Gellert Blackgard

*“The Borderlands is the most envious and powerful of the Nine Kingdoms, our family has ruled over it for two thousand years, and we shall continue to so for two thousand more, under my lordship, none shall ever pass us”* - Gellert Blackgard

**Lord Gellert Blackgard** is the eldest child of **Lord Haegon Blackgard** and **Lady Ashara Blackgard.** He is the **Head of House Blackgard, Lord of Ebonheart, Lord Paramount of the Borderlands, Warden of the South** and **Hand of the King.** He was married to **Lady Evelyn Blackgard (née) Wayne.** He is the father of **Ser Hadrian Blackgard, Ser Edmund Blackgard, Queen Jasmine Blackgard, Lady Myra Baratheon (née) Blackgard** and **Ser Rodrik Blackgard.**

## **APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER**

Gellert is a tall, slender, broad-shouldered man in his fifties. His arms are thin but muscled. Gellert has kept his long dark hair slicked back along with a simple beard maintained regularly. Gellert has bright and vibrant green eyes.

Gellert is a calculating, intelligent, politically astute, ruthless, and controlling man. He dedicates his life and efforts towards maintaining the Blackgard’s prestige, and ensuring House Blackgard is respected, or at least feared. Gellert is a proven battle commander who leads from the front and he as a powerful presence combined with an intimidating gaze. He is harsh with betrayal. According to his sister **Ariel,** Gellert mistrusts laughter because of how his father, Lord Haegon had been laughed at; **Grand Maester Pycelle** was amazed that his late wife **Evelyn** was able to make him laugh three different times.

Though ruthless, Gellert Blackgard is an able and shrewd ruler who brought great prosperity during his tenure as the King's Hand. He is especially talented at the raising of funds, leading to a persistent jest that he must "shit gold." Gellert is more respected than loved in the Borderlands, and he is remembered in **King’s Landing** for the sack.

Gellert loves all of his children, constantly pushing them all to be the absolute best that they can possibly be. Gellert often relies on his brother, **Ser Corban Blackgard. Ser Addam Nyte** is said to be Gellert’s most daring commander. Ariel’s husband, **Ser Emmon Frey**, is terrified of his brother-in-law.

Gellert's steel plate armor is enameled in dark black steel highlighted with silver, and its rondels are silver sunbursts. Gellert heavy cloth-of-black is clasped with white and grey linings and his greathelm is decorated with a snarling black wolf. He also owns a thick ermine cloak. Gellert’s longsword has a sliver pommel. His charger is a stallion with its own gilded armor. The destrier has a blanket with enameled crimson scales and gilded crinet and chamfron, as well as white silk bardings decorated with the blades of the Blackgards.

## **EARLY LIFE**

Gellert is the firstborn son of Haegon Blackgard and his cousin-wife Ashara Blackgard. According to legend, the baby bit the finger of his great grandsire **King Maekar I Targaryen.**

Lord Haegon agreed to marry his daughter Ariel to **Emmon Frey,** the second son of **Lord Walder Frey** just to please the **Lord of the Crossing.** The betrothal was announced at a feast in 252 AC, with most of the wasteland lords in attendance. Upon the announcement, **Lord Arthur Leinster** left the hall in anger and **Ellyn Leinster** laughed aloud. Only the ten-year-old Gellert spoke out against the wedding because he thought it an uneven match.

Shortly after that incident, Haegon sent Gellert to **King’s Landing** to serve as a royal page and cupbearer at **King Aegon V Targaryen’s** court, where Gellert befriended his cousin the young **Prince Aerys Targaryen** and **Steffon Baratheon,** the heir to **Storm’s End**. His future wife, Evelyn Wayne also served at the royal court as a companion and lady-in-waiting to **Princess Rhaella Targaryen** since 259 AC.

During the **Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion** in 260 AC, eleven thousand bordermen under the leadership Gellert’s uncle, **Ser Joffrey Blackgard**, were sent to fight beside other forces of the **Iron Throne** in the **Stepstones**. Gellert, who was already a knight, joined the Blackgard force, as did his brothers **Corban** and **Tywald** as squires. The young Prince Aerys served as a squire during the war and when he won his knighthood, Gellert was granted the honor of knighting his cousin.

## **LEINSTERS AND TRADDS**

Since Lord Haegon Blackgard was a weak ruler who was taken advantage of by his bannermen, Gellert and his brothers sought to restore the prestige of House Blackgard after their return from the Stepstones. Haegon protested feebly before returning to his mistress.

Gellert demanded repayment of gold his father lent out, and those who could not repay immediately had to send a hostage to **Ebonheart** until their debt was settled. Ser Corban Blackgard was given command of five hundred veterans knights tasked with ridding the wastelands of robber knights and outlaws. **Ser Harys Taller, Knight of Karthspire** surrendered his daughter **Dorna** into Corban’s custody, but Arthur Leinster, **Lord of Isengard**, reportedly laughed at Gellert’s edicts. When **Lord Samwell Tradd** of **Oakwell** rode to confront Haegon, who was not present at the Black City, the young Gellert ordered Samwell imprisoned for disloyalty. Samwell’s wife Ellyn responded by seizing Gellert’s cousin **Crawford Blackgard** along with a **Whitegard** and **Greygard**. Lord Heagon ordered the hostages to be exchanged and forgave House Tradd’s debt to House Blackgard, Gellert was furious with his weak willed father’s decision which further embarrassed their family.

Late in 261 AC Gellert provoked Houses Leinster and Tradd by ordering that Arthur and Samwell appear at Ebonheart to answer for their crimes. When the accused instead renounced their allegiance to House Blackgard, Gellert raised an army without his lordly father's leave. Gellert defeated Samwell in battle and then destroyed Oakwell, with Ellyn dying during its collapse. Gellert then defeated Arthur, who fled back to Isengard. Instead of waiting for the subterranean castle to surrender, Tywin ended the Leinster-Tradd revolt by diverting a nearby stream into Isengard, drowning the Leinsters within.

The ruined castles were left as reminders of the fate that awaits those who scorn the power of Ebonheart, and the infamous, ominous song ***“Lacrimosa und Die Forelle”*** was written as a tribute to the event. Whenever Lords of the Borderlands grew truculent years later, Gellert would send an envoy perform the song with a lute; anyone bothersome lords caused no further trouble after hearing the message.

## **HAND OF THE KING**

Upon the death of **King Jaehaerys II Targaryen** in 262 AC, the newly-crowned King Aerys II Targaryen retired the cautious **Lord Edgar Sloane** as **Hand of the King**. Aerys choose his friend and cousin Gellert as the new Hand, impressed by the ruthlessness demonstrated in the Leinster-Tradd revolt. Gellert was the youngest man to yet serve as Hand.