Lord Benjen Stark is the co-regnant Lord of the Dreadfort alongside his wife, Lady Alysanne Stark. He is the only son of Lord Eyron Stark and Lady Evelyne Mormont.

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Apperance and Character

Benjen is a strongly built and lean. Shades of green are hinted throughout his stormy grey eyes, and a head of long, messy black hair sits on his head.

His regular clothing consists mostly of plain brown leather and wolf’s fur.

Due to his father’s absence during half of his life, Benjen is fiercely independent. Emotionally, he is rather withdrawn, trusting few with his true emotions.

History

Benjen was born in 393 AC to Eyron Stark and Evelyne Mormont. Neglected by his father, he was a quiet and brooding child, preferring to spend his time alone in thought than with his cousins and their friends. During the War of the Three Thieves, his father proved an ineffective and tyrannical lord, further deepening the rift that existed between them. When what was left of his family returned from the war, Eyron was overwhelmed with shame over his actions and fled into self-imposed exile, forfeiting his titles to Torrhen while abandoning Benjen and Evelyne.

Confused and heartbroken, Benjen grew to resent his father for leaving. The boy quickly learned to rely only on himself, teaching himself all the martial and academic topics that were normally imparted by guardians and maesters. When the Scarlet Winter struck, he witnessed the horrible death of his eldest cousin, Eddard, who succumbed to severe frostbite after a hunt gone wrong. His passing deepened Benjen’s melancholic outlook on life, and forced the boy to retreat further into isolation.

Benjen was one of the first to hear the news of his father's sudden return in 407 AC, yet wanted nothing to do with him. Five years of brewing resentment was all the motivation Benjen needed to avoid his father for weeks after his return. The standoff was eventually brought to an end by Evelyne, who convinced her son and her husband to work towards reconciliation.

As was the fortune of the Dreadfoet Starks, Benjen and Eyron never had the chance to fully reconcile. After Torrhen’s death, Cregard’s murder, and Eyron’s subsequent beheading all in the same year, Benjen was left more alone than he had ever been before. He was made the new Lord of the Dreadfort, but was forced also to remain a captive at Winterfell until his eighteenth nameday. In his absence, Ellard Cassel was appointed regent of the Dreadfort.

Benjen’s three years in winterfell were long and difficult. Not only had he lost his father, but he was also forced to remain the ward of the man who had done the beheading. Benjen kept largely to himself, as he had grown accustomed to doing, and kept himself occupied through sword practice.

Shortly after being freed, Benjen married Donella Manderly, Lord Torrhen Manderly’s eldest daughter. For the first time in a decade, he had found some semblance of happiness within the walls of his own home, for it finally felt like a home. By 415 AC, Donella had become pregnant, which summoned frequent smiles to his face. He felt excited to add a life to his family after so many had been lost. Three years away from the Dreadfort, however, had made him forget his family’s curse. During delivery, Donella suffered a series of unexpected complications and died despite Maester Garris’s best efforts. The child, Daryn, would survive, convincing Benjen to continue suffering among the living.

When word of Alysanne’s campaign to claim the Dreadfort reached Benjen, he made no moves to counter her efforts. After everything he had been through, he almost hoped she would be successful and relieve him of his lordly burdens. He was surprised when Lord Jon Stark allowed Benjen to keep his titles as a joint ruler, and more surprised by the union he was about to enter with his long lost cousin. At first, the marriage was loveless, for the two had been bound by a history of loss and betrayal; but when they lost their only child, Beron, in 417 AC, loss served to bring them back together. Cautiously in love, the two have capably ruled the Dreadfort since.

Recent Events

418 AC

6th Moon

Unwilling to return to Winterfell, Benjen remains at the Dreadfort while his wife travels to the Winter Council.

Family