Lyndon Vance

Appearance and Character
At age 50 Lyndon remains at good health

Throughout his life and reign he has strived to protect his family and that of his liege, a goal which has required a deal of though, some times harsh decisions. Though not completely without remorse, all were made without hesitation

Now in the latter half of his life, he is faced with doubt and tragedy, his sons having passed away and his youngest sister dissapearing. Have his efforts all proven to be in vein?

Early life
Born in 367 AC, Lyndon was the second child of Norbert Vance and Lythene Darry and the first to survive infancy, making him the heir to Wayfarer's Rest. He was born just after his father ascended as lord after his own sire had in turn fallen during the Halfblood Incursion. As his mother was of delicate health, she was prone to post-natal complications and as such her children were born several years apart so as not to endanger her life.

Growing up in the southern riverlands, Lyndon lived his life on the crossroads of the faith. Since its construction by the Andal conqueror Armistead Vance, Wayfarer's rest had been built to protect pilgrims travelling through the area. This traffic of pious men and women coupled with its proximity to the reach had caused House Vance to get embroiled in the southern schism. The borders between Baelorian and Starry rites left Wayfarer's rest in an unclear position. While allowing pilgrims of both stripes and continuing to honour Baelorian rites on a superficial level, House Vance has deep-running sympathies with the Starry rites, and the percieved neutrality served mainly to prevent conflicts amongst the peasantry and pilgrims. Lyndon would study both practices, but in line with the traditional position of his house would heavily favour Starry rites, somehting his later tenure as lord would only corroborate.

Though far apart in age he remained close to his sisters, Elinor in particular as he would be largely responsible for her upbringing after their parents passed away. His paternal role in the family began early as he began taking on several lordly responsibilities after coming of age, Lord Norbert's health beginning to quickly deterioraate as result of a tumor in his throat. In 384 he married Lady Leila Lannister and their first son Robert was born the following year

Ascension and Reign
Lyndon's Parents passed away in 387, both having been bedridden for some time. Lady Lythene had never fully recovered from her last childbirth in 384 and had been ill ever since whilst Lord Norbert had been suffering from a developing tumor for nearly a decade, which by his last few years prevented him from speaking and eating solid foods. This situation had necessitated Lyndon to take on many lordly responsibilities years prior and so the transition proved smooth. Along with his wife, Lyndon would rule ably, gradually instituting reforms to promote efficient administration, such as mandating a hard currency-tax and creating permanent offices of tollers to create a stable profit from the traffic of pilgrims and merchants. In the following years his second son Harrold and first daughter Catelyn would be born. A year after becoming lord, Lyndon would aid his father-in-law Loreon Lannister in putting down the Hammer Uprising. The first great challange came in the form of the great famine, which struck all of the riverlands harshly. Nevertheless Lyndon navigated it as ably as could be expected of any man. His tax reforms, though innitially unpopular had now resulted in the smallfolk having a greater food surplus. The knights of Wayfarer's Rest nad its vassals would also be deployed on the borders of the Vance lands in order to force potential migrating peasants to return to their homes. Though a harsh measure it prevented major displacements of the population, and so the fields were not abandoned.

In 400 AC Elinor was sent to court at Riverrun, where she would become lady in Waiting to Berena Tully. Lyndon and Leila had their fourth and thus far last child in 397 AC.

Although his policy during the great famine had caused some discontent at the time, in the years after Lord Vance gained a reputation for his effective handling of the crisis, and in posterity compplaint decreased. However no one could have prepared for the Scarlet winter, which froze the trident solid, crippling trade and transportation for years. Lyndon would also suffer in a more personal way this time around, as both his sons, Robert and Harrold passed away, leaving his daughter Catelyn as heir. The riverlands survived, though at the end of winter one could hardly describe it as living. Lyndon and Leila would work to rebuild and restore the lands to prosperity, though their determination was weakened. Further clarity was lost with the legitimization of Landon Rivers, this shortly following the dissapearance of Elinor Vance, who was believed to have been the bastard's lover some time before vanishing without a trace. Once Lyndon Vance had a clear purpose, sering his gods, his liege and his family. Now the faith is divided, House Tully is ruled by a schemer and bastard, and in just a short time his family has lost three members

The Mummer's war
At the Tourney of Harrenhall Lyndon met with Berena Tully for the first time since his sister's dissapearance. Learning of Landon Tully's crimes, he swore her his fealty in secret and began to seek support from other lords, notably his cousin Harrold Darry and Father in law Loreon Lannister. Catelyn Tully was sent to King's Landing as companion to lady Berena while Lyndon bided his time, awaiting the word of his lady. It came as a great shock then, when he learned of his lady's fate, slain by the fell dragon Rhaeghal. A short time after, Maegor Waters arrived on dragonback, informing Lyndon of what had transpired at Riverrun and what Landon Tully had done to Lady Berena and Elinor Vance. Enraged, Lyndon raised his forces and marched on the Tully stronghold, besieging it in the name of its newly legitimized lord, Damion Tully. Soon the forces of his relatives, the Lannisters arrived, with much greater numbers than he had expected. When questioned by Ser Lorimer Lorch, he affirmed his loyalty to the Queen.

Upon Damion's return, he met with him alongside lord Mooton to discuss plans for restoring order to the Riverlands, a process which had to begin with the repulsion of the invading Valemen. Lyndon and his Bannermen accompanied their liege lord to the battle of the Ruby Ford, fighting on the side of the loyalists. Thanks to numerical superriority both on land and in the skies, the battle was a decisive victory, and ended the fighting in the Riverlands

In Her Majesty's Service
In the immediate aftermath of the war, Lyndon attended the funeral of Lady Berena at Riverrun. He was given little time to mourn however, as he was summoned to King's Landing in the early days of the year 408 AC. With the dismissal of the Master of Coin, Robin Penrose, a new councillor was needed. Lyndon accepted the appointment from the Queen and moved temporarily to the capital along with his wife Leila and youngest daughter Lyra, Leaving Catelyn as regent of Wayfarer's Rest. He proved efficient in his position, working with great dedication, although having wheathered much in the past couple of years, he lacked any great passion or vision in his work, preforming all tasks set before him and leaving no room for complaint, but failing to innovate. He would oversee the beginnings of extepansion of King's landing and the palace of Summerhall, creating the plans that would lay the groundwork for these projects, and did his best to appoint reliable men for economic positions to prevent corruption. However some of his appointments caused friction with the Great sept as some septons at court accused him of favouring followers of the Starry rites for various postings. Leila would prove a great help to him during this time, handling many of the appointments with bankers and merchants to compensate for his demeanour which was reserved and lacking in charisma. Life returned to a new normality after the short time of civil unrest, however things changed for the Vance couple in 409, when Leila became pregnant 12 years after the birth of their previous child. As she was almost 40, labor proved more difficult than before, and while it ultimately went well, it took a toll on her for some time after. Their son was named Edmund, the name of a previous lord Tully

A month later, Lyndon had to leave the capital for an inspection in Duskendale. The day after his arrival, he was approached by a woman who proved ot be none other than his sister Elinor, lost to him for 3 years. She took him to her home, where she lived with her husband, a member of the city guard. The revelation brough Lyndon great joy, and he offered to arrange for the couple move to Wayfarer's rest, however Elinor wished to remain in her new home. Lyndon continued to insist until she showed him her oldest son, the bastard of Landon Tully. Solemnly he relented and let her stay in Duskendale, knowing the child would never be safe in the Riverlands. Later that month, Lyndon handed in his resignation, wishing to return home and spend what years remained to him on the upbringing of his children

The quiet life
In the uears since he left the capital, Lyndon has known peace. Despite everything he has regained some hope of redemption, while doing his best to ensure a good future for his family. In 412, Catelyn would marry, no longer first in line. After the tragic loss of two sons in the scarlet winter, Lyndon and Leila would be very protective of young Edmund, spending as much time as they could spare on his upbringing and remain reluctant to send him away as a page or squire, even as he nears the appropriate age, even hesitating to bring him to the upcoming tourney of Summerhall, remembering the tragedies at Harrenhall a decade prior