Denys Arryn

**Denys Arryn** is the current Spymaster of the Vale and the heir to the Gates of the Moon, as well as being a member of House Arryn and cousin to Lord Paramount Brus Arryn.

## History

Denys was born in 255 AC the eldest child and first son of Robar Arryn, a member of the lesser branch of House Arryn and the keeper of the Gates of the Moon, and Arwyn Upcliffe, a lady of Witch Isle. Immediately upon his birth, was declared the heir to the Gates of the Moon, and when he turned six he made the trek up the Giant’s Lance to the Eyrie, where he became a ward for his uncle Oswell, who was the Lord Paramount of the Vale at the time.

For the most part Denys was raised in the Eyrie, where he became very close with his uncle and mentor Oswell, as well as his cousin’s Jasper and Aemma. As a child Denys was raised to be very religious, often spending his time with the Septon of the Eyrie discussing the mysteries of The Seven rather than amongst his fellow wards. This inspired within Denys a certain fanaticism and a wish to defend and expand the influence of the faith, something that he’s carried with him into his adult life. During his time as a ward at the Eyrie, Denys was also constantly reminded of his role as a member of the lesser branch of the House and his duty to the Arryns of the Eyrie, a duty which he openly accepts and strives to keep to.

In 268 when Denys was thirteen he was assigned to be the squire of his older cousin Brus, at the time the heir to the Eyrie. During his time as a squire the pair grew very close, developing an almost brotherly affection for eachother. Brus became something of an idol for his young squire, who tried as much as he could to emulate his cousin and strived to be as much like Brus as he possibly could.

When Durran’s Defiance began in 270, Denys served with his cousin and the rest of the Vale forces, gaining his first and last taste of true combat at the Battle of the Bridge, where he was crippled by Forest Rivers, a bastard son of Lord Frey. The entirety of his right leg was completely shattered by the bastards mace and the lack of proper medical treatment following the battle left his leg a mangled mess of dead flesh and broken bones. Following the battle, Denys was sent away from the Vale army with a token force, returning to the Gates of the Moon to make a recovery and spending several moons in a state near death. And although he did eventually make it back from the brink, he would forever be a man changed. Now frail and unable to walk without the assistance of a cane, Denys was left to wait out the rest of the war at the Gates, where he sat silently stewing. Knowing he would never again be able to take up a blade against the enemies of the Faith or the Vale, Denys searched for a new way to serve his family, eventually starting to develop his skills as a spymaster rather than as a knight.

The first test of his new skill at espionage would come a year or so after the Defiance, when the Vale was still recovering from their significant losses in the war. The mountain clans had been growing in strength, prospering off of the weakness and lack of men amongst the Vale Lords and becoming more and more daring with their raids by the day. From his informants located around the Vale, Denys learned that the Burned Men had called the clans together for a moot, with the intent to form a confederation and take back the Vale. Knowing that attempting to smash the clans directly would take far too long and likely end in a stalemate anyway, Denys instead planted informants amongst the clans, using them to investigate this supposed moot and learn it’s location. Once he knew the location of the moot, he used his network of spies to sabotage the proceedings with ruthless efficiency, sewing rumors and spreading false information until the clans turned on each other, with the moot ending in a bloodbath.

Over the next couple of years, Denys continued to grow his skills of espionage and entering into the service of his cousin Brus as a spymaster, serving the Lord Paramount of the Vale with skill and dedication. As a gift to his younger cousin, Brus arranges Denys marriage to a noblewoman by the name of Sarra Corbray whom goes on to give him two sons, Eustace and Renly.

## Timeline

* 255 AC: Denys is born to Robar Arryn and Arwyn Upcliffe.
* 261 AC: Denys is sent to become a ward under his uncle Oswell at the Eyrie.
* 268: Denys becomes the squire of his cousin Brus, the two young men develop a close friendship and Denys grows to admire his cousin.
* 270: During Durran’s Defiance Denys continues to serve as his cousin’s squire, being crippled at the battle of the Bridges by Forest Rivers.
* 271: Denys learns of a plot by the Burned Men to unite the mountain clans and threaten the Vale once more. Using a network of spies and informants he sabotages their efforts, playing the clans against each other and ultimately ending any possibility of uniting the clans.
* 272: Denys enters the service of his cousin Brus once more, serving as the Spymaster of the Vale. It is also during this time that he is married to his wife Sarra.
* 273: His first son, Eustace, is born.
* 275: His second son, Renly, is born.