Androw Lydden

Androw Lydden is the Lord of Deep Den. Despite not being as young anymore, Androw still looks a squire. He sports a young face of soft features that lacks a stubble (or any sign of facial hair for that matter), short fair hair and rather small brown eyes. He would hardly pass for an imposing figure as he’s rather thin, but there’s lean strength to his body and he moves in a supple and graceful manner. He’s easy to smile, which makes the times when he is not yet more serious.

## **Biography**

Androw Lydden was born in the year of 274 as the fifth son and the very last child of the ruling Lord of Deep Den, Lewys Lydden, and as such he had never been considered destined to be anything more than a retainer in the household of one of his older siblings; that fact being reflected in his father’s decision to embark on a journey to spread the fame of Lydden name mere months after Androw’s release upon the light of the world. “As soon as your Lady Mother is done teaching you how to hold a spoon and a fork, I shall return to teach you how to hold a longsword - I promise.”

But years flew by and before long, Androw figured he was so bad at holding spoons that his Lord Father decided to never return to Deep Den at all. It quickly became a habit to call his eldest sibling Jason, twenty-and-four years old by the time Androw was three, “Lord Brother” instead of much simpler “Jason”, but that too did not last long. It’d been months into Jason’s rule of Lydden lands when a stray arrow found its way into his lordly neck, yet another terrible example of Lady Fortune’s indifference towards the Deep Den’s overlords; Lord Jason was the only casualty of that minor showdown with bandits. “I’ve never understood our brother’s love for jewelry. See, anyone can tell this neckpiece doesn’t favor the color of his face in any way,” remarked Androw’s brother Lyonel at the sight of the corpse, amidst the muffled weeps of their Lady Mother echoing from the neighboring chamber.

The following two years would turn out to be rather peaceful. Lady Leana, who had become the Regent to the badger lands, was a loving mother to her people just as much as she was to all her children; sometimes perhaps even overly so, like the time when she refused to have Androw trained in swords. “Men and swords together do no good,” she’d mutter each time Androw came to her pleading. “Swords make men brave and bravery is just another word for foolishness. Your father and your brother were both brave. I shall have no more of that.”

Not even Androw’s brother Petyr, the de jure Lord of Deep Den, would dare to stand up to the direct order of Lady Leana. So instead, Petyr and Lyonel jointly gave Androw a golden wood bow from the Summer Isles for his sixth nameday, to Lady Regent’s great irritation.

But that anger went away whole when the saying “dark wings, dark words” came to fruition weeks hence. Androw’s brother Joffrey, who opted to pursue the life path of a Maester, had fallen victim to the very same sickness he was trying to cure, at the age of twenty-and-four. Lady Leana collapsed and grown recluse in a matter of days. “Had Joff only listened to us,” sighed Lyonel on the evening of the sad day. “Half of the lasses in the Reach suffer from gout, the other half from the bloody flux. We’ve always been telling him to only bed the limping ones…”

Petyr Lydden was soon hailed the Lord of Deep Den and so it had been left to Lyonel and Deep Den’s archers to spend afternoons in the courtyard with Androw and his golden wood bow, who would battle with what he considered at that time a humongous weapon courageously and eventually started showing great talent to the amazement of all the elder warriors the castle boasted. Lyonel would always watch him from the side of the courtyard reserved for swordsmen with that half-smile of his that showed sincere, yet wary admiration. “Remember, brother - the best arrows are the ones you never have to release.” Lyonel’s words of encouragement fueled Androw not only in his archery training, but also in further study of warfare, and since their mother had shown no signs of breaking her melancholic detachment from the rest of the family in the nearest future, they became sparring partners as well, with Lyonel finally teaching Androw the basics of wielding a sword. [Archery, Fortifier (e)]

But that too was bound to pass rather quickly. Lyonel was the one from the Lydden brother’s quintet to always venture under every passing skirt, which made no harm as long as it was kept to the badger lands. However, Lyonel on the verge of adulthood found a passion for travelling and it was during his rather short stay at Cornfield when he was found in bed with Lord Swyft’s very daughter. Lord Swyft, raging, would’ve surely had his head off had he not acknowledged Lyonel as his guest the day before; instead, he sent a runner to Deep Den demanding Petyr Lydden to swear to banish Lyonel to the Wall for his crime after his release from Cornfield, otherwise repercussions would follow. Petyr agreed to this hastily.

Weeks hence, Lyonel Lydden set off to the far north, but not before dozens of tearful farewells had been exchanged. Even Lady Leana broke her seclusion to hug her son goodbye, a soft weep reddening her face, which would eventually turn out to mark the start of a grudge against Petyr for exiling her third to last son.

In a castle engulfed in a power conflict between otherwise very nonconfrontational Lord Petyr and half-mad with grief Lady Leana, Androw has set it upon himself to take the black when he comes to age and started training yet more fiercely. In the meanwhile, Lady Leana reestablished good relations with House Swyft by arranging a betrothal between the Swyft girl in question and Androw’s cousin Ser Quenton, which also allowed her to preclude Lord Swyft making his daughter abort the natural son Lyonel has sired with her.

But her grasp on the lordship eventually weakened as Androw had gotten older and eventually in 284 AA sided in the family conflict with his brother Petyr, in exchange for him taking Androw up as a squire. By then, Androw’s proficiency with a great bow and knowledge of warfare is uncontestable by his peers; moreover, guardsmen of Deep Den flock to him as one of their own and his authority over them would be hardly challenged even by Lord Petyr. [Authoritative]

In the year of 287 AA, rumors reach House Lydden of Lord Lewys being held a slave in Elyria. Petyr disregards those claims as untrustworthy, but his uncle Ser Robert Lydden quickly volunteers to venture to Essos to cast light on the issue and, with Gods’ blessing, free and bring his brother back home as well, to which Petyr agrees.

Following five years of Petyr’s rule would go smoothly with the region prospering as it hadn’t in a long time.

But that his halted by the Western onslaught on Riverrun that Lord Petyr, accompanied by already mature Androw, participates and eventually also perishes in. In the aftermath of the battle, Ser Jacob Estren, Deep Den’s captain of guards, knights Androw with late Petyr’s blade recovered on the battlefield, and promptly after the short ceremony surrenders the weapon to him to acknowledge him as the new Lord of Deep Den.

After grandiose yet somewhat sad return to the Westerlands, now-Lord Androw is confronted with reality once again in the form of a letter from the Wall, carrying the grieve news of his brother Lyonel going missing beyond the Wall. Despite his best efforts to keep the fact secret, Lady Leana eventually discovered the truth and immediately fell sick of a weak heart, mourning both her children.

Not much has changed since then. The great war in the Riverlands and what happened in its aftermath has shifted Androw’s views on life and radically changed his goals. Ever followed by the ghosts of his late brothers, Androw Lydden is now a lord eager to prove himself on the great stage of Westeros not for the sake of his own vanity, but to honor those that are not around anymore.

## **Timeline**

274 AA: Androw is born.

275 AA: Androw’s father, Lord Lewys, embarks on an expedition he never returns from. Androw’s eldest brother, Jason, is hailed the Regent of Deep Den, but Lady Leana remains the de facto ruler of the house.

278 AA: Jason dies in a skirmish with bandits. Lady Leana takes over the house as Lady Regent.

280 AA: Messages of Joffrey Lydden’s tragic death reach Deep Den. Lady Leana withdraws from rulership, Petyr Lydden assumes the title of Lord of Deep Den.

282 AA: Lyonel Lydden is apprehended at Cornfield for bedding Lord Swyft’s daughter; Petyr Lydden promises to exile him to the Wall to appease House Swyft.

283 AA: Lewys Hill is born at Deep Den.

284 AA: Androw starts squiring for his brother Petyr.

287 AA: Ser Robert leaves Deep Den to shed light on the rumors suggesting Lord Lewys is still alive and enslaved in Elyria. He never returns.

292 AA: Lord Petyr rides to war with Androw as his squire and perishes in combat at Riverrun in the aftermath of which Ser Jacob Estren, Petyr’s captain of guards, knights Androw.

293 AA: Androw is named Lord of Deep Den; belated news of Lyonel’s passing at the Wall leave Lady Leana heartsick and bedridden.

298 AA: Androw finds himself at Casterly Rock of the next great challenge.

## **Family Tree**

{LEWYS LYDDEN} (232 AA), Lord of Deep Den, lost at sea in 277 AA.

LEANA LYDDEN née BRAX (230 AA), his spouse. {JASON LYDDEN} (253 – 278 AA), Lord of Deep Den. Took an arrow to the neck while fighting off bandits.

{JOFFREY LYDDEN} (256 – 280 AA), later known as MAESTER JOFFREY. Infected while tending to plague-ridden smallfolk and perished shortly after.

{PETYR LYDDEN} (264 – 292 AA), Lord of Deep Den. Died at Riverrun during the War of the Trident.

{LYONEL LYDDEN} (265 – 291 AA), Knight of Deep Den. Fathered a bastard with Lord Swyft’s daughter and subsequently was banished to the Wall, where he died several years hence. \* LEWYS HILL (283 AA), Bastard of Deep Den.

ANDROW LYDDEN (274 AA), Lord of Deep Den.

ROBERT LYDDEN (240 AA), master-at-arms of Deep Den.

SER QUENTON LYDDEN (267 AA), chief steward of Deep Den.

KYRA SWYFT, his spouse.

TYENE LYDDEN (271 AA), Deep Den’s treasurer.

TYSANE LYDDEN, (284 AA), maid of honor to Rosamund Lannister at Lannisport.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Archetyped:

SER JACOB ESTREN (240 AA), master-at-arms of Deep Den, archetype: BASTION

SER QUENTON LYDDEN (267 AA), chief steward of Deep Den, archetype: CASTELLAN

SER FLEMENT BRAX (272 AA), Lord Androw’s captain of guards, archetype: WARRIOR (SWORDS)

MAESTER LAWREN, Deep Den’s young maester, archetype: MEDIC

TYENE LYDDEN (271 AA), Deep Den’s newly-named treasurer, archetype: TRADER

Without archetypes:

LEWYS HILL (283 AA), Lord Androw’s nephew and squire

SER ROBERT LYDDEN & SER DAMION ESTREN, both somewhere in Essos