In Character Name: Baelor Tyrell Journal ID:baelor Age and DoB (the year is now 500AL): 467 - 33 Gender: MALE House: Tyrell all the way, bb Stronghold(s): Highgarden belongs to the old man. Fealty: Selester, Jaehaerys Occupation: nobleman, shiftless second son Personality: Baelor is a cheeful, amiable sort. At least, he used to be. The last few years have been a strain, and he tends to be a tad irritable now. He gets sensitive about minor things and sulks, drowning his annoyance in whatever convenient alcohol is at hand.
His good humor is now fleeting, but remains in place often enough to retain most of his friends and companions. The songs he sings when he is in his cups are songs about knighthood and the glories of old, and of course the bawdy versions thereof.
However, when Baelor's in a temper, the shouting starts. He's pretty hard to anger in general, but when he's crossed he will not be quiet about it. He's not in the least against a good solid brawl every now and then.
The good thing about his temper is he is quick to forgive and/or forget. Whichever is most convenient for him.
Appearance: 6'0, with skin darkened by the sun, brandy brown eyes, and darker brown hair with some curl in it- though it's cropped pretty close when he's not letting himself get all scruffy on the road. Baelor looks like a knight, but he has a ready laugh and a wicked smile that almost never fails to help him get under whatever skirt he's focused on.
History: (*Spoilers*) Aemon and Baelor Tyrell were born 33 years ago on a bright summer day in Highgarden, where their lord father was not present. He had been called away on urgent business (possibly a boar hunt) and so the twins were named by their lady mother who was either in a fit of romantic whimsy over the destiny of her sons, or perhaps was vexed with their father- whatever it was, it led her to name them after two legendary knights of House Targaryen rather than House Tyrell.
Baelor was the second born, and indeed came in second in most things when compared to Aemon. However there was one characteristic in which Baelor exceeded all expectation: his ability to find, create or stumble into unbelievable amounts of trouble. It wasn't that Baelor was an unlikeable child or even an unpleasant one, he was just never quite able to resist the siren call of mischief and although often as not Aemon was right beside him, somehow when the hammer came down, Aemon had escaped detection.
Left mostly in the care of their maesters, the twins had a carefree childhood which allowed for their antics. They began training with swords at age seven and at twelve they were finally separated as Baelor squired for Lord Vance Redwyne, and Aemon squired for Lord Kevan Lannister and then for his heir Lord Tyrith until the twins reached 18, at which point they were knighted. After that, Aemon was recalled to High Garden to begin taking up the tasks required of the heir to the Reach, while Baelor devoted his life to the tourneys. He earned some small fame for his skill with the sword and in the melee but the glories of the joust mostly eluded him. He could place well or even champion in smaller contests but in the larger ones he never quite managed to win. He was mostly renowned for his honor on the field, friendly ways, and generosity when it came to buying drinks. Baelor might never become a second Breakspear, but he was accounted a good and decent knight.
So continued his amiable meandering through life until an injury forced him off the lists for a year when he was 24. It was a very bad break in his arm but guided by the maesters it did heal properly. However the rest in High Garden took its toll in other ways- the last few months of his recovery he chose to spend on his own estates, granted to him as a source of income when he was younger. He had never before quite understood how much more highly his family valued his brother, and the realization galled him. Aemon never even seemed to try for anything it just appeared. He left the Reach, promising himself he would not return home for so long again, and in gratitude and because he would not be using it, he granted use of his estate to the maesters who had helped to heal him for their experiments deemed too secret or too risky to perform in Old Town.
In 492, the next year, Aemon married Celia Stark, the younger sister of Lord William Stark. Baelor pleaded illness. He did not return to Highgarden his own wedding to Kyra Bolton late in 497. He had met her at a tourney in the north, and been struck by her beauty. At least the wine he had drunk was struck, but the rest of him agreed even in daylight. He asked for her hand and the match was quickly arranged. Within a few months he and her Bolton kin escorted Kyra south, and they were married in the Rose Chapel on the banks of the Mander.
He was prepared at last to settle down, to relax into life in Highgarden. But Baelor, already sensitive about his status, became even worse as a married man. He bridled at jests, sulked and brooded on imagined slights both to himself and to his bride. Trying to keep his mind off things he stayed busy, and rode to his estates to assist the maesters with their projects and competed in every tourney he could, often taking his young wife with him.
He jumped at the chance to attend Paegon's last tourney and was set to compete in the next round of jousts when the assassin struck. Celia and Kyra had accompanied him, and in the chaos that followed he lost them- only to return to the castle and find the Tyrell men-at-arms had managed to bring Celia to safety but had been unable to hold onto Kyra.
Baelor spent the next few days searching Kings Landing in a panic, all but terrorizing any Gold Cloaks who crossed his path. In fact it was Aemon who restrained him from killing their own men when he discovered Kyra was gone. At last she was found in a bloody silk gown long past ruined, by a maester in one of the hospitals set up to aid the sick and injured.
In fact it wasn't just love, but guilt that had Baelor so inflamed: He had been the one to hand over the maesters' specially designed weapon to the assassin months earlier, and to negotiate the deal. But well into his cups, and stung by yet another defeat at the hands of Prince Jaehaerys in the lists, he misspoke his words, and what had been meant as a warning to the king became his death warrant.
After Paegon's death, Baelor treated his wife much like one might treat spun glass. He has carried her favor in every tourney and is happy to beat anyone to a bloody pulp who breathes a word against her. Though that is not to say he's managed to be entirely faithfu, he is at least discreet.
His wife is not his only problem- Baelor has belatedly discovered ambition. His brother's death struck a heavy blow (if only they hadn't been so busy drinking that blasted raki that day...) but now his brother's children remain of Aemon and Celia. Children often perish before their time and Baelor sees the wealth of Highgarden before him. Power, respect, all that Aemon had so easily. He needs only to prove himself to his father... Baelor's sense of fairness has so far held him back from doing more than think of it, but to win his father's respect is a true enough goal... and Baelor has a plan.
One-Shot (please build this around a defining 'introductory' moment for your character, in ASoIaF chapter format--THIRD-PERSON LIMITED POV, PAST-TENSE and around 2+ paragraphs): "Find her or by the gods your skulls will decorate the Garden!" Baelor rageda the hapless guardsmen before him. As they scattered before him, he raised a fist to cuff the slowest squire but found his arm stopped, and suddenly he was staring into a mirror- albeit a much calmer one.
"Peace, brother." Aemon was wretchedly calm. "You cannot send them back into that madness."
"My WIFE is in that madness, Aemon. She was their responsibility and yet they are here, safe and unhurt?" Several were bleeding and at least one of them was waving on his feet but they weren't dead. They were armed. They were cowards.
"They may be punished but--"
"I see your lady is safely here. They could take one but not the other?" He wouldn't kill his brother to get out that gate but he would maim him. Aemon clearly recognized that fact.
"The kingsguard won't allow the gate to be raised."
Celia stepped forward, her face pale, and blood and mud splattered across her dress. "Kyra went with Prince Rhayes, I think... I-I saw him..." She sent silent as Baelor turned his glare on her.
"And where is he, then? Where are any of the fucking dragons?"
"Gone!" The voice came from the door across the yard. A servant was running toward them, panting for breath. "The king... is dead! They say... Prince Rhaeys... has done it!"
"So where is Rhaeys?" Aemon asked, echoing his twin's question.
"Fled. Fled my lord," the man said between gasps. "The queen and princess remain... in the Holdfast."
Baelor reeled. Paegon dead? Rhaeys gone? The prince missing weeks since... He looked at Aemon, and saw his brother's thoughts were already turning as well.
Sample Journal Entry(first person pov): Thank the mother's mercy, they found Kyra. I do not know if I could have lived with the shame if she had died for my folly. I fear what may have happened to her in the last few days but she will not speak of it. Perhaps cannot even recall it, the maester warned. Please let the gods be so kind: I would not have her suffer.
Aemon asked if I'll claim the bastard she's sure to drop in a few months: there are many husbands whose wives suffered that fate in the madness. I suggested that if my brother wanted my answer he'd find it on my sword as I put it down his throat.