Malcolm Westerling

Malcolm Westerling is the second son of Lord Maynard Westerling and his wife and consort, Lady Alynne Brax. He inherited The Crag upon the death of his older brother, Symon Westerling, in 366 AC.

## Appearance and Character

Malcolm is a far cry from what he once was, which was a ladies' man and frequent adulterer. As a youth he was handsome, daring, and brave, the sort to go after whatever--and whomever--he wanted, no matter the cost. He was a talented fighter and often participated in tourneys, and attended feasts where he relied on his good looks and reputation as his way into exclusive social circles.

It is rumored that in his youth he fathered several bastards among his various romantic interests, though he denied, and continues to deny, such claims. His past is one of many burned bridges.

The years have not been kind to Malcolm. He has been stripped him of the few valuable and precious qualities he had, and all that remains is stone. He is much like The Crag in that way. He is bitter now, cold, and continues to blame others for his shortcomings.

All in all, few would describe the Lord of the Crag is a likable man. He is vain and proud, unforgiving, inflexible, and ofttimes cruel. He sees things in black and white.

## History

Malcolm was born in 352 AC and was only three years younger than his brother, Symon. Whereas other brothers close in age might have turned to rivalry, the two shared a close bond that remained until Symon's death in 366 AC at the hands of the Salt-Queen Mara Halfblood's reavers.

A boy of only four and ten at the time, Malcolm was a squire for Ser Olyvar Prester, and had already tasted a lion's share of fighting--both on land, and on sea. He was aboard the *Golden Singer*, a Westerling flagship, and was among Loreon Lannister's men that chased down and defeated the Ironborn traitors at sea. Mara Halfblood's death and the executions that followed are something of a fond memory for Malcolm. He recalls it all in chilling detail.

Malcolm was knighted and returned home in early and late 375 AC respectively, while his former sister-in-law Joanna Farman was visiting his sister Amarei. Despite his upcoming wedding to Cerissa Banefort, Malcolm boldly pursued his brother's widow and the two entered an affair that continued after he was wed, and Joanna had remarried.

Malcolm wed in 376 AC but had little interest in his wife. She was physically attractive but lacked the intensity and spontaneity he desired in a woman, and he pursued various other conquests, the most notable of which was his wife's lady-in-waiting, Cerenna Plumm. Their affair, however, ended when she miscarried an unknown father's bastard not long after. Cerenna's death did not affect Malcolm the way one would expect, and coupled with his wife's inability to conceive, he found other things to keep his interest--women, mainly, as well as combat training and war study.

In 379 AC, he attended and participated in the Kingswood Tourney and placed second in the melee. There, he rekindled relations with Joanna Farman (recently re-widowed) and nine months later, Tion Hill, his bastard, was born. When presented with the news, Malcolm welcomed the child into his household, much to the chagrin of his slighted wife, but not her surprise, and she accepted it bitterly. Their marriage had been loveless from the get go, and his reputation as a womanizer had been known to her even before their marriage. Rather than become angry and embittered, it only drove his wife to work harder at earning his affections, and his time. Malcolm, however, was oft a cold and unfeeling man toward everything and everyone except where his interests lay.

It wouldn't be until 387 AC, over a decade after they were married, that his wife finally carried to full term. To her dismay, she gave birth to a girl, whom she named Lana. Cerissa regrettably died from blood loss, leaving her only child to the same treatment she had lived with.

In 388 AC, Malcolm answered Loreon Lannister's call and raised arms to fight the Warsmiths. He left his daughter alone but took his bastard and squire, Tion Hill, with him to battle. The two returned victorious, and House Westerling was rewarded for their loyalty in 394 AC by House Lannister with gold considerations. This strengthened relationship between the Houses of Westerling and their overlord Lannister, and when Malcolm was called to action again for the War of the Three Thieves, House Westerling was among the first to answer.

## Recent Events

During the Tourney of the Red Comet, Malcolm chose to remain at The Crag, supposedly to see to the defense of the Westerlands' shores during his neighbors' absence. In recent years, especially since the death of his longtime lover Joanna Farman in 392 AC, Malcolm is much more reserved. He remains at The Crag, unless called by his liege, overseeing his lands, and plotting his bastard's legitimization.