Bain Orkwood

## Biography:

Bain Orkwood was born in the year 213 to Dagon Orkwood and Ynys Orkwood and it was during his eldest half-brother’s, Uller I Orkwood, reign as king of the Iron Islands. His mother inevitably died in childbirth. His early life was typical for an Ironborn. His two elder brothers constantly pushed Bain to become a better reaver. When he was nine in 222 AA. Uller, the king, and Dagon Orkwood were slain in a raid in the Westerlands. A Kingsmoot was called. It was decided that Bain’s middle brother, Otter, would become king. Otter was mostly focused on planning reaves and dealing with the petty politics of the Iron Islands. Occasionally Bain would sit in on meeting and chirp suggestions for tactics in war. At first, they were ignored, but after a few years the men on the council realized that Bain’s ideas were actually good and strategically helpful. (Tactician)

In 231-232 AA a war known as the War of the Torrentine was occurring and King otter decided to exploit this conflict in raiding settlements nearby Torrentine territory. With the distress of the war not much could be done to stop the Ironborn from taking what they wanted. Bain, around 18 at the time, was given his own Long ship and men to command. He found that his ability to shout orders was astonishing. Despite his young age his reaving results were superb (Commander). His men raided almost as well as his older brother. Unfortunately, Otter received an arrow to the side which would become infected and slowly kill him. In 236 he would die of his wounds. In the meantime, Bain’s skill with an axe improved the more he raided. At one point in time it could be argued that he was one of the best fighters in the Iron Islands. Though, those days are long gone.

In 236 AA, after the passing of Otter, Harwyn II Drumm was chosen to lead the Iron Islands. While Bain Orkwood ran he was outshone by Harwyn’s ambition. Harywn and Bain knew each other quite well and many a time raided together. Harwyn had lofty goals for the Ironborn and decided to raid in the shield islands. Bain was one of many Ironborn commanders leading this expedition. Up to this point he had never seen so many Ironborn ships in one place for one purpose and he was really glad he wasn’t anybody on the shield islands. History dubbed what occurred the war of the shields but at first it was more of a slaughter. The coast around the shield islands was red with the blood of the Greenlanders. Reach men did not take kindly to having the shields taken over by the Ironborn and after they amassed an immense fleet from the Arbor they lead their deadliest assault on the Ironborn host. Harwyn was slain and Bain barely escaped with his own life. Returning on his ship, *the Reaver,* he witnessed the next kingsmoot which elected an equally ambitious Harras Drumm. Before Bain left to reave in the shields yet again he was married to Mara Ironmaker who birthed him a son, Ralf. Returning to the shields was nothing like the first time. It was hard to get any footing at all. After several attempts Bain protested it was pointless. Harras refused and Bain did not sail with him any longer. Inevitably the madness ended with the Kings death.

On a reave in the Summer islands early in the year 243 AA Bain’s ship hit a coral atoll. He found his ship sinking slowly and he was stranded for what seemed like ages. He began to pray to the drowned god fervently. This was surely not a worthy death. This would not get him into the Drowned god’s halls. Eventually a ship came later on in the year. Despite him being captured as a slave he thanked the drown god for the opportunity. The chains were too thick to escape from. He was placed next to a mammoth Summer Islander named Jaqarro and a beautiful woman named Xara. She spoke common well enough. Bain had no intention of being a slave and worked on some sort of Mutiny quickly. When the guards were around he silently prayed to the drowned god (Fanatic). Bain had no clue what the slavers were jabbering about as it was in a different tongue. He did catch the name Volantis several times so he assumed that was the destination. Just before reaching Volantis the mutiny Bain had planned came to fruition. The Ironborn man got up and yelled and all of the slaves in the ship pulled at their chains pulling them out of the wood. After about ten minutes of chaos the ship ran ashore and all the slavers were dead. When the shackles came off Bain ran as far as he could all day. After two years, in 245 AA he returned to the Iron Islands. He vowed to never raid the summer islands again and debated on becoming a drowned priest but decided against it.

In 247 AA he had a daughter with Mara and named her Iona Orkwood. In 252 AA he had a son named Loren. During this time, he reaved infrequently. This was only partly due to his nervousness from years past. The other part was his desire to raise a family. He spent much of his time teaching his children the Iron way. In 260 AA Ralf Orkwood was married to Yara Myre and his wife, Mara died of an unknown sickness. In 261 AA Bains daughter was wed to Harmund Drumm. This was due to Bains frequent involvement in Drumm history. He did not see Iona as much after that. When Loren was ten in 262 AA he began to raid again with Loren and Ralf Orkwood at his side. They raided the flints fingers first and he continued to teach the brutality of the Ironborn to his children. He attempted the seat for the throne again but failed.

In 275 AA his grandson, Qorwyn Drumm, informs him of the raid he is going to attempt. Bain agrees fervently and takes both Ralf and Loren with him. The raid took them to Seagard which was brutal but successful. In the year 279 Qorwyn offered to raid yet again but Bain decided to rest. Ralf was fatally wounded in the raid and killed. In the same year Loren Orkwood married Kyra Saltcliffe.

In the year 281 a young ten-year-old Culler Tawney stayed with Bain Orkwood until he received his first boat and assisted him minor in his first voyage. For the next five years Bain stayed in the Castle Orkwood tending to his ever expanding family. This was changed in the year 285 when King Cotter was chosen to be King. Bain could not pass up on such a raid despite his age. He sailed back to the Shield islands with his Grandson Qorwyn Drumm. Bain was far too old to fight he did spend most of his time shouting orders at men. Unfortunantly Loren Orkwood was slain in the final battle. The reaving were successful until Hightower and Florent forces stopped his forces. Bain did not partake in the feasting as much as the Ironborn because he grew too weary.

In the year 293 AA Bain sailed to Essos to reave on the Volantine coast. He reaved three locations along the Volantine coast but of all the treasures he amassed the greatest one was Vaera Lorys. She was his first salt wife. He had simply never seen a woman as beautiful as her. Her hair was white as snow and eyes were deep purple. Immediately after taking her with him they sailed back to the Iron Islands. She spoke no common at this point in time but Bain made sure she had good living spaces and he did not touch her until a whole year had passed. By some stroke of fate a child was born in 294 AA and Vaera named her Viserea. Viseara looked like her mother but had Bain’s deep grey eyes. Bain never touched Vaera again and gave her plenty of autonomy. Sometimes he almost felt guilt but he shook it off. In the next few years Vaera learned the common tongue and began to warm up to Bain. Occasionally she would grace him with a smile. While he was in Orkwood he spent his time with his family but after the recent death of the King of the Iron Islands Bain left to go to the Kingsmoot.

## Family Tree:

Dagon Orkwood (father): 166AA-222AA

Maren Orkwood (step-mother): 166AA-200AA

Uller 1 Orkwood (step-brother): 185AA-222AA

Ynys Orkwood (mother): 185AA-213AA

Otter 1 Orkwood (Brother): 200AA-236AA

Bain orkwood:213AA-Present

Mara Orkwood (Rock Wife): 220AA-260AA

Ralf Orkwood (son): 240AA-279AA

Yara Myre (daughter in law, married to Ralf Orkwood): 245AA-286AA

Balon Orkwood (grandson): 276AA-Present

Arah Goodbrother (granddaughter): 279AA-Present

Greydon Goodbrother (married to Arah): 277AA-Present

Iona Drumm (Daughter): 247AA-Present

Harmund Drumm (son in law): 227AA-278AA

Qorwyn Drumm (grandson): 261AA-present

Asha Drumm (married to Qorwyn): 265 AA-present

Torwyn Drumm (great-grandson): 282 AA-present

Iona Drumm (great-granddaughter): 283 AA-present

Harwyn Drumm (great-grandson): 285 AA-present

Dunstan Drumm (great-grandson): 292AA-present

Helena Beesbury (saltwife to Qorwyn Drumm): 258AA-present

Regnar Drumm (great-grandson): 286AA-present

Qassana Drumm (granddaughter): 277-present

Loren Orkwood (son): 252AA-285AA

Kyra Orkwood (daughter in law married to Laren Orkwood):256-present

Rass Orkwood (grandson):281AA-present

Mara Orkwood (granddaughter): 282AA-present

Ilyana Orkwood (granddaughter): 282AA-present

Vaera Lorys (Salt-Wife): 275AA-present

Viseara Orkwood (daughter): 294AA-present

## Archetype NPCs:

Vaera Lorys, Bilingual

Balon Orkwood, Cavalry General

Rass Orkwood, Bastion

Mara Orkwood, Scout

Iyana Orkwood, Reaver