Benn

Benn is a commoner from the Crownlands. His family lived under the rule of House Rosby. Benn worked as a farmhand until his parents' recent death. He is the eldest of his siblings. He is unmarried.

Appearance and Character
Benn is generally considered a handsome young man. His eyes are a strikingly bright shade of blue, and his sandy blonde hair curls slightly midway down his neck. His middling height and lean muscle are deceptive -- he is astonishingly strong and possesses incredible stamina, the effects of years of hard farm work. He's often said to have a youthful face, a thought only reinforced by his typically amiable nature.

Being of the lower castes of the society, his garb is quite poor. Shirts and breeches sewn of rough linens or simple wool and poorly cobbled shoes make up most of his attire, in nondescript colors. His only extraneous adornment is a crudely carved Seven-Pointed Star of wood that hangs around his neck on a bit of twine.

Benn is most often good-natured and prone to laughter. He is particularly kind and compassionate, often found helping his neighbors and siblings with their work. He tends to be quite courageous, often the first to wade into danger for others, though he has enough sense to know when he's out of his depth. He enjoys time with family, considering them to be of greatest worth. The recent loss of some of them has caused him to be somewhat more somber and closed off.

He is not educated, but possesses a sharp mind and learns quickly. He is also quite sincere in his faith to the Seven, though not to the point of zealotry. Being of the Starry persuasion, he holds some distaste for the Targaryen families and their extravagance and incestuous practices; still, he knows better than to speak out against them defiantly. He despises dragons.

Early Childhood
Benn was born in the 2nd Moon of 382 AC, the eldest child of Benn, a farmer, and his wife Miri. To differentiate the two, neighbors and relatives began referring to the father as "Old" Benn, while the son maintained the simple Benn. The boy was a vigorous, healthy child, and it showed as he grew. He was always strong and full of energy, and the hard work of a farm only improved his physical fitness through the years.

When he was four, his first sister, Moyra, was born, which delighted the new big brother. He and Moyra were inseparable; it was the beginning of the close-knit friendships of Old Benn and Miri's children, of which they had three more. They were often found playing in ponds and catching bug; and, as they grew older, the children would take the draft horses out for riding, to their father's half-hearted chagrin. It was a loving environment to grow up in, despite the poorness of their family.

The War of the Three Thieves
When Benn was 14, the realm was called to war to avenge the stealing of an egg from the Royal Family. The Targaryens called on the lords of the realm, who in turn levied their troops. When the call to arms came from House Rosby, Benn's father was one of those called away to war, and he was among the Crownlander forces that fought in the Stepstones. For three long years, Benn and his family waited, sometimes hopeful and sometimes fearful, for their father's return. During that time, Benn conducted much of the work their father had done, seeing to the crops and livestock, along with repairing the house, barn, and fences. He became passably handy, a skill he would be glad of in later years.

In 398 AC, Old Benn returned from his long absence. The reunion was a joyful one, for the father of the family had not only returned alive, but whole and hale. He had fought well in the war, proving himself a capable soldier, his reputation among his peers a favorable one. He had also become fairly adept with a sword, and wasted no time in teaching his eldest son, now a man, to use the weapon. It was a practice they exercised when they were not working the farm, and so while Benn learned the fundamentals, he could not be said to be much more than a novice. Still, it was a good thing to learn how to defend oneself, and Benn was glad of his father's tutelage.

In 401 AC, Moyra was married to a man from Rosby's castle town named Pendrick, and she moved to live with him. The next year, they had a daughter, Millie.

The Scarlet Winter
The next few years saw a winter that was the harshest in living memory. Though the family had stored up for the coming of the next winter, Benn and his kin found those days to be hard. The freezing conditions were poorly held off by their humble home, and they had to carefully ration the food to survive. Benn, his brother Daltan, and their father took to poaching in the Kingswood at times, to get much needed meat for the family. Luckily, they were never caught.

Moyra fell ill during the last few moons of the winter. Though she survived the malady, it left her easily exhausted from then on.

When at last spring came again in 405 AC, Benn and his family had survived the winter. Poorer and more haggard...but alive.

The same year that the winter ended, Daltan, Benn's younger brother, moved to King's Landing to take up an apprenticeship as an armorsmith.

Recent Events
One day, in the middle of the 5th Moon of 407 AC, Benn went to Rosby to pick up some tools ordered from the blacksmith. He spent much of the day in the castle town, and spent the night in his wagon among the thatched huts. Before dawn he woke to begin his journey back, and it was late afternoon when he neared home. However, his heart froze when he saw smoke in the direction of the farm. He hurried back, only to find the fields aflame, livestock slaughtered, the barn charred. The worst sight, however, was the burned house, and the twisted, smoking bodies of his mother and his two youngest siblings, Gendry and Anni. Nearby was the broken, torn body of his father, broken sword near his hand. Benn cried out in grief, rushing to his family. Only then did he hear the roars on the wind; only then did his eyes look skyward. Flying away to the west, he beheld a huge dragon of green. It disappeared into the distance.

Angered by the attack of a dragon on his home and family, Benn now sets off to Harrenhal, where a great tournament is reputed to be held soon, in hopes of securing the help of the Royal Family in bringing his family justice.

Family
Family Tree
 * Benn -- father; 360 - 407 AC
 * Miri -- mother; 364 - 407 AC
 * Benn; b. 382 AC
 * Moyra -- sister; b. 386 AC
 * Pendrick -- Moyra's husband; b. 381 AC
 * Millie -- niece; b. 402 AC
 * Daltan -- brother; b. 390 AC
 * Gendry -- brother; 396 - 407 AC
 * Anni -- sister; 400 - 407 AC

Household Members/NPCs
Daltan -- Benn's younger brother. 17 years old. Works as an apprentice armorsmith in King's Landing. He is engaged to a girl named Lyanna.

Corin III, Prince of Oldtown -- Benn's dog. An aging but lovable mutt, he follows Benn everywhere, and often helped Benn tend the family's sheep. He's friendly, but is fiercely defensive of Benn.