Tyrion Lannister

**Tyrion Lannister** is a member of House Lannister and is the third and youngest child of Lord Tywin Lannister and the late Lady Joanna Lannister. His older siblings are Cersei Lannister, and Ser Jaime Lannister, a knight of the Kingsguard.

Tyrion is a dwarf; because of this he is sometimes called '***The Imp'*** and '***The Halfman'***.

## **Appearance and Character:**

Tyrion is a highly intelligent man who recognized from an early age that his mind was his greatest weapon, due to being born a member of House Lannister with the expectation of upholding his family's noble name, yet lacking the physical attributes possessed by his older siblings. Thus, he has committed himself to possessing a sharp intellect in order to help make up for his dwarfism, and he is frequently able to use his superior intellect to get the better of those who initially look down upon him or weasel his way out of tight situations, though he is not above resorting to using his family name and enormous fortune to bolster his position.

Despite his harsh treatment at the hands of others over the years, Tyrion has managed to develop a thick skin and is able to brush off others' japes about his short stature (except when coming from his father).

Tyrion, however, is not without faults. He tends to overindulge in food, drink, and sex in part to self-medicate for the terrible treatment he's suffered most of his life; when overly stressed, upset or uncomfortable, he will quickly find the nearest container of wine or beer and consume most of it.

He has complex relationships with other members of his family, most of whom resent him and only thinly veil their contempt for his existence. His older sister Cersei blames him for causing the death of their mother and has hated Tyrion since his birth. His father, Tywin, shares Cersei's resentment for **Tyrion** due to the death of his wife while birthing him, as Joanna Lannister was the only person Tywin ever loved. Although Tywin recognizes and respects Tyrion's intellect, it does not lessen his prejudice towards his youngest son; by the same token Tyrion fears and admires his father, but hates him for his inflexibility and unwillingness to show any love for his children. Tywin also just thinks it is an embarrassment that Tyrion was born with a physical disability, seeing it as a judgement from the gods meant to humiliate him by his son's mere existence.

Only Tyrion's older brother Jaime maintained a good relationship with Tyrion, admiring him for both his intellect and inability to let his diminished stature drag him down, and he has frequently attempted to come to Tyrion's defense when his other family members treat him maliciously, making Jaime the only member of his immediate family whom Tyrion loves. Tyrion harbours a mutual admiration for Jaime.

## **History:**

Tyrion Lannister is the youngest son of Joanna Lannister and Lord Tywin Lannister. Tywin was the head of House Lannister, the richest man in The Seven Kingdoms and Lord Paramount of The Westerlands. He is the younger brother of Jaime and Cersei Lannister. His mother Joanna Lannister died giving birth to him. His father and sister blame Tyrion for the death.

He is a dwarf, causing him problems and persecution. His size has led him to being referred to derisively by various names, such as "The Imp" and "The Halfman". This is mitigated by his intellect and his family's wealth and power. Had an infant with dwarfism like Tyrion been born a commoner, he'd have simply been left out in the woods to die. However, Tyrion was born into a powerful noble House, and was therefore spared. Even though his father doesn't think much of him, he has had the benefits of being raised with wealth and education, and is expected to lead his life as a credit to the Lannister name.

During most of Tyrion's childhood, his father Tywin served as Hand of the King to King Aerys II Targaryen in King's Landing, and as a consequence was absent from home for longer periods of time. As a child, Tyrion was lonely. His brother Jaime left Casterly Rock to serve as a squire at Crakehall, while his sister Cersei left for the court of King's Landing. At the age of six or seven, his uncle Gerion taught him tumbling, which he happily did for half a year at Casterly Rock, until Tywin returned from King's Landing and forbade it.

Knowing he would never be a knight, as a child Tyrion thought he could become the High Septon instead, as the crystal crown added a foot to one's height. As such, he studied the holy books. However, at the age of thirteen, Tyrion fell in love, and that quickly replaced the thoughts of priesthood. He and his brother Jaime rescued a common girl, Tysha, from some bandits near Casterly Rock.

While Jaime went after the bandits Tyrion took care of Tysha. To his amazement Tysha liked him, and they eventually made love. Tyrion became so enamoured by her that he bribed a septon and married her in secret. Tysha would sing the Myrish song "The Seasons of My Love" for him. Their marriage lasted only two weeks, however. When Tyrion's father learned about the wedding, he commanded Jaime to say that Tysha was a prostitute whom Jaime had hired to take Tyrion's virginity. Because the "whore" had presumed to marry a Lannister, Tywin had his guards rape Tysha for a silver each and then made Tyrion go last for a gold coin, stating that a Lannister was worth more.

When he was younger, Tyrion used to dream of owning a dragon of his own, going as far as asking his uncles for one as a nameday present. He used to start fires in the bowels of Casterly Rock, and stared at them for hours, pretending they were dragon flame, while he himself was a lost Targaryen princeling, or a dragon lord from Valyria. Sometimes, he imagined that he saw his father or sister burning in the fires. As he grew older, Tyrion would seldom ever dream of dragons, though he would always remain fascinated by them.

Tywin Lannister had been discussing a betrothal between Tyrion's brother Jaime and the youngest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully, Lysa. However, Jaime was named to the Kingsguard, making him unavailable for marriage. Tywin offered Tyrion as a replacement, only to be told by Lord Hoster that his daughter required a "whole man". Tywin later tried to offer Tyrion to Lords Yohn Royce and Leyton Hightower, but they took it in a similar fashion as the Princess of Dorne had done so years before.

As a young boy, Tyrion had committed to learn all sixteen of the wonders described by Lomas Longstrider to memory, and occasionally recited them during feasts. For years, he dreamed that one day he could travel the world and see them himself. when he became a man at sixteen, he wanted to take a tour of the nine Free Cities, as his uncles Gerion and Tygett had done. Tywin forbade him to go, and instead, gave him charge of all the cisterns and drains at Casterly Rock. When Tyrion was eighteen, his uncle Gerion left on a journey for Valyria to recover the ancient Valyrian steel greatsword Brightroar which had once belonged to House Lannister. Lord Tywin forbade Tyrion to go on this journey as well.