Lyonel Baratheon

Lyonel Baratheon is Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. Unlike many of his house, Lyonel is patient and cunning rather than boisterous. He has used this and his persuasive nature to his benefit in the past.

Personal History
Early on the eve of the twenty-second day of the second moon of the 273rd year after Aegon’s Conquest, rain lashed the walls of Storm’s End as Florence Tyrell bore an heir to her husband and the Lord of Storm’s End, Boremund Baratheon. The squalling babe would be called Lyonel. His eyes were piercing blue and a tuft of straight black hair crowned his head.

The atmosphere in Storm’s End in 273 AC was electric. Not even a decade before had King Aemon I Targaryen stripped from Storm’s End the western half of the Stormlands, from the Slayne to the ruin of Nightsong. They would be ruled from Summerhall, by the descendents of Aegon Targaryen-- the King’s late brother. Lord Boremund watched with mounting anger as the taxes of the Dondarrions and Swanns and Selmys paid for a castle to be built on the lands of Summerhall. Utterance of their family name was tantamount to the blackest curse, sure to send the Lord into a fierce rage.

It would be from Lord Boremund that Lyonel learned of anger and how useful it could be. He learned his father’s hatred of the Targaryens, but another lesson as well from his mother: subtlety. Florence Tyrell was a beautiful and quiet woman, but fierce in her own right. She maintained an orderly household, and solved disputes between her children decisively. When she got angry she grew quiet, where her husband was prone to explosive anger. Each had its own benefits, and each its own drawbacks. Lyonel internalized these lessons, even from a young age.

His keen insight gave him a gift where it came to dealing with people. At times he had great intuition, oftentimes he characterized them as bad feelings or good feelings. Vagaries that he attributed to luck. All the same, it gave him confidence. He began to exert himself as both a competent fighter and a clever, subversive opponent.

Squiring in the Eyrie
His father Lord Boremund negotiated after his twelfth name day to send him to the Eyrie to squire under Lord Robert Arryn, a prestigious arrangement as Lord Robert was much admired in the Vale at the time. His skill at-arms was well-known, and it was that that attracted Lord Boremund’s attention. Upon his departure via ship Lord Boremund instructed his son to learn well, for one day they would reclaim the Marches and like as not it would not be a peaceful reclamation.

With that weighing on young Lyonel’s mind, he arrived in Gulltown sobered. An honor guard of knights of the Eyrie escorted him to the most improbable castle he had ever seen-- the Eyrie. He set to work learning how to be a knight from its lord, and the following few years passed. He attended Lord Arryn wherever he might, learning from the Master-at-Arms of the Eyrie and from Lord Arryn himself how to hold a sword and how to don armor. His skills grew, and he was a good pupil of Lord Robert.

In 289 AC he achieved his knighthood from Lord Arryn, one of the high points of his life thus far. At that time, however, Lord Arryn was only dimly aware of a growing courtship between Lyonel and his daughter Melissa Arryn. The two were close enough that the newly-knighted Ser Lyonel felt emboldened enough to make the request of Lord Arryn to marry his daughter. Lord Arryn wrote to Lord Boremund, and his father assented to the match. They were then betrothed, and Ser Lyonel returned to Storm’s End late in 289 AC not only with knighthood but with a betrothal to a lady of one of Westeros’ most powerful and prestigious noble houses. Lord Boremund was overjoyed at his son’s stellar performance and threw a great feast in celebration of Ser Lyonel’s return.

The Connington Situation
It would only be a year before conflict returned to the Stormlands for the first time since Ser Lyonel reached adulthood. Lord Boremund dispatched his heir and two hundred swords to Griffin’s Roost, though both lord and heir remained cagey on their purpose-- it is left a mystery whether they were to join with Lord Connington or play the role of peacemakers. The Conningtons had moved on, however, and Ser Lyonel arrived from behind in time to see the last of the fighting between the Targaryen Princes and his countrymen of Connington, the field of battle strewn with bodies including those of Prince Rhaegar's brother, the loathsome man who had begun the whole illicit affair, and Lord Jon Connington, the aggrieved party. Lord Boremund offered the hand of his second son, Davos, to the new Lord Connington’s sister. They wed shortly thereafter in a more somber ceremony.

Interwar Life
The year following, 291 AC, Ser Lyonel and Lady Melissa Arryn wed in the sept at Storm’s End. Lord Boremund held a grand tourney, though he conspicuously did not invite any of the dragon’s blood into his halls.

Their wedding soon proved fruitful. Lady Melissa bore a son to Lyonel, which he named Robert in honor of her father who had taught him how to be a man. Robert was a strong boy from the beginning. His two brothers Edric and Raymont would follow in 293 and 295, respectively. The boys got along well, and it seemed things were happy and healthy in Storm’s End until just prior to the end of the century.

In 296 AC his mother’s family, the Tyrells of Highgarden, arranged with Lord Boremund to squire a son of their house with his own heir, and so Ser Lyonel was introduced to Gwayne Tyrell. Gwayne proved exceptionally talented as time progressed.

The Third Dornish War
The Dornish once again called for aid with regards to an increasing problem with pirates in the Stepstones in 299 AC. House Baratheon had before answered this call, and Lord Boremund called his banners to help again. The Baratheon host sailed out to assist, but infighting between the Dornish broke the cohesion of the allied fleet and the pirates sailed through the gaps and shattered it. Lord Boremund would be claimed by arrows, and the pirates boarded his ship until Gwayne Tyrell, Ser Lyonel’s squire, lead Baratheon men to reclaim it and the body of Lord Baratheon. In recognition of his heroism, Lyonel knighted Ser Gwayne in the field of battle before ordering the ships of Tarth and Estermont to return to their harbors. He sent word south-- the Stormlands would not bleed if the Dornish would fight each other more than the pirates. The Dornish continued their infighting, and Lord Lyonel withdrew all aid.

He set about ruling the Stormlands by plotting to follow his father’s course. Lord Boremund lived to see the Stormlands reunited, and it became Lord Lyonel’s goal as well. His mother was a Tyrell, and his cousin the Lady of Highgarden. His brother-by-marriage was the Lord of the Eyrie. If ever a time existed that he might achieve that ends, it would be now. He sealed a deal with the Lord of Castamere to ward his heir in Storm’s End, an opening maneuver in his silent war with Summerhall.

Recent Events
Lord Baratheon rode to King's Landing for the celebrations for the Crown Prince Maekar Targaryen's name day. His gift to the Prince, a tome about the Stormlands and the Storm Kings who once ruled it, drew the Prince's attention. Before Lyonel could depart the city the Prince arrived to request that Lord Baratheon squire him in Storm's End. The Lord of Storm's End assented, and departed for home.

Upon his return he made plans for a grand tourney to celebrate the Crown Prince's arrival. The Crown Prince was beset on the road, however, by the notorious Autumn Brotherhood. He and Lyonel's uncle, Ser Royce Baratheon, together crushed the Autumn Brotherhood and destroyed it to the last man, delivering to Summerhall the heads of the men they claimed had killed Aenar Targaryen. Those who surrendered were hanged along the Kingsroad. The Tourney at Storm's End was a great success, with good times had by all. Prince Maekar officially named Lord Baratheon his Hand of the King, and the two departed for King's Landing together.

Once in King's Landing the Lord of Storm's End set about attempting to reorganize the Small Council. The effort was forestalled, however, as the Masters of Coin and Laws were out of the capital, and the Master of Ships soon departed. The Master of Whispers deserted the capital as well, leaving the Hand and the Lord Marshall, Hugh Rambton. Once Maekar crowned himself King and his cousins rose in revolt, the King took the remaining members of the Small Council less the Hand and marched to war, never to return.

With the death of King Maekar in the Battle of Harroway's Town, King's Landing rested in Lyonel Baratheon's hands. Rather than bend the knee to the hated Targaryens of Summerhall, now proud kinslayers beyond their other offenses against the Stormlands-- unwilling to hold the city in his own name, against now two powerful foes-- he opened the gates for Aegor Blackfyre, granting the Blackfyres an easy victory in the opening phase of their invasion. Though no longer Hand, he was asked by the new King to remain in King's Landing to provide information and insight that Blackfyre's councilors did not possess. Lord Lyonel consented, and remained in King's Landing for the opening moons of the Seventh Blackfyre Rebellion.