Corwyn Stark

"*Men are different in the North. Colder. Sterner. Older.*"

Sister - Torrha Stark

Brother - Brandon Stark

**Corwyn Stark** is the eldest of the Stark children, and heir to Winterfell. He is known for his stern and serious nature, aside from when he is with his favorite hound, Joramun.

## Appearance

> "*He looked older than most his age. Wrinkles had begun to creep aboard his brow, a dark plumage sprouted across his jaw, and his eyes were always cold like ice. Always sad.*"
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Corwyn has a lean and muscular build, as well as the usual brown hair and grey eyes of his family that falls to his shoulders. Corwyn has been described as having a long face with severe features, thin lips set into a frown and a trimmed beard upon his jaw. He has a scar upon his brow and has been described as looking perpetually sad.

## Biography

### Background

#### Childhood

As a boy, Corwyn would spend most of his time in the training yard, practicing with sword and shield and spear, or in the company of his father, learning the lessons all would-be lords of Winterfell must know; To hold true to the old gods, to swing the sword should he pass the sentence, and above all, that winter is coming, and always shall. Being the son of a noble, Corwyn also spent much of his time in lessons with the maester of Winterfell.

When it came to academic pursuits, Corwyn struggled greatly, due to an affliction of the mind; Corwyn could not make sense of words, the letters would jumble themselves on the page. As time drew on, it became clear that his affliction would not fade, and so Brandon made a decision: An old companion of his had suffered from a similar affliction, and the Lord of Winterfell felt that it would do Corwyn good to live under the roof of a man who could sympathize. At the age of ten, Corwyn was sent to the Barrowlands, to be fostered under Jon Dustin.

#### Fostered at Barrowton

Corwyn remained in Barrowton for six years, being welcomed into Jon's halls as if he were truly his own son. During his time in Barrowton, he experienced many things and truly grew into a man. He befriended Jon's eldest son, Domeric. Corwyn learned how to properly deal with his affliction, managing to finally become literate. At the age of ten and six, Corwyn returned to Winterfell, summoning him home.

#### Return to Winterfell

Summer snows blew in from the far North, coating the roads with layers of icy snow, and filling the nights with howling blizzards. Travel became impossible, and Corwyn was forced to remain at Winterfell with his siblings for a thaw. The snows lasted months, and with each passing day more and more problems began to rear their ugly head. Crop failure, sickness and more began to plague Winterfell and the surrounding the Winter Town, and Corwyn and all of the Stark clan found themselves busier than ever.

#### The Shadowcat

Three months into these heavy summer snows, a group of hunters arrived at the great hall of Winterfell and spoke of a beast in the surrounding woods. A shadowcat, forced from its lair by the sudden snows and half starved, had attacked them, killing three men already. Fearing the beast had gained a taste for human flesh, Brandon took Corwyn along with six other men and a group of hounds to hunt and slay the beast.

For days, the party hunted the shadowcat. The snows made tracking the beast easy, but shadowcats are known for their swiftness and ferocity, and when starving, they can be driven to madness. As more nights passed, Corwyn's party began to lose numbers. The shadowcat had been ambushing them at night and picking off stragglers. Soon, only four of them were left.

At last, they found the beast's lair. Lord Brandon ordered the remaining men to take position near the mouth of the cave, and the remaining hounds be sent in to flush the cat out into the open. The plan worked perfectly, and after the sounds of pained barks and growls, the shadowcat emerged from the cave, its maw coated in the blood of the hounds. Upon seeing the Northmen, the cat began to fight, but the hounds had wounded the cat in turn, and it proved easy prey for the Northmen's spears. With the shadowcat dead, Corwyn and the remaining men turned to leave, but a bark stopped them. From the cave emerged a single hound, gravely wounded, and limping on a ruined leg. Corwyn rushed over and lifted the dog, carrying it back to Winterfell himself. He would come to honour that hound as a hero. Shortly after the hunt, the snows finally began to melt. Corwyn was changed after - he grew cold, and began to experience bouts of melancholy, and carried himself as if separate from those around him. And above it all, he grew wrathful and vengeful.

#### The Wolfswood Brotherhood

in 150 AC, House Glover requested aid in dealing with a band of outlaws that had taken up residence in the Wolfswood, calling themselves 'the Wolfswood Brotherhood'. Corwyn was sent to lead a band of Stark men to aid their loyal vassals.

For over a year Corwyn worked with Houses Glover, Forrester and Whitehill to destroy the brigands. He had roads patrolled and traps laid until, at last, he learned where the leader of the brotherhood called home. A grove, hidden deep in the Wolfswood, its location only revealed thanks to the prowess of Forrester scouts.

He came upon the grove at night, as what remained of the brotherhood slept. It was a bloodbath; the Brotherhood had never expected to be found so quickly, and in less than an hour, they were little more than corpses soaking the wood. Corwyn had the survivors hanged from the great Weirwood at the centre of their hideaway.

### *The Reign of Dragons*

Corwyn is spotted standing next his father when Brandon reveals a raven has come from the Reach, asking if his sister Torrha might be joined in holy matrimony with the ruling Lord, Victor Tyrell. He exits the scene early to procure some food for his youngest brother, Smallbran, leaving only just before his cousin Myra Snow is made aware of her paternal grandfather's request. Five days later, Corwyn discovers that his brother, Cayden, has returned home after several years away. They talk, amongst other things, of Cayden's misadventures on Skagos, Torrha's upcoming marriage, and Kolfinn Mormont's desertion from the Night's Watch. When Corwyn insists that Myra is not a Stark, Cayden insists on just the opposite. While ruminating on the recent news delivered to her in the Godswood, Alyna contemplates on how things between Corwyn and Torrha have changed in the past year. True to form, he is even colder than usual when bidding her goodbye just before her journey to the Reach. As he will be accompanying Torrha for the next few months, Brandon makes Corwyn the acting Lord of Winterfell until he returns.

## Personality

> "*It was not blood that flowed in his veins, but the icy cold of his country.*"
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Corwyn is a quiet and reserved man. A Northman to his core, Corwyn carries himself with a dark stoicism, rarely sharing his thoughts unless explicitly asked. As with many Starks, Corwyn is honest and honourable to a fault, bordering on self-righteousness at times, which can make him a very hard man to negotiate with. He is set in his Northern ways and, more so, is proud of that fact. As such, he is a strong leader, but a weak politician. In truth, he loathes politics and the schemes of the Southron lords. In his mind, a lord's first thoughts must always be of duty, not personal ambition.

A true introvert, Corwyn is not a social man, preferring his own company or that of his loyal hound. As such, his circle of companions is very small. This, combined with his quiet and reserved nature, has led many Westerosi lords to view him as a grim individual, something which has only been exacerbated by his recent streak of ruthlessness. He carries with him a bleak and cold rage - a winter's fury. Icy, merciless, unstoppable and unavoidable. Deep down, he is a bitter man, and he takes this out on the criminals of the North. To those who break his family's laws, there can be no forgiveness, and no mercy.

Corwyn is a deeply sensitive man. This is never clearer than when he is with his beloved hound, Joramun, who he has cared for over the course of six years. Deep down, he is kind-hearted, endeavouring to treat all his people with dignity and respect, as well as genuinely caring for those he will one day rule over, be they Lord or serf.

Constantly striving towards honesty, Corwyn is simply trying to do his duty as best as he can. He views the world in black-and-white, lacking much nuance when it comes to matters of law and honour. His best traits are his loyalty and integrity while his worst traits are his stubbornness, coldness and bitterness. The thing he would never change about himself is his outlook on the world and his views on good and evil.