Eryk Redwyne

Eryk Redwyne
Eryk Redwyne is Lord of the Arbor and Commander of the Vineyard Navy. He is the head of House Redwyne and commander of the largest single held navy in the Seven Kingdoms. His seat is in Arbortown, once named Vinetown.

Appearance and Character
Redwyne's are known for their freckled complexion and red hair, and Eryk is no exception. He stands slightly shorter than his male counterpart, but makes up for his lack in height with his powerful oratory. He can rile up the most stubborn of crowds into a powerful mob.

Eryk's unwavering devotion to the Seven, coupled with his persuasive speech, makes him a beacon of the faith on the Arbor. Citizens of all classes from every hold throughout the island have seen their liege's great zeal; whether they are receiving his many charities or being punished with the full wrath of the Warrior.

Lord Redwyne does not discriminate when it comes to law and the Seven. He is infamous for jailing and executing even the most loyal courtiers for such "crimes" as blasphemy or sodomy.

The Regency of the Mother (389 - 391)
Eryk's father died when the young boy was only 8, leaving him under the protection and care of Septon Maldwin, the Arbor's designated regent. The clergyman's appointment was the source of great controversy on the island. Many believed that the late lord's widow should rule in her son's name, but Maldwin remained steadfast. He had in his possession the will of Jarmon Redwyne, who had explicitly declared Maldwin as Regent of the Arbor. Mallysa, who believed herself to be the lawful Regent, declared the will null and void. Her argument was that Jarmon had unknowingly signed the document on his deathbed, and that Maldwin was using her husband's death against her. She called for his arrest and sent guards to apprehend the Septon.

However, the men of Mallysa would arrive to an empty Sept. Maldwin had taken Eryk and fled to an unknown location. Their whereabouts a mystery, Mallysa scoured the island for her son. She sent ravens to all of the nearby holds; a lord would be made of any man who could procure her son. Meanwhile, Maldwin had taken residence in a small northern sept; not denoted on any maps or written of in any tomes. He held Eryk under the protection of the Order of the Warrior, a small sect of Septons operating in secrecy.

It was in this brotherhood that Eryk would foster his uncanny devotion to the Warrior. As his mother ravaged his land, Eryk learned. He became pious and humble, only wearing white robes and carrying no baubles. His two years away from his home had transformed him from meager child to learned man.

On Eryk's eleventh nameday, his mother died. With their cause gone, the followers of Mallysa surrendered to Maldwin and his regency officially began.

The Regency of the Septon (391 - 394)
What doubt remained over Maldwin's ability to administrate was quickly dissolved after only his first year in office. He decreed sweeping reforms on the maintenance and execution of Septs across the Arbor. Septons could now operate under the financial security of House Redwyne, and were encouraged to host monthly feasts for the underprivileged. Septas and criers were stationed on every trade vessel with the sole purpose of spreading Eryk's humility across the Seven Kingdoms.

When the Great Famine struck, House Redwyne was spared. While significantly cooler than the northern countries, the Arbor had been able to harvest as normal. Exports to the Reach and abroad had increased tremendously, and Maldwin handled the strain on crops very well.

Under Septon Maldwin, the Arbor prospered. Devotion increased in all corners and the economy had never seen more bountiful days. With the island in such great shape, Maldwin stepped down. At the age of 14, Eryk ascended to the Lordship of the Arbor.

Purging of the Heretics
Eryk's first act as Lord was to travel the Arbor in search of those unwilling to follow the Seven. He arrived at every settlement with the same purpose; to hold court in the sept and bring justice to the heretics. Detailed accounts of each hearing are recorded in Maester Maldwin's ''Purging of the Heretics. ''In total, Eryk executed three hundred men, seventeen women, and four children. They would have no funerals, no rites, or any anointing. Their bodies were buried without grace and their possessions were obtained by House Redwyne. Furthermore, those whose families failed to denounce their unholy kin were excommunicated and sentenced to damnation in the seven hells.

The Upheavel
In the year 398, when Maester Maldwin had been assigned as Admiral of the Seas during the War of the Three Thieves, the Arbor erupted. A peasant man known only as "the Redeemer" had attracted a massive following of farmers and set to torching every sept they could find. He ravaged the southern holds of the Arbor. With each new village came a new horde of followers. After three weeks and sixteen septs later, Eryk acted. With the strength of the Warrior, he descended on the rebels like the dew fall. His men slaughtered the workers, whose only decent arms were sharpened pitchforks and billhooks. Eryk is said to have slain The Redeemer himself, though he would deny it.

Nevertheless, the result remained. All those who partook in the rebellion were executed, and Eryk now held a fiercer grip on his people.

Recent History
In the years following the Upheavel, Eryk married Melara Tarly and sired a son. Maldwin returned fatigued but victorious, and took to retiring in Oldtown. The people of the Arbor have since tempered, mostly due to Eryk's lavish feasts and religious ceremonies. His vigor of faith remains, and his relentless pursuit of justice carries him from day to day.

Brotherhood of the Warrior
While away from home during his mother's illegal regency, Eryk was being cared for and educated by a small sect of septons known as the Brotherhood of the Warrior. Septon Maldwin was the captain of this secret society, and he had commissioned the secret sept on the northern coast of the Arbor. Little is known about the brotherhood, save their uncanny praise and devotion to the Warrior.

Eryk, as a impressionable youth, took to his caretakers beliefs with great vigor. He saw what the Warrior was responsible for: victory in war. War, he realized, was the catalyst for all things good. Medicine and construction made great innovations during conflicts, and Eryk owed that to the Warrior.

When his mother died, Eryk returned to his home in Vinetown. With Maldwin's consent, he invited the Brotherhood into the household. He commissioned the constructions of meeting septs throughout the island. For the first time in history, the Brotherhood was no longer a secret.

Seven Year Sabattical
Shortly after the Attack of the Iron Islands, Eryk fell into a deep depression. His murders in the name of the Seven weighed heavily on his conscience. Upon returning to the Arbor, he found it nearly impossible to lead a life consistent with the ideals of his past. He decided it would be best to leave the island for some time, and in doing so Septon Maldwin would become regent of the Arbor once more.

His journey abroad was not in solitude. Helen the Harbinger traveled alongside him; eating with him, praying with him, and proselytizing with him. Together they traveled to septs along the entirety of the Reach. Erik discarded the soiled white robe he was known to wear in favor of a clean, grey tunic. His identity was kept a secret, as he traveled under the name "Auburna".

As Auburna, he found peace. The wicked, violent ways of the Brotherhood were behind him and he could finally face the truth of his crimes. Late one night, whilst under the heavens, he received a voice. From beyond or from his mind, he did not know, but the words were clear nonetheless. "Repent, and you shall be forgiven. Speak in our names, and spread our words. Release the sword, and preach the book. " From that night on, he vowed to uphold the Seven's command: no more killing.

The Second Regency of Septon Maldwin
While Erik was away, Maldwin ruled. Lord Redwyne's only decree before he left was the institution of the the Council of Seven; a cabinet of seven septons from around the island elected to rule while Erik was gone. They would meet regularly to discuss administrative matters, and would decide collectively on laws regarding the well being of the Arbor. However, the council quickly devolved into squabbles of ideology. Septon Maldwin's most fervent policy involved the legalization of the Brotherhood's doctrines as official Arbor religious practice. Among other things, this would include the forceful castrations of opponents and public executions of heretics.

One septon, Elustrus, vehemently rejected these ideas. He would not stand the Seven being seen as iron fisted tyrants. In the end, Maldwin would not hear the objections. Elustrus was exiled from the council, and so began the Second Regency of Septon Maldwin.

The institution of the Brotherhood across the island was met with little resistance. Maldwin had the entire Redwyne army under his command. No tenants or farmers could resist House Redwyne's decrees. "Heretics" and "Blasphemers" were drug through town squares, beaten until they died, and hung from the walls. In just two years, the Arbor descended into despotism.

Yet, the Septon had a way of finding coins. His greatest lifeline was his uncanny ability to fill the coffers of the Arbor. For the next five years, they prospered.