Pate

## Pate of Harrenhal

Biographical Info

Ser Pate "Purplecloak" is the Captain of the Harrenhal Guard and the Master-at-Arms of Harrenhal, formerly the Lord-Commander of the Purplecloaks under Robert Mallister. He squired under Brynden Tully.

## Biography

### Youth

Pate was born in Lord Harroway’s Town to a fisherman father, and a mother who served as a handmaiden to the Lady Harroway. His mother supported the family for a few years, but eventually lost the lady’s favor as well as her head when she attempted to pocket a necklace of ruby from the lady’s pocket. His father became rather depressed after this, and drunk himself to death shortly after Pate’s fourth birthday. Pate was then brought east to live with his uncle, a guardsman at Saltpans. He lived there for most of his youth, in which his uncle brought him up to join the force of guardsmen at Saltpans. When Pate was two-and-ten, his uncle got remarried. His new wife was not a fan of children, and complained of Pate frequently. Pate, annoyed at the woman’s hatred of him decided that it’d be better if he wasn’t around, so he joined a troupe of mummers heading west during the night, and left Saltpans, not to return for years upon years.

Pate had not fully thought through his career as an entertainer. He was getting too big to fight with the dwarves, and he was not especially acrobatic, nor a good singer. The leader of the group let him know that the group would not be needing his service, and that they’d stop by Riverrun in a few weeks and he could stay there. They gave him a purse of 10 silvers for his good work, and left the 13 year old boy just outside the gates whilst they headed in to perform at the occurring tourney. Pate, a boy with nothing to do and little prospects, also attended. While there, he helped a young Brynden Tully with his armor before the melee, and was rewarded by being taken on as one of his squires.

### In Service to House Tully

From there, Pate attended his mentor during the Battle of Lychester, alongside the heroic Alliser Tully. His tenure as a squire lasts 5 years, until a group of Ironborn raiders attack the village they stay in during the night. Pate survives the attack, though Brynden does not, and ends up perishing under the axe of a foe. Pate returns Brynden’s body to Riverrun, where Riverheart knights him for his efforts. Without a master to serve, Pate resigns himself to life as a hedge knight, or at most a household knight for the Tullys. However, King Fletcher pays a visit to Riverrun, and Pate ends up leaving as part of his guard instead.

### In Service to House Fletcher

When the War of the Trident breaks, Pate is one of the relatively few Fletcher household knights to remain and Harrenhal during, and thus survive, the massacre that caused the beginning of the war. With the previous master-at-arms falling alongside Tommen and Justyn, Pate receives the position, as well as Captain of the Guard, thanks to a recommendation from the Riverheart. He manages the majority of the defense of Harrenhal against the Vale’s siege, due to the King’s failing health and depression. Due to the lack of an army or any orders from their king, however, Pate led no armies and fought no battles during the war. After the war, he spent his time reforging the army that Harrenhal had lost. Pate was one of the last men to see The Last King still breathing, and served as protector of the castle until the new king was crowned. Unfortunately, in the chaos of the King’s death, Mia Fletcher was swept away by the Darrys. Seeing this as a failure on his part, Pate began to establish spies in Harrenhal, knowing that to guard the castle he had to prevent any more conniving plots.

### In Service to House Mallister of Harrenhal

During the Council of Harrenhal, Pate attended, but he cast no vote. He was pleased with the results of the vote, and bent his knee to King Robert I. Under his command, the Harrenhal guard went to arrest King Gwayne ‘Teat-Licker’ for the murder of Tristifer Bracken. Though Pate slew two members of his Greenhand, Ser Lancel Lyber and Ser Manfryd Dunn, and maimed Ser Alekyne Florent, the craven Gardener and his surviving guard fled off into the night, escaping the King’s Justice for their crimes. Ser Pate, unsatisfied with the results of the night, swore himself in as the new Lord-Commander of the King’s Purplecloaks, and is currently attending him at Lord Harroway’s Town.