Roy Baratheon

**Roy Baratheon** is the Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, as well as the head of House Baratheon. A young man, he is nonetheless a proficient warrior and commander determined to make his mark on the world, though his inexperience often gets the better of him.

## Appearance and Character

Like many Baratheons, Roy is blue of eye and black of hair. With a strong build, it seems he was destined to be a soldier even if he didn't recognize it in his earliest years. Standing at 6'3", he is taller than most if not a giant of a man. He often has a beard, though on occasion he shaves it so it doesn't get too long. His eyes speak both of mirth and innocence.

Roy always found it easy to make friends growing up, often finding himself surrounded by a group of near-sycophantic squires and pages. As he grew older, he kept making friends but began to refine his choice in them, choosing those who seemed to truly enjoy his company over those who wished to please him and pander to him to advance their own position. Nonetheless, his choice in friends can sometimes still prove to be rather faulty, and he is known for taking a shine to sometimes unworthy men and women.

After his squiring to Aemon Targaryen, Roy began to take more of an interest in fighting and commanding, going so far as to revel in every chance he could get to watch or participate in a good bout. Despite his skill in martial pursuits, Roy finds himself lost in the political arena, and often needs to rely on the advice of his older sister Cassandra.

## History

### Early Life

Roy was born to Raymont Baratheon and Jeyne Caron in 78 AC. From birth he was the heir to Storm's End, and the world knew it. It seemed as though the sun had always shone on Roy, and he was never short of caretakers, mentors, and friends with whom to talk to- among whom were members of House Blackwood, the lord of that house being a dear friend of his father Raymont.

Three years before in 75 AC, his sister Cassandra had been born. And follow his own birth, Serra, Devan, and Richard would be born to complete the family. Although Roy was never a bully to any of his siblings, there was nonetheless a feeling that he was somehow above them, due to his place in the birthing order and gender. To say Roy in his younger years was spoiled would be an understatement to say the least, and through his position and a tongue made of silver he began to cultivate, it became clear that if things weren't to change he might prove to be a terror of a lord.

As a child used to getting what he wanted, Roy was unprepared for the death of his mother in 88 AC. Jeyne was never the strongest woman; and after the birth of Richard, she had been notably weaker in her constitution. Maesters declared that if she were to be pregnant again it wasn't for certain she would survive. Yet it would not be another pregnancy to carry her off, but illness. In her weakened state, Jeyne would pass to what seemed to be a strain of dragonblight. Roy had done all he could think of to do to help her; he asked the Maesters to help her, demanded that they try harder, and finally cried to the Septon to pray for her. But nothing worked, and in the end Roy would find himself without his mother.

In the wake of Jeyne's death, Cassandra stepped up and began to fulfill her role in some ways, and Roy began to find that though he might be the next lord of Storm's End, that did not make him better than his siblings. Yet it would only be in 90 AC when Raymont, tired of his son's ego and lackluster nature for a future lord, sent him to be squired to Aemon Targaryen.

### Squireship

Roy, never one to do much more than show up to the yard prior to this, began to find that his silver tongue wouldn't work in the Red Keep. They were used to even bigger men than him, and even the heir to a great house was not a prince. He persisted doggedly in his ego until Aegon Targaryen, Aemon's son who was two years his elder, laid him low in the training yard. With a friendly sort of rivalry springing up between them, Roy began to try harder, though he was still far from ready after all the time he spent wasting with friends. Yet once he got his hands on a halberd, he truly began to improve, finding the weapon to be an extension of his arm.

Alongside Aegon, he found himself friends with Helaena Targaryen, Daeron Targaryen, and even the future king himself, Viserys I Targaryen. Though he didn't know it, these friendships would later cultivate in him a loyalty to House Targaryen that would prove the center of his struggles as Lord of Storm's End.

With Aemon's teachings, Roy grew to be a strong warrior and a decent commander. He longed for the day that he would be able to put what he learned to the test. And in 93 AC, it seemed he would have the chance. For Rhaegar I Targaryen had died, Viserys had ascended, and a wide scale rebellion broke loose.

### Rosegold Rebellion

Though the Rosegold Rebellion had its roots in Viserys rather than Lannister and Tyrell, who started the rebellion, Roy didn't care about that. Offended that his friend would be challenged in such a way, he declared in a letter to his father "should you not rise in his name, I will personally take my halberd and deal with these men myself". Though it certainly didn't sway Raymont, who was already planning on joining with the crown, it did show to him that his son had grown from the pliable boy of his youth into someone ready to see battle.

And so, at the outbreak of the war, Raymont asked Aemon to knight Roy so that he may be at his side in the coming battles. Roy couldn't think of a prouder moment in his life than that day. After, he would follow his father into battle, joining with the Stormlander army gathering at Storm's End.

In the early days of the war it was clear the Stormlands held the upper hand over the decentralized Reachmen, winning two battles before being halted by Tarly and several other houses, and forced to join with the royal army at Bitterbridge. Having seen battle, Roy was raring to avenge his father's defeat, unencumbered by thoughts of the dead as only a man eager to prove himself can be.

Yet the Slaughter of Bitterbridge would prove itself a horrid place. Dead piled high on both sides. On the second day of battle, Roy would become Lord of Storm's End. Raymont, having survived the slaughter of the first assault, would find himself bested by Lord Lucas Osgrey, only to be avenged when Roy furiously killed the old lion. Alongside his old friend, Lord Lucas Blackwood would be slain as well. And it was all for naught- no side would win at Bitterbridge. In the end, Viserys would negotiate with the rebels and find accord. House Baratheon, for their loyalty, gained nothing. Yet Roy was not troubled by that so much as the death of his father and "uncle". Delivering Lord Blackwood's body personally to Raventree Hall, he would begin to find that he was not the only one suffering, having spoken with Jenny Blackwood.

### Lord of Storm's End

With his new position, Roy was incredibly underprepared. It was only thanks to the guidance of Cassandra that he would manage to find stable footing, and his rule would be entirely unremarkable for a short time. That is, until 96 AC, with the death of Aemon Targaryen. The loss of his mentor hurt Roy deeply, and as Aemon was laid to rest, he announced that he would hold a tourney in Storm's End in the honor of such a storied knight.

While there were many prominent men and even some women who took part in the events, it was mostly notable to Roy for the fact that he finally realized what had been brewing under his nose for a long time; independence. Or more specifically, that there were many in the Stormlands who desired it. The Estermonts drew his ire by speaking ill of the deceased, and his rage was only stayed when Lord Clyve Caron managed to convince the Estermonts to calm their tongues.

Yet the tension in the air remained. The following year, oft called in the Stormlands the Year of Skulls and Daggers, Lord Toyne would fund a group of bandits led by one of his family members, oft called the Lord of the Storm's Heart. After some time it became clear that his men were specifically targetting Stormlanders who wished to remain with the throne. Lord Wylde, seeking to curry favor with Roy, announced that he would fight the bandits, to which he responded that he would gladly support these efforts. Unfortunately, Lord Wylde was not acting in good faith. Much like the men he claimed to be fighting, he would raid towns and villages, only this time belonging to those Stormlanders supporting independence.

Caught off guard by the changing circumstances, Roy dithered despite the advice of Cassandra, remaining in Storm's End with his men until a true battle occurred outside Mistwood, with men on both sides taking breaks from the fighting to loot the nearby town and pillage the countryside. Finally outraged enough to act, Roy gathered his men at Crow's Nest and began a guerrilla campaign against the men of Toyne. With the disorganized nature of the forces opposing him, as well as their better familiarity with the area, Roy struggled to get a conclusive victory, almost resolving to go to Toyne's keep itself and burn it to the ground before being talked out of it.

Lord Wylde, sensing a chance to escape the ire of Lord Baratheon, offered aid. Roy saw right through and shot that down. In response, Wylde desperately launched his fleet into the sea, alongside his levy. At that moment Roy knew not where they went, and didn't care. He had finally cornered the Lord of the Storm's Heart.

North of Mist Town, Roy caught the bandit and his men, slaying the majority as he and their leader were separated from all else. Though nobody saw it, it's well known that Roy slew the ruffian.

It was after this conflict that Roy learned of where Wylde had gone off to: his own home, Storm's End. Having hoped to take the castle as the majority of its garrison were in the south, the Wylde forces were rebuffed by Cassandra, who cleverly employed many of the peasants who took refuge in the castle as archers and saw off the attacker.

Beaten, Lord Wylde returned to Rain House. When Roy's forces reached him, it became clear that there was no hope for any victory, only prolonging the inevitable. In rags, he came to the Baratheon camp alone and submitted. This act of humility calmed Roy's violent rage, and in exchange for a hostage he agreed to refrain from the slaughter of House Wylde as a whole.

After his victories, Roy would remain content in Storm's End, believing that he saw off the factionalist threat for the time being. As yet unwilling to be married, he nonetheless found a lover in his old friend Jenny Blackwood. Things looked bright for House Baratheon, and Roy himself.

Yet with Balerion's death, Roy has found cause to worry once more...