Ryam Cockshaw

## Ser Ryam Cockshaw

**Ser Ryam Cockshaw** is a knight and distant cousin of House Cockshaw. He was born in the year 370 AC and currently is known as The Feather Knight. He has no wife, and no plans for one.

## Appearance and Character

Ryam, standing at around six-foot, has medium-length brown hair, even longer in the back with a braid reaching almost in between his shoulder-blades. With his face shaven, besides a small mustache that sits atop his upper lip, Ryam would often be mistaken for ten years younger if it wasn’t for his muscular physique.

The knight wholly believes in his vows, and carries a heavy disdain for all who forsake them. He does not consider himself a hedge-knight, and anyone who says otherwise earns a hateful stare.

## History

Ryam was born in the year 370 AC to his parents Gwayne Cockshaw and Juleann Willum. As a boy, he was raised singly by the Master-at-Arms of The Roost, Ser Bran. His Lord Father was too busy for his own son and instead spent his days on hunts, and his night whoring. For a brother of a minor bannerman of House Redwyne, Gwayne had a tendency to spend one too many stags.

In his youth, Ser Bran, the Master-at-Arms of the Roost, noted that Ryam had a notable amount of vitality. Where many of the boys of the keep would cringe and recoil when they were hit by the practice sword, Ryam would rarely even think about flinching. Pain seemed secondary to defeating his target. Thus, a duelist was born. In the yard, Ryam seemingly had tunnel vision. Only the straw-man mattered when a sword was in his hand, and when he went against another boy, he would almost always outlast them. At the end of his fights, Ryam would look as if he was just as jovial as he was before it.

As he grew, he took to the greatsword and from therein preferred two-handed weapons. On his thirteenth nameday, Ser Bran gifted him a greatsword that he named Hen. Her hilt was not something to boast of, but the blade was castle-forged steel and better than anything Ryam would have ever owned if his father could help it.

On Ryam’s fourteenth name day, his father surprised him with an arranged marriage. A homely girl from House Blackbar, Genna, third-born daughter and five years his elder. He did not want to marry this woman, but at the insistence of his mother and father, and a push from Ser Bran, he did. Though they consummated the marriage, nothing seemed to come of it. Year after year of trying for a child, nothing happened. For five years they tried, and in the fifth year she became impregnated… with another man’s child.

Ryam walked in on Genna with one of his cousins, the two going at it like two hounds in heat. He stormed away in a fuss, angered at what he witnessed. After a moon of not talking to Genna, she came to him and said she was pregnant and claimed it was his. He chortled, citing the fact they had not slept together in four moons. When Ryam told his father, Gwayne denied the fact and told Ryam to claim the child as his own. When he refused, his father gave him an ultimatum; claim the child as his own, or leave the Roost and never return. Late that night, Ryam absconded with as much silver he could carry from his father’s own coffers.

Thus was born the Knight of Feathers. Ryam traveled across the Reach, partaking in tourneys and feasts, finding work for whoever would hire him. Whether it be cleaning out a trough, or dealing with a rag-tag group of vagrants and bandits, Ryam always was able to find something to keep him busy.

## Timeline

* 370 AC: Ryam born to Gwayne and Juleann.

* 383 AC: Gifted his greatsword *Hen* from Ser Bran.

* 384 AC: Forced to marry a Blackbar girl, Genna.

* 389 AC: After Genna committed adultery and became impregnated by another man, Gwayne forced Ryam to leave the island.

* 390 AC: Travels to the Stormlands in an attempt to partake in the Third Targaryen Rebellion and earn some renown. He arrived at Storm’s End too late, however, but not late enough to see the dragon Viserion raining dragonfire upon the great keep of House Baratheon. He watched from a distance as the event took place.

* 391 AC: After returning to the Reach, partakes in the Tourney of Highgarden in honour of the Lord of Highgarden’s fiftieth nameday. He does not place and is forced to give up his sword and armour to a knight of House Fletcher. The knight returns his greatsword but keeps everything else. Uses most of his silver to purchase new, better armour.

* 393 AC: Partook in the Guardian Tourney of Oldtown. He did not place, but the knight of House Bulwer returned his armour and shield. Befriended Baelor Hightower, though the friendship did not last after Ryam departed.

* 394 AC: Took part in the Tournament of Ashford, placing third in the joust. Donated his winnings, besides a single dragon, to the Septry of Ashford to feed the poor. Lord Crane of Red Lake applauded Ryam’s efforts and offered to take him in his employ. Ryam agreed, and there he stayed for 3 years.

* 397 AC: Attended the Tournament of Old Oak but did not partake, as he was assigned to the guard of Lord Crane. Here he watched his cousin from the main branch of the house, Leo Cockshaw, win the tourney. Speaks with him, and befriends him.

* 398 AC: At the Tourney and Wedding Feast for Darrin Tyrell and Ryam’s distant cousin Margot Redwyne, Ryam took third place in the melee, bested only by Ser Loras Mullendore, known as the Silvershield.

* 399 AC: Following the increased then decreased tensions with the Westerlands, Lord Crane released Ryam from his services as it was getting expensive to keep his levies up, as demanded by the new Lord Gawen Tyrell. He began traveling east, hoping to find a use for his services with the Targaryen’s invading. As he held no opinion on either ‘King’, he cared not who hired him. As long as they paid…