Elric Stark

### Build

Somewhat slender, athleticHale / Two-Handed, Armored, Footwork, Tactician, Reckless Attacker

## Family

### Father

Brandon Stark, tenth of that name

**Elric Stark** is the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Winter as the only son of King Brandon Stark. Although young, his tumultuous adolescence and long-time role as an heir to a vast kingdom has granted him a fearsome nature and a questionable reputation.

## Background

He was born in Winterfell one night, the third child and only son of King Brandon X Stark and Queen Lyanne Stark. His birth was a difficult one, and later tragic as well, as his mother passed away from loss of blood and soon departed this world. The king had long hoped for a son to carry on his ancient legacy, but the loss of Lyanne, a woman he had grown very fond of during their marriage, seemed to overshadow this blessing he had received. The father went on to recall his son as no more than a bloody mess that slew his beloved even when the boy entered adolescence. This picture only strengthened in his mind as his son, whom he later called Elric, after the nickname given by a wet nurse, grew into an awkward, unappealing boy. His chin was too weak, his hair too thick and greasy, his eyes too wicked. King Brandon's suspicions were confirmed. His wife had been claimed by a demon from the farthest reaches of the world where only the Others dwelt.

His deeply rooted antagonism towards a child clashed with another priority. King Brandon could not bring himself to marry again and sire another heir, and by the laws of gods and men, his lands and titles would have to pass to Elric. Always a stern and just man, he also wouldn't stoop to fabricating some plot to replace his heir with another, and thus he bitterly settled for his cursed hellspawn. Needless to say, these contrasting ideas, loathing and duty, did not mix well, and the boy's upbringing was turbulent to say the least. Mostly the king wilfully ignored his son and left his early education to the servants. When his son came to him for guidance, he was refused or punished for interrupting the father's royal business. Sometimes the often so gentle man lashed at him, called him names, threatened to have him exiled. By adolescence, it was clear to Elric that he would never know his own father like other boys knew theirs.

Brandon's healthy relationship with Elric's older daughters didn't help at all. Envy and confusion filled his heart, and though his sisters loved him as a brother like a sibling should, he became jealous of the girls and had a hard time returning their love. He was possessed by the guilt placed on him by his father, despite not having any memory of his birth. By his teenage years he had learned to confront these negative feelings through hatred, malice and reclusion. As if the mental abuse wasn't enough, many people at Winterfell - stablehands and washerwomen and the like - secretly sneered at his ridiculous appearance. Elric replied to this by bashing their teeth in with his fists. Of course, whenever he did so, his father punished him and called him a wild beast, monster, animal or some variation thereof. A deformed creature that should have died with Queen Lyanne. Little did the king know, in his blind anger, that this harsh treatment would turn an otherwise innocent child into the monster that he thought him to be.

Before eventually indulging in ale and gambling as a means to escape all the anguish, Elric chose martial arts as an outlet. His face didn't grow any more handsome, but years of training gave him an outstanding physique. Elric eventually chose the greatsword as his weapon of choice, considering that he would one day wrench his family's Valyrian steel blade from his father's frozen fingers. By his late teens he had become such a fearsome warrior that the sparring grounds of Winterfell wouldn't satisfy his lust for battle. King Brandon refused any suggestion of war with the Arryns - the Three Sisters having been a contested prize for generations - so it would seem that the young wolf wouldn't see real battles any time soon. He could hardly stand his father's judging gaze, however, and instead of languishing at Winterfell he frequently rode all around the North, solidifying Winterfell's authority in its domain with a host of men at his back.