Leyton Hightower

Lord Leyton Hightower is the Lord of Oldtown and the head of House Hightower of the Hightower.

Appearance and Character
One of the Realm's greatest warriors and lords, Leyton is a strikingly handsome man in the prime of life. A dashing knight, tall and muscled like a maiden's dream, Leyton is of a muscled, but elegant build. He has the golden hair and chiseled good looks of the Lannisters from his mother, and carries himself with the feral grace of a talented swordsman and the arrogant superiority of the highborn. His blue eyes, once sparkling with laughter, have calmed to an icy blue not unlike his infamous father before him.

The pride of his House, Leyton is considered one of the deadliest knights of his generation. Talented with sword, lance, and bow, Leyton fought for House Targaryen in the War of Three Thieves and was knighted on the field for valor.

Considered comely by others, but especially himself, Leyton had the reputation as a brash and arrogant young man of great potential--potential that reared its head at the Great Tourney of Harrenhal, where he won controversy and acclaim alike during his stunning victory in the joust.

Upbringing
Born to Lord Lucifer Hightower and his wife the Lady Lynora in 387 A.C., Leyton was raised in the Hightower tradition by maesters the Citadel. While noted by his tutors to be a quick and precocious child, Leyton would often dodge his lessons to train with older boys in the yard.

At the age of seven, Leyton was sent by sea to King's Landing to serve as a cupbearer at the court of King Aenar Targaryen. En route, the ship was caught in a storm and broke apart. Leyton was one of the few survivors. While Leyton eventually arrived in King's Landing to spend a year at the Red Keep, this incident led to a lifelong fear of and aversion to the sea.

At an early age, Leyton was recognized for possessing tremendous talent for the sword. Sent to Summerhall to squire for Prince Maekar, a cousin through his Hightower grandmother, Leyton grew into a fine warrior under the tutelage of one of the realm's paramount knights.

Knighthood
As Maekar's squire, Leyton was given a sound education in both arms and the knightly virtues. Training under the finest masters-at-arms, Leyton developed quickly as a prodigy with the longsword, but never truly took to the Starry faith as his master might have hoped.

During the War of Three Thieves, Leyton fought valiantly at the Battle of Grey Gallows. Cut off from the main force in a foolhardy effort to rescue a fellow squire, Leyton killed three sellswords and captured a famous pirate captain. At the battle's end, Leyton was knighted on the field by Prince Maekar at the age of sixteen.

Although his exploits were never put to song, Leyton enjoyed a reputation as one of the realm's most promising young knights. This reputation was further nurtured by the melee at the Centennial Tourney, where Leyton won but ultimately saw his victory overshadowed by the deeds of valor by older, greater knights.

Recent Events
After the war, Leyton spent most of his time in King's Landing, serving as a household knight in the Prince of Summerhall's retinue. Running in the same social circles as the flower of the young lords of the Seven Kingdoms, Leyton became friends with many other young lordlings and knights. Significant among them were the young Prince Rhaegar, Tygett Lannister, and Rycherd Crane, the heir to Red Lake and a long-time friend. In their company, Leyton developed a fondness for strongwine, pretty women, and fast horses.

This lifestyle of decadent excess caused a rift between Leyton and his former master, a devout adherent of the Starry faith, and when Prince Maekar, left the capital in outrage over the King's choice of the Princess Visaera, Leyton remained behind, taking up residence in the Hightower's great manse and setting up a household of his own.

Lauded as the one of the greatest knights of his generation after winning the Great Tourney at Harrenhal, he was seized by the Black Queen in the early hours after King Aenar's death to spend the majority of the Mummer's War a prisoner in the black cells.

Lucifer Hightower
Leyton's relationship with his father is tenuous.