Renly Oakheart

Ser Renly Oakheart is a knight of House Oakheart and the current Lord of Old Oak, though the position is currently disputed. After the recent death of his nephew, Renly finds himself the last Oakheart, and has travelled to Highgarden to swear fealty to his new liege lord, Garlan Tyrell.

Appearance and Character
Renly is a middle-aged man, and is beginning to show. Stress lines mark his face and his long black black hair and bear are beginning to show signs of graying. His green eyes, however, remain as piercing as ever.

Renly is a rather serious man, and prone to ambitious thoughts. He does his duty to his family diligently enough, but there have been some duties he has never found himself able to carry out, duties that have left his family in a precarious state.

Childhood (394 - 406 AC)
Born the second son of Lord Oakheart and his wife, Renly never expected to rule and was thus raised as an afterthought in many ways. Considerable attention was placed on his brother Luthor, which stunted the boy's learning in some aspects but drove them in many more. Renly took to his studies with a fury, determined to show himself as capable, if not more so, than his brother.

At six Renly was sent away to serve as a ward for the nearby Lord Crane. There, he was treated with a greater level of dignity than in his own home, and found greater relaxation in his ambitions, though he did not give them up entirely. Renly took to his education under Lord Crane and learned a great deal about what it meant to be a man of the northern marches of the Reach, sworn to hold the border against the lions from the north.

At twelve, following the conclusion of the Scarlet Winter, Renly again moved, this time to squire under one of his father's bannermen, Lord Westbrook of the similarly-named castle. There, Renly continued his studies, but this was a time of peace, and so much of it was reserved to books more so than battles. Renly was taught the knightly arts, and learned what it meant to govern a holdfast, though he would never hold one of his own. The boy learned well, and grew smarter, stronger, and prouder with each passing day.

Adolescence (406 - 412 AC)
Renly grew into a man at Westbrook, and stayed with his father's bannerman beyond the age of sixteen, when he was expected to return home. Love had kept him there, as did the enjoyment of living a life free of his father's disregard. Lord Westbrook treated him well, and his lover gave him reason enough to stay. This changed, however, when Renly was eighteen, having been invited back for funeral of his father.

At the occasion, Renly's lord-brother pleaded with him to stay, to help him in his governance of Old Oak. Reluctantly, Renly obliged, though he had little desire to take to certain familial duties. Also reluctantly, the new Lord Oakheart obliged. Renly did not petition Lord Westbrook to give his love leave to enter service at Old Oak, as he dared not think of what his old mentor might say to such a request. Instead, Renly grew sour, and for a time, joy left him, a joy that not even a knighthood could replace.

Adulthood (412 AC - Present)
At eighteen, Renly had refused a knighthood from Lord Westbrook himself, though insisted it was of no personal grudge. Truly, it wasn't. Renly, in his youth, believed what knighthood stood for. How could a boy with no experience or deeds to his name claim to be a knight? He would earn his, in time, or would live life as but the lowly brother of the Lord of Old Oak.

Nevertheless, Renly did his best to aid his brother in the governance and protection of Old Oak. He grew into a capable defender of their lands, and learned his brother's people well. Even, at times, Renly took to helping raise his three infant nephews, ensuring they understood the truth of the world that he wished he had seen as a child. The mettle of the young Oakheart was soon tested, when a harsh winter brought pain to their lands. Shortly thereafter, however, House Oakheart experienced an even greater set of tragedies.

With the Second Hammer Uprising descending swiftly on Old Oak, Lord Luthor made the decision to send away his sons. The Oakheart brothers took to defending the coasts and frontiers of the Reach for a number of years, during which time Renly would finally earn his knighthood, far older than when most men do. The Oakheart had found purpose in his life again, and on the occasions where Lord Luthor led their forces into the field, Renly remained behind to hold the castle.

In a twist that is still unknown to Renly, his three nephews returned rather abruptly from King's Landing, and took up prominent roles in the defence of their father's lands. However, the war would take its toll on the boys, with the two eldest being dead before it was done. The deaths broke Luthor, whose youngest boy, Desmond, now served as his only heir. Quickly, Renly had been thrust closer to the lordship than he had ever dreamed. Oddly, it both unnerved and excited him.

Death took Renly's brother shortly thereafter, and Renly was now officially heir to Old Oak. On some nights Renly prayed it would never fall to him, and on others he prayed it would. The young Desmond took up the betrothal of his own brother, and agreed to wed Shaera Lannister, a marriage that would in time push Renly away from the lordship. It did not bother him, in truth, as it was always where he had expected to be. Yet, it seemed the death that the war had brought was not yet finished with his family.

Recent Events
Desmond's wedding to Shaera Lannister took him away from Old Oak promptly, leaving the castle in Renly's stead. Not long after his marriage, Desmond would journey to the capital to participate in the Great Council, following King Aegon's death. He would not return, dying in a skirmish between the forces of Casterly Rock, and the solitary dragon of Prince Baelor, Aegorax.

In five short years, Renly had found himself rising from fifth in line to inherit his father's seat, to becoming the new Lord of Old Oak, and the last of his family in the world. Renly's dream, and and nightmare, had been realized. Promptly, Renly took to the road south, to Highgarden, to swear his loyalty to Lord Tyrell.

Family

 * Lord Oakheart (3XX - 412 AC)
 * Olenna Oakheart (389 - 4XX AC)
 * Luthor Oakheart (392 - 438 AC)
 * Arthur Oakheart (409 - 434 AC)
 * Mathis Oakheart (411 - 434 AC)
 * Desmond Oakheart (414 - 439 AC)
 * Renly Oakheart (394 - Present)