Dudley

## Wandering Bard

**Dudley** is at Riverrun, accompanying Roger Blackwood.

## Appearance

Despite spending half of his life living in the squalor of the Shadow City, one would be hard pressed to find any marks on his body that would say as much. His body, lean and well-built, is covered in fine cloth. His face, appearing to be cut from sandy-marble, has a well maintained mustache above the lip, and a short-cropped beard hanging from the chin. Under his signature feathered brimmed hat is his most striking feature - bright, emerald green eyes.

## History

Dudley was born the only child to a barmaid named Belandra and a rather unsuccessful bard named Ricasso. Growing up, Dudley was taken everywhere with his father, as his mother was usually working. His father, not so much.

He loved every minute of his father’s performances. They were short repsites from his mother’s nagging and the various chores she imposed upon him. He cheered at every turn, and when the performance ended, he’d go around with a bucket to collect the tips. He was quite good at squeezing a few more coins from the more soft-hearted individuals in crowd due to looking like a “little angel.”

As it became apparent that working at the tavern was the last thing he’d want to do, Dudley took it upon himself to try and learn his father’s craft. Every chance he could get to ask his father questions about playing the oud, to go over the lyrics to some of the songs, and even to let him play the oud himself, he’d take it in a heartbeat. Over the years he began to master both singing and the Oud, becoming even better than his father by his late teens. The two formed a duo, garnering quite a name for themselves in the Shadow City.

After some time, Dudley now 26, his father in his late 50s, the duo attracted the attention of a well regarded troupe. They had just lost their own lute player and were looking to add the father son duo into their routine. This was their chance to play to large audiences, to gather more money, maybe even play in front of a lord or two, so they had no choice but to agree.

Traveling with the troupe, Dudley and his family traveled to many cities he never dreamed he would see - Lannisport, Oldtown, Maidenpool, and King’s landing. They earned a decent amount of money, and gathered enough of a reputation that they even had the chance to play in the courts and feats of a few lords.

While the addition of Dudley to the troupe was a great boon to them during performances, and even though he was able to maintain friendships with most of them, it was before the group’s most important moment that rumours began to spread. Word got out about various trysts with the groups dancers, singers, and even the troupe’s leader, all of them believing they were “the only one.” Couple this with another drunken brawl (a past time of Dudley’s), where he nearly killed a man after knives were pulled out, the group had no choice but to drop him from the troupe.

Despite no longer being part of a troupe, Dudley was still able to stay and perform at the tourney.

## Timeline

* 336 AC: Dudley is born to Ricasso and Belandra.
* 346 AC: Dudley begins to study under his father.
* 352 AC: After becoming skilled enough, Dudley forms a duo with his father.
* 362 AC: The duo gather the attention of a well known troupe and are offered a position in among them.
* 368 AC: Ricasso dies in his sleep.
* 370 AC: After so best forgotten things come to light among the troupe, and Dudley nearly kills a man, he is kicked from the troupe.
* 370 AC: Dudley still manages to keep a performance spot in the tourney.