House Ashfield of the Reach |
NC only: Lord Ascar IX is a seasoned campaigner of the Dornish wars, and a respected leader within the Reach for his tactical prowess and willingness to share resources for the common good. Once a temperamental youth, his hard edge has been softened over the years by the sight of so much carnage and the tenderness of his family. However, in true Ashfield fashion, Ascar is inclined to strong responses to challenges and is utterly merciless when unjustly provoked. He is proud of his children, but finds his twins particularly frustrating, seeing too much of himself in how they react to the world. |
NC only: Originally a Baratheon of Storm's End, Lady Iliria married Ascar Ashfield with a not insignificant secret; she had born a bastard, fathered by a hedge knight from the Reach. It is not known whether House Ashfield had been aware of this potential scandal before marriage, but Ascar & Iliria's marriage has held strong regardless. Iliria has a forceful personality, and it is a normal state for there to be at least one family member that she isn't talking to at any given moment. She is also frustrated by the lack of courtly activity at Poppy Hall, and has tried to live her ambitions in that regard through her daughters, particularly Alianna. |
Ser Victarion is the heir to House Ashfield, a strong young warrior just 21 years of age, but he is beginning to chafe under his father's direction. However, he is a good son, and respects the title of Lord, and demands respect from others for his own future ascent to that same title - he considers his own wants to be second only to those of Lord Ascar, and he is easily frustrated when his wants are ignored. Victarion is a drinker, and a seemingly incautious gambler...though his regular successes may indicate that he has unusually good instincts. |
New to Poppy Hall, Polina was a Redwyne of the Arbor before her marriage to Ser Victarion. Only 16 years old, and taller than anyone else at Poppy Hall, she is still quite a naive girl who will have to work hard to make a place for herself in a house full of very strong personalities. Some of the smallfolk of Ashfield Town have named her `the Vine', though not yet in front of the highborn. |
Thanks in part to her mother's constant praise, Alianna believes herself to be the most attractive young lady in the Reach, and while she is very pretty and shapely, she has set incredibly high expectations of any potential match. She has turned down no less than 12 potential marriages, for reasons from the groom not being tall enough to `poor character' exhibited by her suitor having mud on his boots when they met. Alianna's closest friend is her cousin, Malrie Dondarrion, with whom she regularly communicates any gossip she hears. Alianna believes her destiny lies at King's Landing, married to a Targaryen or other notable personage, though even she is aware that at age 20 she may need to lower her standards. |
Corinne Flowers lived for sometime during her younger years among the villages along the borderlands of the Reach and Dorne looking to prove her skills as a warrior. As most of the Kingdoms of Westeros generally don't believe that women can be proper warriors she was often told to `go cook and nurse with the women'. Corinne had never meet her mother until one day Lady Iliria was in the area. The Lady Ashfield was a bit taken back by her daughters determination to server as a sword of the Reach for House Ashfield, as so she promised to help her find a position. Corinne is now a brutish sword from a noble family. She tends to be a bit roguish as House Ashfield's Master of Horses. |
Dyllan Redbrush has been a sworn sword to House Ashfield since the time of Lord Tyrion. The survivor of wars in the Reach for 30 years, Dyllan's age is beginning to show, though what he lacks in youthful vigor he makes up for in experience and cynicism. Every Ashfield son has been taught the basics of sword play by Dyllan, grounding them in an efficient and ruthless manner of fighting - there is no beauty to Redbrush's methods, only certainty. Dyllan lives in Poppy Hall almost like it were his own house, rarely dressing well except for visitors, and at his age none are inclined to scold him for it; he is loved by all the family. |
A former ward of House Ashfield, Wallace Justman is the last of his line. During his time at Poppy Hall, his family were slain and their lands divided amongst other lords, leaving Wallace a nobleman without a home. Lord Tyrion took pity on the young man and welcomed him back, instructing Maester Jon to train the lad up as a Castellan; a position he has filled for just over 20 years. Wallace is a reliable servant of the House, but it is rumoured that he has some quite unusual nocturnal activities. However, he is a fair and effective manager of the House's finances, with a tendency to be overly formal. |
Like many who don the chain of Maester, Jon was a precocious child sponsored by a noble house - in his case House Belmore of the Vale. Seeking to replace Poppy Hall's previous maester, Lord Tyrion Ashfield took the unusual measure of travelling to Oldtown to recruit a replacement of his choosing. Although very young for a Maester, Jon's links of history, economics, alchemy, geography & flora made him a desirable addition; he has served at Poppy Hall for over 25 years. He has become fast friends with Hallys the smith, and it is rumoured that the two are working on a dark and ungodly project together. |
Hallys is the master blacksmith of Poppy Hall. Originally from Lannisport, Hallys travelled south as a journeyman to set up shop near the Dornish front. Noting the smith's skill and ambition, Lord Ascar IX wasted no time in offering him a permanent placement. During the war, Hallys earned a reputation for expertly mending even the most damaged armor, no doubt aided by the significant local opportunities to practice this art - however, his true passion is the creation of locks and other intricate metal devices. He is a slow and careful man, with a kind heart and fists like anvils. |
Semmon has been Master of the Redpass for 15 years, the smallfolk leader of Ashfield Town. He is responsible for monitoring traffic along the Redpass, moving on undesirables, keeping track of bandit activity, noting market demand for the Castellan, and ensuring Ashfield's goods move out in a timely fashion. Three months ago Semmon was mortally wounded while hunting down bandits, and would have died if not for Pella Ashfield's expert care - he will sing the young lady's praises to any who would listen. Semmon is a jovial fellow, fiercely loyal to House Ashfield, and much more cunning than his rural demeanour reveals. |