[HUTCHES2B] Sandor Clegane

Name:
Sandor Clegane

Nickname:
The Hound
Dog

Age:
28

Gender:
Male

Species:
Human

Allegiance to House:
House Lannister
(House Clegane)

Role to House:
Member of the Kingsguard

Physical Description:
Sandor is a huge and heavily-muscled man similar to the towering presence of his older brother ser Gregor Clegane. He has a gaunt face, sharp cheekbones, grey eyes and a heavy brow but the most distinct trait of Sandor must be the left side of his face; this left side of his face is hideously burned by his older brother. He has long black hair that he brushes over the burned section of his head where no hair grows. The horrendous burn left him with no left ear, a twisted mass of scars around his left eye and down by his jaw, bone is apparent, where the skin had burned away. Most find the Hound an appalling individual, one of those grotesque warriors in Westeros who terrifies even the bravest of souls…

Unlike his brother who goes guarded by incredibly expensive and ancestral armor from house Clegane, Sandor regularly wears plain armor and a distinctive helm sculpted into the shape of a snarling dog's head. There’s no fine craftsmanship in this armor as various dents and cracks are visible in the sturdy steel yet Sandor refuses to have it fixed; a shiny armor is a symbol of knighthood which is something Sandor Clegane has long ago casted aside. The helmet however was intended as a mockery when the Lannisters had it crafted for him, yet now that gruesome helm shaped like an enraged hound became the frightening image of the second son of House Clegane entering the battlefield. One can however be certain of one thing: Sandor Clegane never leaves his quarters without armor on, seldom seen in regular clothes unless one finds the Hound in another of his drunken stupors…

Powers and Abilities:
Similar to his brother ser Gregor Clegane, Sandor possesses an incredible, almost inhumane physical strength that grants him the upper hand in battle; he’s slightly weaker than the Mountain, yet that’s made up by a more agile way of combat and his below-the-belt-tactics. The Hound is a ferocious beast, not shy to throw sand in an opponent’s eyes, kick a man in the crotch or pinning a child against a wall when not complying to the orders he’s been given; he is nicknamed "The Hound" for his savage nature and unquestioning obedience to his masters and for the three dogs featured in his family's crest so don’t expect mercy or remorse when facing the Hound …

Sandor Clegane is however a remarkable rider, especially when given the opportunity to saddle up his warhorse Stranger; Stranger is a heavy courser almost as large as a destrier but much faster though this big handsome black stallion has a mean temper and a tendency to kick and bite anyone other than Sandor Clegane. Combine Sandor Clegane and Stranger and one gets a deathly combination that’s able of ripping through enemy ranks with ease, stampeding opponents that were hacked down by Sandor’s brutal swings. War runs through the Clegane family and Sandor is no exception as he’s claimed various victories on the battlefield as well as several titles in knightly tournaments including the Tourney of the Hand…

Strengths:

• Tournaments: master jouster
• War: one of the most feared knights
• Loyalty: unquestioning obedience to his masters

Weaknesses:

• Drinks himself into stupors
• Hatred for all Knighthood
• Traumatic fear of fire

Weapons of Choice:
Unlike his brother the Hound doesn’t wield some glorious family heirloom with a prestigious name or famed reputation as Sandor wields a greatsword of castle-forged steel. It’s a plain sword without fancy details or lavish decorations but in Sandor’s hands it gets the work done. Alongside the greatsword he carried, the Hound also as a dirk fastened to his belt for crucial situations; with quick stabs he can debilitate his opponents and have them bleed out before they know what hit them…

Armor of Choice:
Once more Sandor opts to wear plain armor of hardened castle-forged steel, all dented and bashed in from the hundreds of fights he participated in; the most important trait of his armor is the distinctive helm sculpted into the shape of a snarling dog's head. When Joffrey took his seat on the Iron Throne, Sandor was unfortunately knighted to one of the members sworn of the Kingsguard who pledged to defend the king with their own life. Unlike the tradition demanded, the Hound refused to wear a white cloak…

Background History:
Though the history of House Clegane is fairly limited, only two generations before the sons Gregor and Sandor were born, their name carries an immense weight in the lands beneath the Lannister banner and all knightly houses to partake in prestigious tournament events. House Clegane is a house of landed knights that holds fealty to House Lannister of Casterly Rock. Their lands are southeast of Casterly Rock including a tower house named the Clegane's Keep marked by their sigil of three dogs on a yellow field. The first Knight of House Clegane was kennel master at Casterly Rock until he saved Lord Tytos Lannister from a lion and lost a leg and three dogs in the effort. As a reward, Lord Tytos gave him lands and the Tower house and took his son as his squire. The three dogs on the Clegane sigil represent those that died saving Lord Tytos to forever becoming the family shield and symbol of house Clegane. His son, the father of Gregor and Sandor, died in a hunting incident while their sister died young under queer circumstances…

Sandor's childhood appeared to have been overshadowed by his older brother Gregor's brutality and martial prowess as the boy would be scared for life before even coming off age. Aged seven, when a dispute between Sandor and Gregor got seriously out of hand, Sandor received gruesome facial burns when Gregor shoved his face into a brazier. His father however explained the burns inflicted by Gregor by claiming his bedding caught fire to avoid further scandal to come to the family yet all were aware of the grim nature of the Clegane siblings. Constant fights with serious injuries in their wake occurred on a regular basis as Sandor and Gregor attempted to best eachother in each possible way only to find Gregor each time claiming victory over the younger brother. Bones were broken, bruises became internal bleeds and the occasional scratches most kids got in their childhood were deep lacerations and critical injuries for the Clegane siblings…

When ser Gregor Clegane turned 16 and was knighted by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen a curious series of events occurred claiming the lives of Sandor’s sister, his father and the first two wives of his brother. Sandor only heard the rumors of a sister who died young in mysterious circumstances instantly aware his brother had hand in her death; his father was killed in a suspicious hunting accident leaving the family estates to Gregor though Sandor would never bow to his brother’s claim; too many things didn’t make sense to the younger brother, too many things suggested the blame of his relatives untimely demise lies in the court of his brother. Sandor therefore left to join the Lannister household the same day Gregor came into his inheritance, having presumably already killed several people at age 12 when the Robert's Rebellion occurred in Westeros though none could confirm these alleged kills…

Starting his career in servitude of House Lannister Clegane acted for a time as bodyguard and servant of Prince Joffrey Baratheon, who regularly called him "Dog" in the most derogatory manner; the Hound permits this lack of respect understanding his position beneath the crimson and golden banners of the Lannisters. Lady Cersei however suggested that prince Joffrey looked to the Hound as a surrogate father, taking out his frustrations on the man who unquestionably showed blind obedience to his overlord. Traveling with Prince Joffrey the Hound en route from Winterfell to King's Landing earned the enmity of Arya Stark by acting on Lannister orders to kill her friend Mycah, the son of a butcher, believed to have harmed Joffrey. This however was once more irrefutable evidence of Sandor’s blind obedience to his master’s demands, never questioning the motives to the deeds they request of him. He often served as executioner for the Lannister or championed for them in petty trials showing an unusual aptitude for bloodshed…

Later on in his service for the Lannisters, the Hound would come to meet the other daughter of House Stark to whom he’d show a rather misplaced sympathy. In the Tourney of the Hand he represented prince Joffrey Baratheon as his champion winning his first joust against Lord Renly Baratheon followed by a hard-earned victory against ser Jaime Lannister in the semi-finals. His brother also competed in that tournament claiming various victories and even taking the life of one Knight during the joust but when ser Gregor Clegane faced ser Loras Tyrell things turned for the worse. With a clever trick using a mare in heat Loras managed to unsaddle Gregor leading the Mountain into a fury driven frenzy. Sandor intervened swiftly before any deathly blows were exchanged saving Ser Loras Tyrell from Gregor's wrath, who granted the Hound the honors of being victor of the Tourney. After the tourney, Joffrey has him escort Sansa Stark back to the castle. Drunk off his winnings, Sandor becomes enamored with Sansa Stark yet angry that she can't look him in the eye due to his disfigurement, he mocks her for her polished manners, calling her a "little bird" who chirps on command…

When Sansa Stark was promised to prince Joffrey who traveled to King’s Landing to claim his throne, Sandor accompanied the heir with unyielding dedication; at King’s Landing he however faced a responsibility he never cared to accept. Clegane was named to the Kingsguard despite refusing to become a knight. In this capacity he was often assigned to watch over Sansa who despite his loyalty to Joffrey, he strategically defended from Joffrey's wrath several times being the only Kingsguard who was never commanded to beat the young Sansa; instead Sandor treated her with relative kindness and tried to spare her from Joffrey's sadism willingly insulting the king by such interventions. During the Riot of King's Landing, the Hound even came to the aid of Sansa Stark when the girl was nearly dragged from her horse by the angry mob; Sandor’s savage fury and sword fighting drove away the mob from her in fear saving her from rape and possible murder by the mob. Various rumors went around the Red Keep regarding these feigned heroic efforts on Sansa Stark’s behalf though few dared to voice these thoughts against the bestial Clegane who strike down all daring to oppose him…

When the bannermen of House Baratheon led by Stannis laid siege to the Red Keep in the Battle of the Blackwater, Sandor Clegane was one of the prominent commanders fighting off the outnumbering legions of the stags. He fought heroically, dragging dozens of lives into an early grave fending off these waves of Baratheon soldiers seeking to take the city all until the moment the impossible was asked off him. Wounded in battle he retreated with his men to defend the gate yet a persistent Tyrion Lannister commanded to him to return to the fiery battlefield where only a certain death awaited him. Sandor refused and left the soldiers to fend for themselves in dire times as even king Joffrey retreated to his mother’s skirts. Before fleeing the city, certain to become branded a traitor by the Lannisters he waited for Sansa Stark in her chambers and drunkenly offered to take her with him, but instead settled for a song elicited at knifepoint. Sansa believes that he kissed her, and kept the bloodied Kingsguard cloak Sandor left behind before the Hound fled to Riverlands. Here his story now begins a traitor to House Lannister struggling with the decision to either return to his former masters or seek his fortune elsewhere…

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