Lord Gerold Royce (born 76 AC), is the current Lord of Runestone and head of House Royce, the oldest and proudest of the noble Houses of the Vale of Arryn, and one of the two current Lord Justiciars. Born the third son and fourth of Lord Robar Royce and his wife Lyanna Corbray, Gerold never expected to inherit Runestone, as he was behind his brothers Ronnel and Manfred. He was fostered at The Eyrie, and he squired for Lord Paramount Gunthor Arryn. He fought by Lord Arryn's side as his squire during the bloody War for the Mountains of the Moon, and again during The Rosegold Rebellion, and he was knighted for his bravery after the Battle of King's Landing by Lord Gunthor. After his brother Ronnel was named to the Kingsguard, his father Robar and his brother Manfred died in a shipwreck, he inherited the Lordship of Runestone. He was named High Justiciar of the Vale before being named Lord Justiciar in 103, and is a veteran of the White Rose Rebellion. He is known to be exceptionally honorable and dutiful, pious, as well as a skilled legal expert and administrator, having served as Lord Justiciar for almost three decades. He was married to Perianne Arryn, and had 10 children with her, however, both his wife, all five of his sons and two of his daughters have died, leaving him a melancholic and distant temperament, although he does love his three remaining daughters dearly. His nephew and current Lord Paramount of the Vale, Rodrik Arryn, was his squire.

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Appearance and Character Edit

Lord Gerold is a is an older looking man with darkened blonde hair and a strong body. Although not the tallest or burliest of men, he is solid enough and physically fit. He has a full brown beard, but not one that extends to long, and he keeps it trimmed. His blonde hair is mid-length, and is well kept and groomed. However, his face is often serious, and he laughs little in public. He looks as if he is always determined, and his grave demeanor and his life of duty and honor show through his face, making him seem older than he is. After the death of his wife, children, brother and finally his best friend, his eyes are deeply melancholic.

Lord Gerold, like all of Robar's children, are known for being dutiful, honrable, and just. He is quiet, serious, and diligent, and pious, and is well respected for his upstanding behavior and his loyalty. He is shy and not very outgoing. He is close to very few people, and often is melancholic and is described by some as cold. The only close friends and confidants were his wife Perianne and his friend Jasper Arryn, but both of them have died. He is quite bright and diligent, and is very skilled with administraton and economics. He is well read and learned, in particular having a great knowledge of history, laws and customs, and has a great deal of experience especially given his lengthy service as Lord Justiciar. He used to be a decent fighter, but as he has aged his skill has decreased, but he is still passable, especially with a greatsword.

History Edit

Early Childhood Edit

Gerold Royce was born the fourth child and the third son of Lord Robar Royce, Lord of Runestone, and Lady Lyanna Corbray in 76 AC, named after Lord Gerold Corbrary, who helped Robar free Runestone from his tyrannical uncle Kyle Royce. He was a strong and healthy boy, and his infancy passed without much incident. He would not scream as much as other babes, and was quiet for his age. As he grew, it remained much the same. He was a reserved youth, who tended to keep to himself, not making his presence known to very many in Runestone. His older brothers made the impression on the court- Ronnel with his skillful swordplay, and Manfred with his martial talent and sharp strategic mind. Gerold was fine with being out of the limelight- instead preferring to be on his own, building his own worlds with his imagination, or talking to Gregor, the Maester of Runestone while the other boys would train in the yard.

He was 6 when his father sent off Ronnel to be the squire for Richard Selmy, the Master at Arms of the Red Keep. With Ronnel’s absence, only Manfred remained. Gerold lost much of his private time and was given more direct attention. He now began to train in the yard with the other boys. Rather than taking the longsword, he insisted on taking a two-handed training blade, like the greatsword his father carried. Although he was not the best fighter, he was resilient, and would always get back up every time he was knocked down. Still, he had plenty of time to spend with books. After he had learned to read and do his sums, and proved wonderfully suited for both, devouring books on the history of Westeros and the ancient House Royce and working through complex problems, and his tutor Maester Gregor spoke highly of him to his father. Lord Robar was satisfied with his son’s progress both martially and in his education.

War of the Mountains of the Vale Edit

When Gerold was 8, he was sent to the Eyrie to be a ward of Lord Paramount Gunthor Arryn of the Vale. The transition was difficult for Gerold, as his new surroundings made him uneasy. He did his best to adapt, however, and tried to accustom himself to life at the heart of the Vale. He continued his training at arms, and did well for his age, growing into a competent fighter. He became a Squire to Lord Gunthor, and served him faithfully as he could, and doing what was required of him, never complaining. In fact, he did not say much to anyone, and generally spoke only when asked. To most in the castle, he was Lord Royce’s quiet boy.

However, he only had been there a year when news of the murder of Corwyn Arryn reached the Court. He was a witness to the Court when news of the Bloody Battle of the Redfort Road reached him, and witnessed Gunthor Raise the Red. Although he thought it dishonorable, he did not question his Lord, and carried out his Lord's wishes without complaint or hesitation, keeping his reservations to himself.

He witnessed the butchery at the Red Parlay, but held his tongue. Honor had been set aside with the Raising of the Red, but he could not question his liege Lord. He followed Lord Gunthor in the Slaughter of the Villages, and fought with Lord Gunthor in the Battle of the Coldwater. The only time he ever voiced complaint was after the sack of a Howler village, where the women and children were butchered. When he told Lord Gunthor he did not think it honorable to kill women and children, Gunthor glowered and told him- "Boy, you can tell me what is honorable and dishonorable when you are old enough and have sons of your own, only to have them butchered like pigs." Gerold bit his tongue, and did not speak again.

He stayed by Gunthor's side during the Massacre at the Mountains of the Moon, fighting bravely in protecting his liege, though he barely escaped with his life. And like that, the War of the Mountains of Moon was over, and it had changed him. He was only 11 at the war's conclusion, and the War had changed him. He had seen utter brutality, and whereas it made some men disillusioned, he became more entrenched in his belief of duty and honor and of its necessity. He had served and fought beside Gunthor as best he could, although the conduct of the war on both sides left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Squire at the Eyrie Edit

With the war concluded, he returned to serving Lord Gunthor at his Court in the Eyrie. It was another transition, going from life in the field to life in the Court, and a long and difficult one. Although he had been at court before, it was only for a year, and he was quiet, and did his duty for Lord Gunthor, and had no real friends, and so the adjustment was as difficult as the first. He spent most of his time attending to Lord Gunthor, and sparring in the yard with the other boys. He continued to develop his fighting skills, and although he was never the best, he was a very competent fighter nonetheless. He was respected by his most of peers for his prowess and honesty, though others took to disparaging him as being uptight and naive. He ignored his detractors, but even so, he never grew close to even the other boys who respected him.

Whenever he got the chance, he would steal away to the Eyrie’s library to pour over the texts they had stored. He befriended the Maester, and would spend long hours in conversation with him. He began to think that perhaps he should go to the citadel to become a Maester, and put his mind to use. However, he was a squire, set to be a knight for his House. The Maester begged him to consider being a knight of the mind instead. Gerold said he would consider, but that his duty to family was important. In the library, he also met Perianne Arryn, a cousin of Lord Gunthor, and three years younger than he was. They didn’t talk much at first, as both were there to quietly read their books, and both were not talkative. Eventually, they began to strike up conversation about what they were reading. From there, they began conversing more often, often about the books they would read. Perianne became a close friend to Gerold, and the only one that he really had in the Eyrie.

The Rosegold Rebellion Edit

As the years went by in the Eyrie, Gerold continued to train and serve Lord Gunthor as best he could, and was regarded as a faithful and diligent squire. He became known for his knowledge and respect for authority and tradition, but where he really shone was his ability to do sums and count sums. He also was known as a competent fighter with a greatsword, known for his fitness and his ability to fight for long periods of time. He continued to read and study, and to spend time with Perianne, who was growing from a shy and bookish girl to a confident and gracious young lady, but also more ambitious, which gave Gerold some pause. Gerold grew older and wiser, and soon he knew would be Knighted and serve House Royce however he could.

In 93, when he was 17, The Westerlands and The Reach rose up in the The Rosegold Rebellion. He marched with Lord Gunthor's host to King's Landing, to defend the city in case it was attacked. He worked to defend the city during the Battle of King's Landing, and proved his worth there, first fighting the Westermen in the streets before falling back to the Red Keep. He then rode beside Lord Gunthor himself during the sally from the Red Keep, cutting through the enemy lines and eventually driving them from the city. All told, he slew 8 foot soldiers and a 2 knights with his blade, and wounded countless more, although he himself was wounded several times. For his bravery and prowess during the battle, and for his long and loyal service to Lord Gunthor for almost a decade, Lord Gunthor gave him his knighthood. After the battle, he had to recover from his wounds. He was grieved when he learned that his younger brother, Ser Jared Royce, a new knight, had perished during the fighting, but took the loss harder inside than he let show. When the Golden Truce was sealed, he returned home with the Vale host, finally returning home to Runestone with his father.

Return to Runestone Edit

Ser Gerold returned to Runestone, ready to do his duty, as he always did. His father was pleased with his growth, and for the loyal service he had provided to Lord Gunthor over the years. He quickly picked up his son's ability with administration and numbers, and put him in charge of Runestone's finances and development. Runestone still had not quite fully recovered from the War of the Mountains of the Vale, and had lost men and money in defending the crown. He worked hard and diligently, and soon Runestone's finances had rebounded and began to yield in surplus.

Having spent nearly a decade in the Eyrie, he did not have many friends in Runestone. He continued writing to his only real friend Perianne. The friendship had grown to something more, but he did not have the chance to see Perianne in person with his duties in the management of Runestone. he could tell that she had changed even more through her letters, having grown to be quite clever and shrewd. Although he did not see her, the love inside him continued to foster and grow. He vowed to himself the next time that he saw her, he would ask for her hand in marriage. He continued to manage the finances of Runestone for two years, and to do his duty and to serve.

Gerold's brother, Ser Ronnel Royce, was named to the Kingsguard in 95. Lord Robar and Ser Manfred, Robar's second son, decided to embark to visit King's Landing to see Ronnel's investment. Ser Gerold was to manage Runestone in their absence as Castellan. Lord Robar told Ser Gerold that once they returned he would see Ser Manfred wed to one of the daughters of Lord Arryn- not that Lord Gunthor knew of course, but surely that could be worked out- and House Royce would have a new heir. His youngest sister, Lynesse, was sent to the Eyrie to be a lady in waiting of Lady Zhoe Arryn. Robar's plans and preperations were made, and then he embarked on the flagship of Runestone's ships, the Brazen Bull, and set sail for King's Landing.

They did not even make it out to sea. Ser Gerold watched the ship as it departed, and as the wind picked up. He could see the ship desperately struggling to fight the current as it was swept against the rocks. By the time the other ships were out to salvage and rescue what they could, it was too late. All hands were lost. Lord Robar was found, his head dashed against the rocks, the greatsword Lamentation in its scabbard on his back. When his body was brought to Gerold, he showed no sign of bitterness or tears on the outside. He took the sword, however, and drew it from its scabbard, and cried with anguish, "This sword has earned its name indeed! The price for wielding this sword has been too great."

Lord of Runestone Edit

Word spread throughout the Vale that Lord Robar Royce, the Bronze Shield, renowned commander and veteran of several wars, who had ruled for nigh 30 years, was dead. Gerold, the third son, was unexpectedly the Lord of Runestone. Perianne quickly came from the Eyrie to visit and comfort him in his loss, and said that she had her father's permission to marry him. The two were wed in a quick ceremony, and Perianne became the new Lady of Runestone. However, rumors circulated that scheming Symond, or even Perianne herself, had arranged the match for his daughter as soon as Gerold became Lord of Runestone and not before, though it remains just rumor.

Gerold and Perianne loved each other, and so the marriage was happy. It helped to take some of the grief off of Gerold's mind. Perianne was Gerold's closest confidant and advisor, and she took immediately to the Court of Runestone, gaining influence and power. Georld and Perianne have two children- a daughter born in early 96, named Perianne after her mother, and a son in 97, his second child and heir, named Manfred in honor of his brother. However, his last remaining sibling in Runestone, Ser Denys, left Runestone for Ninestars to marry Larra Templeton.

It took time to win the rest of court over to his new rule, but his honesty, sense of justice, and diligent work, in combination for his skill in administration, quickly asserted his authority over Runestone. In time, Gerold came to rule Runestone in his own right, and has brought it to great prosperity and efficiency. He remained much the same, serious, quiet, and introverted, but he earned the trust of his court and vassals nonetheless for his wise rule and justice, and for his integrity.

Funeral and Rebellion Edit

In 97 AC, Lord Gerold joined with Lord Gunthor and the nobles of the Vale to journey down to King's Landing for the great funeral of Balerion, the last dragon. Lord Gerold participated in the Feast, however, when Lord Gunthor began his show of defiance over the actions of Lord Darry, Gerold was caught up in the high tensions between the Crown and the Lord Paramount. Lord Gerold visited Lord Harry Darry to try and work out a solution, and then unsuccessfully tried to placate Lord Gunthor, although the situation was resolved eventually. Lord Gerold remained in King's Landing when Lord Gunthor and his host left, and upon the request of Lord Darry to King Viserys, he was made a High Justicar of the Vale. He remained in King's Landing, studying and learning for the intricacies of his new position, when news of the The White Rose Rebellion broke out.

He joined with Lord Gunthor's host and then the Royal Host, participating in the siege of Goldengrove, and then proceeding with the Royal Host down to Highgarden and Oldtown and finally the Arbor to end the Ironborn siege during the War of Ironborn Aggression. After the Rebellion, he arrived back to the Gates of the Moon with the Vale Host. He joined his friend Jasper Arryn to arrest Ser Dustan Belmore, the Kinght of the Bloody Gate, as a traitor, and later rode down to King's Landing to speak with the Hand of the King, Aegon Targaryen, about the mustering of the Vale Host. However, Prince Aegon instead commanded him to arrest Sir Jasper for suspected treason. Lord Gerold went to see Ser Jasper, and attempted to arrest him at the Gates of the Moon. After Jasper refused, the two got into a duel, with Gerold wielding Lamentation and Ser Jasper wielding Lady Forlorn. Gerold was placed under house arrest, but eventually the misunderstanding was cleared up by the Crown and was released. He joined Jasper and the Vale army for their campaign in the Riverlands. After the campaign was finished, he finally, after three years of being away from home, reunited with his wife Perianne.

Lord Justiciar Edit

After he returned home, he worked to establish himself to his duties as High Justiciar of the Vale, with the aid and assistance of his close friend Jasper Arryn, now Lord Consort of the Vale. For three years he worked diligently to remove crime and establish order within the bounds of the Vale. For his loyalty and dedication, he earned distinction as a Justiciar, even as news of the conflict of Dorne came in from the south, as Lady Ysilla ruled the Vale with isolationist policies.

In 103, Lord Gerold was making a routine Justiciar visit to King's Landing. However, during his visit, Lord Justiciar Andros Tarbeck died during the night mysteriously, in the midst of the Dornish conflict. In his stead, King Viserys named Gerold as the Lord Justiciar of the Realm. He immediately found himself swamped in a situation beyond his imagination, having to deal with the ending processes of the war with Dorne in addition to managing the complex affairs of the Justiciars across the realm. He applied himself to his work with the utmost diligence, settling into King's Landing. He oversaw the establishment of the Justiciars in Dorne, however, he left affairs in Dorne largely to the High Justiciar and to Lady Toland.

Instead of now taking period visits to King's Landing, he instead moved to the Father's Bastion in the Red Keep with his wife and children, occasionally making visits to the Vale, especially to see Ser Jasper. Lady Perianne remained Gerold's closest confidant and supporter during his time in King's Landing, and the two continued to have a happy marriage, despite the heavy burden on Gerold's shouldsers. He and his wife would go on to have 10 children, however, Osmund died soon after childbirth, and his eldest daughter Perianne died in an accident after falling off one of the walls of the Red Keep.These tragedies would strike hard a Gerold, who deeply loved his children.

For the next decade, he spent his affairs managing the Royal Justiciars and working with the King, and reports came from Dorne that worried him about the Justiciars, but since the province was loyal, since the province remained ostensibly loyal, Gerold did not implement any changes. He tried his best, and true to his nature he remained loyal to the wishes of the King and his council, leading some in the inner courts to describe him as the King's lapdog. However, Gerold was not blindly following the King's orders. In addition to being loyal to the King and respectful of his wishes, he took a particular aspect to make sure that justice was upheld at all times, and was not afraid to speak to the King about a matter of justice he felt was being wronged. During this time, he took on his nephew Rodrik Arryn, the heir to the Eyrie, as his squire, and treated him as a son, trying his best to raise him to be a knight of honor and justice, despite his busy work.

The Years of Tragedy Edit

However, despite his best efforts to maintain justice within the Seven Kingdoms, in 114 the Riverlands and Westerlands rose up in a conflict known as the The Cobbler Rebellion. This rebellion would be costly for the Kingdoms, and would result in the death of his brother Ronnel, whom during his years in King's Landing had reestablished a bond with. Nevertheless, Ronnel died in the course of duty defending his Prince, and Gerold could not ask for more. However, he was hard pressed to deal with Justiciar affairs with the active rebellion, and had no time to grieve. He began to try and restore order as best as he could, and found himself hard swamped.

As the revolt worsened and riots began to simmer in the streets of King's Landing, he sent his wife and his five remaining oldest children to Runestone for safekeeping away in Runestone in the currently peaceful Vale under the protection of his troops. In addition, his son eldest Manfred would take over responsibilities of running Runestone so that he would be ready to take over from his father. They arrived safely and well, leaving Gerold in King's Landing with his three youngest daughters, Bethany, Zhoe and Myranda, all of whom were too young to travel in the Winter.

However, some time after they had arrived at Runestone, an local illness known as the Bronze Plague swept through the castle of Runestone and the local lands, killing many of the castle's servants, his wife, all four of his children there, his mother, several of his cousins, and the smallfolk surrounding the castle. His youngest son, Robin Royce, survived the plague, but had complications which kept him incapacitated and eventually caused his death two years later in 117. Nevertheless, when Gerold received the news, he was utterly devastated. For once in his life, his calm and stoic exterior was broken, and he wept inconsolably in front of Rodrik and his daughters. He asked the King permission to relieve himself of his duties for a week to take time to himself, and it was granted. After spending a week in seclusion and many days in the Sept, Gerold returned to his duties with the same diligence to duty that he had previously. However, there had been a major change- despite his calm and resolute facial features, his eyes were now full of sadness. He very rarely talked with others, instead focusing on his work in the Father's Bastion, only really talking to his daughters and to Rodrik.

Back to Business Edit

After the rebellion was over, he again saw himself with the duty of restoring order in the aftermath, and his work kept him busy. Soon he began to discover more and more discrepancies in the Dornish Justiciar system and the organization of the Sand Judges, and the rising problem of bandit and corruption grew more and more apparent, and Gerold urged the crown to take action. Eventually, in 118, Martyn Tarbeck was made the New High Justiciar of Dorne, and the situation began to become resolved. After the death of all of his other sons, his nephew Rodrik had become like a son to Gerold, and after the tragedies he had spent more and more time with Rodrik to help train him in the ways of a Knight. In 120, having finally felt that Rodrik Arryn was ready to become a knight, he knighted Ser Rodrik and sent him back to the Vale, although he was sad to see him go.

His daughter Bethany left for Runestone to take control of things there and to learn how to rule in her own right, while Zhoe and Myranda remained with Gerold in King's Landing. Although removed from affairs of the Vale, when he learned about the death of his friend Jasper by the Poor Fellows, he ordered for the Justiciars in the Vale to assist Lord Arryn and Prince Baelor with hunting down the Poor Fellows to get justice for his fallen friend. When world reached him that Prince Baelor had married his sister, he shared in the King and the Hand's displeasure, but did not take any formal action.

To assist him in his duties and to train as his successor, one of the King's Sons, Prince Ayrmidon Targaryen, was appointed as co-Lord Justiciar. Lord Gerold accepted the help, and enjoyed teaching and instructing the young Prince in how to run the Justiciars. He continued to serve King Viserys faithfully for the last years of his reign. With the death of King Viserys in late 129 AC, Gerold accepted Baelor as his new King, and has promised to keep the same level of dedication to him and to justice as he had to his predecessor, hoping that the order he has worked so hard to achieve may continue through the reign of a new King. However, with the recent The Tragedy of Martyn Tarbeck and the upcoming trial, things are perhaps not looking well for the Justiciars in the near future.

Family Edit

Family Tree

Allard Royce, Lord of Runestone, born 1 AC, died 53 AC. Married to Jenna Redfort. He had three children:

Household Edit

For the Household at Runestone, see the Household of Lady Bethany Royce, who manages affairs at Runestone while her father resides in King's Landing.

Lord Justiciar Gerold Royce, head of the Justiciars, and his household in King's Landing:

Lady Zhoe Royce, Lord Gerold's daughter. Born 112 AC.

Myranda Royce, Lord Gerold's daugher, born 114 AC.

Ser Jasper Royce, head of Gerold's personal bodyguard, born 97 AC.

Meta Character Details Edit

Attribute: Diligent