Ceryse Connington

Ceryse Connington née Penrose is the Lady of Griffin's Roost by virtue of marriage. An even tempered woman known for her finesse in handling the domestic affairs of House Connington, her delicate artistry is a kind woven in every whispered word.

Appearance & Character
Dark-haired and dark-eyed, Ceryse inherited many classic stormlander looks; yet her oval face is filled with soft features that defy the fierceness her people are known for.

Following the Uprising and the subsequent birth of twin children, a once lean figure has rounded in her later years to a set of full curves. Above all else, the Lady of Griffin's Roost remains a woman shaped by poise; tactful in both mind and manner.

Early Youth
Born in the winter of 410 A.C. as a scion of House Penrose, Ceryse was raised at the family's holding of Parchments. A marvellously clever child; noted for her amiability and talent with social graces long before she impressed for scholastic pursuits.

Never one to be quiet, the Penrose halls were filled with delightful laughter and incessant chatter from the moment her voice took shape.

Two short years following her birth, winter abated from the Realm and tensions began to build between the Crown and the Faith of the Seven following a sharp influx of R'hllorists. As ardent followers of the Faith, House Penrose turns ever inward in distrust of the ruling Targaryen regime. Ceryse was not fostered away from home, but spent much time with the neighbouring houses of Kellington and Swygert.

Adolescence
In 418 A.C. when the grand refurbishments of Summerhall are completed, a great tourney is held. Though only eight, Ceryse is already dreamy-eyed over idyllic notions of chivalrous knights and their graceful wives.

A prominent contender of the melee, Prince Daeron Targaryen, entertains her insistent demands that he wear her white ribbon as a favour; perhaps only because the girl is entirely undeterred by the scars wrought upon his skin by the flames of the dragon Viserion. Though a small gesture, she promptly tells her mother Cassandra that one day she too will marry a brave knight -- perhaps even a Prince.

True to her family words - Set Down Our Deeds - Ceryse became an avid writer as she blossomed into a young woman. By her hand melancholic histories of the Penrose Queen, Aelinor, became fanciful tales made tall with the spirit of youthful romanticism.

Despite a predisposition toward sedentary and solitary hobbies, the young Penrose remained active and gregarious with her peers. Countless days were spent out in the rocky, moss-covered outcrops; running through rainy woods and rolling down great green hills. Memories of simpler times that, as the years rolled by, would come to be her most wistful.

Adulthood
Moderated by naturally imposed - and assumed - lifelong expectations and her wholesome upbringing, Ceryse matured into a diligent and responsible daughter only too eager to help her ageing father with stately affairs. Never possessed by an interest for the martial affairs that dominated the region's culture, she instead devoted her time to helping maintain the ledgers of Parchments. Gifted a creative mind, Ceryse managed to find an art form to every exchange of coin.

Cassandra Penrose, a notably devout woman, imposed upon the importance of a virtuous household. House Penrose had remained staunch supporters of the Faith, fervently involved with religious affairs in the Stormlands. When the health of Lady Cassandra began to deteriorate, Ceryse eagerly took up the coordination and administration of community ceremonies on behalf of her ailing mother. While not an overly pious soul, a keen sense of compassion and a growing perception for the importance of reputation demanded nothing short of the utmost adherence to family tradition.

Discontent amongst followers of the Faith of the Seven became increasingly prevalent as the influence of R'hllorists spread across the Kingdoms -- their influence no more heavily felt than in the heart of the Stormlands. The sister of the Lord Paramount, Argella Baratheon, became noted as one of the proponent followers of the Red God. A prominent woman by virtue of birth and station, her involvement and active efforts in propagation served to stir up much resentment.

The Second Hammer Uprising
While geographically removed from many of their southern neighbours, Parchments was one of many holdings that found itself amidst turmoil. Loyal to the divergent efforts of their liege, Gwayne Baratheon, House Penrose remembered well the Great Synod of Lannisport and the disenfranchisement orchestrated by House Targaryen. In the end, however, they placed loyalty above faith.

As skirmishes began to break out across the region and reports emerged of Warsmith activity in the Marches, attempts to consolidate both vassals and levies became prevalent. Many such alliances came in the form of betrothals. By agreeing to unify a devout scion of House Penrose, and the heir to Griffin's Roost, Arys Connington, the long process of scrubbing clean the taint of R'hllor could begin. Many hoped it may even abate the growing tide. The Red Faith cut a gaping wound across the Stormlands, and as Ceryse so actively advocated in those harsh years of wartime, the Faith of the Seven was the only salve that could see it healed.

Already taken by ill health, Cassandra Penrose died peacefully late in 432 A.C. No longer bound to Parchments, Lord Arlan sojourned to Storm's End with Ceryse in tow after their mourning period. There they took up positions in court to assist with their liege's efforts; while the elder quill was already a recognised commander of men, the younger found her footing penning communiques and transcribing reports. For a time, the work served to distract them from prolonged grieving of a beloved wife and mother.

The Second Hammer Uprising, however, proved to be a merciless source of sorrow. For Ceryse, it proved a font that flowed until the banners of peace flew in the wind; too little, and far too late. In the liberation of Griffin's Roost during 434 A.C, Arlan was amongst the primary casualties sustained in retaking his daughter's future home.

In the span of a few short years, the lights in her life were snuffed out in a haze of red. Beset by an ardent hatred for the Red Faith, which she blamed for the entire renewal of the schism in the Stormlands, Ceryse was idealistic no longer. Hardened by loss and loneliness, all that remained of a once soft heart was compassion measured in the weight of utility.

Domestic Life
In the aftermath of the Uprising her betrothal to Arys Connington found quick culmination in marriage. For many a year Ceryse wore only white, the woman a walking banner of ivory that heralded peace and prosperity. True to that image, her astute recommendations in the governance of Griffin's Roost helped bring about much needed recovery.

Within a year Ceryse fulfilled her wifely duties and secured her husband's lineage; twins, healthy and happy. The elder by mere moments, a boy named Alesander, and already clinging to her brother's every move was a girl that quickly followed. After much debate she was named Argella, though for all the years that followed the Lady of Griffin's Roost swore she would be nothing like the heathen she was named for.

Recent Events
As spring settles over the Stormlands in 438 A.C. Ceryse orchestrates the construction of a new sept; the previous having been damaged during the retaking of Griffin's Roost some four years prior.

Family

 * Arlan Penrose b. 389 A.C. d. 434 A.C
 * m. Cassandra Penrose née Fell b. 392 A.C. d. 432 A.C
 * Ceryse Connington née Penrose b. 410 A.C.
 * m. Arys Connington
 * Alesander Connington b. 435 A.C.
 * Argella Connington b. 435 A.C.