Clyve Caron

Lia Tarly

Leyla Connington

Clyve Caron is the firstborn son of Armond and Baela Caron. Having fought in disputes for the majority of his life, the Lord of Nightsong now wishes to follow after his parents' dreams of bringing prosperity and stability to his home of the Marches. Fiercely loyal to his family, his people, and his Lord Paramount, Clyve now seeks to build upon the networking of his father to attempt to allow the realm to heal from the various conflicts that blighted the land. Only recently, Clyve has also become the High Justiciar of the Stormlands, and seeks to use this position in order to garner support for his dream from the Crown.

### **Appearance and Character**

Clyve stands around average height and looks out at the world through tan-colored eyes. Usually seen with rather unkept hair and an ever-thickening beard, the Lord of Nightsong dresses humbly, even sometimes blending in with the smallfolk as he visits the various villages around the Marches. Despite giving up many of his more violent pursuits, Clyve still retains much of the muscle that he gained through training.

Initially stern and wroth, Clyve adopted a much more amicable spirit after his father passed away from a fever running him through in the middle of the night in 95 AC. Still bearing the skill of waging war, Clyve now chooses to honor the Mother by establishing his parents' dreams of bringing prosperity to the Marches rather than more war and death. With a keen eye for developing industry, he hopes to bring a better future to his people.

#### **History**

Born in 61 AC, Clyve's upbringing saw many periods of isolation and fear, which went on to make him the apt and diligent commander later on in life. Early on in life, he was told stories of the evil Dornish and the Vulture King in the mountains who wanted to come and take his castle from his father and mother. Despite the turmoil of war and uprising outside of the castle walls, the young boy enjoyed his younger years alongside Corwin, and later on, Casper. When he got older, his uncle Galladon would take him to various lordships and introduce him to various families. From a very young age, Clyve was told that he would someday lead his House and that a House's success was founded upon what friends were made. That philosophy would carry on with him to this very day.

Upon reaching the age of 12, the young heir would take another trip with his uncle and begin his tutelage under the aged Lord Borros Bolling, not only to learn how to traverse the Red Mountains away from the threat of a Dornish scheme, but also in order to grow closer to his fellow heir, a young Edric Connington. With both having a propensity for studying strategy and warcraft, they became fast friends and came to see their grizzled mentor as a father figure of sorts. After spending the most peaceful time of his life courting Zhoe Penrose and enjoying tourneys with several other highborn, the young Caron came back to Nightsong a learned and apt commander. Having studied for both times of war and peace, he began to make connections with surrounding houses in order to breathe life into his father's dream. Bring peace through networking and marriages.

The alliances that had been forged proved true in 83 when their southern neighbors sparked the Fourth Dornish War. It was the first time that Clyve had experienced mass warfare on that grand of a scale and seen the devastation that it wrought on his home. Despite the victories, he saw a defeat every time he saw one of his men or smallfolk perish at the hands of Fowler men. It was during these battles that Clyve finally came to understand his parents' goal. It was not ambitious as some of the other houses. Their goals was not to gain a larger seat or to have vassals come into their service. They simply wanted peace, and yet once again their people were slaughtered unprovoked. Seeing so much death from Nightsong all the way through the Prince's Pass, the young Clyve began to offer prayers to the Mother. Prayers to bring life to the harsh and brutal Red Mountains and to bring hope to the Marches that he called his home. Prayers for the Mother to come and breathe life there.

He hated to admit it to himself, but Clyve loved the thrill of battle especially getting to fight alongside the golden roses of the Tyrells. Making several fast friends amongst the chaos of war, both Clyve and Corwin mastered the art of warcraft. Despite the Caron's hatred for the Fowlers, Armond became the target of many a slanderous statement by wedding his youngest son, Casper, to a Dornish beauty, Ashara. A decision that many Stormlords disapproved of, but that ensured the Carons to be the closest diplomatic tie to Dorne should conflict ever arise again.

Those bonds would come to a tense straining years later upon the battlefield once again. The Rosegold Rebellion would pit his men against the very same men that had shared their camps with one another a decade ago. Sons fought against uncles and sorrows filled both the Reach and the Stormlands, especially the Marches. All for the pride of some pompous Targaryen and his ignorant insults. Nevertheless, House Caron did its duty to the throne and to their liege by marching with the host of Stormlanders to the seat of House Meadows and taking it without much bloodshed. Clyve and Corwin gained an optimistic perspective that the rebellion could end quickly and harmlessly, but that all turned into a false hope upon the Blueburn.

Although the forces of the Reach were outmatched, they gave the Stormlords seven hells before finally admitting defeat and retreating. It was seeing his cousin, Meryn Caron, one of the strongest of their family being gutted that etched itself in his mind forever. It all happened so fast...too fast for Clyve to react. One moment Meryn had slain several of the vanguard and the next...he was laying on the ground, a pool of crimson flowing from his armor. Choking on his own blood, Meryn pleaded with Clyve to save him to take him home to Nightsong. To see the sunrise one more time over the orange mountains. Clyve held him during his last moment before the Stranger harvested his due.

Men would later tell him that he had won the battle for them. That Clyve had charged heroically in to end the battle and save lives. But, to Clyve, all he could remember were the hot sting of tears and the raging vengeance seething through him. Nothing mattered except to make every single soul in his way meet the same fate Meryn did. No mercy was shown to anyone that day. Clyve led a force hitting the Reachmen army's weakest and drove them bloodied into the retreat. After finding victory, Clyve resignated any Carons to the planning of charges rather than leading them. In Meryn's memory, he vowed to never sacrifice his family's lives so thoughtlessly again.

*She would never let that happen ever again. She had answered his prayers...as long as he sated her.*

Not even a year passed, and while thousands of Caron men's lives had been tossed away, both sides had established peace for a few seats on a council meeting table and a few marriages arranged. Determined to ensure that the Stormlands prospered, Clyve set to easing the strain of ties that his father had made years ago. As of late, Clyve has come to recognize that he can't control things no matter how tightly he attempts to hold the reigns. Following the passing of his father, Armond, he grieved him by beginning his path to piety. Rather than simply ruling over the farmers and miners that provided House Caron with food and stone, he sat with them and regularly held meetings with leaders of the local area. He garnered a unique reputation of being caring towards those innocent and victimized and barbarous to those that were found guilty of crimes.

It was this same mindset that made him an invaluable ally to the Baratheons during the Year of Skulls and Daggers, in which Clyve, Corwin, and Casper led a secondary force and accepted the role of warden of all those that were captured attempting to cause chaos in the Rainwood. To this day, Clyve still dismisses questions of whatever happened to them with a smile and a distraction.

*A small price to pay really.*...*They shall give me life so they I may give it to my people.*

 Very much still close and committed to his family, Clyve ensures to keep in contact with both his little sisters: Lia, now married into House Tarly, as well as Leyla, who eventually married his old friend from Oldwood, Lord Edric Connington.

### **Recent Events**

Following the events of the Year of Skulls and Daggers, Clyve was asked to meet with the Lord Justiciar of the Iron Throne in order to discuss the further development of the Stormlands. Due to an insulting blunder on part of the former High Justiciar from House Rogers, House Baratheon as a whole had grown to view the justiciars as a foreign and unwelcome lot. In order to try to rectify this, Lord Justiciar Darry sought to install him as the newly appointed High Justiciar due to his reputation for caring for the smallfolk of the region as well as his martial prowess. Seeing this as a step forward in establishing a Stormlands known for more than war, Clyve accepted the position and now resides at Storm's End for the majority of the year in order to advise his Lord Paramount.

### **Family Tree**

http://www.familyecho.com/?p=JSRS9&c=1l220ch5by&f=772426020724370213