Farlen Stark

## Personality

### Personality Description

Farlen considers himself a perfect example of how a lord is born and he embodies the idea that because many lords influenced him throughout his childhood that he embodies all of their greatness. He believes that Northerners regardless of location are connected and thus are one big family and nothing separates them. In his mind, it’s another rouse to achieve some form of unity among other tactics he uses that prominently involve lying and deceit.

While he may have many flaws that make him a relatively terrible person, his dream of a better North is undisputed, and holds a highly optimistic view of the future. He allows his siblings to marry whomever they want and practice sensuality. He is open to ideas and often takes them into consideration.

He has an obsessive need for love from his people, vassals, and his siblings even if they’re fraudulent. He persevered through tireless encouragement and cries for support which is where people close to him are often forced into complimenting him out of fear of reprisal. His desire for love extends outwards from The North and into the Crownlands where Valyrian beauty is at its strongest in Westeros. It’s here he’s infatuated with the concept that Queen Rhaenys Targaryen is the most beautiful and “perfect” woman of them all which is why by the start of the RP, he’s aiming to see her above everyone else.

### Goals and Motivations

Pay back the debt to Targaryens and marry the Queen (infatuation)

### Reputation

Celebrated (publically), despised (privatly)

## Backstory

Born 224 AC in Winterfell, Farlen Stark was the secondborn and first son of Lord Calon and Lady Meliana Stark (Neè Cerwyn). Not much is known about the very early years of Farlen as it was all removed from the records personally by Farlen later in his life, but he was an ambitious wolf. He got along with his older sister alongside his younger ones which would make one great family. He would have a brother to back him up and a younger sister who like many other baby siblings were rambunctious to attract attention.

He never excelled at anything and his voice was the only thing that carried him along and impressed his father. From the age of 3, he was able to talk at the level of a 10-year-old for short periods of time. Calon was like many Starks before him, reclusive from the politics of the South and drinking down whatever grog or wine that ends up in the North. But he came up with an ingenious idea to let his lords decide how they want their lord to be. If the economy has been stagnant for decades and the Boltons rambling about with their quests, he would need to come up with a new method of raising heirs. So he sent letters to every lord in The North to send of their own, whether it was themselves or somebody close to them. They would mentor and advise their eldest son and teach him in their ways so that he may become great.

But the Stark lord wouldn’t know of the consequences as many lords found this to be an incredible opportunity to sway the next lord of Winterfell over to their side. So many decided to leave their heirs to hold control over their castles while they personally advised Farlen about their culture and ways. According to Farlen’s mother, Meliana, who personally oversaw her son’s treatment, was impressed at the sheer scale of activity in Wintertown and inside the castle. And so the lords, whether it’s them or one of their own would advise the boy except it was a competition. Farlen became conflicted, which would stress the boy so much that he routinely took naps and slept with whores to drown out his mind. His trauma also from private talks with his mentors would also enrage him. It’s clear that overwhelming somebody and leaving it to them without much supervision outside his wife wasn’t ideal as his mother would also become overwhelmed. But that wasn’t all as the years went by, the conflicts of interest would deepen as the exact opposite occurred to what Calon wished for, his mind was jumbled up with different cultures and he started to mold them into a twisted reality. He grew and started to act erratically, felt superior to others with the idea that “everybody gave their knowledge to me so, in turn, I’m a lot better than everyone” kind of argument. He trained his body in combat for days, weeks, months, and years with different mentors from the Mormonts, Manderly, and others. His cruelty, in particular, was the result of the Boltons who sought to discredit House Stark, internally it did but on the outside, it just made him more controlling over the less powerful like his younger siblings who he channeled his misfortunes onto.

His parents realized the botched child they created too late as they then allowed Farlen to choose somebody to keep as his mentor which was a Karstark and everybody else was sent back to their castles. Publicly, Lord Calon cheered and sent letters of thanks to all his vassals for their support and that they have allowed his son to be the best of them all. Privately, he was fearful and noticed the subtle signs of his son becoming more independent and ruthless. His uncle was able to pull their son out from madness with a few good words and some encouragement, he mentioned using his newfound popularity and pain to his advantage and being careful of how he wields himself. He should style himself as the greatest heir to live and back it up with shows of achievement. So Farlen would go on hunts and massacre elk, raccoons, rabbits, and even bear with the help of his close friends. His father had his men keep a close eye on his son to ensure he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries as he hunts occasionally.

Farlen’s room became decorated with the spoils of death and carnage. And after his last hunt when he turned 16, he was something else than before the time he was traumatized by the experience. He was a colder person and often rallied up people for speeches to inspire them to promote him and House Stark. He visited White Harbor to do just that and attempted to charm one of the Manderly ladies to no avail when she became suspicious of him when his sociopathic tendencies started to show leaving him dumped. He would leave without a word. After this, he would return to Winterfell and cheat his whores out of their pockets just to see how they would scramble. And when they tried to alert his father, he had them all killed.

For the next 4 years, he would expand upon his popularity and create a false identity of a successful heir and use that to his advantage. As important as he is, Farlen would meet several suitors from numerous houses, especially Karstark but reject them all as he found them unappealing and simple. But before he ejected them out of Winterfell, he sullied his hands in tormenting them and threatening them if they ever ratted him out afterward. And so he stayed continuing to wait for his father to finally kick the bucket. He would attend drinking parties, spar with the soldiers of Winterfell, and shut his younger siblings out. He would fall victim to his tendencies as his father would punish him after he slapped Jocelyn Stark after she called him out when drunk. As his punishment, he would be betrothed to Lord Umber’s sister with no argument. Farlen’s uncle, who is starkly against his older brother would come to the aid of his nephew and quell the boy’s impulses as he knew a different option.

Joseth Stark would enlist the aid of some of Farlen’s commoner friends and they secretly exited Winterfell in the dead of night and traverse through the cold. They journeyed across the King’s Road and eventually spotted the Umber’s campsite as it’ll take a few days to reach Winterfell. By the time Joseth reached the encampment, it was just a day away. They infiltrated it and doused the fires near Lady Umber’s tent which stirred her awake before he found herself passed out and kidnapped. When morning hit, the Umbers found their lady dead from freezing to death. The result of which no one knows how the fires burned out so quickly or how she perished wearing the comfiest blankets. Yet the deed was done and Lord Calon suspected nothing as he blamed the Umbers for failure with little investigation.

Farlen would at Winterfell, unmarried for the time being as his father caught an illness that’s similar to that of smallpox. And over the months his father suffered, he and his mother ruled the North in his stead so far with the assistance of numerous allies and family, his path to Lord Paramount stands unchallenged. His siblings were silenced and people unwittingly trusted in the words of their upcoming Lord of the North.