Gerold Lannister

## Lord Paramount of the Westerlands

Gerold Lannister is the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and Lord of Casterly Rock.

## Appearance

Gruff with short cropped hair, he isn't particularly muscular but nor is he out of shape or otherwise thin. His shoulders are wide. He has green eyes and blonde hair he constantly keeps cut short, unlike his cousins and the like who prefer long curls. He smiles at times, although publicly it is much less seen.

## History

Gerold Lannister, Warden of the West, Lord of Casterly Rock, and Shield of Lannisport was born in the year 355AC. His father was Loren Lannister - hero of The War of Fire and Faith and husband to the newly legitimized bastard Rhaella Targaryen - but Gerold rarely saw him throughout his entire life.

He had three siblings - two sisters of the name Cersei and Tya who both had golden locks, and a brother with silver hair that died young of some sort of birth defect. Gerold had never seen that child, the maester had kept it in his chambers day and night and only came out to say that the babe was dead.

Although he might have been born of Loren’s seed, he had little love for the man, and those close to him said that it was akin to hate. He never spoke publicly about it though, knowing that family was family, and he would never stab another family member in the back.

Loren was always away, journeying Westeros and Essos with his Targaryen wife. The two were supposedly madly in love, so far in love that in fact they entirely ignored their children.

Gerold was raised by Lorens brother Tywald, a stout man with a mind for governance who kept a close watch on Loren’s children.. Gerold saw him as a father, and grieved much more than he did when his own father passed. Tywald taught Gerold most of his core values, among those being pride, not only in himself but in his house. Although Tywald tried his best not to corrupt Gerold’s view of his father, in a drunken rant he proclaimed Loren a “whoremongerer who wanted a taste of Targaryen instead of marrying the woman he was betrothed to.”

Apparently, Loren had been promised to a lovely Lannisport cousin of his by the name of Alysanne. However, Rhaella had always been his childhood fancy despite his bastard status and he had flung himself into war for his heart. The deaths of Westermen during that war lied heavily on the heart of Tywald, and that transferred onto Gerold.

Gerold developed an intense sense of pride in his family and the Westerlands, and a xenophobia for those outside of it. He grew to loathe his father and what he stood for. Travelling around the world rather than ruling, marrying a Valyrian bastard rather than marrying who he was betrothed to. The intensity of his own thoughts shocked him, but it assured him even more that he was right, and he was destined to rule.

When he was of the age of 22 Tywald died an early death. Gerold was distraught, finding himself in the depths of a deep depression for the first time in his life. However, this depression was broke when he met the wonderful woman that would be the eventual mother of his children. Her name was Alyssa Crakehall, she was two years younger than him, she was a cousin on the crakehall branch but it did not matter to him. She was a Westerlander and neither of them were promised to anyone, he would not repeat the mistakes of his father.

They had 4 children, the two eldest were boys of the name Martyn and Tommen, the latter two were girls of the names Senelle and Tyana. He was not the best father, but he was determined to not do the same thing his father had done to him. He treated them harshly, but fairly in his opinion.

Life went on as normal for Gerold until the death of his father Loren when Gerold was of the age 30, he did not weep at the funeral, nor did he smile. He was stone-faced, looking down at the man who had not raised him. His mother - Rhaella - was distraught. In her old age she had been quite sickly, and she died quite soon after. Those more romantically inclined said she died of a broken heart, but the maester said it was a stroke, and nothing to do with the unfortunate passing of her dear husband.

Gerold took over as lord then, and harder than his father ever could’ve been, was determined to better his house. He quickly married off both his sisters to suitable suitors much to their dismay, Loren had never been around to do so and Tywald had liked them too much, not wanting to see them sent away to some distant stronghold to raise babes. He made sure to hold court daily, and to deal with breakers of the law harshly. He executed a small lord, Spicer, in the most infamous event of his rule, as he had murdered a woman who had struggled against him while he tried to rape her. Many do not have reason to fear him, yet they do so, they were so used to not being ruled at all under Loren that they were unaccustomed to a strong head of House Lannister.

To this day Gerold looks for more opportunities, whether in terms of gold or power, and as a new king was crowned his eyes glanced towards the iron throne, a lust for a small council position building in his heart.

Extra Info: Martyn is the more warrior type, is decent at sword but thinks he is much much better than he is. Tommen is shy and secretive, delving into books more often than he swings a sword. Senelle and Tyana are very much alike at first sight, outgoing and energetic. However, Senelle is more likely to retire to her rooms at night whilst Tyana sneaks out with servants and the like, exploring every nook and cranny of the rock.

Gerold is not one to be outward about his xenophobia. He can have enough self-control to smile and do pleasantries, although more aware people may be able to notice a clenched fist, or that his eyes did not smile alongside his mouth. He has an especial hate for Dornish and Ironborn, fueled by harmful stereotypes and bad personal experiences.