Alain Fowler

Alain Fowler, Lord of Skyreach and Warden of Prince's Pass is the firstborn son of Belicho Fowler and Elia Allyrion, born in 411 AC, followed by four siblings, his sister Alla soon following in 413 AC, his younger brother William in 414, and his youngest two sisters, Ayda in 416 and Elinor in 417.

Appearance
Tall with an Athletic frame and a powerful upper body, Alain Fowler stands tall at 6 foot 2 inches with fair skin tanned by life in Southern Essos and Dorne, blond hair and blue eyes. Alain's appearance is influenced by his life, once wearing colorful clothing from Lys and Volantis, now Alain primarily dresses in a far more conservative fashion, wearing with it a serious, contemplative face heavy with the burden of his new status and his past failings.

Early Childhood
Alain Fowler, is the firstborn son of Ser Belicho Fowler and Lady Elia Allyrion, born at 411 AC. As a child, he was a wild, uncontrollable troublemaker, stealing pies, and bullying other children. Splendid in the martial arts, he struggled with his education, always losing attention when being tutored. Yet he could hardly be said to be of low intellect, he was always diligent and interested in the more famous rulers of the past. However, beyond brief reads and interactive assignments, education bored him, so he would usually spend his time in the high Red Mountains of Dorne, exploring and playing with his younger siblings.

Coming of Age at Wyl
When he reached the age of 7, he was sent to Wyl to be fostered there with his younger cousins, 5 year old Andros Fowler and 2 year old Alyn. He came to love his young cousins and cherish their company, and also took a liking to Andros' father, Ser Aron Sand the bastard of Wyl. Since Andros was close in age to him, it was with him he spent the most time. They played together, ate together and sparred together. The two would go on trips alone with nothing more than a bow, a skin of water and their horses. Though the two were both splendid fighters, and Andros was more agile than Andros, Alain was stronger and had a greater precision in his swordsmanship. While they initially found one another an even match, this disparity would grow so that in later years he would start beating his younger cousin more often. Andros reacted poorly to such losses and Alain didn't take that very well. The two began drifting away from one another, which was only aided by Alain's jealousy for his younger cousin's higher status. When they were sixteen, Andros had already gotten his spurs, and been knighted by Ser Errik Santagar, while Alain was still a squire. That was where the drift started to grow ever wider. Alain, believing that his life in Westeros would always be overshadowed by his cousin, became disillusioned with these prospects and planned an escape. He became befriended a boy about his age named Tommen who worked by the Dockyards and in his free time became familiar with the basics of sailing. Eventually with Tommen's help he gathered as much of his coin as he could in his satchel and stowed away on a ship heading for Lys setting out to adventure and find purpose in his life. However, in doing so, he abandoned his family.

Life in Lys
It was in Lys that Alain became a man and faced real hardship. The sudden change in his lifestyle was not what he imagined, and he soon found the coin pouch in his satchel steadily shrinking. He spent his days working as a hired guard for several mercantile companies in the city often providing personal security for the merchants as they went about their daily business. The work wasn't always pleasant and his employers were often shady individuals, however he would not have to work in such an environment for long. After finishing work one evening he saw one of the men who had been at a negotiation with the merchant for whom he had contracted that day being robbed in the streets. Though he was off work, something compelled him to step in and repel the attackers. The man who he saved was greatly thankful and invited him over for dinner. The man he had helped introduced himself, he was Faenar Syros, a wealthy landowner in the city who was heavily invested in the spice trade. When they arrived at his estate, Alain was astounded by its elegance, iron fencing surrounded the city mansion which featured a marble fountain, an exotic garden and a marble brick path to the front door. As he entered the house he was again moved by its maroon silk drapes, fine carpeting, the artisanship of the ceiling and portraits of household relatives adorning the walls. Alain had grown up in a noble house, yet the finery he now was bearing witness to humbled him. He was introduced to Faenar's wife and children who were quite young in age, and to Faenar's slaves who tended the house. Over the meal he exchanged stories with Faenar explaining that he had left Westeros seeking a future away from the monotony and pretension of home, soon the two took a liking to one another, and by the end of the meal he had been offered a permanent job as Faenar's bodyguard. During his time with Faenar he was taught about handling finances and found that he was naturally good with mathematics. Faenar eventually offered him a dual role as an accountant so that he could continue work when not needed for personal security. Over a few years of service to Faenar he became a trusted friend and close with Faenar's family. In time, Faenar suggested that he might wed his youngest daughter who was a year his senior. However, during the time with Faenar he had fallen in love with another, one of his slaves named Minissa. When Faenar learned of his affair with Minissa he felt betrayed and insulted that he would choose a slave over his daughter and in a fit of frustration turned to rage yelled at Alain to leave the houshold at once. Alain said he would do so but asked if he could buy Minissa out of her bondage that they might be together. Reluctant at first, Faenar decided it would be best that he did not keep Minissa after what had transpired as it would be a reminder of Alain's decision, and so he allowed him to do so, but for a hefty price. The two moved into a small tenement and eventually Minissa became pregnant, nine months later they had a daughter who they would call Laena.

A Sellsword of Volantis
Alain's perceived betrayal spread throughout wealthy circles in Lys and he soon found it impossible to hold a high paying job as a bodyguard or accountant. His savings from his time with Faenar were simply not enough to sustain his new family, so he was forced to take up small jobs working in taverns, at the dockyards, and as a gardener, but the wages were small and he did not wish to leave his family destitute. So, the young family decided to take ship to Volantis, where he would join the Windblown Company. Initially he was reluctant to become a mercenary, seeing it as less honorable than his prior career, solely taking the job to pay for his family, however eventually he decided that he enjoyed being a sellsword as it was both well paying and full of interesting men of differing backgrounds. Eventually he found himself and spending more and more time with his fellow companions, high among them Lyle Bracken the leader. During his time with the company he also briefly met Erryc Baratheon. He offered to spend as much time as possible working jobs for the Windblown and served on several minor campaigns in Essos. The men would take to calling him the Fair Dornishman, and while his wages and respect among his peers grew he found himself increasingly neglecting his family, drifting away into his new sellsword's life.

Love Lost
After a long campaign, he returned to find that Minissa and Laena were gone. A feeling of horror, that they might have been kidnapped or worse, shot through him. He searched throughout Volantis and soon discovered that Minissa had left him for a wealthy merchant in Tyrosh. He refused to believe that she had left willingly, knowing that things had not been perfect, but that he had worked hard to get them to where they were as they now lived in a decent part of the city. He informed his commander that he needed to leave and find his family and was given a discharge from his contract of service. Later that same day he spent most of his savings on a small boat and set sail for Tyrosh. A long journey, prolonged by his limited maritime experience, he arrived in Tyrosh in 435 AC and tracked down the merchant at a pub demanding that he return him his wife. The merchant had the pub guards escort Alain out of the pub, but he found out the location merchant's house and visited him the next day. The merchant saw that he was approaching the door and opened it before he even made it to the entrance. He said "Minissa chose to come to me, you two were never married, so you have no right to stop her from pursuing true love." Alain was washed over with rage, "Then let me see her and ask myself." What proceeded was a long argument, however eventually the merchant agreed that he could hear from Minissa herself if he disarmed himself. Alain reluctantly complied, and escorted by the merchant's two bodyguards was taken to see Minissa who was on the back patio with their daughter on her lap. He stared at her through the back window of the house as they approached her and could see that she was not in distress, when he finally saw her face to face she simply said "You were never there for me. Why are you here now?" Alain felt defeated, his journey to Tyrosh pointless, he knew he couldn't bring it in himself to do anything to her, not with his child there. He said in a resigned voice, "I had to know it was of your choosing. But tell me, if I were to change and give you and Laena the time you need, would you give me that chance?" She replied, "You didn't, and I know you wouldn't." Alain was distraught, he contained himself however and said simply "Then take care of Laena, I will always be there for her if she needs me." He turned quickly to leave holding back tears as he left the house and made way for his sailboat. That was the breaking point for Alain, he decided that his adventures had been a failure and that it was time to face reality. He returned to Volantis and packed a few of his belongings and then set sail for home, to atone for his sins by serving his family.

Starting Over
He arrived in Sunspear in late 437 and sold his sailboat and much of his belongings to purchase a horse which he saddled up and rode off to Wyl. Along the way he learned about the War of Stone and Sky and how it had led to his aunt Cersei Fowler's execution and the sending of her two sons Andros and Alyn to the Night's Watch. When he finally arrived in Wyl he learned that his father had moved to Skyreach to become adviser to now Lady Clarisse Fowler. Apparently, his father and Clarisse Fowler had overseen a resurgence of cultural and economic activity in the city. However, when he arrived a plague was sweeping through the surrounding countryside. When he arrived he received what, for him, was a surprisingly warm welcome and the family planned a reunion to celebrate his return. They granted him a house in the city center and he began to settle back into life with his family, content with being a loyal supporter of his cousin and eager to start his life anew. Eventually the warm buzz of being reunited with his son waned in Belicho and the two had several heated discussions in the coming days as there was a lingering air of resentment for his decision to leave.

Meanwhile the plague continued to spread, striking the noble household, many of the servants and indeed his cousin Clarisse and his father fell ill. Eventually, he stopped receiving invitations to the castle, Initially he believed this was due to a recent argument with his father Belicho, but after a few days Alain became greatly concerned for their wellbeing. He decided to check on them and when he arrived found that his cousin had perished and his father was now on his deathbed. Alain was overcome with grief; just as he had come home his home had fallen into ruin. Facing the collapse of House Fowler, Alain resolved to care for his father through the hard time. As his father weakened in health, his father raised the issue of succession pointing out that Alain was the legitimate heir and that he would soon have a great responsibility in carrying on the banner of House Fowler. In their last moment together, his father forgave him for leaving the family and said that he was thankful that he had returned. From their brief time together again, he knew that Alain had matured greatly, and he swore to his father that he would live up to his family name. After his father passed, he was added to the family graveyard alongside Clarisse's.

Alain's demeanor again shifted, he became a far more serious man than he once had been and with his change in demeanor came a change in an outward expression in style. In a fit of disgust at his past decadence, he cast aside all of his robes from his time in Volantis and adopted a far more conservative look. Once the plague passed he invited his siblings to Skyreach and named his brother, William, who had become an intellectual to be his court Chancellor and assist him in administrating the realm. Finally, he was formally coronated as Lord of Skyreach. With a new branch of House Fowler at the reigns, Alain looks to the future with some optimism, they had made it through bleak times, he himself had faced heartbreak and hardship. But finally he had found purpose and direction in life, and perhaps, where he had failed earlier in life he could finally do something meaningful and selfless.

== Family of Alain ==

https://www.familyecho.com/#view:ITGYA
 * Father (Belicho Fowler) b.396, d.438
 * Mother (Elia Allyrion) b.400
 * Aunt (Agnese Fowler) b.390, d.407 AC
 * Aunt (Cersei Fowler) b.394, d.435 AC
 * Uncle (Ser Aron Sand of Wyl) b.390
 * Cousin (Andros Fowler) b. 413 AC d. 438 AC
 * Cousin (Clarisse Fowler) b. 415 AC, d. 439 AC
 * Cousin (Alyn Fowler) b. 419 AC
 * Grandmother (Myra Wylde) wherabouts unknown
 * Grandfather (Lewys Fowler) deceased 396 AC

== Household NPCs ==
 * Maester Ormollen
 * Septa Lyla
 * Septon Halleck