[SHADOWBLADE] Hansard Haigh

Name:
Hansard Haigh

Age:
30

Gender:
Male

Species:
Human

Allegiance to House:
Lannister


Role to House:
Knight (Hedge Knight, formerly of House Haigh of the Crosslands)

Personality:
A man who values his honor above that of his own life and freedom a luxury afford to those that do not serve the small folk. He is a man that would put his own duty to protect the people before his own life, a value he possessed even from his childhood. While he is dedicated to his duty he is known to be notorious aficionado of Westerland women, and known to prefer the blond Lannister women the most. Despite what many would consider a short coming in common sense, having found himself quite smitten with the wife of the former King of the Iron Throne Cersei Lannister, he is very cunning and shrewd when it comes to dealing with those he sent to deal with and bring to justice. While he fights honorably and will not stoop to devious dirty tricks he understands that not everyone values the honor of a fair and decent fight or will be as honorable as him in a duel.

He is wise often beyond what others give him credit for because of misconceived youthful appearances, he can be quite astute and sharp with his wit and thoughts. While young he was quite hotheaded this however seems to have been tempered with age cooling into a subtle but controlled viciousness. This is however not an attitude that crosses into vindictive or spitefulness or even into a sadistic perversion.

Physical Description:
Rusty colored brown hair and deep brown eyes, a slight beard on his chin and a mustache, offset fair features hardly weathered by age and adulthood, making him look younger than he really is and often having him considered less wise than he really is. Though he is less noteworthy of deed or physical beauty than either Jaime Lannister or Loras Tyrell, he is still considered handsome and a much better match for a young lady than the Knight of Flowers.

Powers and Abilities:
As he is a human he has no special powers, he is however a skillful swordsman favoring greatswords and other two handed swords, he also possesses some skill with a spear, from practice with a fishing spear. He is a competent rider on a horse and though he prefers to fight on foot in a good melee he is comfortable in a charge and joust.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
He is considered proficient and skilled with sword and spear. A decent horse rider and jouster. He is skilled at catching fish with a spear often being able to do so in one thrust.

He is blind to most of Cersei's less desirable characteristics making it easy for him to fall prey to manipulation by her, though he is still persistent about maintaining his honor. While he is loyal to his duty or cause he is sometimes considered mistrustful for turning his back on his house and former Liege Lords.

Weapons and Armour of Choice:

This large bladed long sword was forged for him by a skilled blacksmith during his time in Kingslanding, though he never got the name of the blacksmith, he has tried to find him several times since.


His preferred weapon of choice, the greatsword is one he was given after being knighted in the name of the seven. He has found it to be a quite useful and more practical sword to fight with.


Modified from an old fishing spear, this has been a rather constant weapon for him to carry and favors using a spear over a lance when on horseback


A simple suit of armor, it has proven to be reliable and as such has been repaired numerous times rather than being replaced.
Background History:
Born Hansard Rivers, the illegitimate child of of the Crosslands. as such his only hope of amounting to a productive and worthwhile life was fishing in the rivers and streams as soon as he was old enough to hold a pole and bring in even the smallest fish. As he grew older he was tasked with using a fishing spear and a gaff to bring in the larger more troublesome fish and to garner some means to defend himself from bandits and wild animals. As time wore on the young Rivers grew in skill with his fishing spear being able to catch a fish with it in one strike, in many instances.

When he grew to the age when many young boys would seek to become squires, he found himself longing for a life beyond the fishing boat, to find adventure and excitement. This however he was reminded by many were dreams only allowed for children that had a father and a real family, not a bastard child. During this time many had taken to mockingly calling him Ser Rivers the bastard knight. As adulthood drew near and days when dreams of knighthood were slowly fading, with eligibility for being a squire almost gone, fate smiled on the young Rivers.

A small raid by bandits in his village drew a band of knights led by Ser Harys Haigh, eldest son and heir apparent to House Haigh. Despite being out numbered the knights fought valiantly with many of them being wounded and getting killed by the bandits. During this time with little thought to his own safety Hansard joined the fighting, where he rescued the Ser Harys by driving his fishing spear through the heart of a bandit attempting to stab the Ser in the back. The display of courage and selflessness impressed both knight and villager alike giving heart to the nearly defeated rescuers and rallying many of the men of the village to help protect what little was their own. This changed the tide of the fight eventually driving the bandits to flee rather than be captured by the knights or given to the peasant justice of the village.

In reward for his actions in both saving his home and his life Ser Harys, Hansard was treated to a feast at House Haigh's castle for himself and his family that had raised him. During this fateful feast Ser Leslyn was surprised by the physical similarities between Hansard and his sons, though knowing he sired no illegitimate children with anyone he made an offer to the young boy was both surprised by and almost refused were it not for the encouragement of his adopted family. That was that he would be legitimize him as a member of the Haigh family, thereby allowing him the opportunity to become knight he dreamed of being, though to being allowed to be an heir to the house would be something that would otherwise not fall to him under all but the most extreme need.

After finally accepting the offer and being proclaimed Hansard Haigh, he was quickly given to be squire to a hedge knight of the Swyft family that had been traveling through the Crosslands region of the Riverlands. During this time he saw much of the Westerland and the Riverlands, during this time he learned much of what would become his personal knightly mantra and way. During this time the Swyft knight he served under protected various villages and hunted bandits that preyed on innocents, chasing many of them across the Riverlands and into the Vale. During one unfortunate chase the pair was led into an ambush, though they survived thanks to timely intervention from an unseen ally, the victory was short lived, as Hansard's master was fatally wounded during the fray and near death. With his final act he knighted his squire and faithful companion, who by this time was already three naming days past when he should have left the knights service, charging him to bring back his sword to his family and bring them the news of his passing.

Leaving the Vale he traveled back to the Westerlands to Cornfield home of House Swyft, during his travel there he stayed in Lannisport home of the Lannisport Lannisters, at this time he became enamored with the Lannister women, a condition that was strengthened upon the sight of Cersei Lannister who at the time was in the company of her father Tywin while passing through the nearby town to return to Casterly Rock. He did not stray from his charge despite being enamored to the daughter of Tywin on sight, and quickly made his way to Cornfield to deliver the sword and message, learning while there the identity of his blond haired angel and her rank and stature compared to his.

Returning to his homeland, he acted as a loyal knight and protector to his village, when whispers of war spread through the land, Hansard prepared for inevitable conflict, joining the Northern army as it marches to the trident, at the request of Houses Haigh, Frey and Tully. With the Battle of the Trident being the first real true conflict Hansard took place in as both a knight and against enemies that had learned to fight from real instructors. Despite having a decent one handed sword given to him from the Swyft family he found himself rather outmatched as his former master had instructed him with a two handed sword. With the battle growing in fierceness he was forced to rely not only upon the sword but the fishing spear he carried with him to help forage for food, the unconventionality of such a tool helped keep him alive by throwing his opponents off guard as many of them knew not how to react to the improvised weapon.

With the battle one he chose to march with the army to the Crownlands, though while the Baratheon and Northern host rode to the castle at Kingslanding, Hansard instead searched for a blacksmith to replace his damaged armor and equipment. Along the way he met a rather odd man who asked him to escort him to a nearby port as he felt his life was endanger traveling alone, accepting the request he made a rather uneventful journey with the man who thanked him by giving him his own sword, a great sword, as he had no other way to pay Hansard despite his own protests payment was not needed.

While in Kingslanding and now with a sword he felt more comfortable with he still searched for a blacksmith, he found one that said he could make the repairs and would do so at a reduced price just for the sake of a little extra traveling money. Repairing not only the armor and reforging his damaged longsword, he refitted and re-tempered the spear into a suitable weapon for the knight.

With hearing news that his angel Cersei was to be wed to Robert Baratheon, he became rather depressed and left to return to his homeland. Though since returning home he had not been the same and at the urging of his adoptive families he took up the mantle of being a hedge knight and traveling Westeros. When word of the death of Robert Baratheon spreads followed by the execution of his Hand Eddard Stark, he made the trip to the Westerlands to offer his services to the Lannisters in the hopes of currying favor with Tywin and perhaps earning him a place close to Cersei, knowing he may never rank high enough to wed her. He instead chose to show his love for the former queen by seeking to work his way into protecting her and one hoping to be her champion.