Tristifer Mooton

Tristifer Mooton is the current Lord of Maidenpool, and the third son of the late Lord Mathis Mooton. An anointed knight and deadly duelist, Tristifer has ruled over House Mooton for a brief period of time after the death of his father and brothers, managing the lands well. A vain man, he greatly enjoys riding in tournaments and testing himself against others.

Appearance and Character
A tall and rather handsome man, Lord Tristifer Mooton looks every part the gallant and noble knight, with a head of rich, dark blonde hair and bright, mesmerizing blue eyes. His smile has been known to win the hearts of maidens and his muscular and athletic build shows his dedication to his craft. His skin is pale and he keeps no facial hair.

Tristifer prefers to dress in a mixture of comfort and style, though he maintains that he looks bewitching in whatever he puts on. He often dresses in dark reds and black chased with gold or white and tends to wear cloaks lined with fur. During times of war, he dons a suit of highly ornate armor, black in color.

While Tristifer is proud and haughty, he is a loyal friend and a fearless knight, known as one of the finer swordsmen in the Riverlands and a guarantee at any tournament. Quite fond of flirting and playing romantic games, Tristifer relishes chasing maidens, though he often finds himself displeased and uninterested when the hunt is too easy. A passionate and slightly impulsive man, he has a tendency to simply say what he is feeling and pursue whatever he deems worth his time. While it may seem that Tristifer takes little seriously, the truth is that he is quite thoughtful and contemplative deep down.

History
In 416 AC, Lord Mathis Mooton was given a third son by his wife Alyx, who he promptly named Tristifer. As a noble of a ancient house, Tristifer was given every chance to succeed and gifted with limitless opportunities. As a young child, he found himself showered with attention and love, but still was pushed to do his best, something he excelled at.

It soon became clear as Tristifer aged that he was gifted with a talent at dueling, possessing a mix of aggression and catlike swiftness. It was something he felt came easy to him and was his destiny, preferring the reach and power of larger weapons. If The Seven above had given him this prowess, he felt he must use it. Likewise, he found riding to be intrinsic and something he enjoyed immensely. While gifted, Tristifer became known around Maidenpool for his arrogant attitude and penchant for being selfish, feeling that he was better than most.

Knowing that his son would need a firm hand in his fostering, Lord Mathis Mooton also sought someone with good martial skill to hone and shape Tristifer’s natural talents. Reaching out to Laswell Vance, the Lord of Atranta, Mathis sought his mentorship for young Tristifer and was quite happy when Laswell accepted. Soon Tristifer was sent to Atranta where he would begin serving as a page.

Finding the work beneath him and unpleasant, Tristifer initially had a rough time at Atranta. With Laswell Vance’s excellent guidance and a little pushing and tough love, he became a harder working individual, determined to prove he had what it took to succeed and that he was not just a handsome face that coasted by on talent alone. Pleased with Tristifer’s progress and growth, Laswell took the boy as one of his squires in the year 426 AC.

A number of years passed as Tristifer Mooton continued to work and learn, admiring Laswell greatly and heeded his teachings. Due to his conceited personality, Tristifer made a few rivals during the years but also some good friends, and he learned that aiding those he felt a connection to made him quite happy. Dismissing those who disliked him as jealous and weak, he took every chance to antagonize them and challenge the men at sparring.

When the Second Hammer Uprising broke out in 432 AC, Tristifer fought in numerous skirmishes along the Trident, coming face to face with the brutality of war. During his first encounter, the youth took a mans life, driving his sword through the neck of a man-at-arms, and spent the next few days alternating between vomiting and being in shock. Knowing that his life would be swiftly ended if he hesitated, Tristifer would continue to fight and while he never enjoyed taking a life, he would become much more comfortable with it. In 433 AC, a particularly bloody skirmish occurred, and it quickly saw Tristifer and a small group of loyalists cut off. It was during this battle that Tristifer lost himself in a red rage, cutting down any foes unfortunate enough to get near him. Wading through the combat, Tristifer sought out the enemy commander and the two were quickly locked in single combat. As Tristifer cut his foe down, a massive uproar arose from the men around him, and his foes lost hope and began to retreat. In that moment, the young man felt a rush he had never imagined possible and retold the story of the duel for nearly a fortnight, until everyone around him was beyond sick of hearing it.

In recognition of his contributions in the fighting and his bravery, Laswell Vance knighted Tristifer at the age of ten and seven, charging him with upholding the vows of a Knight. Feeling he had learned enough and needed to seek his own path further, Tristifer left Atranta and rode home to Maidenpool.

Once home, Tristifer dedicated himself to trying to discover how to effectively run a house, learning from his father and those dedicated to Maidenpool. While not nearly as efficient or experienced as his Lord father, Tristifer picked up what he could in anticipation of being Lord Mooton one day. Making sure to ride in any tournament he could, Tristifer won a number of jousts and even a few melees, and spent many days and nights pursuing women across the Riverlands.

While his father attempted to set up a number of beneficial marriages, Tristifer would do his best to sabotage them, unwilling to commit to anyone fully. Due to his status as third son, Lord Mathis eventually told his son to do as he wished in regards to marriage.

In 437 AC, Lord Mathis Mooton would fall asleep one night and never awaken the next day. Addam Mooton would pass shortly after of a fever. Inheriting his families lands and holdings, Tristifer quickly set out to maintain all the work his father and brothers had poured into them, working closely with those more knowledgeable than himself. While saddened over the loss of his family, Tristifer found comfort in continuing the Mooton line and promised himself that he would rule well.

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