Ellard Cassel

Ellard Cassel is the current Master of Whitehowls and an in that an immediate bannerman to House Stark of Winterfell. As a cousin to the current Lord of Winterfell, Jon Stark, he is a close advisor to the Warden of the North, especially in military matters.

Appearance and Character
Ellard has the looks of a Northerner through and through, with dark brown hair and grey eyes. He is tall and correspondingly strong, but not overly so. Usually, he is clad in rather practical clothing that allows him to move for his martial training and that keeps him warm in the cold climate of Winterfell and nearby Whitehowls.

A diligent and patient man, Master Ellard fulfils his tasks as ruler of the small lands owned by House Cassel readily, and serves his liege lord well with his advice. His plans are generally well thought through, but once he has been set on a course, he hardly moves from his position, sharing his stubbornness with the stereotypical Northerner. In combat, Ellard is a man as brave as he is well-trained, and takes pride in his skill, as well as his position within the ranks of the North.

Childhood
House Cassel had always been close to the Starks of Winterfell, and so one day, Master Beren Cassel, the successor of his long-lived grandmother Beth Cassel, fell for Lady Catelyn Stark, the eldest granddaughter of Lord Eddard Stark, while they were praying in the Godswood of Winterfell, and in the year of 364 AC, they married, despite the difference in rank between the two houses. One year later, their daughter Lyra was born, who would be followed by three more children, Ethan, Erena, and Ellard, who was born the youngest in 377 AC.

Erena, a sickly child, had already died in the year before Ellard’s birth, and in 380 AC, Ethan Cassel followed her in the grave, only twelve years of age, after being injured in a training accident. Nonetheless, when he was eight years old, Ellard was sent to train with the master-at-arms of Winterfell, too, as House Cassel had always served House Stark in martial matters, thus paving the way for the new Heir to Whitehowls towards a similar career, as well.

Training
Thus, Ellard spent the latter part his childhood at Winterfell, being instructed in personal combat with a sword, as well as the leadership of men in battle. While he was skilled in both, his area of focus turned out to be the latter, and he studied alongside Jon Stark, who would one day become his liege lord, and his brother Robb Stark, hearing and reading about the military history of the North and the tactics employed.

Amidst his training, news reached Ellard in 387 AC, that his father, Master Beren Cassel had died in a hunting accident after a wolf had attacked his hunting party. With the funeral, at which the Maester of Whitehowls officially took over the regency of the lands owned by House Cassel, the streak of tragedy did not end, however. As their marriage had been one of deep love and affection, Lady Catelyn fell into a deep depression after her husband’s death, from which she would not recover before her own death of depression later in the same year.

In the meantime, Jon Stark had become a man grown and a fully-trained northern warrior, who continued to train young Master Ellard, now as his squire, or the closest the northern traditions could come. In the following years, Ellard further improved his martial knowledge, and on the side learned about the building of defences, as well, making architecture another field in that he showed some proficiency.

Service
After finishing his training, Master Ellard returned to Whitehowls in 395 AC, to involve himself in his lands’ administration, which had been in the Maester’s hands before that point, and put to use his gained knowledge to organise the garrison and improve the defences of the castle. In the same year, he wed Mariah Cerwyn, less of a true marriage of love than one to join the bannermen of House Stark more closely together, but still one with enough kindness and affection exchanged, despite Ellard’s usual stubbornness.

The year after, a son was born to them, whom they named Artos, and while Lady Mariah raised their child in Whitehowls, Ellard continued to frequent Winterfell, advising his cousin, who by then had become Lord Stark and Warden of the North, after his father had died in 393 AC. Later in 396 AC, war broke out in the Narrow Sea, and Ellard rode south with his liege lord, alongside the men of Whitehowls.

Many a time, it seemed that Ellard’s life would be in danger, his son forced to become Master at a young age, even younger than he himself had been, but time after time, Ellard survived to see another day, while his companion Robb Stark died at the hands of the enemy, until at last the drawn-out war ended in 402 AC and he could return to his home, but only to have his service required once again. Within the year, Ronnel Lake’s rebellion was put down, and Ellard could finally settle down to Whitehowls for a time, again. In his absence, his son had grown into a healthy boy, who would soon begin his training himself, and in 403 AC, Lady Mariah gave birth to a second son, named Rickon.

The Scarlet Winter hit the North hard, but the small Cassel Family survived through it, although Rickon turned out to be much more prone to illness and not as strong as his brother. Nonetheless, the Winter came to an end, leaving Master Ellard and his family hopeful for the future. Between Whitehowls and Winterfell, he continued to serve his liege lord, and in 407 AC travelled south with him to Harrenhal for King Aenar’s tournament.

Regency
In 408 AC, after Lord Eyron Stark’s execution, Ellard was appointed as Regent of the Dreadfort by Lord Jon Stark until the new Lord of the Dreadfort, Eyron’s son Benjen, would come of age. While he dwelt at the Dreadfort and furthered his experience with administration, his family remained at Whitehowls under the protection of Winterfell, and there his son Artos year by year learned his skill at arms, but without his father to teach him. Over time, Ellard would become well-known among the Northerners that dealt with the Dreadfort, but not truly beyond that.

When Benjen Stark came of age, Ellard remained solely to ensure that the Dreadfort would be organised well now, before returning to Whitehowls. There, however, he found that his oldest son Artos had left the castle to travel first the North and then Essos, after he had deemed himself a fit enough warrior and the temporary peace in the North, a state that fulfilled all of Ellard’s desires, had given him no opportunity to prove his newly-gained skill at the sword.

In the last years, Ellard has remained in his castle, all the more caring for his younger son Rickon, and the people that rely on his protection in the lands around Whitehowls, only spending time at Winterfell occasionally to continue to advise Lord Jon and his now grown-up heir Eon.

Recent Events
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Family and Household
Family Tree
 * Mariah Cassel, nee Cerwyn (wife)
 * Artos Cassel, b. 396 (son)
 * Rickon Cassel, b. 403 (son)
 * Maester Stevron (counselor, healer, and tutor)