Arryn Blackwell

Ayden Blackwell - brother

Thomas Blackwell - brother

**Arryn Blackwell** is a character in Book 2. He is a sellsword, just like his brother Ayden, yet unlike him, he is not the slightest bit level-headed, sometimes fighting just for the sake of it and absolutely yearning for a good combat.

## Background

Arryn Blackwell was born as the eldest son of a Westerosi who was living in Braavos, the sellsord Morley Blackwell. Growing up as the largest, strongest Blackwell, he was often seen fighting other kids, even his two younger brothers and his temper didn't get the slightest bit better when his father introduced him to armed combat.

It was, as a result, no surprise when Arryn joined a sellsword company in Braavos at a young age. His father was old by then and passed away while Arryn was somewhere in the Disputed Lands, fighting for the Volantene. His absence at his father's deathbed did not bother him too much, but his younger brother Ayden would never truly forgive him about this.

In fact, the brothers did not part ways on good terms. Tracking him down to Lys, Ayden got into a fight with Arryn, during which the latter overpowered the former with ease. Though sparing him, Ayden left Lys and Essos in general, never to return and vowing to never speak a word to his brother. Once more, Arryn barely cared.

He continued his life as a sellsword, fighting against the Volantene this time and side by side with the Stormlanders during Argilac Durrandon's part in the war against Volantis. It was during a particularly vicious battle that he found his true calling. Surrounded by corpses and blood, Arryn realized that the thrill of combat was the best feeling he ever had in his life. Feeling truly alive for perhaps the first time, he travelled through the Free Cities in the following years, always trying to find another fight that would challenge him like the one against the Volantene.

During these travels, he picked up sellsword work, but due to his own code of honour, which demanded of him to only work for a worthy fighter, he earned less coin than he needed. As such, he eventually fell into debt, most prominently with the Lysene Rogare bank.

## Book 2

### Thorns

Around the time of the War of Conquest, Arryn was living in Lys, seeking a new worthy cause to fight and trying to avoid Rogare's debt collectors. It was there that he met Jaron and Samuel Harrington, who were looking for him after his brother claimed he might be able to help them in their pursuit of Abbas al-Yunkari.

Starting their talk on a bad foot, Arryn was startled when they approached him and punched Samuel in the face. However, things quickly calmed down when he realized why they were approaching him. Explaining that he has no interest in simply being a sellsword for hire to find Jaron's lost love, he instead offered that Jaron could fight him to gain his loyalty in a bar brawl. After hesitating, Jaron decided in favour of this, against Samuel's outspoken warning.

## Appearance

Arryn is physically not too different from his brother. With dark hair and eyes, as well as olive skin, he looks a bit like Ayden, albeit he has a full beard and more broad features. Due to a lifetime pushing himself to his physical limits, he is strong and broad of shoulder, as well as a bit taller than his brother. Coming off as a bit cold, he only shows passion when talking about a fight or actually fighting, which is when he allows himself to show emotions more freely.

## Personality

Arryn is a hot-headed man who lives for the thrill of a good combat. He is a bit blood-thirsty, but for the most part, blood isn't even what he is after. He seeks the thrill of the fight itself, finding joy in testing his abilities, his strength and skill, preferrably in a risky fight to the death. He is unreliable to anyone who hasn't won his loyalty and volatile in his temper and goals, fully relishing in his brutish nature. On top of that, he has a serious problem with paying his debts, usually considering those that he owes coin to as lesser due to them typically not being good fighters. In general, Arryn respects only strength and skill with arms.

## Relationships

### Jaron

Jaron has only heard of Arryn through Ayden and with the fondness he has for the other Blackwell comes the hope that he could get along with Arryn the same. This is quickly proven to be wrong when Arryn reveals how different he is from his brother. He is quick to dismiss Jaron's intentions as foolish, albeit he is impressed by Jaron's determination to succeed at recruiting him, enough that he offers him a chance to do so.

### Samuel Harrington

The relationship between Arryn and Samuel starts off on the wrong foot. Startled by his approach, Arryn punches Samuel in the face and it takes the sellsword a lot of self-restraint not to cut him down in a response, albeit they exchange some threats. Samuel is quick to consider Arryn a lost cause and a mess of a person, albeit Arryn in return actually appreciates Samuel's tough nature and praising him for it.

### Ayden Blackwell

Arryn and Ayden don't have the best relationship, despite being brothers. While Arryn has always been a wild, carefree man, Ayden's sense of family and duty naturally clashed with this worldview. Arryn's absence on their father's deathbed was only the final straw and after a brutal fight, Ayden effectively cut all contact with his brother. If anything, Arryn seems a bit bitter about this, hinting that he wouldn't be too heartbroken if his brother would just die.