Otto Baratheon

Otto Baratheon is the youngest of the three Baratheon siblings, and the heir apparent to the Iron Throne.

## History

The year was 350AC when the second trueborn grandson of King Loras I Baratheon was brought into the world. He would be the third and last child born to Loras’ first son, King Steffon, Prince Steffon at the time. He was the runt of the proverbial litter, being the smallest born of his two siblings.

The Prince, like his siblings was not raised much by his father. Steffon was a good man, but a King first and father second. Worse yet, when Otto was but six years old his grandfather passed from wounds sustained by rebellious and traitor houses to the Throne. His father ascended to the Iron Chair his older brother Orys hoped to inherit. Otto was raised alongside his siblings Jocelyn and Orys along with their bastard cousin Edric. They were raised by a string of Maesters brought on to serve the house as to not impede upon the Grandmaester’s duties of advising their father. Otto was a fair learner, neither quick nor slow. He was taught the ways of the courts, learning curtsies and histories of Westeros as well as proper edict when those of importance visited.

Otto would use these teachings as a guidebook for encounters and discussions with Lords and Ladies. Throughout his life, Otto was bombarded by Lords and Ladies with great interest in his title and positions. Otto, in truth, had little interest in their wants and needs. His mother, Queen Hanna Hayford, had told Otto and his siblings a truth when they were young: if not for their name, they would be nothing. His mother had meant these words to inspire her kids and make them proud of their House and positions in the world, for they were divine rulers. However, this gave Otto not fulfillment but fear. The boy soon in his youth attempted to find validation through many means. First he attempted to be a scholar, as his brother had taken to arms already. Otto found this task daunting and would constantly fall behind in his studies. Next he attempted to learn the world of trade and economics, but found himself once again out of his league.

In the yards of King’s Landing Otto put up a reasonable fight. His skills with the warhammer weapon of his family were outstanding compared to squires and some hedge knights but he never once bested a true knight or Kingsguard. *Though he did find he could shake off an injury far better than most* he simply concluded that he wasn’t trying as hard as the others, and therefore, not receiving as much pain. [VITALITY]

In truth, Otto found his seemingly natural charm to act as a barrier which kept himself hidden form the world. The only person he ever felt at home with was Allyria Velaryon, his childhood friend and his sister’s Lady-In-Waiting. Lord Velaryon was his father’s Hand of the King and one of his daughters betrothed to Otto’s brother Orys. Otto and Allyria would often spend whole days together doing nothing in particular. Allyria soon became a secret keeper for the young Prince as he shared his many fears and worries about what is family name meant and how he felt he measured up to his siblings. Otto and Allyria were considered near inseparable by the servants, some joking that Allyria was actually Otto’s Lady-In-Waiting rather than Jocelyn’s. When they reached ten-and-seven their friendship waned as Allyria left King’s Landing to marry her betrothed, a Sunglass boy.

Once again, Otto found himself alone in King’s Landing. He spent a year without much excitement before news of an invasion came through the courts. King Targaryen of Meereen had taken The Vale of Arryn in a frenzy. Many in the courts whispered that a war was coming. Otto was curious himself to discover the truth of it. However, the war for the Kingdom of the Iron Throne would not come soon as Otto’s father Steffon fell ill. The Kingdom fell into mourning as Otto’s father deteriorated over the course of a year. Lord Velaryon, Hand of the King, kept the realm at peace.

Otto in the meantime took to his room and studied. Otto, by his own admission, was a slow learner, but he knew that war was something every man in the Kingdom of the Iron Throne would fight at one point in their life or another. He poured over old texts and tombs and finally began to grasp the concept of tactics. [Tactician]

Steffon I Baratheon, King of the Iron Throne, passed in 370AC. The whole realm mourned. By then, the news from the Vale had changed its tune. No longer was Stark dead or dying or captured, but winning, pushing the dragon back east. Otto’s brother, now King Orys I, had been planning an invasion whilst Stark and Tully had their forces committed in the mountains. Otto watched along with the whole of the court when his brother dismissed Lord Velaryon as Hand.

Otto marched with the expeditionary forces into the Crownlands, observing from the Reserves as the army took Maidenpool. Word came that Lord Tully had crossed the Bay of Crabs and had landed on the Claw. Otto insisted on taking a section of the army to rout them, but the other commanders shot it down, citing that Otto’s brother himself would be dealing with them.

Otto saw his first real combat when Lord Frey of the Twins descended upon the men marching north from Maidenpool. He survived the battle, doing no heroics in the fighting. The army then pushed, with Frey retreating to Harrenhal. After a few weeks, Lord Tyrell and Princess Martell arrived with reinforcements, at which point Lord Tyrell took command of the army.

On Tyrell’s order, Otto followed them North to the Blue Fork where they met the large army of Stark and Frey in the field. Otto fought well but took a wound early into the battle. He retreated, watching from the medical site as a cavalry charge from the Northern army broke the fight and allowed Stark to slip away.

After the fight, Otto’s brother made his presence upon the field. News was pouring in from all over about the State of the Realm. Ironborn had invaded and taken the Reach, Tully and Arryn were fighting in the east, Lord Theodan was on the march. Orys and Tyrell discussed strategy and ultimately concluded have the King and Heir in the same army was a poor idea.

Otto, injured, a poor fighter, and less of a figurehead for the army than his Kingly brother, was sent back to King’s Landing. Otto reluctantly agreed without much fight and returned home to King’s Landing. However, upon arrival he found that Jocelyn was running the city as Hand of the King. Otto, finding no fulfilment in the city, returned to Dragonstone, where he had spent most of his childhood. There he called upon Allyria Sunglass

Reunited with his childhood friend, Otto spent the rest of the war in comfort on Dragonstone as his wounds healed. He took the title “Prince of Dragonstone” for himself (though he still had Jocelyn’s castellan look after the castle). He and Allyria returned to what they loved, entertaining bards and mummers who found no work on the mainland. However, the merriment did not soothe Otto’s worries. He and Allyria would often discuss what would happen if Orys won the war. If he lost. If Orys died. Otto found new meaning in his name Baratheon.

For three years now Otto has stewed over the plans. Though he is sure of what he wants he is unsure of how to achieve it. Now for the first time in four years he looks to return to King’s Landing. Hoping now to show his family that his is a better than he was.