Ruby Keep

Ruby Keep at night, as seen from the streets of Rubytown.

### Location

On the stretch of land between the Blue Fork and the Red Fork, just west of where they merge into the tridents.

## **Overview**

**Ruby Keep** is the primary seat of House Redwater, and formerly of House Thunder. Its current Lord, Ser Jory Redwater, resides there with his family and Household.

It is located between the Blue Fork and the Red Fork, near where the two rivers empty into the Trident, and is built atop and into a hill in the center of Rubytown. It was formerly sworn to Raventree Hall, and is now a Lordly Seat in its own right, having the fealty of Hen Hill, Dagger's Edge, and Carver's Keep, among others. Its current garrison is five hundred men.

## **History**

### **Targaryen Era**

Ruby Keep was originally named Tempest Keep, and was the seat of House Thunder. The last Knight of Tempest Keep, Ser Sarmion Thunder, was close friends with Lords Danos Cowl and Manfryd Whittle, and the three of them were Targaryen Loyalists.

### **Robert's Rebellion**

During Robert's Rebellion, House Thunder and their Whittle and Cowl allies stayed loyal to House Targaryen. This proved to be a poor decision, as House Baratheon eventually emerged victorious. Ser Sarmion was the last of his line, and when he died on the Trident, his lands reverted to House Tully, who gave them to the newly Knighted Ser Jory Redwater, a man who had Squired for Lord Tytos Blackwood's Master at Arms, and was Knighted by the new King Robert himself after slaying several noteworthy warriors during the Battle of the Trident.

### **Baratheon Era**

Under Redwater coontrol, Tempest Keep was renamed to Ruby Keep, after the Battle where Jory had earned his Knighthood. Jory and his family settled in, and he set about learning to rule. He ordered the construction of additional buildings in the fishing village nearby, including a water wheel and a granary. The peasants grew to love their new Liege, and their village was named Rubytown, though it was hardly much of a town.

All was well for a time, but not for long. In the west, Houses Whittle and Cowl, Ser Sarmion's allies, were angry. They saw the granting of their friend's lands to a commoner as an insult, and planned to tear Ruby Keep to the ground and split the land in between them. Jory had expected this, however, and taken measures to prepare, gathering a hundred promising smallfolk and training them to be elite warriors.

This elite force, the Redstars, proved their mettle in the Battle of Grey Mill, defeating the greater numbers of the Whittle-Cowl Alliance with a combination of superior skill and superior tactics, winning the war for House Redwater. A ward from each House was taken back to Ruby Keep, as well as a not-insignificant portion of their lands given over to the victor.

When Jory's father, Alyn, died, Jory ordered a Crypt constructed within the hill that Ruby Keep stood upon, as, while most Rivermen drew their strength from the rivers, and were thus returned to them upon their death, Alyn, as a smith, had drawn his strength from minerals dug up from the earth, and so, Jory returned him to them.

### **The Clash of Kings and the Sack**

As war broke out all over Westeros during the Clash of Kings, Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain That Rides, had began a campaign of terror throughout the Riverlands, burning villages, sacking Keeps, and rarely leaving any survivors. Such was the fate that befell Ruby Keep. The only reason Jory and a portion of his Household survived was because they were out on a hunt.

Hosteen Redwater, Jory's uncle and Castellan of Ruby Keep, was slain, and Lady Lyra, Jory's mother, committed suicide to spare herself from being taken prisoner, as well as many other Ladies of the Court. Ser Robin, Hosteen's son and Jory's newly-Knighted cousin, was presumed dead, having been brutally cut and thrown into a river, but eventually resurfaced. Of all the men and women of Ruby Keep, and all the people of Rubytown, only one survivor was found, a young serving boy called Patrek, who survived by hiding in the Crypts. He would eventually be Knighted as Ser Patrek Ruby, and named Commander of the City Watch of Rubytown.

Rubytown had been entirely razed to ashes, with Ruby Keep itself being a burnt out and half-collaped husk. Jory buried the bodies sadly, and left for Riverrun to seek justice. With barely any funds to speak of to begin restoring it, Ruby Keep fell into ruin and disrepair.

### **Restoration and Brightflame Era**

Jory eventually returned south to join King Baelor Brightflame in his Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, and would come to serve his brother and successor, Daeron, as Wartime Hand of the King. He came into fortune from his generous wages, and especially from auctioning off a Valyrian Steel Sword he clamed from Ser Jason Gullegan. It was said that a Valyrian Steel Sword was worth a castle, and that's exactly what he decided to use his newfound wealth to get himself.

Initially, Jory was content to let his wealth sit there, only to be tapped into for minor things, but upon finding his father's grave violated by a self-proclaimed "Bandit King", Bard Koi, he decided that Ruby Keep had been in disrepair long enough. Using his funds, with help from several of his allies, including his now-Lordly cousin, Robin, he set about restoring his Keep.

The process was long, taking almost a year. Stone was purchased from Esterold Industries, and lumber brought up from Ruby Acres in the Kingswood. Architects and builders were hired, plans were drawn and redrawn, and finally, it was complete.

The old Ruby Keep had been little more than a glorified towerhouse, the new one was a fortress worthy of the Hand of the King. The original tower had been widened and heightened, designed to serve as the Lordly Apartments, and mimicking the style of Casterly Rock, tunnels were dug down into the hill, and turned into the Castle Proper, complete with a Throne Room, a Feast Hall, a Barracks, a curtain wall, and several other towers.

Through his great influence, Jory was able to exponentially increase the amount of land and smaller Keeps sworn to Ruby Keep, vassalizing many minor Houses including the Mallerys, the Hennings, and his oldest enemies, the Cowls and Whittles. After gaining permission from the King and his Lord Paramount, Lord Garrett Longley, he earned the right to style himself as the Lord of Ruby Keep, as opposed to simply the Knight of Ruby Keep as he had before, for now, Ruby Keep was truly a seat worthy of being called a Lordship.

## **Design and Layout**

### **Lord's Tower and Throne Room**

Ruby Keep is a formidable fortress. Atop the hill is the Lord's Tower, created from the ruins of the original Keep. This Tower Houses the Chambers of Lord Jory and his family, as well as his personal Solar. It goes down into the hill, and has several exits out into the rest of the Castle, including into the Throne Room. The Throne itself, on which the Lord or acting Lord sits while holding Court, is made of a dozen different types of woods - Oak, Birch, Elm, Beech, and many more - and cushioned.

One wall of the Throne Room is covered in the Banners of House Redwater's defeated foes, claimed from a victorious battlefield. Among others, the Banners of House Whent and House Gullegan hang from that wall. On the opposite wall are displayed the Banners of those who joined House Redwater peacefully as vassals, among them the Banners of House Cowl, House Whittle, House Henning, and House Mallery.

### **Barracks, Feast Hall, and Second Floor**

The Throne Room leads out into the Antechamber, a large square room in which the Main Gate is located. Though the Main Gate is at the end of a smooth tunnel, and opens directly out onto the Main Street of Rubytown, and is connected to the Curtain Wall surrounding the base of the hill.

Other exits out of the Antechamber include an oak-and-iron door leading into the Soldiers' Quarters, and further down, to the Training Yard and the Veterans' Quarters, which wrap around behind the Throne Room, and an elm-and-gold door into the Feast Hall, which runs parallel to the Throne Room.

The Feast Hall has several long tables, and at the back of the room is the dias and the High Table, where Lord Jory, his family, and other Highborn Nobles sit. Beneath the High Table is the enterance to the Kitchen and the Servant's Quarters, as well as the Storerooms and Cellars, where the Keeps food and drink is stored. Near the High Table is also a staircase up to the second floor.

Still mostly within the hill, save for a few sections that go outside, the second floor houses many areas such as the Castle Library, the Sept, the Display Room, where many valuable and unique treasures of House Redwater are kept on display under guard, and the Castle Smithy. In the Library is located a secret enterance to House Redwater's vaults, which are located deep below the rest of the Keep.

### **Additional** **Towers**

Ruby Keep has five Towers, including the Lord's Tower in the center. The Maester's Tower in the northeastern corner of the Keep is where Ruby Keep's Maester, Allevar, and his aides and acolytes, reside, and it serves to house the Castle's Rookery, and stores of medicine, potions, and other Maester's equipment. It is accessible from the Castle Library, and is tall and thin, much like Maester Allevar himself.

In the northwestern corner sits the Steward's Tower, which serves to house the Castle's Steward, Gargon Qelbar, and his family and aides, as well as a personal Solar for the Steward, and a library for the Steward's reports and accout books. It is a short, squat affair, the shortest of the Castle's many Towers, and is accessible from a door off of the Feast Hall.

In the southwestern corner is the Master-at-Arms' Tower. Accessible from the Castle Barracks, the Tower overlooks the Training Yard, and houses the Quarters of Ser Qyle Brawne, his family, and his Squires, as well as containing the Castle Armory on the lower floor. It is short and squat, similar in design to the Steward's Tower.

Finally, in the southeastern corner, is the Archer's Tower. As it sounds, this Tower's primary purpose is to provide an Archer's Nest for the Castle's Defense, which it does very well. Thanks to the Keep's cunning design, it is possible for a skilled Archer to get a shot on almost any of the Keep's approaches. It also serves to house Ser Marq Mallery and his elite force of Archers. Tall and thick, this Tower is accessible from a door in the Veteran's Quarters, near the Barracks' eastern exit.

### **Secret Passages**

Ruby Keep houses a good deal of secret passages, and Lord Jory has ordered tunnels out into the countryside to be dug out, to serve as an escape route shout worse come to worst. The Castle was designed primarily by Donnel, a brilliant man who now serves as House Redwater's Chief Architect, and is currently training many Builders to follow in his footsteps.

## **Household**

Ruby Keep serves as the seat of Lord Jory Redwater, and, like any Lord he has a large Household that resides in the Keep with him. Notable members include:

* Lady Beth Redwater née Cassel - Lord Jory's wife and Lady of Ruby Keep. Aged twenty four years old.
* Alyn Redwater - Lord Jory and Lady Beth's eldest son, the heir to Ruby Keep. Aged ten years old. Twin to Lyra.
* Lyra Redwater - Lord Jory and Lady Beth's eldest daughter. Aged ten years old. Twin to Alyn.
* Abby Redwater - Lord Jory and Lady Beth's second daughter. Aged five years old.
* Rodrik Redwater-Cassel - Lord Jory and Lady Beth's second son. Aged five months old. Took the Cassel name due to an agreement with Ser Rodrik Cassel, Beth's mother, concerning her marriage to Jory.
* Ser Marq Mallery - Lord Jory's trusted friend and former Squire. Master of the Bow of Ruby Keep, Commander of the Elite Redwater Archers, and Castellan of Ruby Keep. Aged twenty one years old.
* Ser Qyle Brawne - Reformed Mountain Clansman taken in by Lord Jory. Master at Arms of Ruby Keep. Aged forty one years old.
* Ser Walder Frey - Turned to House Brightflame's cause by Lord Jory. Called Black Walder. Castellan of the Twins. Aged thirty three years old.
* Gargon Qelbar - Exiled Lysene Nobleman recruited by Lord Jory. Steward of Ruby Keep. Aged twenty seven years old.
* Lord Quincey Cowl - Lord of Dagger's Edge. Vassal and former Squire of Lord Jory. Spymaster of Ruby Keep. Aged one and twenty years old.
* Lord Maathos Whittle - Lord of Carver's Keep. Vassal and former Squire of Lord Jory. Master of the Hunt of Ruby Keep. Aged twenty years old.
* Maester Allevar - Maester of Ruby Keep. Aged forty three years old.
* Septon Jothos - Septon of Ruby Keep. Aged forty five years old.
* Lyle Heddle - Former Innkeeper taken in by Lord Jory. Master of the Games of Ruby Keep. Aged twenty eight years old.
* Ser Patrek Ruby - Commander of the City Watch of Rubytown and former Squire of Lord Jory. Aged eighteen years old.
* Ser Harlen Strict - Former Lannister Commander. Sworn Shield of Alyn Redwater. Aged forty five years old.
* Ser Criston Silverbliss - Former Sellsword of the Forgotten Sons. Sworn Shield of Lyra Redwater. Aged thirty six years old.
* Marya Dunstable - Daughter of one of Lord Jory's Household Knights. Lyra's Handmaiden. Twin to Masha. Aged ten years old.
* Masha Dunstable - Daughter of one of Lord Jory's Household Knights. Lyra's Handmaiden. Twin to Marya. Aged ten years old.

* Meryn - Blacksmith of Ruby Keep. Called the Mighty. Aged twenty six years old.

## **Trivia**

* The inspiration for Ruby Keep's original design - The simple Towerhouse on a hill - was inspired by Standfast, the Keep of Ser Eustace Osgrey from the Dunk and Egg Novella, "The Sworn Sword", as well as Queenscrown, the Towerhouse in the Gift that Bran, Meera, Jojen, and Hodor hide out in in "A Storm of Swords", and the Towerhouse seen by Jon and Ygritte in the same book.
* The four outer Towers of the new Ruby Keep were partly inspired by the Towers of Winterfell, and the Central Tower was mainly inspired by Maegor's Holdfast.