Grace Morrigen

Ser Grace Morrigen, born 412 AC is a member of the Warrior’s Sons. The young knight is one of the most notable fighters of the order and also known, despite not being a Septon, as a highly-skilled preacher and representative of the order. He has spent the last years at the chapter houses in Oldtown, Lannisport and Gulltown and has now returned to Oldtown.

Among the order, Grace is very popular, known for his vigorous energy, empathetic ear, encouraging words and high degree of will-power. To the outside world, his faces are manifold. Often playing the role of a paragon of how a Knight of the Warrior’s Sons should be, Grace most often radiates an aura of sobriety and stoicism, yet can take on any role ranging from patiently listening to the worries of old smallfolk women, to a talented affable recruiter, and from a spokesperson sent to negotiate costs and diplomacy to a heathen slaying fanatic.

Character and Appearance
Grace stands at 5’9” and is of a bit of a slender, sinewy build with fine proportions. A massive scar crosses his face – a memory of the battle of Ashford. Beneath the scar, he has a pale, somewhat androgynous face and light blonde hair.

Due to his status as one of the order’s most outstanding fighters, Grace always is assigned beautiful, solid horses and high-quality armour and weapons – though of a style suitable for a knight of a religious order. Grace also wears his order’s clothes, cloak, gowns and coat of arms.

To the order, Grace is known as a valuable supporter and representative of the chapter house of Oldtown. He is loved by many of those who surround him, known for not only being a very obedient, devout and disciplined member of the order, but also as a brother, an empathetic listener, patient teacher especially to the squires, and as an eager helper of whoever needs his help. Yet at the same time, the young cleric is also known to possess a keen understanding of how to influence, control, supervise and be responsible for people: When to be strict, whom to turn to, how to make himself heard.

Above that, within the ranks of the Warrior’s Sons, Grace is known as a notorious preacher, with a vast repertoire of ways of addressing his listeners: From one-to-one conversations full of patience and understanding, to sarcastically teasing the squires, from sensitively seeking out individuals who are in need of help, to holding sermons like a Septon to dozens or hundreds of listeners, and from efficiently recruiting individuals or masses, to yelling words of fervour and devotion at several hundred paces long lines of cavalry and infantry on huge fields of battle.

Grace gets mocked sometimes for being vain. Sometimes he finds it difficult to deal with the Septons of his order, for he preaches better than most of them, and is asked to do so by others, while he knows that this is rather the task of the Septons. Also, some people are not sure who he really is, considering his faces shown to the public and to his “order family” can be as different as the sun from the moon. And those whom he is dear to often fear that he is, at his young age, burning with too bright a flame.

While Grace considers the order to be his family in which he acts as an older brother would to his siblings, being a paragon to them and helping whenever he can, and an obedient son to his Chapter-Captain and elders (though clearly also a foolish young man every now and then), Grace’s face to the outside world is far from that. Acting often as a preacher, recruiter, representative, paragon member of the Order, his faces are as manifold as the roles he plays to laymen. Grace makes sure that he gives a coherent impression to the public, at least where he is currently stationed, yet behind his most often stern and austere face the young knight is often confused about how to behave towards laymen and has not yet settled into a single role so far.

It is a phenomenon observed with many especially young brothers of the Order who have joined at young an age during the war. At a time when the order was still very new and the rules not yet firmly set. No principles of comportment nor common doctrine yet established. No paragons whom to follow yet brought forth – apart from some berserks on the battlefield and especially devoted members often notorious for either being extremely harsh to others or for anything from self-sacrifice to self-castigation. As to Grace in particular, in addition to that, also the stark contrasts his childhood and youth had seen might have added to this partial inner conflict.

Short Summary
Grace Morrigen was born in 412 AC to Ser Harbert Morrigen and his Lady wife, a member of a lowly cadet, originally as “Alyn Morrigen”. His father often worked at garrisons or in household guards, so the family moved houses several times during Grace’s childhood. Most of the time he spent in the Vale near Strongsong, especially after his father had died when Grace was 9 years of age, and his mother became physically and mentally sick during the following years. His later childhood and youth was predominated by never-ending hardships that saw Grace nearly hanged aged 14 for his crimes as a member of teenager and children’s gangs during the Blue Winter. He was adopted by Septas from Oldtown afterwards, and received both care, education and love in his new home. And his new name. Grace. It turned out that Grace was impressively naturally talented at fighting with whatever weapon he was given. He also became literate under the wise and patient hands of the Septas, studying the Faith. It was there, the once weak, mentally sick and stuttering child gained confidence, physical strength and an eloquent, courageous character. Not yet clear, what should become of such a multi-talented youth, Septha Ertha of the Most Devout kept him near. The reformation of the Faith Militant became Grace’s calling, and, despite not joining the order for two years at first, he became a strong supporter, helpful affiliate member, renowned fighter and inspiring preacher among their ranks. He participated in relieving the city of Oldtown, as well as in the general war efforts, especially in the battles of Bitterbridge and Ashford. After the war, he assisted in establishing the young order and became a representative to the Oldtown chapter house in Lannisport and later in Gulltown. In 435 AC, Grace finally is anointed a Knight of the Warrior’s Sons.

Early Years (0 - 9)
Grace was born in 412 AC as the first and only child to Ser Harbert Morrigen and his lady wife. Ser Harbert came from a lowly cadet branch of the small Stormlander House, his grandfather having been Lord Morrigen, with Harbert being the second-surviving son of the Lord’s third-born son. Family disputes that had been started when Harbert was still a toddler, however, led to this small part of House Morrigen being alienated from the main branch. Along with other cadet branch members. The Morrigens Grace was born into did not even live in the Stormlands, and Grace was not even born there. Instead he was born and spent his first three years in the Riverlands where his father was an officer in the local garrison. When this contract ended in 416 AC, the family moved to the Westerlander border. And then again moved to Sarsfield in 417 AC, and to a keep near Strongsong in 419 AC.

His early years see Grace suffering from nearly every single children’s disease, the family often worrying for his life. He seems to be an overly sensitive child that reacts in psychosomatic ways to his surroundings and the situation in his family. Living under changing financial conditions, his father often stressed from duty and his son’s and also wife’s diseases, it is not before the age of 5 that Grace’s health becomes stable. After that, he becomes an open-minded child, sweet-tempered and thoughtful from these early years of suffering. He is kind and most of the time quite obedient, though lacks in physical strength and size due to his past health record. Seeing the only career option for his son in the hedge knight occupation, Ser Harbert Morrigen starts training his son in his arts. Grace takes to it with shy enthusiasm, and while learning fast, he still lacks most of the strength even at age 9.

Hardships Arising (9 - 13)
In 422 AC, Ser Harbert Morrigen is injured in a small local peasants’ revolt during a trial. What seemed not like an extraordinary wound at first becomes an inflammation not to be mitigated easily. After three weeks, his health seems stable again and he returns to his duty. On the second day he faints and falls sick again. Insecure states and phases of improvement and getting worse again strain the family and darken their future, with alternating states of hope and desperation, until Ser Harbert Morrigen dies after eight months of suffering. Grace and his mother are left in a social environment where his mother had always had problems to integrate, and after the initial readiness to help of friends, neighbours, and superiors has faded after two months and what savings had been there have been used, his lady mother has not yet found a solution for her and her son’s future. Being overstrained between the situation’s pressure, grief and own continuing diseases, her mental and physical condition deteriorates. 10 year old Grace tries to help, and can earn a little money as errand boy, though not able to deal with finances at that age, he often loses it again or gets cheated. Also, with a still noble name, and of delicate build and health, it is difficult for him to even find work. Nor is he used to working to the degree commoner’s children around him are. Other officers and hedge knights refuse to take him on, knowing about his own instable physical and mental position. Other children start bullying him. Becoming a confused and strange child, he gets alienated from his friends, and soon finds his mother mentally too instable to care for him, raise him, teach him, or even control his emotional, stress-induced outbursts and beginning depression.

This state drags on, with the family being supported by funds from the local sept and the former garrison. But financially, with a sick mother who finds it difficult to earn money as a Lady herself, and due to weak nerves and starting mental diseases, faces more and more problems to keep her home, her varying occupations, her son, herself, their income and their social relations under control, the situation looks dire. For more than a year she considers turning to her own family or the Morrigen family for help, but somehow cannot deal anymore with their responses, help offerings and what money they send. The situation drags on for two years, with an atmosphere of “too much to die, yet too little to live” in nearly all aspects of life. Grace has the impression that his relatives would take is mother and him back to help them, but somehow his mother seems to refuse this. In 424 AC, it finally becomes clear that his mother is suffering from depression, compulsive acts, paranoia and social phobia. She is incapacitated and it turns out that over the years she has refused several offers of other people who would have wanted to take Grace or her on. It is now a Septon in Strongsong to whom Grace is sent who is known for often taking in orphans. Though Grace is grateful as could be, the 12 year old is difficult to handle. Having reacted with psychosomatic symptoms to the pressure of the years, he stutters, has started bed-wetting again, falls sick from the cold and flu regularly, suffers bellyache whenever he cannot deal with a situation anymore, and is prone to compulsive acts when nervous. In the sheltering environment of the Sept and with the nearly endless patience of Septon Sarryn and Sisters Eulalie and Zea, Grace’s state starts to recover.

The Onset of Winter (13 - 14)
Then winter hits the continent in 425 AC. With several of his fosterlings falling sick very soon, Septon Sarryn soon sees his own finances and what the Faith can offer him overstrained to a high degree. He makes the tough decision to send away some of the children, choosing the older ones in hope that they might find occupation someplace else. Despite with both Grace and the Septon knowing, Grace is not fit yet to look after himself, the Septon advises Grace to turn to the Faith’s mother house in Gulltown, hoping the young noble might get recommended to somebody as a squire. Or at least find shelter or work under the roof of the Faith. And it is in winter that the 13 year old boy has to cross several mountain passes covered with snow and treacherous growing glaciers.

It is a miracle he arrives there alive, and in relatively good health. It is the leader of the motherhouse himself who interrogates the gaunt boy, who claims to have travelled all the way from north of Strongsong, across several mountain passes, all completely covered in ice, and being very impressed by this accomplishment, reads through the recommendation letter that Septon Sarryn has written for the boy. Despite of a strained situation of the Faith themselves, the local leading Septon takes in the strange boy of Stormlander noble descent and he is assigned as Ser Lester Creighton’s squire.

Used to hardships and deprivation, Grace follows his new master on a journey to Lannisport. On the journey, they fall victim to an ambuscade of starving locals, and able to escape, Grace gets separated from Ser Creighton. For days, he tries to find the knight, but is unable to do so. With him, Grace has lost not only the knight who had started training the confused young boy, but is also alone again, without future prospects and without money. The Faith’s motherhouse in Gulltown is too far away by now to return, so that Grace is bound to remain in the Riverlands, trying to earn money along the road to get to Lannisport to arrive at Ser Creighton’s planned destination and maybe find the knight again.

After one week, Grace has gone so hungry that he is forced to turn to stealing. Without the cognitive ability to even overthink it, he joins a gang of youngsters trying to get by whatever way is necessary. It is a myriad of experiences he makes there, living under a constantly precarious condition, in a volatile environment, with the rising misery asking for ever more dangerous and criminal acts. For the 14 year old, it is not a matter of conscience. Adult Grace’s memory nowadays is very blurred regarding the events of this time. Or his feelings back then. For 15 year old Grace, however, it is a mere matter of survival. And he does what is needed to get himself fed, a warm place to sleep and stay in contact with his new comrades. Grace generally acts as a follower, being known as a shocked and traumatized child, too weak and too instable for his age. But he gets by because of swiftness of movement and a certain intuition that seems to guide him where his blurry mind fails. Soon, he has become so immersed in his new situation that he simply forgets about his plan to go to Lannisport. Or return to Gulltown. Or turn to the Faith for help.

It is not until mid-426 AC that he awakes from this distorted state when he gets away from being hanged in the virtually last minute. Suddenly, hiding in the woods, with the local garrison soldiers searching for him, he has the first “clear moment” for… what might be since his father died. His journey has brought him near Old Oak by then. Though he remembers having shared the gang’s dream of sailing to Essos. Lost in that even weirder for unfamiliar state of clarity, he is caught by the soldiers a few days later. And he would have nearly been killed had on the way back to the arrest cell and the gallows not a Septa per mere coincidence shared the road with the soldiers for a while and learned about the fate of the pale boy. It is Septa Constantia who convinces the judge to show mercy, being touched and fascinated by the boy, and asks the youth after his release to accompany her to Oldtown where she has business to do.

It is because of her that Grace receives his name. For unwilling to tell her his real name – a name he had not used for ages in the social environment of peasants and criminals – or to tell her *any* name at all, she decides to call him “Grace”. For the Gods’ grace that had seemed to have been shone upon him many times already in his life. He is too weak to repel a girls’ name.

Back in the Care of the Faith (15 - 20)
Grace stays with the caring Septa who soon treats him as if he were rather her own son than just another soul in need of saving. Holding a superior position in the Faith of Oldtown, as the personal assistant of Septa Ertha of the Most Devout, often also working in the financial department, Grace’s survival during the winter is secured. Under the loving hands of the Septas and those around them, he finally takes to the care and love offered, and becomes stronger. Both physically and mentally. Grace finds a home there, and soon starts learning as many things as possible in order to prove thankful and give back what he plentifully receives.

It is a decision that did not go easy for most of the Septas, but it is Ertha herself who finally pushes the suggestion through that, suiting his Stormlander heritage, Grace should receive training in weaponry as well. And it seems like one of the brightest miracles in those harsh and darkened days when the three knights of the Faith assigned to train him, soon reveal to the Septas that Grace seems to posses a natural talent in nearly any weapon they hand him over. The hypothesis is tested thoroughly during the next months, and Grace proves an eager, ambitious and patient student. His self-confidence rises, and over time, his mental problems, especially his compulsive acts and stuttering decrease significantly.

Surrounded by scholars and educated people, Grace even develops an elegant way of speaking, and soon is taught in the rhetoric arts and the art of reasoning. Everybody, no matter of simple or elevated ranking, is impressed by the progress the initially shy and half-starved boy who had been sentenced to death already is making. And soon, the Septas come to realize that the extremely rare combination of increasing eloquence, humbleness and obedience, and an incredible talent in fighting has to be meant for something. And could be used for a very outstanding position. Just with the ongoing prohibition of the Faith Militant, it is not yet clear which one, for the Septas are reluctant to see a future for Grace in the Holy Hundred both because of his lowly background and Ertha’s personal aversion against the ever changing position of the High Septon.

War Arising. Grace's Calling. (20 - 23)
In 432 AC, when the Warsmiths take over the city of Oldtown, they try to win Grace over, yet Grace remains true to his confession and confines himself to praying and more pragmatic work useful for the Septas around him.

In 433 AC, Grace accompanies Septa Ertha of the Most Devout to the capital to elect a new High Septon. While not a knight yet, he has offered his services to her to protect her on her journey and during her stay amid the chaos of disorder, upheaval and war that Ertha tries to stay away from. During the days of the mob’s rise and the raiding of the Red Temple, along with her other bodyguards, Grace has to defend her and her entourage several times.

They are still in the capital when the Faith Militant is reformed. And Grace sees it as a calling.

The Septa allows him to serve in the Order, yet proves unwilling to give her consent to Grace joining the order. Despite being already 20 years of age, he is taken on as a squire to a knight he gets on very well with, and accompanies him and the Warrior’s Sons first to the Stormlands and then to the Reach. His knowledge of the region and connection to local authorities prove very helpful to free Oldtown from the Warrior’s Sons. Afterwards, Grace accompanies the Warrior’s Sons to the battle of Bitterbridge. He distinguishes himself in the battle as a field preacher and remarkable fighter. His eloquence and religious fervour inspire many they meet along the roads to join their cause. During marches, encampments and even on the battle field, Grace’s words find eager listeners. And all of them keep reporting on how inspiring and encouraging his presence has been during the war. Grace is knightened by the Chapter-Captain of Oldtown after the battle. Yet he is still undecided whether to join the order for Septa Ertha adviced him to rather wait and observe the long-term development of the order’s internal climate, outer reputation and the political status.

A few weeks later, Grace accompanies the army to Ashford, where they join with the Tyrell forces. And he distinguishes himself in yet another battle. Slightly wounded, he has to retire from the war efforts for several weeks, then recovers and returns to the duties he has been assigned.

Joining the Warrior’s Sons (23 – 26)
With the war ended in the Reach, Grace becomes very active in assisting the establishment of the young order. He is passionate about it, and everyone can see that – and is inspired by it. He becomes a representative of the order in an affiliate member status, getting to talk to local authorities, doing recruitment, assisting in setting up local facilities and structures. Among the order, he becomes very popular, known for his vigorous energy, empathetic ear, encouraging words and high degree of will-power.

In 435 AC, Grace finally joins the order, having lived among his brethren that, together with the Septas that supported him during his youth, have become his family.

He is sent to Lannisport in 435 AC to assist the establishment and support of the local Chapter-House, sharing his knowledge from Oldtown with the local Warrior’s Sons there.

In 436 AC he is sent to Gulltown as a representative of both the Chapter-Houses of Oldtown and Lannisport, ensuring support during winter. He is reunited there with the Septon who once took him in as a child, but makes no effort to go and search for his mother. Though he had started sending letters to her during the last years when Grace, after his youth full of hardships, had finally settled down in Oldtown.

Nowaydays (26)
In 438 AC, Ser Grace Morrigen has finally returned to Oldtown, right in time for the wedding feast.