Robar Grafton

## Lord of Gulltown

Sailing(e)

Robar is the only son of Lord Gerold Grafton and Lady Leandra Belmore. He is the Lord of Gulltown. He is married to Alys Arryn, a daughter of Jasper Arryn, with whom he has two children: his son and heir Godwyn, and his sickly daughter Alayne.

He is the older brother of Marin Grafton and Minisa Grafton.

## Appearance

He has dark hair and eyes, a strong and athletic build, and a serious demeanor. He wears long sleeves, specifically on his left arm which often boasts a black or other dark colored glove, which lends to his moniker "Blackhand."

## Personality

Due to his conservative and traditional upbringing, Robar is pious, conservative, and determined. His family and his duty comes before all over things. While not unkind, he is not one to mince words.

## History

Robar was born in 364, the firstborn and only son of Lord Gerold Grafton and Leandra Belmore. An only son and also the oldest of his siblings, he is protective of his two younger sisters - Marin, with whom he has a tense relationship due to her thieving ways; and finally Minisa, who is a lady-in-waiting to Lady Serra Manderly, wife of Lord Torrhen Manderly, in White Harbor.

As a young boy, his business-minded father endeavored to teach him the ways of the sea, hoping his son would show more than a passing interest in tradecraft and commerce. As such, by four, he had already gotten his first taste in sailing, a hobby his father introduced him to. However, nothing else seemed to come from it, as his son's strengths had more to do in martial matters, specifically in dueling, a gift he noted early on when he won one-on-one brawls with his peers at Gulltown.

In 372, he was sent to The Eyrie to squire under Jasper Arryn, Lord of the Vale, which was considered a great honor for his family. He was trained in all manner of weaponry and various other knightly pursuits, but he excelled with swords specifically, a skill he's continued to hone and develop throughout his life. While there, he met Jasper's daughter Alys, a clever albeit sharp-tongued young girl who quickly caught his eye. They became acquaintances, speaking occasionally, though their exchanges were closely monitored by her father, and rightfully so - over the years, he became fond of her, and fondness deepened into respect, and eventually courtly love, though nothing more. Jasper Arryn was a strict teacher and his lessons ate up most of Robar's time, and Robar was eager to prove himself and earn his knightly title.

In 384, at the age of twenty, he was knighted by his teacher, and returned home to Gulltown, meeting his sisters Marin, four at the time; and Minisa, two, for the first time, shortly after their mother passed away. While in Gulltown, he and his father were reacquainted, and they spent their time bonding on the sea, a past-time that Robar found cathartic. With his father's guidance, it wasn't long before his hobby turned into a passion, and he furthered his knowledge in sailing until he could call himself an expert, and as a result of his frequent study, he learned the art of navigation, which seemed fitting for the man who would one day be known as the Lord of Gulltown.

In 385, he married Alys Arryn, and by the end of the year, they had a healthy son, Godwyn Grafton. In 389, he attended his good-father's 50th Nameday Tourney at the Gates of the Moon and participated in the joust. Wearing his wife's favor, he bested the famous Orys Waters in the final round, winning by the skin of his teeth against the younger but more naturally gifted knight. He crowned his wife Queen of Love and Beauty, and a year later their daughter Alayne was born, although sickly.

His father died quietly in his sleep days before The Third Targaryen Rebellion began, an omen of bad things to come. Robar inherited Gulltown and all his lordly titles, and went off to war when called to action by his liege, leaving his wife and two young children behind. It was at the end of the war when he was struck in the left arm by a flaming arrow, and the gambeson beneath his armor caught on fire - roasting his left arm and hand inside the metal armor. With the help of his men, he was able to pry the armor pieces off and receive treatment, but not before the damage was done. He retains use of his limb and appendages, but they were badly burned, and required skin grafts be taken from his back to speed up the recovery process. His left arm is always covered in long sleeves today, and he hides his left hand in black leather gloves to protect the heat sensitive flesh from the light.

Presently, Robar lives a mostly quiet life, governing his lands and Gulltown, and monitoring the seas as best as he is able from his seat.