Lothar Farring

Ser Lothar Farring is the Grand Captain of the Warrior's Sons, born in 402 AC to Patrek Farring and Elinor Farring. He is the first Grand Captain since the days of Theodan the True.

Appearance and Character
Lothar Farring is a powerfully built man, with immaculate posture and a dark scowl emblazoned on his face. He is never seen without his hammer by his side, and is always dressed in the silver armour and rainbow cloak of his station.

He is a tight-lipped man, more often opening his mouth to admonish or proclaim guilt than to compliment or give a kind word. His loyalty and faith is legendary, though many among his order say that more mercy would not go unheeded. Those who say this, say it quietly, and out of earshot of Lothar.

Early Life
Lothar Farring was born to Patrek Farring and Elinor Sunglass late in the year of 402 AC. Patrek was but a relative to his land-owning cousins, given a minor position in the lordly Farring’s court. Patrek Farring was a loud blustering man, a tough fellow who seemed to take all of the ills of the world as a personal slight. He was a man that tried to make it clear that just because he was born a third son, that did not make him lesser, despite clear evidence to the contrary. His wife, on the other hand, was a quiet and pious woman, who spent her days praying and reading from the Book of the Seven. These two ensured that Lothar grew up as both a warrior, and of a pious nature. The Seven that he was taught were not forgiving gods, however, and with his father's focus on duty he grew up with an ironclad sense of purpose.

He was trained martially with his cousins from a young age, learning from both his father and the castle's master of arms the way of riding, of war, and of the hammer. He was squired to another cousin on the Sunglass side, a similarly piious knight who taught him much of the responsibilities of the Father and of the Smith. It was from him that he began to think of his future, turning away from the path his father saw so clearly from him, and looked towards what he viewed as his duty, and honour to the realm. Originally desiring a white cloak, he trained incessantly, participating in many small tournaments and melees across the realm.

Until then, however, he needed another purpose. At the age of 21, Lothar Farring left for the Golden Company, bored and angered with his rank at Farring Hall, and desiring more from his life. He found the rigid duty and righteous attitude appealing, and quickly fell into the routine of training and drilling.

The Golden Company
It was in the Golden Company that Lothar Farring thrived. He did well in the military atmosphere, pushing himself harder than he ever did before. He only complaint was that he saw the corruption and lack of piety in his superiors, and strove to be better.

It was at First Light that he also met the young upstart Criston Lannister, whose noble birth and casual arrogance disgusted him. He hoped that their encounters would be short, for he was sure that the Lannister would be ejected from the Golden Company soon enough. Sadly for him, he was very wrong.

In 426 Lothar Farring was transferred from First Light to the Bastion itself, and any pride he may have felt at the honour was quickly overshadowed by his dislike of his brother officer Criston Lannister. He saw the quick ascension of Criston as indicative of the corruption and moral bankruptcy of the Golden Company, a view that only deepened as the years went by.

Thankfully for Ser Lothar, he served in the Golden Company for many years without assignment to Criston. While they still crossed paths, for the next nine years he would see himself on a variety of postings, mostly instructing and learning the art of war.

Duskendale
432 was the first major conflict that Ser Lothar saw in the Golden Company, as well as the last. Gripped by the Second Hammer Rebellion, Duskendale had gained the ire of the king, and subsequently, The Golden Company with both Criston and Lothar were among them. What happened exactly in Duskendale is not known to many, only that the civilian death toll was immense. Lothar Farring was said to have acquitted himself well, but notably had exchanged words with the Captain-General of the Golden Company. After that day, Lothar Farring left the golden company for good, after many heated arguments with his fellow officers, to follow a different path. What that was, exactly, was still to be determined.

The Faith Militant Reborn
After the Golden Company, Lothar was spiritually bereft. He had committed sin in the Golden Company, according to him. He had been part of corruption and greed, nepotism and lust. While he had never committed such acts himself, he had been part of such an organization that allowed such, and thus considered himself unclean. To cleanse his soul, he searched out the Seven. It was not to the High Septon that he went to, but to the then Master of Laws, Septon Bryce. The more law-focussed Septon appealed to him more than the High Septon at the time, and Septon Bryce was said to have heard that Lothar Farring was seeking redemption, and offered to speak to him himself.

Redemption and forgiveness is what the Septon offered, and Lothar accepted wholehearedly. Seeking a new path, the member of the Most Devout promised him spiritual fulfillment, and Lothar Farring signed on to be Septon Bryce's personal guard. From then one, Lothar Farring was loyal to one man, and one man alone. He was a man of God.

When Septon Bryce ascended to the seat of the High Septon, and worked for the reformation of the Faith Militant, it was Lothar Farring that was given the coveted position of Grand Captain of the Warrior's Sons. He accepted with tears in his eyes, promising to root out enemies of the faith and upturn those organizations that would harbour them. He was also given a young man to squire for him, Theo Tyrell, the youngest son of the Tyrell family, a pious and dutiful child. He swore that he would teach him in the ways of the faith, and of the Warrior's Sons.

Recent Events
From then on, Lothar Farring has ruled the Warrior's Sons with an iron fist, ensuring that his force is of the most disciplined and god-fearing in Westeros. He serves directly under Septon Bryce, obeying his orders to the letter, and willing to do anything for the Seven.