Emmon Greyjoy

Ser Emmon Greyjoy is the Lord Consort of Three Towers and the brother of the late Lord Dagon Greyjoy. Once a boisterous warrior in the ironborn tradition, the loss of close friends on an ill-fated reaving left him doubting the virtue of the Old Way. Shortly after his brother’s unexpected assumption of rule over the Iron Islands, he left for the mainland, where he converted to the Faith of the Seven and squired for a knight.

Following his own anointment, Emmon spent several years as a sworn sword of House Frey before at last returning to Pyke. A changed man, he was integral to Dagon’s rule despite his irreverent demeanor and his unapologetic embrace of a foreign faith. He served his house until the end of the Bleeding, when his wife Arianne was tapped to succeed her traitorous father. Emmon was appointed castellan of Three Towers, aiding the new Lady Costayne in her ambition to restore the dignity and prosperity of a disgraced dynasty.

Appearance and Character
A year shy of fifty, Ser Emmon Greyjoy’s health and strength are hardly past their prime. His average frame is rendered imposing by his height and musculature, though his gut has begun to protrude slightly with age. Emmon retains the rugged handsomeness characteristic of his line, with striking blue eyes beneath heavy brows and a trim beard along his jaw. His hair is kept tidy, with its appeal only amplified by the flecks of gray that have begun to pepper its natural brown. He wears simple clothing in drab colors, sometimes complimented by a hand axe worn at the waist. When the occasion calls for armor, his equipment is more indicative of his ironborn roots than his knightly status; Emmon favors flexible chainmail and carries a bastard sword forged by the finest smith in Lordsport.

Ser Emmon carries an energetic yet contained presence, his ironborn boldness tempered by knightly discipline. He has a refinement that defies preconceptions of his heritage, but he is authentic in his spontaneity and proud of his quirks. An air of confidence and a tolerance for the disdain of others facilitate an outgoing disposition, though he is almost as prone to start an argument as he is to make a friend. But while acquaintances may come easily to Emmon Greyjoy, he is slow to form meaningful relationships.

His good humor is paired with an unreliable sense of it; even in the midst of great frustration, Emmon can seldom resist the impulse of an ill-conceived quip. The knight’s willingness to make light of tense situations, however, is his tongue’s most effective tool: while not a naturally considerate person, Emmon is capable of charm and persuasion when it is expected of him. Such tact requires him to suppress his obstinance and penchant for arguments; he often questions the decisions of others when his own opinion is no better informed.

There is an arrogant self-righteousness within him that comes from forty-nine years of experience and a defiant sensibility forged by the prejudice of his own people. A pious man, Emmon’s zeal was kept in check by his long service to his family, who still follow their indigenous religion. He turns to the Faith for a sense of purpose and a peace of mind, though his adherence is not unconditional: when Emmon cannot repress his desires, he privately rationalizes away his doubt.

Faith and devotion provide Emmon with higher aspirations, but since his move to the Reach, he has begun to embrace his ironborn identity. Though never eager to resort to violence, he is not above wielding the mere threat of his ferocity. Nevertheless, he recognizes that his handiness with a blade is his greatest talent, and will seize any opportunity to make himself a hero. Time, however, has begun to take its toll on Emmon Greyjoy, and he has yet to come to terms with his fading relevance.

Early Life
Emmon was born the salt son of a salt son, the third of Beron Greyjoy's four children. Neither Beron nor his sons expected to stand at the forefront of their house; their branch was far removed, and somewhat estranged, from the ruling line. Instead, they spent most of their upbringing at the court of House Sunderly, who Beron diligently served as their steward. Whereas Dagon immediately took after his father, Emmon fit the mold of a traditional ironborn warrior. In his adolescence, he distinguished himself as a capable fighter with sharp wits, both of which he proudly flaunted. He was respected - and at times feared - by the other boys at Seagrave, and a role model to his younger brother, Loren.

During the hardships of the Scarlet Winter, many ironborn believed that they needed to take what they could not grow. Eager to prove their worthiness of their name, Dagon and Emmon joined a party that sailed east to reave the coasts of Essos. Though their small fleet from Saltcliffe was initially successful, they eventually faced the consequences of their aggression; intervening mariners from the Free Cities put most of their men to the sword and seized their plunder. Dagon and Emmon were among those who managed to flee back to the Iron Islands, but this venture was ultimately a humiliating and traumatizing failure. Some of Emmon's closest friends were among those who perished on the journey, and the experience pulled him into a deep depression. He grew distant from his kin and peers, casting doubt on the customs he once embraced with pride.

Conversion
In 408 AC, with the Mummer's War unfolding on the mainland, Maron Greyjoy mistakenly saw an opportunity to reave the western coasts. In a series of events that came to be known as the "Fool's Gambit", Maron's plans were preempted by an alliance of the Lannister army, the Redwyne fleet, and House Harlaw. Lord Maron - an only child without cousins or uncles - perished in battle, and his second cousin Dagon was tapped by the crown to succeed him. After Dagon assumed lordship over the Iron Islands and married Alannys Harlaw, the saltborn Greyjoys relocated to Pyke. Emmon, however, struggled to acclimate to his family's unexpected elevation. The next year, he left for the mainland, ostensibly to find a sense of purpose that he lacked at Pyke.

His first destination was Oldtown, where he sought to understand the foreign faith of the Andals. He soon became enamored with the Faith of the Seven, finding its teachings more sensible and virtuous than the worship of the Drowned God. Emmon began to idealize the path of knighthood - and during a chance encounter at the Starry Sept, he convinced Ser Dorian Hightower to take him on as a squire. Despite his ironborn roots, he was welcome at the court of Leyton Hightower, who saw the potential in keeping a Greyjoy scion in his household. Emmon, however, was wary of his host's ambition. After less than two years as a squire, he convinced Ser Dorian to anoint him on the steps of the Starry Sept. He then headed north overland, seeking a new patron in the Riverlands.

At the Twins, Lady Elana Frey accepted his offer of fealty. It was there that Emmon moderated the initial zeal of his conversion; he kept a low profile throughout his five years of service to House Frey. He began to yearn for the home and family he'd left behind, and in 416 AC, Emmon left the Twins to return to the Iron Islands.

Service
The reforms of Dagon Greyjoy and Alannys Harlaw allowed for greater toleration of the Faith of the Seven, including a few septs throughout the Iron Islands. The Drowned God, however, remained the favored deity under their rule, and Emmon stood as the sole heathen within the walls of Pyke. His first year was contentious; the knight did little to ease the contempt and distrust of the other dignitaries at the Greyjoy court. Begrudgingly, the castellan later grew to appreciate Emmon's value as an assistant, and soon more came to tolerate the convert. His brother Loren, a zealous old believer, likewise refused to let religious prejudice overcome familial ties, though their bickering remained incessant.

In 418 AC, Dagon left for the tourney at Summerhall and appointed Emmon to serve as regent in his absence. The sole knight of Pyke was incensed by his exclusion from the greatest chivalric contest of his lifetime, and only persisted with his duty out of spite. Unsurprisingly, this appointment proved controversial, but Emmon complied with his brother's will in good faith. When a dispute between local and Andal traders escalated to a riot in Lordsport, he fearlessly confronted the rabble and struck a lasting compromise.

Despite his brother's success, Dagon realized that Emmon could better serve their house abroad. He was relegated to a diplomatic position, and his first assignment was to cement an alliance with the Redwynes during a small tourney at the Arbor. It was there that he met Arianne Costayne, and their mutual attraction was immediate. Before returning home, Emmon stopped at Three Towers, where he attempted to earn her father's blessing for a marriage. The Reachman's prejudice against the ironborn initially prompted Lord Costayne to refuse him, but Emmon's knowledge of the Faith eventually swayed the pious Reachman to accept a Greyjoy as his goodson.

The ceremony was held at Pyke, where the bluster of resident ironborn almost frightened away the visiting Costaynes. After Arianne took his name, he returned to his duty as Dagon's chief representative on the mainland, traveling to numerous holdfasts along the western coasts to mend relations between salt and rock. His wife, however, soon proved herself even more useful to the Greyjoy court: at Alannys Harlaw's recommendation, the bookish Arianne became the unofficial steward of Pyke, fulfilling the duties of the increasingly senile Sigorn Weaver. Emmon's travels grew less frequent for the sake of his wife and children, the latter of whom were raised between two cultures.

Sea Change
Dagon Greyjoy's efficacious reforms were not enough to eradicate hardship from the lives of the ironborn, and when The Bleeding broke out on the mainland, some embraced opportunistic notions of reviving the Old Way. Dagon steadfastly refused to break the king's peace, and when a band of warriors conspired to defy his authority, he executed its leader - the heir to Blacktyde. Lord Blacktyde angrily confronted his liege and in his rage drove a dagger right through him. The death of Lord Dagon passed the Seastone Chair to his adolescent son, Alyn - but an emboldened Loren Greyjoy refused to accept the rightful heir. He left Pyke to rally a reactionary faction around him, declaring his claim in what became known as the Black Prophet's Rebellion.

With his family secure within the walls of Pyke, Emmon set out to fight in his nephew's defense. He served as a lieutenant of both Alannys Harlaw and her heir, Theon, engaging in skirmishes on both land and sea. After two years, the rebellion was quelled - but the victor had little patience for his convert uncle. Emmon's attempts to exert influence over the young Lord Reaper were rebuffed, and his stature at court shrank without the favor of his late brother. He remained loyal and diligent, but the consequences of the Second Hammer Uprising pulled him away from Pyke the next year.

For his vigorous support of the Warsmiths, Lord Kevan Costayne was sentenced to live out his days on the Wall. With his only son already slain in combat, the lordship of the Three Towers was passed to his eldest daughter, Arianne. She reverted her name from Greyjoy to Costayne, and her children were likewise renamed accordingly. Their eldest, Alannys, was sent to King's Landing to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Naerys, and Emmon followed his wife to her inherited holdfast.

Recent Events
After his assumption of the mantle of Lord Consort, Emmon was appointed castellan of Three Towers. Though is seafaring prowess is unremarkable by ironborn standards, he has spent the last three years supervising the reconstruction and maintenance of House Costayne's minimal fleet.

Family

 * Beron Greyjoy b. 354 AC d. 405 AC
 * m. Leona of Gulltown (salt wife) b. 366 AC d. 427 AC
 * Dagon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands b. 385 AC d. 432 AC
 * Gillian Pyke b. 404 AC
 * m. Alannys Harlaw, Lady of Harlaw b. 388 AC d. 433 AC
 * Victaria Greyjoy b. 412 AC
 * Arwyn Greyjoy b. 415 AC
 * Maege Greyjoy b. 417 AC
 * Alyn Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands b. 419 AC
 * Megga Greyjoy b. 387 AC
 * m. Rolfe Sunderly b. 386 AC
 * Beron Sunderly b. 407 AC
 * Ser Emmon Greyjoy b. 389 AC
 * m. Arianne Costayne, Lady of Three Towers
 * Alannys Costayne b. 419 AC
 * Axel Costayne, Heir to Three Towers b. 421 AC
 * Loren Greyjoy b. 392 AC d. 434 AC