Corlys Celtigar

A young Corlys during his first years of serving as a Kingsguard.

**Corlys Celtigar** is a Knight of the Kingsguard, an honor he has enjoyed since his appointment in 81 AC. As the third of Lord Victor Celtigar's sons, he aspired toward knighthood as a small child and quickly revealed a natural talent for swordplay. At the age of sixteen he was knighted by Lord Raymont Baratheon and returned to Claw Isle shortly before the outbreak of the Hook Uprising.

During the conflict, he distinguished himself as an exceptional fighter, achieving renown for his duel with a notorious knight. Soon his reputation surpassed even that of his eldest brother, Damon, himself a tourney champion. Corlys was placed on the shortlist for the Kingsguard, and appointed to fill a vacancy that opened in 82 AC.

As a Kingsguard, Corlys aspires to go above and beyond the demands of his duties; his eyes and ears serve the King just as often as the weapon at his waist.

He wields House Celtigar's ancestral Valyrian steel axe, Tempest.

## Appearance and Character

With a lean frame that stands at just over six feet, Corlys' natural form is somewhat atypical for a knight of his stature - but he is not without the musculature needed to perform with prowess with his axe and fit into his armor. He remains in peak shape, retaining a relatively youthful appearance even after two decades of stress and service. Handsome features and blue eyes are hemmed in by clean-cut blonde hair and a slight stuble, and his Kingsguard armor is equally well-maintained.

Throughout his life, Corlys has received great praise for his talent with both swords and axes - and little for anything else. He believes that other men see him as little more than a weapon, and he has fully embraced that perception. Corlys regards neither his ambitions nor his decisions as his own; he regards himself as a tool at the King's disposal. To this end, he does not limit himself to the conventional routines of guard duty. On his own initiative, Corlys often slips in and out of the Red Keep's most secretive corners, in search of anything his ears might overhear. This practice has led to the man developing two personas. One as a revered knight, and another as a man with a vast network of agents under his employ. Although, as mentioned earlier, they are usually utilized to further the interest of the Crown.

Corlys' reserved demeanor and stoic expressions are perfectly suited for his duties as a Kingsguard. His hesitance to turn professional acquaintances into personal friends has left him a lonely man, and he has become increasingly melancholy over the past several years. A passionate man at heart, he has sacrificed many of his own needs and wants to further his utility to the crown.

## History

### Last Born, First Out

Corlys was born the third and final child of Lord Victor Celtigar, a mediocre but amiable ruler. To his three sons, however, Lord Celtigar was far from cordial; he imposed strict expectations that he himself could never personally fulfill. Though he never received half as much of his father's ire as the second son, Corlys and Balon were thick as thieves from an early age. The two were equally likely to initiate their mischief, but it was always Balon who took the blame - often voluntarily.

Lord Celtigar's youngest was always the quietest, and seemingly always elected to isolate himself rather than participate in any of the noble gatherings that would take place from time to time. Instead, he earned recognition for his athletic talent and physical endurance. Swordplay was an effortless pursuit for the child, and he much preferred to explore the ins and outs of his home at Claw Isle. Daring leaps and climbs often resulted in minor injuries, but he never seemed to learn his lesson. Corlys cherished his intimate knowledge of Claw Isle's every crevice; hidden places provided a much needed refuge from family turmoil whenever it would begin to unfold within the chambers above him.

At the age of thirteen, he traveled to Lannisport, where he witnessed his eldest brother Damon's victory in a grand tourney melee. He departed, not with his own kin, but with the Stormlanders, as Lord Celtigar had arranged for his friend, Lord Raymont Baratheon, to take on Corlys as a squire.

### One of the Greats

Corlys went to Storm's End without the stubbornness for which he was known - even at thirteen he knew it was a high honor to squire for Lord Baratheon himself. Only eight years Corlys' senior, Raymont was unusually approachable for a paramount lord, and just young enough to seem both a brother and a mentor at once. It was at Storm's End that Corlys managed to make his first lasting friendships beyond his family - most notably with Miriam Blackwood, who he met during one of her many visits to the Baratheons.

Without the familial tensions of his home, Corlys found himself in better spirits than ever before. He became more disciplined, responsible, and agreeable during his time with the Baratheons, and within a few years he had developed a knightly demeanor to match his combat finesse. By the age of fifteen, it was only custom that kept Corlys from knighthood; on his sixteenth nameday, he was anointed by Lord Baratheon and returned to Claw Isle having met and established close ties with each of the young Baratheons that Raymont sired.

He arrived just in time for the Hook Uprising, during which a number of Crownland houses took up arms against the King - including the majority of those on Crackclaw Point. This was the young knight's first tasting of war, and though it was unpleasant, he emerged from it with a heroic reputation. House Celtigar ultimately made somewhat mediocre contributions to the war effort in terms of levies and coin. But during their skirmishes with the Clawmen, Corlys received several opportunities to duel. His most notable encounter was with Ser Galladon Waters, a bastard knight born to one of Crackclaw's lowliest houses. Though twice Corlys' weight and two heads taller, he was still little match for the young Celtgiar's quick feet and quicker thinking.

For his valor, Corlys received regional renown - and for the first few years after the Uprising, he took pride in his celebrated accomplishments. That all being said, life at Claw Isle was filled with idle hours, and memories of the war seldom left his mind. It was not without its thrills - but his true experience was much drearier than the stories he was allowed to tell. No one wanted to hear the screams of his friends he had made just before an ambush gone wrong, or the fact that he had killed those he had dined with as a child. Corlys resigned himself to simply accept these as facts of life and kept them to himself. Shadows in his past that still motivate his service to the King to this day.

Corlys came to terms with his anticipation that he would inevitably serve as a weapon of war many times again - and but he was nevertheless relieved to discover that his actions in the Hook Uprising earned him a place on the Kingsguard's shortlist. A vacancy opened in 81 AC, and the twenty-year-old Corlys did not hesitate to accept the King's offer.

### A Knight in White

Corlys Celtigar had looked forward to his honored career, but almost immediately he found his duties underwhelming. Standing guard was a largely uneventful affair, and the hours passed slowly. In his first few years as a Kingsguard, he lived only for those precious few hours off-duty, when he could enjoy the many oddities and comforts of King's Landing. Like many before him, Corlys fell prey to fleeting tastes of the very thing his vows had forbidden. In 84 AC, he was visited by his brother, Balon, who promptly returned to Claw Isle to introduce his second illegitimate child.

The young whitecloak learned quickly from his mistakes, and accepted the futility of his search for a life beyond his duty. Corlys instead began dedicating his time and effort toward the King's defense, discretely contributing in ways that were never demanded of a Kingsguard. He listened closely to the royal dignitaries he protected, familiarizing himself with the many intrigues of the Red Keep. In his free time, he took to quietly exploring the labyrinthine castle, discovering - and later utilizing - as many idiosyncratic passages as he could find. In an attempt to keep the realm at bay, he also utilized his access to the Red Keep in order to establish a network of contacts throughout the Kingdom and even beyond. These agents do his bidding either by use of coin or promises of royal favor, whichever he feels necessary to get the job handled. His intimate knowledge of scouring the keeps of both Storm's End and Claw Isle have left him an expert in infiltrating areas behind closed doors as well. To Corlys, all secrets should be laid bear before the eyes of the Crown in order to establish order.

Conscious of the scarcity of armed conflict within the secure confines of the Red Keep, Corlys made a point to regularly practice his swordsmanship, often challenging the court's most formidable knights to friendly duels. After the death of his eldest brother Damon in 86 AC, Corlys was given his house's ancestral Valyrian steel weapon, Tempest.

As a Kingsguard, Corlys was largely exempted from participation in the numerous wars that coincided with his tenure. During the Rosegold Rebellion, however, battle came to King's Landing itself. When the indomitable Red Keep came under siege, Corlys personally participated in a counter-assault against the westerman rebels. With Valryian steel in one hand and a shield in the other, Corlys pushed forcefully against the enemy line, and cut down his share of knights. Unlike his duels during the Hook Uprising, however, Corlys' feats in King's Landing went unnoticed - and he was content to keep them that way so as to not earn the ire of any who might be influenced to become agents under the Crown's employ.

## Recent Events

Having accompanied Viserys during his campaign to put down the petty rebellion of the splintered Tyrell faction, Corlys only recently arrived back at the Red Keep and has continued his duty in service. Though, he is looking forward to visiting Storm's End and testing his steel against some of the same Baratheons that he'd once viewed as siblings.

## Family

### House Celtigar

* Crispian Celtigar, Lord of Claw Isle and Master of Coin b. 45 BC d. 6 AC
* m. Ravella Sunglass b. 43 BC d. 24 AC
	+ Alton Celtigar, Lord of Claw Isle and Master of Coin b. 22 BC d. 17 AC
	+ m. Margaery Chyttering b. 21 BC d. 53 AC
		- Edwell Celtigar, Lord of Claw Isle and Hand of the King b. 3 AC d. 59 AC
		- m. Anya Meadows b. 10 AC d. 72 AC
			* Victor Celtigar, Lord of Claw Isle b. 32 AC d. 89 AC
			* m. Ella Serrett b. 35 AC d. 92 AC
				+ Damon Celtigar, Heir to Claw Isle b. 56 AC d. 86 AC
				+ m. Minisa Royce b. 54 AC d. 84 AC
					- Valena Celtigar b. 77 AC
					- Gael Celtigar b. 80 AC
					- Serala Celtigar b. 84 AC
				+ Balon Celtigar, Lord of Claw Isle b. 60 AC
				+ w. Roslin of Maidenpool b. 57 AC
					- Elinor Waters b. 79 AC
				+ w. unidentified King's Landing woman
					- Adrian Waters b. 83 AC
				+ m. Marry Darry b. 73 AC
					- Merianne Celtigar b. 94 AC
					- Colmar Celtigar b. 96 AC
				+ **Corlys Celtigar**, Knight of the Kingsguard b. 61 AC
			* Prunella Celtigar b. 34 AC
			* m. Uther Peake, Lord of Starpike, Dunstonbury and Whitegrove
				+ House Peake
			* Prudence Celtigar b. 34 AC
			* m. Lord Grafton, Lord of Gulltown
				+ House Grafton
			* Trevas Celtigar b. 37 AC
			* m. Genavene Darklyn, Lady of Duskendale b. 37 AC
				+ House Darklyn
			* Quincy Celtigar b. 39 AC d. 93 AC
			* m. Catelyn Harte b. 43 AC
				+ Arthur Celtigar b. 67 AC
				+ m. Argella Tudbury b. 66 AC
					- Medgar Celtigar b. 89 AC
					- Myranda Celtigar b. 94 AC
				+ Janos Celtigar b. 71 AC
				+ Desmera Celtigar b. 74 AC

### Meta:

**Skills-** Warcraft, One-Handed Weapons, Ambidexterity, Espionage, Infiltration, Clandestinity, and Counter-Intelligence

**Aptitude:** Berserker

**Attributes:** Brave and Strong