Aethan Rivers

Addysen Smallwood

Joanna Rivers

Cyril Smallwood

Ser **Aethan Rivers** is the bastard son of Lord Orynn Smallwood and his lover, Cerelle Roxton. Aethan was raised in Atranta as a ward and squire of Lord Laswell Vance, and befriended Theowyn Vance and Arton Rivers during his time there, ultimately being knighted by Theowyn during the hunt for his Laswell's killers.

With the recent death of all his trueborn siblings, Aethan's father has called him and his bastard sister, Joanna Rivers back to Acorn Hall, their futures uncertain.

## Appearance and Character

Aethan is a tall, strong, and vigorous man, in the spitting image of his father. He has a head of thick, wavy, dirty blonde hair, and a pair of warm brown eyes. A stubble rests along his chin, as does a thin scar on his left cheek. He dresses often in rather simple, comfortable clothes when not in his armor, and he dons a plain blue cloak.

Though vain and debaucherous, Aethan is a good man at heart, and values strength and loyalty above all else. Many know him to be a charming, happy, and gregarious person, in direct contrast to his father, with whom he has a rather strained relationship. He takes great pride in both himself and his impressive abilities with the sword.

## History

### Early Life at Atranta

Born in 419 AC as a bastard to Lord Orynn Smallwood and Cerelle Roxton, baby Aethan was whisked away rather quickly from Acorn Hall to Atranta, where he would be raised as a page and later squire of Lord Laswell Vance. He never got a chance to know his own mother. Growing up in Atranta, he would befriend Theowyn Vance, Lord Laswell's eldest son and heir, as well as Byron Vance, and Arton Rivers. The four of them were thick as thieves, and often ran around and played together.

The majority of Aethan's time spent in Atranta is remembered by him as joyful. He possessed an aptitude for the sword from early on in his childhood, and took on his training in combat very well, becoming just as skilled as Theowyn, and even then some.

When the Second Hammer Uprising occured, signifying the start of the Bleeding, Aethan was still too young to help in the little action Atranta saw, but he felt it's effects none the less. The Four Year Winter struck hard, and covered the Riverlands in feet of snow. The nobles faced many of the same hardships the smallfolk did, and food was scarce, having to be conservatively rationed out. Nobody was prepared.

### Knighthood

Early on in the year of 438, Lord Laswell Vance was hunting, with Aethan aside him, as the latter was his squire. Unfortunately though, the two would be beset by a rather large band of outlaws. They both fought as admirably as could be expected, but the skirmish ultimately ended with Laswell's death, and Aethan just barely escaping, sustaining a good few cuts on his body in the process.

For once, Aethan had seen a distraught Theowyn, who is usually quite stoic. When Bryndemere arrived at Atranta, all three of them, plus Arton Rivers and thirty other men, embarked to scour the woods for the bandits. In return for Aethan's devotion towards administering justice to Laswell's killers, Theowyn knighted Aethan alongside Arton. Excluding the circumstances behind it, being knighted brought Aethan great pride. Figuring that a proper sword of a knight should have a name, he took to calling his sword *Misery's End*.

Not long after obtaining his knighthood, Aethan recieved unfortunate news from Acorn Hall. All of his trueborn siblings had died from a rather nasty winter chill, and the Lady Elayna Hawick had hung herself in the woods. With his father requesting his return to Acorn Hall after the snows had melted, Aethan bid farewell to Theowyn and Ser Arton, and prepared for his journey home.

### Acorn Hall

Acorn Hall had been nothing like Aethan had imagined it to be. Maybe it was simply a bad time, or perhaps it was Orynn's sour mood that made the place feel cold and unwelcoming. Regardless, he wasn't a fan. For the first time ever though, he met his sister, Joanna Rivers, who was four years his junior. She was a quiet girl, and polite enough, although it didn't quite make up for the company he was missing back at Atranta.

Very early on, a bitterness had already started to grow between Orynn and his bastard children. Orynn was still grief stricken over the deaths of his trueborn children, while Aethan and Joanna were upset that the only time he bothered to show any interest with them was after his trueborns had died. The first several months were rocky and unstable, but as more time went by, the more they avoided each other when they could. Life for Aethan became quite solitary, although he had formed a friendship with his sister, originating from their bond of bastardy.

With tensions in the realm rising, Aethan was sent to Wayfarer's Rest to represent House Smallwood in the court of Lord Vance.

## Family

* *Roddyn Smallwood, Lord of Acorn Hall, d. 389*
* *m. Kara Ironsmith, Lady Consort, d. 405*
	+ Orynn Smallwood, Lord of Acorn Hall, b. 386
	+ *m. Elayna Hawick, Lady Consort, d. 438*
		- *Tordrin Smallwood, b. 410 d. 436*
		- *Uthor Smallwood, b. 413 d. 437*
		- *Addysen Smallwood, b. 415 d. 436*
		- *Cyril Smallwood, b. 424 d. 436*
	+ *Cerelle Roxton, d. 427*
		- **Ser Aethan Rivers**, b. 419
		- Joanna Rivers, b. 423