Brynden Darke

Ser Brynden Darke is a knight, nominal member of House Darke, and retainer to House Targaryen.

He is known as a close friend to Baelor Targaryen, a strict but capable leader of men, a skillful combatant, and an advocate for neutrality in the current conflict following The Bleeding.

Appearance and Character
Looking much more like a Northmen than a Crownlander, Brynden has a full head of long black hair that reaches past his shoulders but is typically tied behind his head. Adorning his face is a scruffy black beard, missing spots near the sideburns and where the mustache connect to the beard. Beneath it all is a dour face that rarely smiles. While his eyes would appear to be the traditional black of his family, upon closer inspection they are a deep and black. At 6'1", he does not tower over his fellow knights - nor does his balanced build suggest any inclination to brawn over speed or vice versa, but his densely-packed frame allows him to gracefully use his two-handed greatsword.

A man of honor, Brynden holds himself and others to a very strict moral code. While he is kind and generous, he is also quick to anger and intolerant of failure. Reticent and quiet, few expect the knight to fly into a silent fury when slighted. A warrior by heart and by training, Brynden is a veritable master of both personal combat and leading other soldiers into battle. On top of that, he is more than adept at inspiring loyalty, obedience and love in his own underlings as well as the general populace.

Early Life
The youngest of 3 brothers, Brynden Darke was born in Darren Fort, the seat of his house, to Lysane and Ser Hobb Darke on the 1st of the Third Moon of 415 AC.

Lysane's husband, Ser Hobb Darke, a former knight and heir to House Darke, had been infirm and bedridden because of a combat injury since 412 AC. Thus, while in official capacities Brynden is a full member of House Darke, it is well known that Lysane lied about his parentage in order to spare him the indignities of being a bastard. While his father was never known, most signs point to a Northerner.

Brynden’s birth was a simple event - mother and son both emerged unharmed, without a single deformity seen in the child. As an infant, he was something of an oddity. He was an extremely well-behaved baby - rarely crying, even during the fiercest storms. He seemed to be a fast grower and learner too, beginning to walk and eventually speak at a much younger age than most. With his father infirm and incapable and his mother generally despondent, Brynden was shepherded through infancy by his two older brother: Addam and Denys.

As a child from a noble family - albeit a very minor one, Brynden was raised with a traditional noble upbringing. While tradition would decry that Brynden remain at the Darke household to be raised, Lysane was keenly aware that House Darke was liable to brand the boy an illegitimate bastard - or even disown her along with her son, for the slight of fathering a bastard. The lord of the house at the time, Robard Darke, had already chosen Hobb's younger brother Joffrey Darke as his heir when Hobb had become infirm, skipping over Hobb’s children. Thus, Lysane took Brynden and his brothers to the court of a higher lord, distantly related to the Darkes.

While his eldest brother Addam was a full decade older than Brynden, Denys was only three years older than him - and prone to picking on him. The two became something of childish rivals, constantly trying to outdo one another - while Denys was generally better at most things than Brynden, he never lagged far behind.

While his father Hobb had never been able to teach him the skills of a warrior and knight, he had taught Addamn - who took it upon himself to teach the young Brynden in his father’s stead. It was difficult for the young boy - but for every bit of brashness that Denys had, Addam had two bits of patience. While Addam was a proficient fighter himself, it became clear that Brynden had a sort of talent that could easily surpass his two brothers.

On his sixth nameday, Brynden began to serve as a page for their foster lord. Brynden found himself mostly performing menial tasks, but he occasionally learned useful skills. It was here that he first began his formal training in combat and tactics. He also learned many other skills expected of a lord, even a lowly one - including reading and writing, among various other things. Around this time, Brynden's "father" Hobb Darke passed away after years of infirmity.

The Blue Winter (425 A.C. - 428 A.C.)
Brynden lived through the Blue Winter, which saw the world freeze around him. Worse yet, his mother was infected with the sickness that was spreading throughout Westeros. While she was forced to leave their lord's court until she was healthy, Brynden and his brothers were allowed to stay - each becoming more of a ward and unofficially solidifying their place as future retainers to both their foster family and the house’s own liege lords in House Targaryen.

Having served as a page for nearly three years, Brynden was elevated to a Squire on his 9th nameday. With this promotion came many new responsibilities. He carried his Lord’s weapons and armor for him, took care of his horses, maintained his equipment, guarded prisoners, and much more. Brynden also continued his training, becoming more and more of an expert in the manners of war as time went on. He learned new skills, moves, tactics, and manners of speech. Brynden began to come into his own - shedding his old shy personality in favor of a more proud and honorable one like the famous knights from the stories: Aemon the Dragonknight, Ser Barristan Selmy, and Daemon Targaryen.

The Squire at Springtide (428 A.C.)
Brynden was present during the Springtide tourney of 428 A.C., still serving as a squire for his foster lord. At only 13, he was too young to partake himself - but was able to see some of the most capable fighters in the Seven Kingdoms battle. By chance he also spied Byrnden Corbray’s own squire Baelor Targaryen (son of Rhaegar II), marking the two’s first meeting. The boys each seemed to take a mutual dislike to each other at first glance, despite their animosity.

Second Hammer Uprising (432 A.C. - 435 A.C.)
Around the time of Brynden's 17th nameday, the Second Hammer Uprising erupted. While he was still a bit too young to officially fight on his own when the war started, he served admirably as a squire - even in the midst of combat. It was during the early years of the war that Brynden had his first kill: a peasant that had attempted to attack Brynden's lord. Using the skills he had learnt, he adeptly sliced the man's legs off in a single sweep and left him to bleed to death. Shortly following this in 434 A.C., Brynden was officially knighted.

While he fought in many of the battles of the last years of the war, the Battle at Bitterbridge left him the most scarred. Brynden fought in the fields as a soldier of House Targaryen and was there to witness the dragons fly through the sky, roasting soldiers alive. Worse than anything from that battle though, he watched King Rhaegar II Targaryen fall from the sky to his death. After, he was left in Bitterbridge to ensure the town's occupation went smoothly and that supply lines remained intact - where he remained until the end of the war in 435 A.C.

Adulthood (434 A.C. - 439 A.C.)
Following the war and during the Four Year Winter, Brynden brought much needed entertainment to the citizens of King's Landing by participating in jousts and duels - even going so far as to journey to The North to participate in melees.

Following The Bleeding, various forces aim to tug Brynden to join either The Talons or The Wings. Despite his proclivity for the methods of The Talons, his life-long friendship with Baelor Targaryen has led to him taking a more neutral stance.

Family

 * Hobb Darke (384 - 424)
 * m. Lysane Darke (b. 390)
 * Brynden Darke (b. 417) (Real father unknown)