Godric Crane

Rylene Graceford, d.291 AA, his third wife

Meredyth Peake, d.296AA, his fourth wife

### Relatives

Ser Arthur Crane, Knight of the Greenhand. Brother, b. 270 AA.Talla Crane. Sister, b. 276 AA.

## Biography

Born in 265 AA as the first of three children, he was shown little affection or love by his parents. His mother, Lady Gwynesse, was a sickly woman and had little time for her children. His father, Lord Cellador, was haunted by the failures of his own youth, and left thoroughly devoid of any familial love. A raging alcoholic, when Lord Cellador grew drunk he also became abusive. Godric did his best to shelter his younger siblings from his father’s uncontrollable rage, but to no avail. To be a child in the Crane household was to suffer dejection, humiliation and countless beatings.

In 281 AA, a week or so after Godric’s sixteenth nameday, Lord Cellador passed away. Lady Gwynesse followed shortly afterwards, leaving him and his siblings orphaned. Now Lord of Red Lake and Warden of the Lake, Godric found Lordship much to his liking. He spent his first few years solidifying his House’s position amongst the other bannermen of the Reach, and the minor Houses that were sworn to the Cranes. The darkness and decay of his father’s rule was quickly forgotten as Godric made pains to see Red Lake restored to a happy and prosperous land.

For a time, all was good.

After his eighteenth nameday, Godric decided that it was at last time for him to marry. Eventually, after a rather long and fruitless search, he found Bethany Shermer. The daughter of one of his vassals, Godric fell profoundly in love with her. The two were married not a few Moons after they first met, and life at Red Lake grew yet more joyous. This joy only grew after Bethany gave birth to a healthy baby boy, whom the couple named Leo. But this period of joy would not last for long.

In 285 AA, warriors of House Harlaw arrived in the lands of House Crane. Godric was left helpless: without enough men to fight off the Ironmen, he simply remained trapped behind the strong walls of his keep as they terrorized his people. His new family was less lucky. Unbeknownst to Godric, Rylene was intercepted on the road back to Red Lake by a band of reavers, having visited her parents at Smithyton. Though his own lands and people had been ravaged, Lord Crane’s countrymen soon united against the invaders. Godric managed to rally what remained of his forces, leading them to meet with other northern Reachlords against Lord Harlaw. In the subsequent battle Godric discovered that he was, in fact, a rather competent tactician. Soon after this the rest of the Ironmen would be forced out from the Reach. With the war now over, the search began for Godric’s wife and son. Both were soon found slaughtered, leaving Godric bereft and alone once more. In his solace and agony, all the Crane could do was to turn to the sweet release that alcohol offered him.

Years passed slowly by, until a passing hedge knight introduced his daughter - Alysanne - to Godric. She was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever met, and he fell in love once more. After a short period of courting the two were soon married. Yet what he had mistaken for love soon faded away into nothingness, and eventually into hatred. Godric sought pleasure in the arms of other women, and took up a string of various mistresses. It quickly became necessary for the Warden of the Lake to hide his sordid business from his wife, especially so when some of his mistresses began to turn up at Red Lake with infants who looked remarkably like Godric. He became quite adept at operating in the shadows, and soon found a number of trustworthy spies upon which he could rely. [Covert.]

Fever took his second wife in 290 AA, before she had the chance to provide with an heir. Godric did not attend her funeral: already his mind turned to thoughts of remarrying, this time to another daughter of one of his bannermen. A widow and the mother to two children already, it was thought that Rylene Graceford would prove fertile enough to give Lord Crane the child he so desired. Alas, things were not to be. That same year, at the funeral of Dickon Fossoway, Godric met and eventually became close to Ellyn Fossoway. Godric had become less and less careful about ensuring the secrecy of his affairs, and Rylene eventually discovered his infidelity. Already suffering in her loveless and harsh marriage she was now driven mad by her husband’s betrayals, and tragedy struck again when Rylene took her own life right before Godric’s eyes. Her suicide only drove Godric more firmly into the treacherous embrace of rampant alcoholism.

Bitterness overwhelmed Lord Crane. The War of the Trident was now in full swing, and Godric hurried north to fight alongside his King. He was first tasked with hunting down bandits and deserters who plagued the rear of the Gardener army in the Riverlands. Unfortunately, these traitors had won over the support and affection of the local smallfolk, many of whom aided and abetted them in their treacherous endeavours. Godric did not hesitate to arrest any and all peasants who were suspected of aiding enemies of the Garden King, regardless of whether they were men, women or children. Godric personally oversaw most of their interrogations, becoming a skilled torturer in the process. With the information these traitors imparted to him he was able to successfully destroy most of the roaming bands of marauders.

In turn, he was rewarded for his service with the command of a small force of men sent to take one of the minor keeps that remained defiant against King Gwayne. It soon became clear that the Riverlord who held it would not surrender, and that a lengthy siege would not be possible. Against the advice of his subordinates, a drunken Godric ordered an immediate assault. It was a bloody and costly affair but the keep was taken, and for some reason the Gods chose to keep Godric alive. [Beleaguer.] He returned to the main Gardener army just in time to fight alongside his King at the Battle of Stoney Sept. What had promised to be a spectacular victory transformed into a bloody and humiliating retreat - with the Crane forces suffering heavy and devastating losses at the hands of their enemies. Only through a sudden burst of inspiring leadership did Godric lead his battered men out from the jaws of the lion to safety.

After the war, Godric returned to Red Lake. In 294 AA he once more took a wife, this time a close childhood friend of his: Meredyth Peake. They were content, and for a while Godric found stability in his life. He gave up his mistresses, and even endured a spell of enforced sobriety. But when Meredyth died a few years later, after having given birth to a daughter, he found his life shattered once again. The Crane returned to alcohol and adultery, as he had before, refusing even to see his infant daughter. Little Rohanne was abandoned by her father, left in the care of her nursemaids as Godric fell into a deep and sorrowful depression - one from which he has not recovered. It was, in fact, only on the insistence of a number of his close friends and family that Godric married for the fifth time in 298 AA. His new bride: Corenna, sister to Lord Gareth Oakheart.

## Timeline

* 265 AA: Born to Lord Cellador and Lady Gwynesse Crane.
* 281 AA: Death of father; Godric becomes Lord of Red Lake.
* 283 AA: Marries Bethany Shermer, his first wife.
* 285 AA: Death of first wife and son during King Cotter’s War.
* 287 AA: Marries Alysanne, his second wife.
* 290 AA: Death of second wife. Marries Rylene Graceford, his third wife.
* 291 AA: Meets Ellyn Fossoway. Suicide of his third wife. The War of the Trident.
* 294 AA: Marries Meredyth Peake, his fourth wife.
* 296 AA: Death of fourth wife. Birth of Rohanne.
* 298 AA: Marriage to Corenna Oakheart, fifth wife. Travels to Harrenhal.

## Family

* Ser Arthur Crane, Knight of the Greenhand. Brother, b. 270 AA.
* Talla Crane. Sister, b. 276 AA.
* Rohanne Crane. Daughter, b.296 AA.
* Robert Crane. Uncle, b. 252 AA.
* Ser Simon Crane. Cousin, b. 275 AA.

Deceased:

*Lord Cellador Crane. Father, d.281 AA.*

*Lady Gwynesse Crane. Mother, d.281 AA.*

*Bethany Shermer. Wife, d.285 AA.*

*Leo Crane. Son, d.285 AA.*

*Alysanne. Wife, d. 290 AA.*

*Rylene Graceford. Wife, d. 291 AA.*

*Meredyth Peake. Wife, d.296 AA.*

## Supporting Characters

* Ser Simon Crane. *Tourney Knight.*
* Rolph Flowers. *Scout.*
* Robert Crane. *Castellan.*
* Maester Raymar. *Maester.*
* Lymond of Laketown. *Trader.*