Triston Hightower

## Biography

Triston Hightower was born on a rainy day of year 359 AC to Lord Gerold of Oldtown and his thirty years younger spouse, Rohanne Tyrell, as their second child. To the aging patriarch, a son and heir had been a source of great joy and delight from his very birth -- he receded from all his public dealings just to spend more time with the babe, whom he named after the legendary builder of the Starry Sept Triston.

Being the heir to the Hightower, there was a little to fear in the life for the young boy. He had been pampered and cosseted in a soft craddle at the very top of the world, taught by his gentle and patient father the mysteries of ruling a keep and tradecraft. Before he was eight, he had already known more about merchantry and trade than most of the captains down in Oldtown’s port, thanks to his father’s lessons. (Tradecraft, Logistics)

It was around that time when old Lord Gerold went grievously ill and the Maesters limited him solely to his bed. Young Triston, thirsty for knowledge, had been the only thing that kept him from succumbing to his sickness. He would always bring books and scrolls to father’s bedchamber and read them with him, absorbing his knowledge about rulership and other things young heir ought to be learning. Gerold would always smile, ruffle his hair, and once their lessons for that day were done, they would watch the stars from the balcony. (Administrator)

Unfortunately the heir to the Hightower was never destined to live long enough to make use of his learnings. During a game with his sister Elys in the gardens of Oldtown, he got appallingly scratched and raked while hiding in a blooming rosebush. Despite bleeding from all of his wounds like a warrior after a fought battle, Triston admitted he felt no pain. Maester Robard, to whom scared Elys had brought her brother, quickly realized the disease was far more severe than anything they could had imagined; later on, the Citadel’s library has revealed that it was leprosy.

Nothing has been the same since then. Triston, growing more and more serious and aloof than it would fit a young noble, had started to prefer the company of young Renly Tyrell, a ward of Oldtown, with whom they discussed academic matters, over the visits to his father, who was left unknown about his son’s health state for the sake of his own. However, over the course of the time, that secret proved unkeepable. Signs of Triston’s illness were more and more obvious by each day passing and too soon the rumours reached Lord Gerold, whose state worsened all of sudden.

He died in the third moon of year 373 AC a broken man’s death and Triston has ascended to the Lordship of the Hightower; however with a little joy of it. His skin, slowly getting patched by black spots caused by the terrible sickness, was along with the healers foreseeing a short life for the young lad. Not wanting to show his weakness and frailness around, he adapted a mask and a full-body robe to cover him and hide his shame. His body, that is. During the same year, he got attacked in the streets of Oldtown by a zealot, calling him a monster and an abomination, and outlived that incident only by sheer luck. Since then, he’s opted not to leave the Hightower, but still managed to track down the assaulting peasant; while doing so, he found a strange liking in uncovering various schemes and webs of intriques. (Investigator)

The Knights of the Tower, a knightly order of eight members, have been founded following that try on his life, to guard the feeble Voice of Oldtown. At the moment, Lord Triston Hightower is a closed-off man, pragmatic and sensible. He controls his fief through the help of his beloved uncle, Baelor, and his devoted sister, Elys -- just like now, in the year of 380 AC, when he gave the impulse to prepare the Grand Tournament of Oldtown, to celebrate the coming of the spring. What are his plans for it, however, remains a mystery.

Since had broken out, Triston has had to balance his duties to his liege and to his family. His ties to the Redwynes forced his hand and Triston sent a force to the Arbor he help defend it from Ironborn. However, he still remains loyal to his liege in Highgarden.

## Timeline

* 359 AC: Triston is born.
* 370 AC: Maester Robard finds out about Triston’s illness.
* 373 AC, 3d Moon: Lord Gerold is dying, presumably broken by the news of his first son’s state. Triston is made the new Lord of the Hightower.
* 373 AC, 5th Moon: A zealot attempts to murder Triston in the streets of Oldtown.
* 374 AC: The Knights of the Tower, Triston’s personal guardsmen, are founded.
* 380 AC: Triston goads his court on preparing a Grand Tournament.

## Family

* {GEROLD HIGHTOWER} (310 – 373 AC), called the FOREIGNER.
* {PERRIANE TARLY} (311 - 342 AC), his first wife, infertile.
* ROHANNE TYRELL (337 AC), his second wife, who loved him deeply.
	+ ELYS HIGHTOWER (355 AC), Lord Gerold’s firstborn child. Triston’s foremost assistant and advisor.
	+ TRISTON HIGHTOWER (359 AC), Lord Gerold’s heir; current Lord of the Hightower.
	+ JASON HIGHTOWER (364 AC), their young brother with dreams full of adventures; current Heir to the Hightower.
* BAELOR HIGHTOWER (333 AC), Lord Mayor of Oldtown.

## Supporting Characters

Knights of the Tower, Triston’s personal guardsmen:

* Ser Andrey Staedmon -- Knight of the Tower -- Gift: Duelist
* Ser Guyard Costayne -- Knight of the Tower -- Gift: Beauty
* Mazhdan zo Sharazz -- Knight of the Tower, Elyrian -- Gift: Strong
* Ser Robar Tarly -- Knight of the Tower -- Gift: Leadership
* Ser Arron Cuy -- Knight of the Tower -- Gift: Martially Adept
* Ser Soren Cordwayner -- Knight of the Tower -- Gift: Zealot
* Ser Marq Mullendore -- Knight of the Tower -- Gift: Vitality
* Ser Buford Bulwer -- Knight of the Tower -- Gift: Berserker

Healers of Triston’s frail body:

* Maester Kirth -- Head of Triston’s healers -- Gift: Ambidextrous
* Maester Robard -- Maester of the Hightower -- Gift: Acumen
* Nella -- Maester Kirth’s assistant from Essos -- Gift: Ambidextrous
* Dina -- Maester Kirth’s assistant from Essos -- Gift: Beauty

City Watch of Oldtown

* Imry Vyrwel -- Commander of the City Watch -- Gift: Benevolence