Gaunt

**Gaunt**, born with the name **Dale**, was a bandit operating out of the Kingswood. He was the leader of a small band of outlaws, thirty or so, and was a master of his trade. Having fled to the Kingswood as an orphan, Gaunt had grown into a fearsome outlaw. Skilled with both blade, bow and his tongue, Gaunt seldom failed to secure his prize. He was seven-and-twenty years old at the time of his death.

## Appearance

Tall, slender and lean, Gaunt was never the strongest, the fairest or the fastest, but he got by. He kept himself clean shaven, most of the time, and kept his brown hair long, as to cover up the one defining characteristic to identify him- the deformities on the left side of his face. A mangled ear is hidden behind his hair, but the oddities of his cheek and jawline creep through ever so slightly. He had piercing eyes and a devilish grin.

## History

Born in a small village in the Dornish Marches, Gaunt had a simple yet enjoyable upbringing. His father worked the fields, and occasionally sold furs, when hunting proves successful.

However, things took a turn for the worse when the War of the Burning Brand unfolded. Trade and travel became hard, and the smallfolk suffered. Seeking reprieve, Gaunt's father Addam moved their family closer to where food would always flow- King's Landing.

However, being closer to the capital also meant they were closer to the war. One day, Gaunt's parents were murdered by some of King Arrec's wayward men, and the young Gaunt fled into the Kingswood.

It was there he learned to be his true self. He learned to hunt, forage and scavenge, and learned a great deal about survival. It was in the Kingswood that Gaunt grew to both resent and admire the king who's war was the death of his parents, and also the key to his new-found freedom.

No laws and no rules, save for those Gaunt chose, the young man prospered in the Kingswood. He soon turned from hunting to banditry, and grew particularly good at it too. It wasn't long before his enterprise began to grow.

The first to join him was Lackey, and the two of them quickly became five, and ten after that, and then the two dozen they were today. Each of them followed Gaunt in his ways, taking from whoever they chose, and seeing little in the way of justice. Life was good for Gaunt.

However, Gaunt was never one to sit still. *Why hunt when I can steal? Why steal alone when I can steal with two? Why two when I could have two dozen?* Gaunt wasn't satisfied, not yet. His mind was never far from the parents he had lost, and the man who had taken them. It drove him on, it made him decide what he was going to be.

*King in the Kingswood... Has a nice ring to it.*

## Recent Events

Midway through the 370th year After Aegon's Conquest, Gaunt and his band stumbled across two highborn - Gareth Tyrell and Roslin Redwyne - and took them captive. From there, a ransom of one thousand gold dragons was demanded, and paid within a few days. With the ransom gold, Gaunt began a plan of dispersing the wealth through the communities around the woods, hoping to draw the smallfolk to his side.

Not long later, Gaunt's band set upon a Night's Watch caravan, slaying the black brothers and offering the prisoners the choice of joining them. Though all refused, a master smith from Qohor was taken, for such a man would prove useful. Gaunt had the man fashion him armor and a blade in order to secure his freedom. The smith did so, and upon completion, was released from captivity.

In a bold attempt to better their standing in the world, the group of outlaws agreed to assault the small castle of Fawnton on the western reaches of the Kingswood. Though initially finding success, the fighting turned sour and a severely wounded Gaunt was left behind as the others escaped.It was there that Gaunt was beheaded by the guardsmen.

## Family

* Addam, Gaunt's father (320-356 AC).
* Bess, Gaunt's mother (324-356 AC).
	+ **Gaunt, self-styled King of the Kingswood (343-370 AC).**

## References

1. ↑ The Mare And The Stallion
2. ↑ Business Concluded
3. ↑ Coin Put To Good Use
4. ↑ Lost In Translation
5. ↑ I Never Asked For This
6. ↑ On The Edge Of The World
7. ↑ With Enough Luck
8. ↑ The Greatest Freedom There Is