Arnolf Redfort

Introduction:
Lord Arnolf Redfort is the aged and crippled lord of Redfort. Born the second son of Lord Alisser Redfort and his wife Lady Donella, Arnolf never expected to inherit the castle and had thought to become a maester, but after a strange set of circumstances he eventually came into his lordship. With him came his lover, Jeyne, and their six children. He is a reclusive and somewhat sinister man, and there are those who claim he hides a darker side.

Appearance and Character:
Lord Arnolf's most distinguishing feature is his twisted leg. He cannot stand, let alone walk without his cane. He is a tall man, standing at 6' 2", but most of the time he walks bent over with a limp, because of his ailment. He had dark auburn hair, but in his old age most of it has turned grey. He has eyes of grey, which seem to pierce what they look upon. His skin is pale, with a sickly hue. He dresses well, clad in rich silks and fine furs. On his hands, he wears a number of rings. Each one is forged from a metal Arnolf once wore on his maester’s chain.

Arnolf is a reclusive and mysterious figure. He is at times friendly, and others prickly. Oft open handed to his friends and underlings, but when slighted he bears a grudge like few others. He has a disdain for men who shun knowledge and learning, but his enmity is reserved for the maesters. For their slights against him, he carries a burning hatred for “the rats of Old Town and their overlord in the Hightower”. He can be ruthless and remorseless when enacting his toll on those who have wronged him; most often his debtors who miss a payment. He is very much a man comfortable with plotting and illicit activity, more than willing to lie or misdirect for personal gain. He is not without loyalty, however. For those who have earned his respect, he will work tirelessly behind the scenes to assist them in a manner according to the way they have treated him. And he is a most devoted father and faithful lover …although not to his wife. In this respect, he has a warped personal morality. Looking after his friends and family, or repaying a slight in kind overcomes all qualms over ethics.

Beginnings :
Arnolf Redfort was born 384 AC, the second son of Lord Alisser Redfort and Lady Donella Templeton. A pale sickly boy, the maester who delivered him proclaimed “the boy will not last one night on this earth”. He did. In fact, he lasted many more.

He survived his infancy and, whilst young Arnolf had an ailing disposition, he never seemed long affected by any sickness or malady. Still he was long, gangly, and pale youth, especially when compared to his broader, more muscular brothers. Because of his height, he always seemed the elder of the brothers, a mistake reinforced by his intelligence. He outperformed his brothers in their maester’s studies, particularly excelling in mathematics.

This earned him the ire of his siblings, and they would exclude him from their games and spars. Arnolf became a recluse, retreating more and more into his books. Whilst his brothers would be found in the yard, training with sword and lance, he would be curled up in the castle’s library, pouring over the histories of the Seven Kingdoms.

His mother doted on him but Lord Alisser was not impressed. An illiterate man who distrusted “book learning”, he was determined to see his son become a knight and sent him to squire for Lord Waynwood. Lady Donella was horrified at the idea, saying that Arnolf was too young and not strong enough. Lord Alisser would not be swayed and so in 396 AC, Arnolf was sent away.

Incidents and Injuries at Ironoaks :
At Ironoaks, Arnolf found himself completely at a loss. He had never made friends easily, and now he was thrust into an entirely new world. Young Arnolf struggled diligently at his duties but he was not overly effective. Worse, he showed complete ineptitude at all martial pursuits, save horse riding which he could do passably. The other squires mocked him for his weakness and beat him severely. What made matters worse is that Arnolf, in lieu of any recourse on the field of battle, would begin to play increasingly elaborate pranks.

What started as harmless jokes became well thought out plots for revenge. Eventually, he went to far. He manage to start a rumour that Addam Hardyng, his most bitter rival, had bedded Lord Waynwood’s fool. In revenge, the next time the two jousted Addam deliberately struck Arnolf’s horse. The poor beast died instantly, but as it went down, it landed on Arnolf’s left leg.

Arnolf was left crippled. His leg couldn’t support his weight without the aid of a cane, and any riding or fighting was out of the question. Arnolf returned home in 398 AC, battered and dejected.

But life is full of strange twists, as the Gods see fit to make the world perplexing. Because as Arnolf was sent home in a wheelhouse, his father Lord Alliser had collapsed from a heart failure. So when he arrived home, Arnolf was greeted by his brother Lord Godfrey Redfort.

A New Life :
There was little love between the two brothers, so Godfrey was eager to be rid of Arnolf. Fortunately, Lady Donella had the perfect compromise. Arnolf would be sent to forge a maester’s chain at the Citadel.

Lord Godfrey went on to have a decent, if unremarkable, lordship. His most notable achievements was the fathering of two capable sons, Terrence and Eustace.

Arnolf’s life was not unremarkable. He took to his studies at the Citadel with a vigour never seen before in the lad. He learnt the arts of history, ravenry, architecture but truly mastered the studies of economics and finance. For a time, he also studied for his Valryian steel link. However, he found that “These maesters seem so concerned with teaching us that magic is not real that they forget to actually teach us anything! If I had wished to be told what is and isn't true without any evidence, I would have become a septon!”

He also took a deep liking to the arts of medicine. Oddly enough, he seemed utterly unconcerned with learning how to treat wounds or diseases. Instead, he mainly focused on the study of anatomy and the human body. He appeared to be looking for some higher truths about the body, although many fellow students suggested an ulterior motive. Some acolytes went as far as to jest, “he is trying to grow a new leg!”.

Arnolf’s time at Ironoaks had taught him a thing or two about dealing with people. He was not a natural charmer, but he knew how to use motivations to manipulate them, and none were so well versed in gossip as Arnolf. As such, he gathered up a group of lickspittles and flatterers.

They were known to frequent the Quill and Tankard, drinking and jesting after a day of studying. It was here he met Jeyne. She was a fiery and clever serving girl, known for her beauty and her long blond hair, who was of an age with Arnolf. He fell for her immediately and, after half a years wooing, she for him. They spent long nights together out under the moonlight in the luscious fields of the Reach.

For the first time, Arnolf was truly happy; knee deep in his studies taking breaks only to spend time with his mistress. If it weren’t for his damned leg things would be perfect.

Thus, Arnolf redoubled his efforts in his study of the biological mysteries. Not content with merely reading the books they had on display, he began taking bolder actions. He would watch as more senior maesters treated the dying, bought the carcasses of dead animals from the butchers to examine, and even managed to blackmail a servant into procuring him some tomes on anatomy from the restricted section.

Disgrace and Debut :
In this, Arnolf had gone too far. The maesters had  known for some time about his midnight liasons; rumours can cut both ways. They thought it was relatively harmless but after his “unnatural interest in questions best left unanswered” was laid bare, they did not hesitate to strip him of his chain and expel him from the Citadel.

Arnolf was distraught. The maesters had robbed him of his education, of the key to his liberation from his crippled state. Worse still, his lover Jeyne was recently with child. It appeared that once again he would go back to Redfort a failure.

Arnolf refused.

He has been receiving a stipend from his mother at the turn of each moon. Whilst not much by the standards of lords, it was more than enough for his lifestyle and so he had squirrelled a little away. With the money he had saved, Arnolf had enough to start a small money lending business.

At the age of 19, he was far from experienced in the real world of business, but with his mathematical expertise meant he was quickly able to turn an impressive profit. Within a year, he had grown the business from himself to a dozen employees. Within three, he had 50 people under him. He used his vast knowledge to calculate the risks of a given venture, often going as far as hiring ‘procurers’ to ‘borrow’ a business’ financial logs so he could inspect them. When he did invest, he made sure that the business succeeded… and he got his due.

When competition appeared, soon enough rumours would emerge about its owners and clientele. If a debtor didn’t pay, hired help would soon arrive. Arnolf bought the services of sellswords and catspaws so often that he ended up just taking them on as full time staff. These ‘bailiffs’ as Arnolf referred to them were headed up by Ser Olyvar Fossoway, a brute of a man so distantly related to either branch it is unclear if he actually bears any right to that name. They became a fixture at every business Arnolf had a stake in.

During this time, Arnolf and Jeyne had their first child, Robb. The boy was named for the Young Wolf, a childhood hero of Arnolf’s. Despite having a baby at her breast, Jeyne played an active part in the business. After leaving the Quill and Tankard, she took it on herself to support her lover. Jeyne soon began recruiting staff of her own; prostitutes. These provided information, and spread relevant gossip, in return for a small fee. When Arnolf repossessed a tavern, Jeyne became the new proprietress, renaming it ‘the Long Night’.

By 410 AC, life was looking up for Arnolf. His meteoric rise had seen him go from a disgraced acolyte to a mainstay of Old Town business. Even some of Lord Hightower’s bannermen were in his pocket. However, Arnolf had never truly recovered from his expulsion from the Citadel. He had been thwarted in his search for the knowledge that would set him free of the limitations of his frail body.

Paying a Debt :
He had learnt from his mistakes; closely guarding his secrets lest those who wished him ill would use them against him. Even so, he was determined to show the Citadel he didn’t need them. He began to dress in flamboyant finery, wearing silks and velvets and fine furs to contrast with the plain robes of the maesters. He adorned his fingers with many rings, each of a metal he had worn as a link in his chain. But his greatest action was the resumption of his studies.

With his wealth, Arnolf gathered a court of his own scholars, often mockingly referred to as the Cutthroat’s Conclave by the maesters of the Citadel. Hedge wizards, sorcerers, alchemists, shadow:binders, heretical septons, red priests; all these flocked to him. Once per week, the Long Night would become a classroom. The preachers would give sermons, the healers would treat the sick, the scholars would teach people to read and write, with all in attendance wined and dined free of charge. Arnolf too participated in the lessons, most notably dabbling in alchemy for a time.

This was Arnolf Redfort’s great revenge. He had taken the knowledge the maesters hoarded and given away for free. Many of his former classmates would sneak away at night so as to participate in the learning and debate that was going on. What is more, Arnolf had bought the love of the smallfolk. Instead of being viewed as a tightfisted usurer, Arnolf was seen as a noble benefactor.

One final consequence, which probably had the greatest effect on Arnolf as a man was the arrival of Luthor. Luthor had been a maester at the citadel; in fact, he had once been so respected in the arts of healing that he was considered for the rank of archmaester. However, he had shown a keen interest for some of the more ‘fringe practices’ of medicine, which made him unsuitable for the role. One morning Luthor left abruptly and never returned. According to him “I could taste the poison in my morning porridge. As soon as I had purged my stomach of its contents, I left”. Luthor had lived in Essos since then, until word reached him that a young upstart had placed himself in opposition to the Citadel.

Once Luthor arrived, it did not take long for him and Arnolf to strike up a friendship. The two bonded over their mutual hatred of the maesters, and their fascination with the human anatomy. Moreover, Luthor agreed to operate on Arnolf’s leg. After long and difficult surgery, Luthor managed to repair some of the damage deemed ‘beyond man’s hands to heal’ by the Waynwood master. Whilst Arnolf still required a cane to walk, the worst of the pain was over and he was once again able to sit a horse. Awed by the mans abilities, Arnolf immediately asked to study under him.

However, word had reached the Hightower of the antics of young Arnolf Redfort. Lord Hightower has been quoted saying “This boy has made mockery of the Citadel and flaunted our laws. Make an example of him”.

And they did. On the first day of the second moon 413 AC, 300 guardsmen, headed up by two score of mounted knights rode across Old Town laying waste to any business that Arnolf had ties to. Half a hundred of his employees were rounded up, and later shipped north to take the black. Arnolf, however, was nowhere to be found. He, Jeyne and their two children (Jeyne had given birth to a second son, Quenton, three moons prior) as well as a dozen of their most loyal retainers had already escaped.

Jeyne had received news from one of her ‘girls’ that the wrath of the Hightower was about to strike upon them and Arnolf had reacted fast, booking passage for his family and their most trusted staff. On the advice of Luthor, now Arnolf’s most trusted confidant, the party headed to Braavos, where even the long arm of the Hightowers could not reach them.

Exile :
And there, Arnolf would spend the next twenty years. He resumed his trade as a money lender, although this time his business grew more slowly. Arnolf was careful to ensure that the powers that be always got their cut, so that he wouldn’t be harassed again. He bought a decent manse, good enough living for him and his family. It had one distinguishing feature, its extraordinarily large attic, which the previous resident used to store his wine. Arnolf did not fill it with wine. He kept it secret, always guarded and well away from prying eyes.

Still rumours abounded, as they are wont to do. They talked of the strange Westerosi, who would come and go at all times; day or night. Some had seen him visit the House of Black and White, spending long hours there amongst the dead. A few bolder ones would talk of muffled noises coming from his house, in the dead of night. In this regard, the ‘inducements’ Arnolf had provided the relevant authorities with proved useful, as he never received any trouble with the Braavosi officials, and those who made complaints invariably unmade them quick enough.

Furthermore, Arnolf fathered four more children on Jeyne, three girls, Anya, Elinor and Ysilla, and a fragile boy, Tommen. Tommen’s birth had been long and difficult for Jeyne, who was past 40 when she had him. Even under the expert hands of Luthor, it was feared that both mother and child would pass. Luthor saved Jeyne but announced the boy to be stillborn. Arnolf, without a word, took the boy into his arms and left to his attic. Three days later, he emerged with baby Tommen squalling in his arms.

The Winds Change :
Arnolf might have spent the rest of his life there, in a comfortable exile with his lover, their family, their wealth and his ‘hobby’. But once again, the gods had other plans. In 436 AC, a messenger arrived in Braavos bringing news from his mother, Lady Donella. The now ancient matriarch of Redfort, wrote that both his nephews, Terrence and Eustace, had died and that there would be a regency for Lord Terrence’s daughter, the twelve year old Alys Redfort. Arnolf began making plans to bring his family, going as far as to sell his families home.

Whilst this was happening, the matter of the regency was already being decided. Lady Donella was the only one present who spoke in favour of Arnolf. The maester suggested himself. He was able to run a household and could educate Lady Alys in the ways of management. However, all others agreed that Lady Alayne Royce, Eustace’s widow, would be better suited.

When news reached Arnolf of this, he was furious. He had been under the false assumption that the regency had been his. To hear that it had been given to another, made Arnolf wroth. To make matters worse was that his mother had mention that it had been the Redfort maester who had spoken mostly strongly against him.

On reading this Arnolf remarked “The rats have conspired to rob me once again. But I shall have what I am owed all the same”. Within the fortnight, Arnolf had contracted the Second Sons, and pulled in some favours from some indebted smugglers to deliver them to Westeros. It was a perilous journey to make in the middle of winter, and several of their ships were scattered or sunk.

Even so, as the year 437 AC began, Arnolf landed upon his home turf in the Vale once more, with an army in tow. Landing in a hidden cove south of Old Anchor which he had discovered during his time as a Waynwood squire, Arnolf and his men readied for their hard trek to Redfort. He had hoped to take the castle by surprise forcing a quick surrender without bloodshed. Upon landing on Westeros, Arnolf had said “If it comes to killing we are finished. Lord Arryn will never accept the regency of a murderer, and if we harm his kin, Royce will be here in a moons turn with more men than we can hope to match”.

The command was given to his son Robb, who had shown himself to be quite the promising tactician. And thus, the ragged force rode hard to Redfort.

A Tragic Accident? :
However, as castle grew on the horizon, they were met by a startling sight. Smoke was billowing from within its walls, and its main keep was engulfed in flames. Indeed it turned out Redfort’s would be invaders became its rescuers. Seeing his family home in danger, Arnolf was quick to act, ordering his men to quench the fire and save those they could.

Alas, the fire had already done great harm. Lady Alys was already dead. So too Lady Alayne and all of her children. Arnolf did manage to rescue his mother, Lady Donella, although she was a weeping wreck by the time they got her out and she would never be the same.

Arnolf, aware of how suspicious this turn of events looked, ordered his men to secure the area and keep word from spreading. Arnolf himself went to Spearhead Keep, seat of House Moore.None speak of went on within the solar of Lord Moore, save this. Arnolf was accepted as the new Lord of Redfort, his men were allowed shelter in Spearhead Keep for the winter, and he was to take to wife Selyse Moore, the young half:wit sister of his lordship.

Next, he rode on to the Eyrie. Lord Godric was not a man to be easily swayed. Even so, when the bedraggled Arnolf arrived at the Gates of the Moon through a snow:storm, he was given hospitality and guest rights. Only Lord Arryn knows his thoughts as Arnolf pledged fealty to him, despite the older man being on the verge of collapse due to his perilous journey. Maybe he saw an opportunity in this ambitious man with a chequered past. Perhaps he pragmatically wished to avoid a war in the middle of winter. Or maybe the sight of a crippled man taking a knee before him moved his heart. What is certain is that Lord Arryn accepted Arnolf’s oath of fealty and he arose the new Lord of Redfort.

Loans and Lordships :
Arnolf and his retainers wintered in Spearhead Keep. Once the snows thawed he returned to Redfort and repaired the damage to his ancient seat. This work, as well as the cost for retaining the Second Sons for near a year put a large dent in his house's finances. Even so, Arnolf had enough to reestablish his money lending operations, bagging him a tidy profit.

The castle’s maester had perished in the fire (although one witness reports that he had got out fine only to find himself on the end of Ser Olyvar Fossoway’s sword). So too had many of the castle’s staff, especially the most important positions. Arnolf set about filling these roles with those who had shown him loyalty through the years. His sons Robb and Quenton were named Redfort’s captain of guard and steward respectively, in regards to the boys' talents. Ser Olyvar Fossoway became the new master at arms. Arnolf's lover Jeyne was put in charge of Lady Selyse’s household, on account that the girl was not capable of running it for herself.

This left the position of maester. Lord Arnolf, in his pride and his wrath, did not call for a new maester from the citadel. Instead he appointed Luthor to the role. Luthor, despite now being well into his seventies, still possessed a youthful look to him and a younger man’s vigour. He was easily capable of filling the role, save he had no skill at ravenry. Instead, Lord Arnolf kept and tended his own ravens, also educating his son Quenton in the craft.

This caused an uproar within the walls of Old Town. To give the position of maester to a man without a chain was scandalous. Even so, Lord Arnolf was beyond their reach.

Until the present, Arnolf has ruled ably. His talent for arithmetic meant he was extraordinarily well suited to administration. His capability as well as the alms work he does has won him the love and loyalty of his smallfolk, although his many debtors might disagree. For the most part, Arnolf keeps out of the wider affairs of the Vale.

Gossip and Rumours :
Being a reclusive man, you would not expect him to be well known outside of his lands. Even so, there are still some rumours. The fire is a constant topic of debate.

For the most part, it is thought that it must have been an accident. Lord Arnolf maintains that it was the Redfort maester who started the blaze. He argues that the man had designs on the regency himself. The fire however had gotten out of hand, burning not only the regent but also the little lady and the maester himself. Others suggest Lord Arnolf’s mother was the culprit. Though the fire left her scarred, physically and mentally, they argue she desired the regency for her son, and wished to see him again before she passed on.

And other, more nefarious whispers may be heard. That those who did not pay Lord Arnolf his debts would … disappear. That during the reconstruction, Lord Arnolf made an ‘expansion’ to the castle’s dungeon. A deep dark cell, equipped like a healers operating room. Once a man goes in, they do not come out.

Of course, these rumours are baseless. What kind of a man would construct such a thing? What ungodly obsession would require it?

Family:
* It is unclear whether the children of Arnolf Redfort and Jeyne of Oldtown should technically be called Stone. Robb and Quenton were born in the Reach, the rest in Braavos. In fact, all of the children have spend the majority of their life in Essos, only coming to Redfort early in 437 AC. However, at the insistence of their father, all are referred to as Stones, as they are "sons and daughters of Redfort, no matter where they are born".
 * Lord Alisser Redfort b.??? d. 398 AC
 * m. Lady Donella Redfort (nee Templeton) b.???
 * Lord Godfrey Redfort b. 381 AC d. 425 AC
 * m. ???
 * Lord Terrence Redfort b. 405 AC d. 436 AC
 * m. Lady Mya Redfort (nee Moore) b. ??? d. 433 AC
 * Lady Alys Redfort b. 425 AC d. 437 AC
 * Ser Eustace Redfort b. 407 AC d. 436 AC
 * m. Lady Alayne Redfort (nee Royce) b. 412 AC d. 437 AC
 * Osric Redfort b. 432 AC d. 437 AC
 * Carolei Redfort b. 434 AC d. 434 AC
 * Robert Redfort b. 436 AC d. 437 AC
 * Lord Arnolf Redfort b. 384 AC
 * His lover, Jeyne b. 384 AC
 * Robb Stone*, the Redfort Captain of Guards b. 403 AC
 * Quenton Stone*, the Redfort Steward b. 408 AC
 * Anya Stone* b. 414 AC
 * Elinor Stone* b. 417 AC
 * Ysilla Stone* b. 419 AC
 * Tommen Stone*, a squire at Wickenden b. 427 AC
 * m. Lady Selyse Redfort (nee Moore) b. 414 AC
 * Ser Uthor Redfort b. 386 AC, a household knight at Strongsong
 * Ser Harlan Redfort b.???

Household:

 * Maester - Luthor, a chainless maester and an expert in healing
 * Head of Household - Jeyne, in charge of the duties typically given to the lady of the house, as Lady Selyse is incapable of fulfilling such a role
 * Captain of Guard - Robb Stone, the bold and charismatic natural son of Lord Arnolf and Jeyne.
 * Steward - Quenton Stone, the second son of Arnold and Jeyne, a cunning businessman and shrewd politician
 * Master at Arms - Ser Olyvar Fossoway, a grizzled veteran and brute of a man little more than a hedge knight. (Ser Olyvar also serves as head bailiff, in charge of collecting debts owed to Lord Arnolf.)

Contacts:

 * The Second Sons – Arnolf is on very good terms with the commander of the Second Sons. His son Robb served with them for five years, and Arnolf still sends generous gifts on the anniversary of their contract, which ultimately won Arnolf his lordship.


 * Braavos – Arnolf has a number of contacts in Braavos, and still has a number of investments there, still paying dividends. Over the years, he has cultivated a decent working relationship with the Iron Bank, making it clear that he doesn’t wish to rival them.


 * Old Town – Most of his direct employees were removed by Hightower’s guards. However, he had garnered many friends due to his years there. Most prominent is ‘Bow Leg’ Meg, madam of one of the most successful brothels in Old Town.


 * King’s Landing – Arnolf has never spent long in the capital, only ever visiting en route to other destinations. However, due to his years of business, he is friendly with several merchants based out of King’s Landing. Furthermore, he has long had sympathy for the Alchemist’s Guild. He admires their commitment to new discovery and his ‘Cutthroat’s Conclave’ has hosted more than a few pyromancers in its time. Wisdom Oswell spent more than half a year with him. Arnolf had seemed intrigued and had begun training under Oswell for a time. Once Luthor arrived though, Arnolf found his true calling. Arnolf and Oswell are still on good terms, and Oswell has visited Redfort on more than one occasion since Arnolf came into his lordship.