be around the two, Thaddeus did whatever he could to avoid them. To his other siblings, Thaddeus became mostly indifferent with the exception of Alekyne, who he had always been the closest with. Being constantly put up to the high expectations of his father had truly distanced him from his own family.

In 374 AC, when Thaddeus was at the age of six-and-ten, his father spent a moon at Horn Hill, hesitantly leaving Thaddeus in control of the daily affairs of the Hightower in an attempt to mature him seeing as all else was failing. While everything mostly went off without a hitch, this just happened to be the time that Lord Bertram Cuy approached, asking for permission to marry what was essentially a hedge knight adopted into his house to his only heir, a sickly girl. Knowing that his father would have absolutely rejected such a notion and fed up with his father's ways, he assured Lord Cuy that Lord Hightower would approve, allowing it to go ahead. When Manfred returned, he was livid, but unwilling to go back on what his son said in the name of his house and admit that he was disobedient, he begrudgingly sat back and let the wedding happen.

That didn't mean there weren't any consequences though. If Manfred was austere before, he now carried the wrath of all seven hells and it was directed most at Thaddeus. As a last ditch effort to make him committ to something, he was betrothed to Merlot Redwyne, who was roughly the same age of him, though they had only met each other in passing before. Whether or not she would have made a fine wife to a nobleman did not matter to him, only that it was a match he was being forced into by his father. It was for that reason that he resented it.

With what time he had, Thaddeus looked back towards matters of coin, taking out a loan from the Bank of Oldtown and opening a tavern with it near the port. *The Black Flame* quickly became a favorite among sailors, travelers, and the dockworkers, so much so that he nearly ran out of drinks several times before learning his lesson and buying bigger quantities. Within two years, he had earned enough gold to open a second tavern, and so he did in the more well-off parts of town, where the richer merchants and traders lived. Just like his first tavern, *The Nightingale Inn* was well-ran and popular, securing some amount of financial independence from his father.

### Betrothals Broken

In 377 AC, when he was nine-and-ten, Thaddeus attended the Games at Goldengrove along with much of his family, where he reuntied with the Peakes. It was at Goldengrove that Thaddeus realized the crush he had for Rhea in his childhood was more than just a passing interest, made even more complicated by his betrothal to Merlot Redwyne, of which he couldn't delay forever, especially since talks of finalizing it were now coming about. After confiding in his brother, Alekyne, about his conundrum, Thaddeus took matters into his own hands and asked Rhea for a dance, a dance which he still cherishes.

Shortly after returning home to Oldtown, Thaddeus flatly refused to marry Merlot, additionally refusing to squire for Leyton anymore, claiming to haveh ad enough of it all. This set off a chain of events that led to his father casting him out of the Hightower and onto the streets. He spent a few nights in *The Nightingale Inn* until he managed to find a modest manse that he promptly moved into. Though angry that it was his father to kick him out and not him that made the first move and left, Thaddeus was, in truth, glad to finally be rid of his father and his constant presence. This happiness quickly turned back into bitterness though when he heard word of Rhea's betrothal to Gareth Bulwer, the Heir to Blackcrown.

Now embracing the alcoholic and philandering behaviors that he'd been keeping subdued for so long, Thaddeus let himself go, only devoting his time to looking over his businesses, drinking, and whoring. Within a few moons, he discovered that a Lyseni whore by the name of Larra he had been with nearly every night was with child. Feeling responsible for now siring a bastard and wishing to keep such a thing secret from his father, lest the child suffer from him, he brought her into his manse and allowed her to stay there.

Meanwhile, he discretely left a note for his brother, Alekyne, who had studied at the Citadel for a time, where he knew only he would find it and invited him to his manse. There, Thaddeus told him about the pregnancy and for the only time in his life, begged him for help, asking if there was a Maester he knew at the Citadel who could help deliver the child and could be trusted not to tell their father. Thankfully, when the time for the delivery came, Alekyne had indeed found a maester, and the child, a boy, was born healthy. Still determined to keep his existence a secret from his father, Thaddeus allowed Larra and their son, now named Steffon, to live in his manse for good. With only the maester that helped deliver him and Alekyne being the two who knew, and the manse's guards and servants only suspecting at best that the child was Thaddeus' son, the secret was kept safe for the time being.

### Return to the Fold

After a little over a year spent living at his manse, Manfred visited Thaddeus at his manor himself, only narrowly missing Larra and Steffon, demanding that Thaddeus return to the Hightower now that his "lesson had been learned", though both knew that it was because he resented not having control over him anymore. Promising Larra that he would visit back a couple nights each moon when he could, Thaddeus begrudgingly returned to the Hightower, even more bitter than when he left.

When Prince Daeron rose up against the King and Vaegon called for the banners of the Reach, Thaddeus was incredibly vocal that they should stay clear of it, even going so far as to ask what the Targaryens and Tyrells ever did for the Hightowers that was so great that Hightower men should bleed for it. Despite his protests, Hightower's banners rose for the King, and when they returned home there was a new King on the throne. That, however, meant nothing compared to the broken shell of a man in his brother, Edmund, and even more devestatingly, the death of Lord Addam Peake and Ryam.

To pay his respects in the same way the Peakes did for him when his mother passed, Thaddeus went to Starpike at once to attend Addam and Ryam's funeral. It was a somber event, marked even more by the fact that Thaddeus considered Lord Addam more of a father than his own. It was here that Thaddeus also learned that Gareth Bulwer had perished in the war, giving him a slight, though guilty, glimmer of hope that a future with Rhea was possible.

Refusing to get drunk in the eyes of other at Starpike in such a dark time, Thaddeus had more than a few drinks in his own private quarters, both to assuage the grief of Addam and Ryam's death and also to pluck up the courage to speak to Rhea, but before he could leave his own quarters, Rylene Peake happened upon him first. Though the two ended up in bed together, Thaddeus passed out before anything could happen and when he awoke in the morning, she was beside him. Unable to remember the previous night, he mistakenly believed that he had bedded Rylene, much to his own shock, made even worse when Rylene implied that she would tell Rhea if he made a wrong move.

Now with the mistake of bedding Rylene(or so he thought) and the given circumstances that led to his reunion with the Peakes, Thaddeus returned home without a word to Rhea about his feelings, deciding it best to give everything time. Since returning home, he has focused his attention back towards economical matters, opening a brothel and keeping his mind sharpened, when he wasn't drinking at least.

Now with the appointment of Aegon as the crown prince, Thaddeus travels to King's Landing with the rest of his family, fully intending on drinking all he can from the royal family's stores and seeing Rhea once more.

## Timeline

* 358 AC - Thaddeus is born to Lord Manfred Hightower and Lady Rohanne Hightower nee Bulwer

* 366 AC - Thaddeus is sent to Starpike to be warded, forming strong friendships with the Peakes

* 370 AC - With the death of his mother, Thaddeus returns to Oldtown and is squired to his uncle, Ser Leyton Hightower

* 374 AC - Thaddeus approves the marrying of Ser Simon Cuy to Alyssa Cuy, much to his father's ire. He is betrothed to Merlot Redwyne

* 375 AC - Thaddeus receives a loan from the Bank of Oldtown and opens his first business, a tavern, to great success. Another tavern and eventually a brothel is opened later on.

* 377 AC - Thaddeus attends the Games at Goldengrove with much of his family, sharing a dance with Rhea Peake. He breaks his betrothal to Merlot Redwyne and is cast out of the Hightower by his father.

* 378 AC - A bastard son, Steffon, is born to a Lyseni whore named Larra. His existence is kept secret from his father. He is later brought back into the Hightower, therefore ending his estrangement.

* 379 AC - With the Dragon's Defiance drawing to an end, Thaddeus attends the funeral of Lord Addam Peake and Ser Ryam Peake.

* 380 AC - Thaddeus travels to King's Landing with his family to attend the appointment of Prince Aegon as Crown Prince

## Family

Leyton Hightower b. d.

Rhea Florent b. d.

* Baelor Hightower b. d.
* m. Rhonda Rowan b. d.
	+ Randyll Hightower b. 303 ac
	+ M. Leana Whent b. 305 AC, d. 329 ac
		- Erryk Hightower b. 329 AC d. 353
		- m. Margarery Mullendore b. 330 AC
			* BLANK died young
	+ m. Laena Connington, b. 315
		- Manfred Hightower b. 334 AC
		- m. Rohanne Hightower nee Bulwer, b 335,d. 370
			* Lynesse Hightower b. 354
			* Edmund Hightower b. 355
			* Alekyne Hightower b. 357
			* **Thaddeus Hightower b. 358**
			* Rolland Hightower b. 360
			* Margarery Hightower b. 361
		- Arianne Hightower b. 336
		- m. Jon Tarly
		- Rhea Hightower b. 337
		- M. Lord Rowan
		- Leyton Hightower b. 338
		- m. Rowan Oakheart
	+ m. Lady Alerie Blackbar
		- Glendon Hightower b. 340
		- m. Lady Alysanne Costayne
			* Quentyn Hightower b. 360
			* Leona Hightower
			* Meredyth Hightower
		- Arthur Hightower b. 341
		- Perceon Hightower b. 343