Cedric Piper

Cedric Piper is the current Lord of Pinkmaiden, and the third-born son of the infamous Lord Justin Piper, who was slain at the hand of Aerion Blackfyre during Durran's Defiance.

## History

Cedric was the third-born son of Lord Justin Piper and his wife Carolei, born six years after the Lord of Pinkmaiden’s heir, Cletus, their daughter Sarra, and his second son Franklyn, two years Cedric’s elder.

Cedric grew close to his siblings as he aged, idolising each of them in their own way. Franklyn shared Cedric’s mousy brown hair and fascination with castles. The pair would spend hours drawing the castles and towers that they would build when they were Lord, and had masons and carpenters in their command. When he found out, their father simply laughed, and moved to encourage them further, buying them great stretches of parchment to doodle their fortifications on, before asking Maester Petyr to critique them. He learned much during this time, considering both what made such constructions strong and defensible, and the resources and equipment needed to break them, should it prove necessary.

He admired Sarra before he believed her to be everything that their House motto promised. *Brave and Beautiful.* With pale hair of flaxen blonde, and deep blue eyes, he grew protective of her, fearing she may be stolen away by some bandit in the night. He needn’t have been, for she was bolder and more courageous than he ever was. By trying to emulate her, his confidence grew with time, something that he knew would be valuable if he was ever to lead men into battle.

It was Cletus that he admired the most. A fearsome warrior, champion with the sword and bow and lance. Even before his time as a squire, he had proven himself capable, and a worthy inheritor of the family’s Valyrian steel blade Maiden’s Kiss. Cedric followed Cletus everywhere, and sought to become just as capable with his sword as his older brother had.

In 270AC, when Cedric was just seven years old, the conflict later titled Durran’s Defiance started, and his father and brother found themselves involved in the conflict, the former as commander of the northern forces of House Bittersteel, the latter as a squire to Lord Vypren, one of House Piper’s bannermen. His father was killed at the hand of Aemond Blackfyre, and Cletus, just fourteen at the time, suffered horrific burns from the flames that erupted from the moat at Fairmarket.

Franklyn was amongst the small retinue that set off north to return the fallen Lord of Pinkmaiden and his injured son, insistent despite the Castellan of the Castle, Ser Manfred Keath, that he would go. The party was set upon by men fleeing from the slaughter, and the story from the smallfolk states that many wore the sigil of the dancing maiden, and had sought out the young scion in revenge for the pain suffered at his father’s hand.

The loss of both their father and brother affected all of the remaining siblings, and Cletus found himself thrust into Lordship, under the watchful eye of Ser Manfred. But Cedric’s older brother suffered, haunted by the sights seen upon the battlefield, pained by the burns that lingered upon his body. Ever the soldier, even young as he was, he continued on for nearly a decade, before finally succumbing to his injuries in 279AC. With his passing, Cedric became Lord of Pinkmaiden, and took Maiden’s Gift as his personal weapon.

Cedric finds himself challenged by the memories of those come before him. He aspires to emulate the honour and glory shown to the world through Rodrik Piper, his great grandfather, whose martial prowess was made plain during the melee at the Tournament of Oldtown a decade after the turn of the century. More potent though are the memories of his father, Lord Justin Piper, and the events of the Battle at Fairmarket. Although he was but seven at the time, Cedric remembers the news of his father’s death, and his older brother’s disfigurement clearly, strengthening his resolve to prove himself as a more capable leader than either of them, and one that considers his options more carefully so that brash choices do not befall the House with disaster once more.

Despite this determination, Cedric finds himself under-confident in his abilities, knowing that he is unproven compared to many of the Lords of the Riverlands.

## Timeline

* 263AC - Cedric is born, the fourth child and third son of Lord Justin Piper and his wife Carolei (née Brax)
* 270AC - Lord Justin is killed during the Battle at Fairmarket in Durran’s Defiance, and his oldest brother Cletus horrifically burned. When Franklyn goes to retrieve his father’s body and escort Cletus home with a retinue of men, they are set upon and killed by deserters.
* 270AC - 279AC - Cletus serves as Lord of Pinkmaiden, and Cedric continues to train and learn under the guidance of Maester Petyr.
* 279AC - Cedric becomes Lord of Pinkmaiden after his brother’s death, and gains possession of Maiden’s Gift. He has served as Lord ever since.

## Family Members and Supporting Characters

* Carolei Piper (née Brax) - Mother - Gift: Altruist
* Sarra Piper - Sister - Gift: Altruist
* Ser Owen Piper - Cousin - Gift: Strong
* Ser Manfred Keath - Castellan - Gift: Authoritative
* Sers Edmund and Edwyn - Knights sworn to House Piper - Gifts: Martially Adept