Arian Sand

**Ser Arian Sand** is a Knight of the Kingsguard, and the bastard son of the late Princess Priya Martell. He was one of the youngest knights ever recruited into the Kingsguard at age 18, and has served as a member for the last six years.

## Appearance

Arian is 5'9" tall, with broad shoulders and the notable gait of a man used to life on the sea. His olive skin is tanned dark from years working aboard ships in his childhood, and bears various scars from different times in his life. Arian has the thick black hair of his mother's house, and keeps a characteristic moustache. Though a handsome man, his persistent scowl, standoffish attitude and title as a Kingsguard leaves Arian little space for relationships.

## History

Born in 348AC, Arian was the result of Princess Priya Martell's affair with her Braavosi paramour, a merchant lord named Taurin Fregor. The two planned to elope in Braavos before the Princess' aunt Tysane caught the pair, and brought Priya home to Sunspear with the newborn Arian. Though Prince Nymor was initially displeased with young Priya's acts, Arian was acknowledged as a member of the family, and raised just the same as any of the prince's other grandchildren. Lord Taurin returned to Sunspear, and with Princess Priya had two more illegitimate children; Tya and Yandry Sand.

On Arian's 9th nameday he was taken aboard Taurin's best merchant ship and spent the next few years learning the ropes of sailing, as well as the tradetalk in which his father exceeded. He trained with the Bravos upon his father's ships, though found his interest in working a polearm, able to spear a pirate as easily as spearing a fish. They returned to Sunspear frequently, before taking a trip to Qarth that lasted near two years. On his return in Arian's seventeenth year, Lord Taurin left for Braavos for business, most of his merchant fleet receding from the area of the Stepstones that had grown livid with Grazdan's new war against the Dornish.

Arian was among the members of House Martell taken captive by Grazdan himself in 365AC, shackled by his gaolers in Bloodstone for over a month. He was witness to the deaths of both his uncles, aunt, and mother, though he has not and refuses to speak of the horrors they were subjected to before their end. When the beaches of Bloodstone were rife with war, Arian escaped his chains by fracturing his left hand in its shackle. He took a spear and shield belonging to one of his captors, and (literally) single-handedly fought his way to the beaches, funnelling through the few guards left in the keep and to the soldiers pinned between the forces of Lord Morgan Jordayne, Prince Aemon Targaryen, and Lord Barristan Baratheon. He was knighted on the bloody shores by the then-Prince Aemon Targaryen for his skill in battle and honourable attempt to preserve the lives of his cousins and grandfather, and some months after the Battle on the Stepstones, was awarded a position on a Kingsguard.

Though not initially enthralled with the prospect of belonging to such an institution. it was at the recommendation of his grandfather that Arian joined the Kinsguard. One of the youngest ever at the time, he has spent the last six years honing his skills guided by the best knights of the Seven Kingdoms, and is most often tasked with the personal guard of Queen Naerys, or the post at the bridge to Maegor's Holdfast. He is noted to be exceedingly gifted with shield and spear, his skill and technique granting him his nickname as the Quicksilver of the Kingsguard, but secretly struggles with the Westerosi styles of swordsmanship and lancing. He keeps a Sand Steed, one of his few concessions to his Dornish heritage, a silver horse with black mane and tail named Chroyan.