Andros Tarbeck

Warden of the West

### Alias

Ser Andros of the Shattered Star (used once in 74 AC)Knight of the Shattered Star (used once in 99 AC)

### Affiliation

House TarbeckHouse Lannister (before and after the Rosegold Rebellion)

House Targaryen (directly during the Rosegold Rebellion, through House Lannister otherwise)

Justiciars

## Relations

### Children

Ser Martyn Tarbeck - Son and Heir - b. 76Lanna Tarbeck - Daughter - b. 77

Ser Preston Tarbeck - Son - b. 78

Gerion Tarbeck - Son - b. 80

### Predecessor

Lord Flement Tarbeck (as Lord of Tarbeck Hall)Lord Yarwyck (as High Justiciar of the Westerlands)

Lord Harry Darry (as Lord Justiciar of the Realm]

## META

### Auxiliary Character

Benedict Tarbeck

**Andros Tarbeck** was the Lord of Tarbeck Hall, a position he held since the death of his father, Lord Flement Tarbeck, in 80 AC, and served as Lord Justiciar of the Realm, replacing Lord Harry Darry in 98 AC after serving as High Justiciar of the Westerlands since the Rosegold Rebellion. After House Lannister's participation in Sigrun Blacktyde's assaults on the Seven Kingdoms, Andros was rewarded with the title of Warden of the West in Tytos' place.

## Appearance and Character

With light blond hair that borders the line between shoulder- and neck-length, and a short beard and moustache, Andros Tarbeck very nearly could be mistaken for a Lannister, save for the blue of his eyes in place of the traditional green of his liege lord's house. Blue was not only found in his eyes, with the colour of his house being found upon the clothing he wears and the cloak that he dons when armoured. At nearly all times, the aging lord bears his family's sword, Perseverance, at his side, a sign that the Tarbeck could be a fearsome warrior when it was necessary, as many know all too well, even if the stress of the many wars he had seen had taken a lot out of the loyal lord.

## History

### Early Life

Andros Tarbeck was born in the fifth month of 58 AC, to the young Lord of Tarbeck Hall, Flement. His early childhood was peaceful, and in the eyes of the young boy, boring. Much like his father, Andros was trained to rule from an early age, and whilst he showed a natural aptitude toward sums and rulership, his interest was drawn more to battle, and combat. As soon as he was old enough to pick up a wooden training sword, he did, and made it very clear he was going to get good at it. However thanks to his own quite recent personal experience, Flement was able to convince his son to learn how to rule. Under the occasional tutelage of his father, and the constant watchful eye of Ser Hugh Tarbeck, former Lord Regent of Tarbeck Hall, the young heir made great progress in his studies, learning the ins and outs of rule, even as his father came to grips with his own rulership.

However, even with his studies taking up a large amount of time, Andros still found space in his schedule to train his swordarm. And, with the birth of his younger brother in 62 AC, Andros knew that he would eventually have a partner to train with, no matter how long it would take. In 70 AC, Ser Hugh passed of a minor illness, and so Andros' squireship was transferred to Hugh's son, Ser Jasper, who served as the castle's master-at-arms, and was one of the deadliest knights in the West. His training was often hard, but Andros found himself growing more skilled as time passed, earning the respect of the knights who served his father. However, thanks to his studies, Andros' progress in combat was not as fast as his younger brother's, and so Benedict reached his brother's skill at a lower age, able to beat the heir to Tarbeck Hall and give Ser Jasper a hard fight. Upset by his brother eclipsing him, Andros requested to be allowed to participate in the Tourney of Unveiling in 74 AC, to prove himself against the knights of the realm. Lord Flement urged caution, but Andros' determination won him over, and so the entire family set off to Lannisport, leaving the administration of the house's lands to the castle Maester.

### Glory, Love, and Winter

Only confident in his lance- and sword-arm, Andros entered himself into the joust and melee, under the guise of newly-knighted freerider, Ser Andros of the Shattered Star. In the melee, Andros was eliminated swiftly, taking a strong blow from Damon Celtigar. Andros retreated into his quarters for the remainder of the sixth day, deeply embarrassed, but Ser Jasper was able to convince him to enter the joust. And so he did, though the lance felt heavy in his hand. His first bout was against Lord Androw of Fair Isle, who was knocked from his horse by a well-aimed charge from the young mystery knight. In the break between rounds, was tending to his horse, when he was met by the sound of footsteps in the stable. When he turned, he was met by a noble lady, wearing the colours of House Farman. Andros' victory over her father had deeply impressed her, and as the young man approached to thank her, she gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, and asked him to wait for her father to visit before running off. Soon enough, Lord Androw arrived, and the young man discovered that the girl's name was Cyrelle, and she had requested to be betrothed to the young knight who had unhorsed her father. Lord Androw explained that he had spoken to Lord Flement, who had agreed, and that if Andros agreed, they could move forwards with wedding plans. Whilst he agreed enthusiastically, the heir to Tarbeck Hall had one burning question - how did they know who he was? To that, Lord Androw laughed, and replied, "you would have been better off choosing a more subtle name, Tarbeck."

Now impassioned by a will to impress his betrothed, Andros mounted his steed and set forth for the next bout, against Ser Renly Oakheart. However, in the second tilt, Ser Renly dismounted the young man with ease, and Andros fell from his horse with speed. His efforts had not just impressed Cyrelle Farman, however, and as the heir to Tarbeck Hall left the grounds, he was asked to kneel by a familiar voice. Jasper Tarbeck placed his sword upon his squire's shoulders, and bid him rise as *Ser* Andros, in earnest. And yet, for all the happiness, for all of the young man's giddy anxiety at his incoming marriage, chaos would strike House Tarbeck. Harsh winter took the lands around the castle, as it did with the rest of the lands south of the neck, but not as hard as it hit Andros' distant cousins at the Golden Tooth. One year into the winter, a party arrived bearing a Farman banner. At its head was Lord Adrian Farman, newly named lord of Fair Isle, and his sister Cyrelle.

Within the week, Andros was married, and by the end of the year, a young child was born, named Martyn after the Lord of Tarbeck Hall during the Conquest, who sacrificed himself to ensure that his line continued. Martyn was a healthy child, and was able to make it through the winter. Two more strong young children were born during Maegor's Breath, Lanna and Preston, and both were as healthy as their elder brother. However, health did not find its way to all of the Tarbecks, and in the final year of the winter, Lord Flement collapsed on a ride around the villages under Tarbeck control. Ser Jasper was able to bring his cousin back to the castle, but Flement was bedridden, constantly sick, and cold to the touch. His eyes were often glassy, and his mind was too weak to be able to rule. And so, it fell to Andros to take over, now deep in his twentieth year. For two years, he served as regent, and his rule was swift and effective. When a small group of dissidents rose up north of Tarbeck Hall, stating a lack of help for their village, Andros set forth with a party of knights, including the newly-dubbed Ser Benedict Tarbeck, bearing supplies and food for those who laid down their arms. When the group's leader refused and asked for a duel to the death, Andros reluctantly accepted. As soon as the blade of Andros' sword left its sheath, the bandit realised his mistake, as the regent did not bear castle-forged steel, but Valyrian, his father having bequeathed it to him in his last coherent moment. Dropping to his knees, the bandit yielded and expected a swift execution. Instead of a sword in his neck, however, a loaf of bread was placed before him.

That merciful action endeared the young heir to the smallfolk, something that would serve Andros well in future endeavours. It was, however, the last moment of happiness that winter, and that decade too. In 80 AC, Lord Flement breathed his last, as the Curse of Maegor had caught up with him. His funeral was grand, and the entirety of the population of the Tarbeck lands were invited, as Flement was well-loved, and his son was too. And yet, the kind merciful Andros Tarbeck was not the man who read the funeral speech, and it soon became apparent that Ser Jasper had arranged the grand ceremony, as Andros wore black-dyed simple clothes, his hair grown long in the last year, his beard unkempt. His speech was heartfelt and moving, but his voice was filled with gravel, and his posture slouched, and after he had said his last word, he returned to his solar for the rest of the day.

### Recovery, and the Mistake

For a full year, Andros locked himself away, only emerging from his solar to see the birth of his fourth and last child, who was named Gerion, and only permitting his wife to see him. Not even his brother, Benedict, or his mentor, Jasper, were allowed to enter. However, his seclusion did not stop him from ruling his lands. Concerns were written down and slipped through his door, and answers were swiftly made, commands given, and knights despatched. Andros' long mourning was worrying, but it was not a great issue, noted by the fact that a regent was never appointed - the Lord of Tarbeck Hall still served in a full capacity for his mourning - all two years of it. For the last year of the lord's seclusion, foul rumours spread across the castle, of hooded men sneaking in and out of the solar, each of different builds and sizes, shaven and bearded, and yet all blond. However, upon the end of Andros' mourning, the many theories were all put to rest. No thin, emaciated man emerged from his solar, bedraggled and underfed. Instead, Lord Andros appeared muscular and well-groomed, with Perseverance at his side. For the first time in two years, the Lord of Tarbeck Hall held court personally, carefully considering every request and petition from his seat at the head of the great hall.

When possible, Andros trained his eldest son, Martyn, as he had once been trained by his father, as well as training Ser Jasper's son, Jaime, and Lord Robert Reyne's youngest son, Theomore. Ser Jasper would train Preston, when he was of age to become a squire, and Ser Benedict would train Daryn Serrett, heir to Silverhill. Tarbeck Hall was packed with youth, and a smile returned to Andros' face.

From 82 AC to 90 AC, peace fell over House Tarbeck, for the first time in years. And yet, like all good things, it would not last. In the ninety-first year after Aegon's Conquest, Andros would make a grim mistake, one that would not show its repercussions until two years later. Sandor Reyne and his brother came to visit Tarbeck Hall to celebrate Cerenna Tarbeck's nameday, and made a foul comment involving Lady Cyrelle, one fuelled entirely by alcohol. When confronted by Andros in the castle gardens, the eldest twin attempted to take a swing at the Lord of Tarbeck Hall, only to have his fist held in the air, and receive a punch to his own stomach, winding him. As Sandor recoiled, the second brother attempted an assault, his only reward being a balled fist to the chin. Lifting both Reynes over his shoulder, Andros made his way to where Lord Robert Reyne was seated, and laid the man's sons out in front of him. When Lord Robert was told what happened, he gave his sons their own fierce slap, and requested that they be arrested for the night, as a further punishment.

### Know Us By Our Faith

Andros travelled with his liege, Tytos Lannister, to do homage to the newly ascended King Viserys I, and bore witness to the king's insults towards the realm's houses. Whilst angered by his comments, Andros explicitly parted ways with Lord Lannister on the road back to the Westerlands, returning to Tarbeck Hall to prepare. When word came from Casterly Rock that the West and the Reach were rising against the Crown, Andros sent a raven in return, holding a letter bearing nought but his house words - "Know Us By Our Faith". Within a few days, the last of House Tarbeck's levy arrived, and brought word of a Reyne host moving north to besiege the castle. Every smallfolk who could fit into the castle walls was recalled, and asked to bring their harvest with them, to prepare for the siege. Andros lined the walls with archers, and prepared a defence that would at best push the men of Castamere back, and at worst keep them from entering the walls.

When the Reyne army arrived, Andros was not surprised to see the young Sandor Reyne at its head, bearing a grudge against the Lord of Tarbeck Hall. For a moon, the two sides stood silent, the siege not yet escalating into a siege. However, on the first day of the second moon of the siege, Sandor Reyne attempted an assault, placing ladders on the great curtain wall. Led by Ser Benedict Tarbeck, the first defence was a resounding Tarbeck victory, with Reyne soldiers falling from the walls in droves, Ser Benedict himself standing at the front lines, tearing through the enemy with his halberd. As the red lions licked their wounds, Benedict led a small sally, burning a few tents before returning to the castle.

However, it would not go to plan. Sandor performed a second assault, and whilst it was repelled, the battle was far closer, even with both Tarbeck brothers, Ser Jasper, and the newly-knighted Ser Jaime fighting side-by-side. Worried by the growing casualties on his side, Andros planned a grand sally. Joined by his former mentor, Andros would attempt a charge on the very centre of House Reyne's lines during the night when many were sleeping, to try and break through to Sandor Reyne and take him captive, or if necessary, have him slain. As dusk fell on the enemy's formation, the gates to Tarbeck Hall swung open, and Jasper and Andros Tarbeck charged forth, knights and men-at-arms at their backs. Meeting the lines of House Reyne, they fought valiantly, nearly breaking through the enemy. However, they were not fast enough, and the commotion caused awoke a large number of the red lion's forces. Slowly but surely, Andros was forced to call the retreat, with his contingent of soldiers trickling back through the gates. After a while, it was just the Lord of Tarbeck Hall and his elite knights remaining, fighting tooth and nail to return to the castle. As the majority of the group entered the castle once more, Andros spotted Sandor Reyne charging forth on horseback. The heir to Castamere dealt a heavy blow to the Tarbeck's side, knocking him to the floor, and for a moment, Andros thought he was dead. It was only thanks to the heroic actions of Theomore Reyne, his squire and the Reyne's brother, that he escaped, with the young lad plunging a sword into the thigh of Sandor's horse, knocking him to the ground. Andros and Theomore ran, and the gates closed shut behind them.

Andros had been badly wounded, but so had Reyne, and so the siege once more became a stalemate. Whilst both sides planned another attack, their plans were cut short by word from King's Landing - the war had ended in a white peace, with many of the former rebels being granted place on the Small Council, in return for the justiciars being restored in the West and Reach. However, a more personal letter arrived at Tarbeck Hall, stating that a member of the Kingsguard had been slain in the war, and a replacement was needed. Ser Benedict Tarbeck's presence was therefore requested in the capital. As soon as the forces of House Reyne were recalled by Lord Robert, Andros and his brother set off for King's Landing, in a time of fragile peace.

### Justice

Andros could describe no feeling more fitting than pride as his brother had a white cloak draped about his neck, and was bid to rise as Ser Benedict of the Kingsguard. And yet, dread persisted in his mind, the reckless acts committed by Sandor Reyne deeply worrying him. And when King Viserys called him forward personally, that sense of dread was only amplified. Another reward for House Tarbeck's loyalty, yet this one was a double-edged sword. As the last High Justiciar of the Westerlands, Lord Yarwyck, had joined Tytos Lannister in revolt against the crown, the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms named Andros his successor, to deliver justice in his homeland. Courteously, the Tarbeck accepted the post, and yet had to hold himself back from spitting on the ground before the King. To appoint a man who had fought his own countrymen to a position of authority over them was equal to a death sentence. Andros resigned himself to it, however, and set off home to Tarbeck Hall, where he appointed the ever-loyal Ser Jasper to the position of castellan, before heading to Casterly Rock.

As Lord Tytos had assumed the position of Master of Ships, it was Ser Jason Lannister, heir to Casterly Rock, that Andros advised in all things judicial. From his office in the great mountain, the Lord of Tarbeck Hall dealt with crimes and offences of all kinds, from petty thievery to rape and murder. Whilst fearful of the reaction of his fellow Westerlanders over his position, Andros dealt with his duties swiftly and efficiently, despatching justiciars to wherever necessary. However, even occupied by justice, the Lord of Tarbeck Hall could not dispel the thoughts that ran through his mind, of the events in the Rosegold Rebellion. Distant or not, House Tarbeck and House Reyne shared blood, and yet in the young heir to Castamere's eyes, blood meant nothing if not spilt. In one year, Andros had aged five, deep wrinkles appearing in his face where there should have been none, and light grey streaks making themselves known in his hair. And yet, for all he had been through, the man who had once been Ser Andros of the Shattered Star continued his fair rule, and his dispensation of justice, knowing that he had to be an example for future generations. An example that may prevent more Sandor Reynes.

### Chaos Rising

After the funeral of Balerion the Black Dread, Andros, spurred on by the permission of Lord Harry Darry, begun an investigation into Sandor Reyne, to ensure that previous crimes would not be repeated. However, after a discussion with Lord Tytos Lannister, the High Justiciar stepped back from the investigation, leaving Ser Joffrey Lannister to lead the investigation.

Upon the murder of Manfryd Rowan at Highgarden, Andros joined the king on the march into the Reach, fighting at the Battle of Bitterbridge. After the battle, he was appointed garrison commander and regent of the castle until the arrival of the new Lord Raymun Caswell. Only a few weeks later, he was relieved of his duties and ordered to return to King's Landing to assume the position of Lord Justiciar of the Realm, replacing Harry Darry who now served as Master of Coin.

After only a few months in the capital as Lord Justiciar, the King's court once more shifted. Roy Baratheon was to be married, and a tourney was to be held in celebration. Andros was not sure what had come over him, but he had gone south with His Grace's retinue and entered himself into the tourney as a mystery knight, the Knight of the Shattered Star. Last he had held that name, he had been knocked from his horse by Renly Oakheart. It would not happen this time. Lyman Crane, Edric Connington, Quentyn Oakheart, and Roland Reyne came before him, and none of them could keep their seats as the knight charged them with reckless abandon. When the time came for the champions to vote for their choices of Queen of Love and Beauty, the thrill had overtaken Andros. Light-headed and foolish, he said the first name that came to his head, the name of someone he was supposed to meet with after the tourney's conclusion. Lord Tytos Lannister's name was uttered before the Knight of the Shattered Star fell from his horse.

### The Realm Burns

Soon after his return to the capital, Andros was once more sent forth to deal with the King's problems. Agnes Tully had raised her banners against the crown in some manner, and the Lord Justiciar and the Master of Laws had been ordered to deal with it. Andros and Tommard attempted to convince the Lady of Riverrun to stand down, but she refused. It took until the arrival of a great host led by King Viserys for the self-proclaimed Queen of the Trident to surrender, resulting in Lord Tommard being elevated her position. For a moment, if only a few moons, peace returned to the Seven Kingdoms and Andros could be content with dealing with petty criminals and fools. But the hunger for power that occupies all men and women returned, as soon as it had seemingly faded.

House Martell had brought their full strength to bear against the Stormlands, and although the forces of House Baratheon were able to hold back the Dornish armies for a while, in 102 AC intervention on behalf of the Crown was necessary. In the Prince's Pass, Lord Clyve Caron was ordered to besiege Skyreach and Kingsgrave and try and open the way to Dorne proper. As a High Justiciar, Andros ordered Lord Clyve to send monthly reports to the Father's Bastion. Initially, it seemed to be a strong way to ensure the safety and success of the allied forces against Dorne. It would end up being a fatal mistake.

Upon the fifth report of total failure, Andros' fury grew immensely. Drawing *Perseverance* in his office during a meeting with a Stormlander representative, the Lord Justiciar brought his Valyrian Steel down upon his desk, scattering papers and documents across the room as the solid wooden surface split in two. After doing so, the Tarbeck sat down once more in his chair and dismissed the representative before he returned to bed with a splitting headache.

When the morning came, and his son Martyn went to check on him, he had passed.

## Family Tree

http://www.familyecho.com/?p=START&c=le009hxz6l&f=294377768708139096