Valarr

## Appearance

Tall, well-muscled. Black hair, back and sides shaved almost clean, with a streak of silver-gold (It’s for this trait he took the name of the old Targaryen Prince). His eyes are slate grey.

## Biography

There exists within all men the potential to do a great deal of evil, should he have the mind for it. So said Lord Aurane, Previous Holder of Bloodstone. He also said there are doors within the mind that shouldn’t ever be opened. These doors, Valarr liked to think, he’d thrown wide.

He and his sister had been born not far from Duskendale, in a sleepy little hamlet that’s main boast was that a passing Knight had once drank too much and left his helm. Their Father, either too drunk or too disinterested, picked no names for them. From a young age Valarr had an interest in the sea, mainly because it was an escape from his birthplace, where a gnat’s fart was considered gossip-worthy. He’d spend long nights talking with his sister about the life they’d lead on the deck of a ship, sailing from port to port. It was a dream, a fantasy.

Fantasy became reality around twelve years old, around which time their father, deciding he’d rather not spend the coin feeding the twins, took them to a small cove under cover of darkness and sold them to a merchant ship as slave labour. It came as no surprise, really. When the man hadn’t been drunk he’d been violent, and when he’d been drunk he’d been both drunk and violent. He’d never made a secret of his disdain for the children.

Aboard the ship Valarr learned his role and learned it fast, as it was the whip for any man (or boy) who lagged behind. Since it was a merchant ship, transporting mainly books and spices, Valarr found entertainment in what little free time he had in books. He read fairy tales, ancient histories, lists of lineages large and small, and more. It’s here he picked his own name - Valarr. His sister took the name Miana

Little more than a year in and the ship was boarded by pirates. Valarr took up a laughable little dagger to defend himself but was quickly disarmed. The boy didn’t cry out, however. He thrashed and struggled, but he wouldn’t cry out. That was, until his sister was threatened; at that point Valarr bit deep into the neck of the man who had him in his clutches, gouged out an eyeball.

Aurane, then but a Captain, saw the spectacle and bid his men to let the twins go. They’d add them to their crew, he said, and if they couldn’t handle it they’d die soon enough. Aurane asked if Valarr would apologise to the man he’d maimed. Valarr spat in the socket where his eye had been. ~The Captain appeared amused.

It was a tense first few weeks, but soon after the crew began to take Miana and Valarr under their wing. They had something common - the crew had found themselves lost in life, without purpose, just as the twins had. Slowly, too, did the twins begin to see the crew as their family. Aurane took a particular interest in Valarr, taking note of the quiet intensity in the boy. Even at fourteen, he had to him a cold, calculating disposition.

So they began to learn; learn to fight, to sail, to raid. Valarr showed particular using shields, both defensively and offensively. And as they captured more prizes, construction began on several new ships to add to Aurane’s fleet. It’s here he was ordered to oversee building. Not one to sit on his arse while others did the work, Valarr threw himself into learning to build, to engineer.

Two of these ships were done by the time the twins were twenty. They were selected to captain and have these vessels crewed, and report to Aurane one drizzly afternoon. Upon the water they were informed that they’d be taking Bloodstone by force, so Aurane could build a base of power. They readily agreed. It was hard fought, but they’d struck quickly enough. At first the defenders were eager to drive them back, but after some time they lost hope, let Aurane and his warband come, and quickly entered into his employ.

The next seven years went on more of the same. Except at some point Duncan lost his voice - though the details of this are known only to Valarr and Duncan himself. After the incident, Miana rarely wore anything but full plate armour in public, and carried with her a set of swords.

In 398AC, Valarr was summoned by Aurane to a private meeting. He’d come down with something, the Pirate Lord had said, and there wasn’t a maester nor a witch woman who could help him. Greyscale. He didn’t want to leave a vacuum, however, and as he knew a few under him would scramble to take control of his assets once he was gone, he wanted a clear succession. A duel. Fought to the death.

Valarr was to be the one to offer the challenge. And, hard as it was, offer he did, publicly, so there could be no denying the stakes. It lasted an afternoon - Aurane wouldn’t *let* him win, after all - but when it was done he was hailed as the new Lord of Bloodstone, the new Lord of the Waters.

## Timeline

Timeline;

371AC - Valarr and his twin are born

373AC - Valarr and his twin are sold off to a merchant vessel, said vessel is taken by pirates and the brothers are taken in. Begins to learn Shields and Engineering.

380’s - Making a good living picking off ships carrying both sundries for the war effort

391AC - Aid Aurane in capturing Bloodstone for his own

398AC - Challenges Aurane to a duel, wins, becomes new Lord of Bloodstone, Lord of the Waters

## NPCs

Miana - Ambidextrous - Valarr’s sister, a capable Captain and leader of Valarr’s warband

Tornstein - Acumen - Valarr’s Coinmaster

Alannys - Agent - Valarr’s Whisperer

The Painted Lady - A mysterious woman, turned advisor