Caspus Goodbrother

Picture of Caspus Goodbrother

Dalton Goodbrother (Born 126 AC)

Grizzled in appearance, with a temperament akin to the very rocks that stand firm against the rough seas, Caspus Goodbrother is a middle aged man whose experiences in life have moulded him into a man who expects nothing but fights for what matters to both his liege and his family. Not a man for diplomacy or subtle words, Caspus has gained a notable reputation not just within the Iron Islands but into the mainland of Westeros as a fierce and merciless fighter, capable of fighting and enduring combat to a level beyond that of most men. Few men who have tried to cross paths with Caspus in naval warfare have survived to tell the tale - while he may not be one to butcher those around him, death is not a concept that Caspus fears as he knows that upon death he will join the Drowned God and be one of the valued oarsman in his life beyond mortal death.

## Appearance and Character

Standing at 6'4, Caspus's appearance is representative of his skill as a seasoned fighter and proficient reaver of the seas under his liege lord Vickon Greyjoy. He has long dusty brown hair, that has started to grey from age (and probably a bit of pent up stress) that he will often tie up into a bun whenever he finds it impractical, along with intense ocean blue eyes and a facial structure which is firm, with a defined jawline and rough skin. He has solid musculature, not that of a bodybuilder mind but one of man who highly values exercise and maintaining peak fitness. This has come as a consequence of heavy manual labour and years of reaving across the ocean. While Caspus may be a lord in name, he is just an Ironborn in nature and will pull his weight and get his hands just as dirty as everyone else around him. His body however is littered with various scars and marks of past conflict, most of them being across his chest and arms, however he has a large scar that streaks from across his right shoulder blade and up towards the base of his neck where on occasion it can be seen peeking out from underneath.

Caspus is one for practicality and therefore unlike some other Ironborn nobles who may wish to show their wealth through donning metal breastplates, he sticks to lighter leathers as well as roughspun clothing coated in wax to provide himself warmth against the chilling, rough winds of the Iron Islands. Regardless of whether he is at home with his family or if he is miles off on a boat, the style of clothing he tends to wear remains universal despite the current circumstances. Only when he must, such as in he is in King's Landing, will Caspus wear clothing which is of a finer quality, in dark greys and reds, simply to satisfy the 'needs' of the nobility rather than out of any genuine respect or care for etiquette.

Caspus speaks with a gruffness to his tone, naturally with a deep voice he can come across to be more fierce and intimidating that he truly is. However despite this, there seems to be an air of confidence and self acceptance in how he presents himself to those around him. Caspus knows his place but he also knows the value of the people around him and as such he speaks the truth and he lets himself be blunt even at the expense of not being the most popular at times. Some may mistake his deep voice and his blunt nature to be a sign of aggression or barbarity, these people if they do not leave Caspus be or especially try to challenge or combat themselves against the lord will find out that while he is loyal and blunt, he does show a remarkable amount of mercy compared to the majority of Ironborn. While he may be a fierce and deadly warrior, Caspus does not find an inherent thrill or desire to shed blood, merely he knows that death is natural and whether death is demanded at the time, it does not matter - whatever happens is happening for a reason that is out of his control and is under the control of The Drowned God.

As both a lord and a father, he is patient and loyal to his people and his family. Becoming a father especially was an experience which provided a lesson in humility and humbleness that perhaps beforehand he had not had time to appreciate having spent a large amount of time engaging with his reaving crew and exploring places to help add to the increasing wealth of Hammerhorn. The birth of his first child Rodrik, was a very jarring experience for the man, having never been too close to anyone in his life or ever truly feeling as though he had a position or care due to the very communal society that he had tried to encourage within Hammerhorn, having the responsibility of raising and teaching a baby boy who would in time be his successor to the lordship took the man by surprise. Caspus still engaged in reaving but the surrounding circumstances of The Gifted and their influence on the Greyjoy family left the man scared about raising his son into a world where he may try and follow beliefs which Caspus himself could not help but be skeptical of. It took a lot of convincing from his wife to leave his children for the Great Reaving, fearful of what might become of his family during the time away from the Iron Islands. It was over this year and seeing what the Gifted had done to Vickon Greyjoy which sparked a desire to protect and cherish. In recent years, some of the gruffness and harshness has eroded away like the very rocks that protect his home - now more than ever he just wants to raise his children his own way and protect them from a world which might try and change them into people who would cause damage to not just their house but also themselves as people.

## History

### Hammerborn

Born in 94AC, Caspus Goodbrother was born to Lucian and Alysanne Goodbrother, Alysanne being the younger sibling to Gysella Goodbrother, former Lady of Hammerhorn. Caspus was the first of what would be three children whom Alysanne gave birth to, all to her husband Lucian whom she married alternatively out of a genuine love rather than for political purposes. Lucian was a well off merchant who met Alysanne once in Lordsport whilst the Iron Islands were still under the rule of the Drumm. After Caspus's birth in 94AC, he ended up growing up with his two younger siblings,Triston and Gysella (named after her aunt) who were born in 96AC and 98AC respectively. A lot of Caspus's immediate childhood was disrupted by the events of the late 90s and early 100s within the Iron Islands. Whilst Caspus by no means was blind or prevented from learning the skills that would be required later on in his lifetime, his mother Alysanne tried her best to keep her children's involvement and knowledge of the wars, especially the Ironborn Civil War, out of their minds. House Goodbrother itself had been at conflict in terms of allegiance with the older Gysella and Dalton Goodbrother on opposing sides of the civil war and so Alysanne took initiative to try and keep Caspus out of familial relations with either.

Throughout the early years of his childhood, Alysanne and Lucian encouraged their own form of parenting different perhaps to what was standard of most Ironborn families. Whilst they still encouraged the Ironborn way of living for the most part, the two parents tried their best to show their children the importance of independent thinking and making their own decisions and conclusions rather than following the crowd and submitting to people without thinking. In the wake of the Ironborn Civil War, with the Greyjoys still in power and the beginning of a period of restoration, Caspus began his practical training in combat. Rather than directly learning about naval navigation and command, Lucian decided it would be for the best after the previous five years that Caspus took self defence as a priority over knowing how to reave should he need to protect himself in the future. Taking the most physically bulky and combat proficient Ironborn they could afford, Caspus spent a lot of his early teenage years in daily sparring and training exercises, not just learning about how to use swords and axes but also going through intensive workouts and building up muscle and core strength to help support him in his training. At the time, they had not anticipated that Caspus would be a future lord so neither parent thought it would be necessary to put the focus on formal education.

Caspus's aunt Gysella's passing came as a shock mainly due to how quickly it followed with the passing of the current Lord of Hammerhorm, Dalton Goodbrother. Dalton was a well respected and talented navigator and proficient fighter however circumstances beyond the control of him and his crew lead to grave circumstances which lead to what could only have been assumed as the passing away of the man. On a reaving voyage, reports came through detailing how the ship they left on had not returned and entered an area which was ravaged by violent storms that were passing by. Leaving it a few months in the desperate hope that Dalton would be found alive or manage to return back home, this hope eventually died as nothing came as a result. Being the only remaining Goodbrother family with a line of succession, Alysanne took up the mantle of a regent only for a short period of time (approximately eight years) with the intention of passing on the title and responsibilities that came with it to Caspus on his eighteenth name day. Alysanne decided on this due to her history with varying health, while she had never been so close to death that she was afraid she would die soon, her bouts of sickness were frequent enough that as she grew older, she knew that it would be best for her son to take charge before her health compromised the people of Hammerhorn but at the same time she did not feel as though he was at the right stage in his life to be thrust with so much responsibility all in one go. It was at this time that Caspus Goodbrother changed from just a boy of a noble family to the proposed future Lord of Hammerhorn and leader of the family.

### The Ironsong Verse

Becoming the Lord of Hammerhorn was as odd an experience as one might have suspected for Caspus, in 112 AC however this passing thought became the reality for the young Ironborn who was thrust into the position with the knowledge of a reaver and the combat prowess of a seasoned fighter. However, diplomacy and politics were not areas that Caspus would be trained in extensively throughout his teenage years, not from a lack of care but more so from Alysanne not wanting to push her son too much considering the rigourous physical conditioning he would undertake on a regular basis. In her own mind, as long as he had people to stand by his side then he would be able to have some help and assistance and be able to guide his own future through learning from his mistakes and using those lessons to adapt to problems that he might face in the future. In contrast to this, his brother Triston received a more balanced education focusing on both aspects of an Ironborn life whilst his sister being a potential suitor for the future was brought up with lessons on how she would behave and act, Ironborn customs and traditions would be drilled into Gysella but also Lucian thought it would be important to give her some background knowledge on Westerosi customs as a whole in case she be in a position where she needed to adapt. Caspus couldn't help but feel sorry for his sister and quite often he would sneak her out of her lessons so they could go to the beach or visit one of the various coves along the edge of Great Wyk, much to the frustration of their father.

Fully capable as a sailor and a firm hand when it came to roughing the waves of the open sea, where Caspus may have lacked somewhat in his talent for navigation, his men respected him even from being a teenager due to his commitment and sheer presence as the captain of vessels that he manned as a part of his 'education'. Even the grizzled old veterans who would normally be a bit irritated with a youngster taking the reins saw Caspus as an example of when the next generation of Ironborn could actually improve on what had been created in the past. In conflict, Caspus would retain a cool head and strike with a deadly precision that only found itself shadowed in the ferocity of the blows he would deliver - never one to show panic, from a young age the lord learnt that he had to lead by example, his men would not panic, his men would fight and they would win whatever battle they were put into. In 114 AC, Caspus briefly participated in the reave known as the 'Cobblist Revolt'. The peasants in the Riverlands had risen up under the banner of Marq the Cobbler and soon enough spread to the Westerlands giving the Ironborn a whole new target for their onslaught of reaving. Between the years of 114 AC and 115 AC, Caspus manned a ship called *'Tempest'* with a sizeable crew to partake in the reaving as was tradition. The lord would prove to be an excellent addition, especially in naval battles where should he be able to reach another ship, rumours circulated that he could cleave through half a ship's worth of crew without breaking a sweat - whether those were rumours, tales or the truth though is something many at Hammerhorn wonder but wish to be true all the same. Initially, Caspus had planned to remain reaving as a part of the Ironborn collection however a certain decision made by his liege lord. Vickon Greyjoy left Caspus in a bit of doubt and with thoughts returning back to home and especially to his mother whose health he knew remained turbulent, with a lie expression that he had to return home immediately for the sake of his family, the Lord of Hammerhorn spent the majority of his journey home in deep contemplation about the intentions of Vickon Greyjoy, could the man really be trusted or was he not all that he seemed?

### Twisted Depths

Returning back home to Hammerhorn, Caspus spent most of his time initially leading into 116 AC in a quiet state, reserving time that he did not spend in maintaining his ships and dealing with his responsibilities as lord to try and investigate the rumours that had been circulating (the same rumours which caused him to distance himself from the younger Vickon Greyjoy as much as possible) about the formation of a cult known as 'The Cult of the Gifted'. Not one for following the crowd like a sheep, he took it upon himself to try and understand the motives behind the cult and what the cult was truly trying to promote. On the first moon of 117 AC however, Caspus had a breakthrough when a report came in from one of his men that they had managed to detain a high ranking priest who they thought would be an excellent source of information through the medium of questioning. Heading down to the cove that was referred to in the letter, Caspus was ambushed by three members of the cult who had forged the letter after intercepting the real letter intended for Caspus and put him at bladepoint to stop poking around and accept that the Gift would be something that all Ironborn in time would learn to embrace, even him. Not wanting to cause a scene, he explained that they had the option of leaving willingly or being forced to leave through brute force. To his relief, they retreated after the comment but not without a final reminder that trying to cause a stir would do nothing to help House Goodbrother in the long run. In truth, while Caspus would remain ashamed for being so apprehensive, the fear of rising conflict with House Greyjoy and upsetting the relations between the two houses, Caspus decided to mask his opposition to the rising of the Cult of the Gifted and watched from the background only praying that one day it would find a way to destroy itself from the inside. His fear was that the cult would end up destroying the main foundations of what made Ironborn culture so strong and independent. Not only that, Caspus felt the idea of a 'gift' that everyone had invalidated hard work and could also put in a false sense of hope into people of a lower position, people who may try and follow said gift and only end up with the Drowned God after running to their deaths under the pretense of a better life.

Restoring any potential distrust between House Goodbrother and House Greyjoy was the main prerogative for Caspus in 118 AC, despite it being the year where religious conflict came to a rise and the butchering of sceptons and septa marked the year as one stained in blood. With thoughts moving towards being able to keep the lineage strong as well as proving that he still wanting to provide a strong tie to his liege lord, Caspus requested his hand of marriage with Vickon's aunt, Victaria Greyjoy. The two had met before and were on pleasant terms, however the proposal came to a surprise for the woman who in the space of a year had gone from being alone to now being wed to the Lord of Hammerhorn in a simple but modest wedding ceremony. The years to follow would come with Rodrik born in 119 AC, Ireena in 124 AC and Dalton in 126 AC. Loving all of his children, Caspus found himself at odds with himself with trying to spend the time he needed to as a father with the thoughts of lordly duties and the snipping of his people anticipating action. Caspus's main involvement in Rodrik's early years were only that he ensured that his children were brought up in an environment where the Cult of the Gifted was treated as though it did not exist - he never encouraged them to dislike or fear the cult out of concern that his children may say or do something to evoke a sense of ire within Vickon Greyjoy. Still, Rodrik would begin his physical training at the age of seven in preparation for his teenage years of intensive training like that Caspus undertook in the late 100s.

### The Ironsong Chorus

In 126 AC, a council at Pyke was summoned (of which Caspus was invited to), and collectively it was decided that they would launch a Great Reaving in 126 AC into Essos once more with the hope of great adventure and illustrious rewards. Whilst his wife Victaria was hesitant on her husband leaving for such a long time and putting extra stress and worry on her and their children, the thought of being on the sea again and getting his lungs expanding and his heart beating was a thought that even he could not resist regardless of his opinions of Vickon Greyjoy. To try and ease her concerns, he hid that enthusiasm behind words of logic: *"If I do not partake in the Great Reaving and represent House Goodbrother, it would reflect badly on us after all we have tried to do to be on the good side of House Greyjoy. I will try and remain as safe as I possibly can and whatever happens, I will always love you and your children."* Preparing the *'Tempest'* again for its first long scale voyage in a long time, Caspus couldn't help but be overcome with a sense of ecstasy, a sensation that luckily for him was unnoticeable as an aura of guilt clung to him like a thick miasma.

The progress of the Great Reaving went unanswered for a long period of time until a combined Braavosi and Pentoshi force arrived with a massive warfleet and crushed a portion of the Iron Fleet in retaliation for their actions. Perhaps as a mercy from the Drowned God or perhaps by the mercy of fate herself, the Goodbrother portion of the fleet remained relatively unscathed compared to others, even as he entered his early thirties, the experience and sheer force of his fighting style proved pivotal in defending his crew from the incoming Braavosi and Pentoshi forces. Salvaging the remains of their treasure after the conflict, Caspus retreated southward towards the Summer Isles along with the rest of the Ironborn fleet and recuperated and reaved there for the rest of the year before returning home, only making a brief stop along the southern coast of Dorne to deal with his own personal affairs. During the events of the Great Reaving however, Caspus wrote a detailed diary in the form of a narrative. Distancing himself from the events, he replaced himself with 'the man' and changing the names of many other people to just their initials (Vickon Greyjoy became V.G), the lord wanted to construct a relic of sorts. This desire to write a book did not come from virtuous means, rather than wishing to share the stories of adventure and intrigue, the book contained many images of gore and violent descriptions of conflict. The message of the book was not to discredit their culture, nore was it to support it. It was to show from a first hand perspective the reality of the events so that later down the line, people could see the Ironborn for what they truly were - valuable and valid people with their own joys and suffering. This book would be contained in a brown leather binder and be titled the Book of Ironsong.

Upon his return back to Hammerhorn, Victaria heavily encouraged Caspus to have a greater input into the upbringing of their children and whilst not wanting to try and distance himself from his duties and the freedom of sailing. The guilt of leaving his family and especially bending the truth to his own wife had failed to ebb away as time passed. Unbeknownst to the lady, Caspus considered in his own mind that this would be more than just a duty to his children but also the best way he could try to apologise to his wife for not being as involved in their children's lives and not openly showing the affection and care that he really should of as a father. At first, it was hard - despite being a father for eight years already, it was almost like starting from scratch but as time passed, Caspus found a genuine comfort in spending time with his children that paralleled sailing on the open waves. As 130AC progresses, Caspus continues to raise his children and aims to be the best father he can for his children whilst doing all that he must as Lord of Hammerhorn to protect the land and his people.

## Ironsong

### Book of Ironsong

The Book of Ironsong is a narrative diary written by Caspus Goodbrother in the third person. It details the events of the Great Reaving across the year of 126 AC in descriptive detail. The entire book is one of a kind and was handwritten by Goodbrother over the period of time. The initial contents page is not as neat due to the occasional scribblings out however it provides the following information for the different sections of the book.

1. Leaving the Iron Islands
2. Dorne's First Kiss
3. Breaching Essos
4. The First Reave
5. Songs of a Seaman
6. Conflict
7. The Braavosi and Pentosi Retaliation
8. Aftermath
9. Further South
10. Welcoming of Summer
11. Festival of Summer
12. Celebrations of Summer
13. Lasting Ruminations
14. The Long Sail Home
15. Dorne's Final Kiss
16. The End of the Ironsong

The book does not contain a blurb however at the end in rushed handwriting is a poem that does not seem to be directly dedicated to anyone however for those who read it... well that is for them to find out should the book be recovered.

### Ironsong's Fate

While the exact location of the Book of Ironsong is not known by Caspus, the last location where he had it before burying it within the sands on a beach south of the seat of House Uller. Since then, the exact location or even its discovery is unknown to the lord however his intentions were more so for it to be found in the future when most people in Westeros will have passed on.

## Family Tree

Link to Caspus's family tree down below!

https://www.familyecho.com/?p=START&c=13zrp8l7dxg&f=596287722900728275

## Meta

Attribute: Strong

Social Status: Principal Bannerman (Lord/Lady)

Skill Points: 20

Skills: Naval Warfare (MAR), Weapon Prof in Axe/Blunts and Two Handed Swords (COM), Footwork (COM) and Naval Engineering (EDU)

Mastery: Berserker

Combat: 80 Threshold / 4 HP / 5% Crit Hit Chance

Username: /u/Dancing\_Cactuar

Discord Username: DancingCactuar#5841

Other Characters: Serwyn Martell (/u/BumptiousEAGLE)