Payton

## Biography

The Avatar of the Father was born simply "Payton," a boy with no House to speak of, in the year 246 AA. His Father, the High Septon at the time, wanted nothing to do with the boy, as the fathering of bastards was a stain on the record of even the most impious of High Septons. To his credit, he kept the boy and his mother fed, clothed, and otherwise cared for for a time, until the High Septon's death in 250. At the age of four Payton and his mother were thrown out into the streets of Oldtown, and left to fend for themselves. Payton's mother, a pious and Godly woman, refused to turn to stealing or whoring for coin, and so they were reduced to begging on the streets of Oldtown, relying upon the kindness of strangers to survive. From an early age Payton learned of the base nature of man, as well as the rampant corruption amongst both the nobility and the church. He learnt of the suffering of the smallfolk as he suffered alongside them.

Despite this, Payton always knew that he was different. At the age of seven, rather than begging in the street with his mother Payton took to sneaking into the Starry Sept, listening to the various theologians and speakers there. Soon after he took to the streets, but this time it was not to beg, but to preach. At the young age of 7 years old Payton began his journey of enlightenment, making impassioned speeches on the nature of the Seven to all who would listen.

Payton preached in the streets for a few years, earning enough coin from donations to be able to support his mother, who had grown deathly ill. Finally, soon after his mother passed into the light of the Seven, Payton was approached by the Archmaester of Religion from the Citadel, who had heard the boy preaching in the street. Archmaester Gedry offered to take the boy in at the Citadel, assuming that Payton could pass the testing required to become a Novice. Payton jumped at the chance to learn of the Gods and the world, and soon became a Novice at the Citadel.

At first, he was simply a glorified servant for Archmaester Gedry, helping the old Archmaester dress and cleaning out his chamber pots and the like. However, as the years went on the Archmaester began relying upon the boy more and more. At the age of 14 Payton forged his first link, the Electrum link of Religion. By 17 he had forged three more, the Lead link of Philosophy, the Cobalt link of Politics and Statecraft, and the Platinum link of Cultures and Languages. By this time, he had almost forgotten his hectic childhood, content to put aside his past and to forge a new life for himself as a Maester.

All of that changed when he met Margaery. She had been a young girl at the time that they first met, seeing him preach in the streets to the poor and disenfranchised. They met again by chance, when Payton had been sent out of the Citadel to buy some extra wine for the aging Archmaester. The moment the two locked eyes, they knew that they were destined by the Mother to be together. Margaery spoke to Payton, reminding him of his past life, of the impoverished smallfolk in Oldtown and all across the world who needed his help. She reawakened the fire inside of the young Payton, prompting him to surrender his ties to the Citadel and to that life.

In 264 Payton returned to the streets of Oldtown a changed man. With Margaery at his side, he felt that he could conquer the world. The two were married under the Light of the Seven, and soon after had their first child, Hugor. Still, he felt that something was wrong. He was preaching to the poor folk of Oldtown, but it felt empty. They already knew the Faith of the Seven. They knew of the Father and the Mother, the Warrior and the Smith, the Maiden and the Crone and the Stranger. They would already be saved when they passed into the light of the Seven. Where he was truly needed was where they knew not the Light of the Seven, knew not of their glory. Determined, he set off by ship with his new wife and baby to the Free Cities.

His first stop was Pentos, where he stayed preaching for a few months before moving on alone to Andalos, leaving his wife and child in Pentos. This is where he would truly begin his journey of enlightenment. He wandered the hills of Andalos for six days and six nights, drinking only water from springs and eating only wild berries he found. By the seventh day, delusional from hunger and sleep deprivation, he had a vision of The Father coming down upon the hill to speak to him. The Father told him that Payton was his messenger in this world, and to go out and spread the Good Word of the Seven to the heathens of Essos. Then, when the time was right, he was to return to the Starry Sept and take his rightful place among the beloved of the Seven.

From that day forth, Payton abandoned his old name, going only by Holy Father. He returned to his wife and child in Pentos, and set about wandering western Essos, preaching the Good Word to the heathens of the East. For years he wandered Essos, a preacher and a prophet who brought the Light of the Seven to the lowborn men, women, and children of Essos. He found the most success in the Free Cities, where he gathered quite a large following. These brave souls abandoned their homes and their old lives to follow their Prophet, who they believed would lead them to salvation. These would become the first of his disciples. He led them through Sarnor, where they were turned away at every city, forced to scavenge for food and sleep under the stars. Many died along the way, those too old or too young or simply those not strong enough to make such a long journey. They were set upon by bandits and heathen zealots along the way many times, and were forced to take up arms to defend what little they had.

The zenith of their trials was reached in Ghiscar, where they gained followers from many runaway slaves. However, this would turn out to be a curse, not a blessing. A small force of slavers found the disciples' camp. The Father walked out in front of his camp to meet them, unarmed and with his arms spread in a nonthreatening gesture. They spoke to The Father in broken Valyrian, demanding that he turn over the slaves that had joined his disciples. His reply was simply this: "It matters not what they were in a past life. In this life, they serve the Seven." The leader of the Slavers laughed at this foolish man's brazenness, dismounting and walking up to the Father mockingly. He spit in the Father's face, saying, "And if I gut you now like the pig that you are, what will your *Seven* do?" The Father simply smiled, wiping the spit off his face. "Today is not the day that I die. You, however, will not see morning." The slaver, dumbfounded by the the man's brazen faith, simply slashed at The Father's head, determined to end this heathen prophet. The Father stepped *into* the attack, raising his right arm to his face and stepping in so that the man only had a half a swing before he connected with the prophet's lower arm. The blade got halfway through and then stuck in the bone, giving The Father the time he needed to grab the dagger from the Slaver's belt with his left hand and stick it into his eye. The Disciples, who had been readying for a fight while The Father stalled for time, saw this as their signal to attack, charging down from the hill upon which they had been camped. The slavers were caught by surprise at their leader's death and the sudden attack, having expected the slaves to be taken without a fight. This caused a battle which would have been horrifically uneven on the side of the disciples to become a bloodbath, wherein both disciples and slavers lost many. At the end of the day, however, the disciples were victorious, sending the remaining slavers fleeing back towards the cities from whence they had come. The Father survived the battle, having collapsed from blood loss and shock shortly after killing the leader of the Slavers, but his son was forced to amputate his right hand, which had been nearly sliced through by the slaver's blade. After this encounter, The Father knew that they were not safe in Ghiscar. Him and his disciples set out back for the Free Cities, choosing to go around through the Great Grass Sea rather than face the Demon Road. Their journey back was uneventful, almost eerily peaceful compared to the journey to Ghiscar.

Upon arriving in Pentos, The Father heard talk of the Ironborn invasion of Oldtown. All at once, he knew that it was time for him to return to his homeland, to complete the mission that the Father had given him all those years ago. Him and his disciples, now primarily a mix of people from Andalos, the Free Cities, and Ghiscar, set off for Oldtown. A particularly pious wealthy merchant was persuaded to lend his ships to their cause. They arrived to find a city in chaos. The High Septon had fled, taking the Warrior's Sons and any semblance of order in the Faith with him. The Father immediately took to rallying the local smallfolk to the restoration effort, organizing his disciples and giving the people of Oldtown order where there was none. This drew the attention of Septon Kennet, who had heard tales from across the Narrow Sea of this prophet calling himself The Father. Septon Kennet spoke to him, and decided that it could not be a coincidence that a man calling himself The Father would arrive at such a tumultuous time to bring order, and officially declared the man once known as Payton to be the Avatar of the Father.

The Father took this to be only another verification of his Holy Mission from The Father Above, and immediately set to using his newfound powers to organize the people of Oldtown. He brought Justice where there was none, Order where there was only Chaos. Along with the other High Incarnates, he slowly brought Oldtown and the Faith back to its feet. Then came Septon Zachary. The Father, knowing that he spoke for the corrupt order of the Faith and the High Septon, ignored the man. After all, what did a High Septon in his Ivory Tower know of the people? However, when he heard of the death of the Septon at the hands of several Poor Fellows, The Father was enraged. A servant of the Seven, murdered on the holy grounds of the Starry Sept! No matter how misled the man may have been, this was an atrocity that must be answered for. He delivered the sentencing of the perpetrators without pity and without mercy, watching The Warrior's blade fall down upon the necks of each of the men in turn.

The Father knew that this event would cause chaos among the Faith, and so he took measures to ensure the future of the Faith. He sent out many of his most trusted disciples, out to the various cities, towns, and keeps of Westeros. They lay in wait, being the eyes and ears of the Father. He also took to the court of law, denouncing and sentencing any man who took violent action against a man or woman of the Faith, whether they be Divisionist, Dominionist, or Unionist. He refused to allow the Faithful to fall upon each other in such a way.

Over the next several years The Father continued down this path, administering Justice and Order with a steady hand. Finally, word came to him of the Council at Harrenhal, called by the High Septon. The Father refused to allow such a man to speak alone, to spoil the minds and hearts of the Nobility of Westeros with talk of heartless and heretical Divisionists. So, he set out with his Honor Guard, followed by a small group of his closest disciples, to Harrenhal. There he would speak on behalf of the High Incarnates, on behalf of the Divisionists, on behalf of The Father Above.

## Timeline

* 246: Payton is born.
* 250: His father, the High Septon, dies.
* 253: Payton begins to preach in the streets.
* 256: Payton is approached by the Archmaester of Religion, and joins the Citadel as a Novice.
* 260: Payton forges his first link, that of Religion.
* 260-263: Payton forges three more links in his Maester's chain.
* 263: Payton meets Margaery and decides to leave the Citadel.
* 264: Payton's first son Hugor is born. Soon after he leaves Oldtown for Pentos.
* 265: Payton goes on a pilgrimage to Andalos, where he receives a vision from the Father on the seventh day of his pilgrimage. From that day forth he is known as The Father.
* 265-291: The Father's Trials, where he preaches throughout Essos and gains a large following.
* 291: The Father returns to Oldtown, and is subsequently named the Avatar of the Father by Septon Kennet.
* 291-298: The Father rules as one of the High Incarnates, dishing out justice and order.
* 298: The Father goes to Harrenhal for the Council.

## Family Tree

* Payton, The Father (52)
* Margaery, His Wife (49)
	+ Hugor, His Son (34)
	+ Taenila, Hugor's Wife (30)
		- Payton, Hugor's Son (13)
		- Lysa, Hugor's Daughter (13)
		- Sandor, Hugor's Son (8)
	+ Oswyn, His Son (27)
	+ Zandessa, Oswyn's Wife (26)
		- Catelyn, Oswyn's Daughter (6)
		- Mace, Oswyn's Son (4)
	+ Baelor, His Son (22)
	+ Elinor, His Daughter (19)

## Supporting Characters

Margaery (Wife), Archetype Zealot

Hugor (Son), Archetype Warrior (Two Handed), Commander of his Honor Guard.

Oswyn (Son), Archetype Negotiator

Baelor (Son), Archetype Medic

Arapho, a large Qohorik woodsman. One of The Father's Disciples, and member of his Honor Guard.

Tycho, a Tyroshi Pirate. One of The Father's Disciples, and member of his Honor Guard.

Ser Artos of Andalos, an Andal knight. One of The Father's Disciples, and member of his Honor Guard.

Ario Forel, a Braavosi Bravo. One of The Father's Disciples, and member of his Honor Guard.

Grazdan the Viper, a Ghiscari Pitfighting Slave. One of The Father's Disciples, and member of his Honor Guard.

Vargarro, a Volantene Sellsword. One of The Father's Disciples, and member of his Honor Guard.