Orys Velaryon

## Lord of the Tides

**Lord Orys Velaryon** is the son of Aeron Velaryon, and Lord of the Tides, and Master of Driftmark and High Tide. He is thirty seven years of age, and resides in the castle of High Tide, where he rules over his lands. He is a member of House Velaryon.

## Appearance

Orys Velaryon is in his late thirties. He very much still carries the Valyrian looks; his hair is kept long and unbound, reaching to small of his back. He is, unfortunately, not of pure Valyrian stock; his hair is that traditional silver-blonde, and he is very proud of it, yet his eyes are seaglass, a mixture of blue and grey.

Orys is a thin man, yet taller than average, being around 6’. He strikes an imposing figure in his robes, usually the colours of his house, and well fitting. He has a slight limp in his right leg. He has an aquiline nose, watchful eyes, and a sharp face.

## History

Orys Velaryon was born to Aeron Velaryon in 335 AC, two years after the end of the War of Fire and Faith. Aeron Velaryon was the second son of Lord Monterys Velaryon, son of Monford Velaryon, son of Lucerys Velaryon. Aeron had never expected to inherit; his older brother, Monterys Velaryon the Younger, was a close friend of Maekar Water, a good man, and a famed warrior and knight. During the War of Faith and Fire, Monterys the Younger personally killed King Aelor at the Battle of the Blackwater. When the war ended, Monterys took a place in the Kingsguard. He would eventually become Lord Commander, serving under his friend the now King, Maekar II.

Orys was always a quiet, unassuming boy as a child. Lord Aeron was a gruff, abusive father, and Orys learnt to stay out of his way. The damp, crowded, castle of Driftmark didn’t make this easy, and much of his childhood as spent tucked away in a dark corner, usually with a book, as the occasional shouting of Aeron drifted through the castle. Orys’ mother had bruises more often than not. His younger brother, Valarys, was different. As brazen and loud as his father, the two got on much better.

As soon as Orys was old enough, at the age of ten, he went to squire under his uncle, Lord Commander Monterys. it was a blessing to the boy. He escaped the beatings of his father, mother, and younger brother. To begin with, he was scared of Monterys too, but Monterys was a good man, who looked after him. Monterys tried to teach Orys how to fight, but he never had much skill at swords. Instead, he started to imbue him with a love of sailing. Orys would spend as much time as he could out on the Rush, and the Blackwater Bay. Monterys was also a fairly skilled commander, and transferred his knowledge onto his nephew. Combined with the large fleet in the capital, and Orys’ passion for books, led him to develop a steady understand of naval warfare.

### Adulthood

His time in the capital as a young man also introduced him to a key element in his life; the court of King’s Landing. Orys was shocked by it to begin with, but came to a conclusion quickly. The court was very much a float or sink world, and he made the decision to throw himself into it, developing a machiavellian personality. He was of a similar age to the King as well, and became a fairly well known member of the court.

As he came of age, Orys decided to spend most of his time in King’s Landing, and remain in the capital. The few times when he did return home, Orys was a man grown now. He was no longer scared of his family. Aeron had grown older, and weaker, and as a man who had never much been interested in ships anyway, it was very easy for Orys to pressure him to give command of the Velaryon fleet to him. He began to take control more and more of the holdfast when he did return home, earning the increased ire of his brother, Valarys. Orys’ mother had passed away during his stay in King’s Landing. An accident that Orys never believed was one.

One realization Orys did come to was what his blood meant. He grew close to the Targaryens in King’s Landing, and looked on with increase disgust at the swirling sycophants of the court, all of them non-Valyrian. He began to grow a superiority complex, increasingly believing in the strength of the Valyrian bloodline, and the importance of its traditions. During this time, he met his wife, a woman of House Rykker. They married when he was nineteen, and they had their first child, a daughter called Laena, a year on.

Orys never had another child. He tried occasionally, but any love he had felt for his wife was extremely short lived. They quickly grew estranged, and Orys turned his affections to his daughter, whom he doted on. Orys and his wife argued frequently, and sometimes abuse would stretch to physical. Unfortunately, Orys would never have a son, a serious issue for him. Women did not have the ability to rule, like men did. He trained Laena, educated her, all the while wary of whether she would really be up for the task.

### Lord of the Tides

By the time of his thirtieth birthday, Orys had started to lead patrols around the Blackwater, slowing gaining experience commanding ships. In 365 AC, he finally got his chance. The War in the Stepstones began. Orys was hoping for command, yet he was disappointed. The Crownland fleet was given to his father. During the first battle of the war, Lord Aeron Velaryon made a series of grave mistakes, losing his life in the process. Orys rallied the fleet, and managed to scrape a victory out of looming defeat. Taking command of the Crown fleet, Orys earned his place during the war, helping beat back Grazdan’s forces. While he never really fought himself, he commanded well, and was on the beach during the last attack on Bloodstone. He received a wound in the leg during the battle, and has kept a slight limp since then.

Orys returned to Driftmark after the war, formally moving into his new holding. During the last seventy years, the success of House Velaryon had meant they had been able to finally rebuild the ancient castle of High Tide, home of the Sea Snake. Orys took it as his seat, moving the Driftwood Throne there. It is where he currently resides, with his wife, daughter, and brother’s family.

## Timeline

* 335 AC - Orys is born

* 345 AC - Moved to King's Landing as a ward for his uncle, Lord Commander Monterys Velaryon

* 354 AC - Orys marries his wife, Lady Elaena Rykker

* 355 AC - Elaena gives birth to Laena.

* 365 AC - War of the Stepstones, Orys becomes Lord