House Swann
Status: | Major (Status 6) |
Seat: | Stonehelm |
Current Lord: | Lord Gulian Swann |
Current Lady: | Lady Beony Swann |
Realm: | Stormlands |
Heir: | Ser Donnel Swann |
Liege: | Lord Renly Baratheon |
Cadet Branch: | None |
Vassals: | House Graben, House Kraedmyr, House Seraen, House Velt; House Lohaq |
Maester: | None |
Ancestral Weapon: | None |
Founder: | Unknown |
Founded: | Age of Heroes |
Ancient of lineage and provenance, House Swann are a force to be reckoned with among the Stormlords. They trace their origins all the way back to the Age of Heroes, mighty lieutenants to the Storm Kings of now-extinct House Durrendon.
Domains
- House Fortunes: Law +0, Population +3, Port +5 (increase Wealth gains by +1d6)
Stonehelm
The domain of Stonehelm, named for the castle that dominates it, is a valuable tactical location. It controls access to the Marchwater River, and thus access to most of the Marchwater Vale. It also looks across the river at the main passage into the Stormlands from the Dornish Marches. The domain itself borders the Rainwood, and so is made up of quite good land for farming. There are four (4) estates in the Stonehelm domain besides the town of Helmport. (Lands: Plains; River, Large Town; 38 points)
- Stonehelm Castle: Stonehelm is the ancestral seat of House Swann, an old edifice built upon a tall hill overlooking the whole of Helmport. Part of it extends out into the water of the mouth of the Marchwater where it reaches Cape Wrath. (Defense: 40 pts)
- The Swancloaks: Green Garrison. In front of Stonehelm's lower gate, beside the drawbridge that extends out over the moat is the Garrison of the Swancloaks, the city watch for Helmport. Clad in simple chain, with swan feathers in their leathern caps, swancloaks wield halberds and short swords. (Power: 3 pts)
- Maester Grance: The maester for Stonehelm is a red-haired fellow in his fifties. He specializes in finances, military history and ravenscraft. (Wealth: 10 pts)
- Helmport: Large Town. Helmport is a sizeable town at the mouth of the Marchwater. People from all over the Marchwater Vale come to its markets, so it is a good place for those who are looking for information about the goings-on along the Marchwater. It is also a favorite location for bards and tinkers to ply their trades. (Population: 381 Households)
- Port & Market: The port and market of Helmport are always bustling. Located within easy sight of Stonehelm castle, they are surrounded by a handful of inns and taverns. During the day they bustle with workers and shoppers, while at night the abandoned spaces serve to attract musicians and street performers, whores and the occasional unsavory element. (Wealth: 20 pts)
- The Marchwarden's Fleet: Trained Warships. A small fleet of strong warships and their skilled crews, the Marchwarden's Fleet has a single obligation: the defense of the Marchwater's mouth. (Power: 10 pts)
- The Marchwater Sept: In the northern portion of the city is the Marchwater Sept, a fine, large temple with seven tall spires, one for each face of the Seven. It hosts a body of septons and septas, all of whom are there to lend their aid and advice to the faithful. Septon Kaemere is a well-known confidante of Lord Gulian Swann. (Wealth: 15 pts)
- Knights of House Swann: Trained Cavalry Crusaders. The knights of House Swann are some twenty in number or so, though they are rarely at the same place at the same time. Many of them act as masters of the estates scattered through Lord Swann's domains, while others help protect his lands by patrolling it on several-day circuits. There are always at least six knights at Stonehelm at any one time. (Power: 12 pts)
Other Domains
- Marchwatch The lands across the Marchwater from Stonehelm, where the Marchwater Road ends in a busy ferry used to cross the mouth of the Marchwater. The small estate there is built up around Marchwater Tower. (Lands: Plains; River; 8 points)
- Marchwatch Tower: An old tower held by one of House Swann's knights, intended to guard river access and be a watch for forces cutting south of the Dornish Marches along the coast. (Defense: Tower 10 pts)
- Greenshire: A swathe of agricultural lands east of Stonehelm, and south of the Rainwood's edges. (Lands: Plains; 5 points)
- Staidmarsh: A portion of marsh just south of Stonehelm, made up of mostly fishermen and scavengers. (Lands: Wetlands; 3 points)
Members of the House
- Lord Gulian Swann: Lord of the House. A man in his early fifties, Lord Gulian was a warrior during Robert's Rebellion. He has seen the deaths of two wives already, although rumor claims he is about to take a third. He is the son of the famous beauty of her day, Jeyne Swann, who was rescued by Ser Barristan Selmy in his youth. (Age 56)
- Ser Donnel Swann: Heir of the House. Though not quite the warrior his younger brother is, Ser Donnel is an astute politician. He is thinly muscled and handsome, with the chestnut hair of his family, and a close-shorn beard. He has recently returned to Stonehelm from being part of Lord Renly's household at Storm's End. (Age 31)
- Ser Balon Swann: The second son of Lord Gulian, Ser Balon is tall and broad-chested. Tremendously strong, he is good with the lance, better with the morningstar and exceptional with the bow. Balon is quiet, perceptive rather than sullen. He has recently departed to King's Landing, as part of Renly's household. (Age 27)
- Ser Clifford Swann: A knight in Renly Baratheon's household, Ser Clifford manages an estate near Storm's End for Lord Renly. He is a balding man, though still quite clearly in fighting trim. (Age 51)
- Ravella Swann: Lady of House Smallwood. Lord Gulian's younger sister, Ravella was married to Lord Theomar Smallwood, in the Riverlands. It has been many years since she has returned to Stonehelm. (Age 47)
Retainers of the House
- Ser Sumner Storm: A bastard of a small Rainwood House, Ser Sumner has recently come into Lord Gulian's service after Lord Gulian saw him win a small tourney on Estermont. Ser Sumner has a squire of sixteen named Vayon, and he marks his arms with a dun chief with three seashells, above a field of sea-green. (35 years)
- Ser Warryn: Young and competitive, Ser Warryn is a thin man but quite skilled at arms. He has long dark hair, and a Dornish cast to his features. His arms are a field of crimson, with three white lilies. (24 tears)
- Ser Avery Grandison: A grandson of House Grandison, Ser Avery is a perfectly competent knight, though rarely stands out in any way. He has a squire of House Lohaq, and bears the arms of his House. (26 years)
- Ser Quayle Velt: Silver-headed and blue-eyed, Quayle is the heir of Owlkeep. Recently knighted for a martial victory at Lord Swann's Wedding Tourney, Ser Quayle swore to enter service with House Swann as part of a deal that allowed his grandmother to take vows with the Silent Sisters instead of being executed for her treason. His service at Stonehelm has just begun, where his fellow knights have found him a prodigy with the bastard sword. The young man eagerly anticipates that day when Eclipse, the House's Valyrian steel blade, is his as lord. (16 years)
History
House Swann is an old noble house, regarded as proud, powerful and cautious. They have governed these lands for as long as any can remember. They rule from Stonehelm, overseeing a major river route inland to the Stormlands, gaining them much wealth and power. They are probably the second most powerful and influential family in the Stormlands, after the Baratheons.
Recent History
- Maester Grance: A man equal of Lord Gulian's in years, he has the red hair and green eyes of so many Riverlands families. Though Grance is a maester, he also clearly knows his way around a fighting blade, and keeps in shape with morning drills with the Swancloaks, who all greatly respect him, giving him the nickname "Maester Bladeraven." (Age 52)
Note: Though this is for a canonical setting element in the Song of Ice and Fire, some of the information here is totally created for my game, and should not be taken as an authoritative commentary on that setting element.