Lyonel Sand

Lyonel Sand was born out of wedlock to Jasper Blackmont and Anyssa and Plankytown in 76 A.C. minutes after the birth of his identical twin, Lewyn. In 77 A.C. he was recognized along with his brother as the bastard son of Jasper by his father. He was then taken to live in Blackmont.

## Appearance and Character

Lyonel looks nearly every bit of that of his Rhoynar ancestors, all but his eyes which is the same stormy blue of his father. His hair is long and silky black while his skin is a deep olive. Much in contrast to his armor-clad father, Lyonel prefers lighters, more free-flowing garb. He oft wears cloth exploration clothes when traveling. When at home he prefers free flowing and colorful, Rhoynar inspired clothing.

Lyonel can often be described as introverted and enigmatic, even by those few who are close to him. He doesn’t take any offense from this assessment, in truth, he enjoys being seen as the “other”. He often sees the world through the eyes of his personal philosophy, one that had been developed over the years and awakening. It is a philosophy born of years of self crisis, the hopelessness of travel, and the self realizations found among his journeys. He sees people in a remarkably sympathetic light and is sympathetic to the struggles of others.

## History

### Early Life (76-86)

Lyonel would be born in a shanty in Plankytown. There he would spend the first year of his life, side by side with his mother and twin brother. He remembered little of this time, only vaguely remembering a feeling of loneliness as his mother worked hard to raise her bastard twins. He would grow up under the joint care of his father, the incredibly stern Jasper Blackmont and mother, the proud and beautiful Anyssa. Under Jasper’s iron fist care the twins would be raised as strictly as their legitimate counterparts, as well as having similar expectations placed upon them. Even while his brother embraced this environment, ever seeking the rare tenderness and approval their father would show, Lyonel couldn’t. His longing for his lost mother and for some sort of meaning has instilled a rebellious wanderlust. This would be the beginning of a divide between the twins as Lyonel would increasingly move away from his father, clinging instead to his mother.

While far from her beloved Greenblood, Anyssa would never give up the culture and faith she held so dearly, nor would she let her sons grow up ignorant of their roots. Every night she would sing Rhoynar songs and pray to Rhoynar God’s for her sons. While Lewyn would be far more in touch with his father’s Andal roots, Lyonel would become entralthed with everything Rhoynar. Though he would never be able to grasp the language, he would take interest in the customs and faith of the Rhoynar, though at this point in his life he would retain his Seven faith.

As he got older the conflicts with his father became more exasperated. Jasper’s no-nonsense attitude butted heads with Lyonel’s emotional turmoil. Where Lewyn had learned to excel under their father’s guidance, Lyonel stubbornly resisted and would retreat, often to the library or training yard. His true refuge, however, would again be in his mother. Stories of the Rhoynar filled his head as dreams of one day visiting of Greenblood began creeping their way into his young men.

After the 4th Dornish war life would take a turn. His father, scarred by war would take up the bottle, his already hard self would become even more so, sometimes when drunk he would even verbally abuse his sons and wife.

Lyonel would feel isolated, not even having himself to take comfort in. The struggles with coming to terms of his father’s wishes were compounded by both his name and face. From birth, the twins were completely indistinguishable, even to their father. This would make building his own individuality a difficult battle. Being constantly mistaken for his twin was one thing, being asked “which of you is this” every time he tried to show an accomplishment weighed down on him. Most of all, every t ime he past Lewyn he saw himself, but a version so different from himself.

Eventually the disagreements between Lyonel’s mother and father peaked. In a night of epic arguing, Jasper would snap, hitting Anyssa hard in a drunken fury. While he would calm before attacking her more, the damage had already been done. The next morning she would attempt to leave, dragging both Lyonel and Leywin with her. Jasper stood waiting at the keep exit, sternly refusing to let them leave. Lyonel and Leywin would be sent back into the keep by servants, Lyonel would have to be physically dragged off, crying for his mother all the way back to his room. It would only be later that day that he would learn that Anyssa had left. She feared that the continued fights between her and Jasper would reach her children, though Lyonel would only learn this later.

### Crisis on the Homefront (86-94)

The flight of their mother would devastate the twins, Lyonel especially so. In his broken state, he would rage against all that which he saw took his mother away, while doing all he could to feel close to her again. He would take to wearing radically different clothes to differentiate himself. While bastards they had access to the wealth of minor nobility. As Jasper was a hard and simple man he dressed simply, Lewyn, in an effort to please their father, would follow in this regard. In an odd expression of self identity, Lyonel would take to the bright colors and thin clothing of his Rhoynar roots. This would become one of the earliest shows of extreme pride in his Rhoynar origins. A display that earned the ire of Jasper, seeing the colorful and revealing as unnecessary.

This wouldn't be enough, however. No matter what he wore or did it didn't make up for what he had lost. No mother was there to sooth him or tell him stories of the Rhoyne, and a father who he could hardly baearto look at. It was this that almost led him to his death, for at the tender age of 13 Lyonel would depart to wander the arid hills around Blackmont in search for his mother. He would only be discovered three days later, lying unconscious in a forgotten hill a few miles from the keep.

He would spend the next few days after his recovering alone in his room, refusing visitors except when his father demanded to come in. While his anger and abadeted since his ne-r death experience he would still remain aloof towards even his brother and friends. He did, at least, oose his flair for rebellion. Fiery displays of independence were replaced by long hours in the castle library as Lyonel poured over histories and maps.

As the years passed and the loss of his mother became ever more distant Lyonel would continue to even out, per say. He would continue to struggle with self identity, often falling further and further into his Rhoynar roots for comfort. What little remained of his Faith in the Seven was fading, and while he would not adopt of Rhoynar faith yet, it was becoming an ever more interesting alternative. While Jasper was the one to drive Anyssa away, the regret he felt often manifested itself. While to the outside he never felt guilt for his actions, to his sons he often confided worry to his sons. This would help to begin healing the divide between father and son as well as planting the idea of another expedition to find his mother.

### Down the River (95-97)

On the last days of the year 95 A.C. Lyonel department Blackmont. Unlike last time, he would be much better equipped and prepared for his journey, a journey that would take over a year. As Lyonel reached the edge of the mountains he had called him home virtually his entire life and gazed upon the vast deserts of Dorne he felt a weight come off his shoulders. He could now experience life on his own terms and somewhere out there  waited Anyessa.

As he first laid eyes on The Greenblood he thought how strange it was. He couldn't even remember the river that had been home for a year of his life. Even so, it already felt as if he were nearing home. The next few days would be spent scouring every inch of the great trade city with little luck. He would take up work around the markets, helping around stalls and the river docks. Over his work he would meet people from around not just Dorne, but the world. Ships of dazzling colors and designs floated in and out, unloading their cargo of exotic goods, and even more exotic people. His waking thoughts were soon being filled just as much by dreams of Essos as it was of his mother. This limbo may have carried on for many more moons if not for a timely intervention. Lyonel was offered a job with an Orphan crew to farry goods up the river.

Wanting to take part in Rhoynar tradition, hoping to encounter his mother while travelling, and in desperate need of money, he accepted. Even without speaking the Rhoynar tongue nor worshiping their gods, Lyonel integrated with the crew quickly. His days on the Greenblood would prove some of the happiest in his life up to that point. He learned more on the Rhoynar than he ever could have from books. In this environment and sailing up and down, trading their wares, Lyonel felt an aspect of peace and belonging. They shared everything, songs, trade secrets, and, as Dorne was so famous for, beds.

For all the beauty of what was looking to be his new life, there was still this feeling of missing something clawing at the back of Lyonel’s mind. He missed so much, himself, his brother, mother, Blackmont, and even his father. It was as if he was wearing a mask, a mask that he couldn’t wear anymore. He found his answer one day on a stop at the far end of the Greenblood. There was a kindly Water Priest Lyonel became fast friends with. The Priest explained that he should look towards the mother of all the Rhoynar people, Mother Rhoynar herself.

It had been over half a year since Lyonel departed his home, half a year of searching to little success. Now, standing in the port of Volantis, he would, even if he didnt know it yet, reach the last legs of his journey. He wasn’t alone in this campaign, Garin, the son of trader captain and close friend of Lyonel, joined this quest.

The journey to the ruined Rhoynar homeland was simple enough as the roads in the area were still guarded by mercenaries, but as they neared, things started to deteriorate. Bandit attacks became more common, a few lucky arrow shorts almost ended the journey before they even arrived. Yet they did make it, and soon were standing in front of the ruins of a once great city. They quickly fled the city, finding it infested by corsairs who had no relation to the Rhoynar who once lived there.

Abandoning the idea of making the rest of the trip on foot, the two crafted a raft not too dissimilar from the Orphan’s designs to sail up the Rhoynar, with the goal of reaching the end. Days and nights went by. Some nights they sat on their raft and watched the stars, others fought off corsairs hiding in ruined towns, and others still, met the occasional friendly trader, exchanging stories and goods. They would never make it to the end. One moment the Rhoyne was gently pushing their raft along, the next, a rapids appeared and pushed the two into a long forgotten tributary. While their raft was rocked along the rapids, it strangely never got close to capsizing, nor did the two ever come close to being swept off. As the tributary finally calmed they were gently washed onto the shore. Waiting for them was a ragged, old man with bronze skin and fading black hair.

The man introduced himself as a water priest, the water priest who created the rapids which swept the up the tributary. He explained that he once lived on the shores of the Greenblood. He too once was lost and wanted to find his ancient homeland, and learn from the ruins. He brought Lyonel and Garin to an old walled village which had been restored by traders and Orphan explorers. Lyonel would spend much of the next few days speaking to the priest, even being fully converted away from The Seven. But the kindly priest was not the only one of interest in the small trade town.  An oddity that stuck out was a smith with silver hair and bronze skin. Lyonel would feel a strange aversion towards the mysterious smith. Lyonel carefully approached the smith on the pretext of needing his swords sharpened. The smith agreed for a fair price. Lyonel began with small talk, but, it quickly descended into a verbal joust, arguing over loosely philosophical points. It was only after storming off and talking with the water priest that Lyonel learned more of the history of the smith and returned.

Lyonel returned the next morning and apologized, saying that he had jumped too quickly and explained what the priest had told him, as well as his own story. They were both bastards, looking for some cause or purpose. As the smith, who later said his name was Doran, explained that he was the bastard of a union between a Dornish woman leaving in The Shadow City and a Lynessi sailor whom he never met. Much like Lyonel, Doran too had felt lost in his early life and looked towards his roots for answers. The quest had led him to the remaining Valyrian cities, such as Velos. It was there that he learned the most ancient of Valyrians arts, magical smithing.  An old master smith saw potential in Doran taking him as an apprentice. The master explained that he had not taken a proper apprentice until this moment, despite the availability of candidates due to the innate characteristics that was necessary to properly forge with magic. After learning this ancient art and spending a few years in Velos in the service of the smith. He would depart for the Rhonye, hoping to learn of his Rhoyne roots just as he did for his Valyrian, eventually ending up at the town he currently worked in.

They found much in common becoming close friends over the days to come, Doran would even teach Lyonel the art of smithing Valyrian steel. An extremely wealthy merchant from Volantis had come with a request to reforge a Valyrian Steel greatsword into two smaller swords. Lyonel would take one of the blades. It was an incredibly taxing process, both mentally and physically. Even with Doran’s help the process was a confusing mess. Yet, when the dust settled and the blade hardened, it came out well.

### The Journey Ends (97 - present)

After several moons in Essos, Lyonel and Garin would make their way back home, reaching the shores of Westeros again without much issue. While Garin offered to take him back to The Greeblood, Lyonel refused. His journey was at an end.

With ending came acceptance. Anyssa is gone, and, no matter how much it hurt, he would probably never see her again. For all his denial of his Blackmont origins, he had to accept that even if his name is Sand, he is just as much a Blackmont has his father and brother, just as he is a Rhoynar. Yet, despite these hard truths, it felt nice to embrace it. No more did he have to run or hide from what he was. He left a confused and hurting boy and returned self-confident, with a new craft to express himself with.

So after years of travel he returned. The gates to the keep opened widely for him, revealing a waiting father and brother.

## Family

https://www.familyecho.com/?p=START&c=isn8dpnvix&f=328873472297160134