Ronnel Arryn

Lord Paramount Ronnel Arryn (286-355), known as Ronnel the Conqueror or Ronnel the Hand, Lord of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale, Warden of the East, Lord Governor and Teyrn of Myr, Lord Imperial Hand (344-355), formerly Advisor on the Small Council and Lord Deputy Hand of the King (323-332), was the head of House Arryn of the Eyrie.

Appearance
In appearance he took after his mother, with bright blonde hair, a tall lithe frame and eyes of green. His countenance and honour were all his father's, however.

Early Life
He was born the son of Ser Elbert Arryn and Cersei of House Lannister of Casterly Rock. His father was the nephew and designated heir of the childless Lord Paramount Jon Arryn. His mother was the only daughter of the wealthy and powerful Lord Hand Tywin Lannister, who sought to strengthen his position by attaching the Arryns to his cause. The manoeuvre was largely unsuccessful - most fortuitous for Cersei and her children, who emerged unscathed from her father's downfall.

Indeed, in the aftermath of his grandfather's treason Ronnel was an important pawn in the machinations of the Lord Hand Rickard Stark. He was promptly betrothed to the Princess Naerys Targaryen, with a view to appeasing both the Vale and Westerlands in light of recent events.

Great scandal was caused when the Arryns opted to preserve this royal betrothal in light of the unmarried Princess falling pregnant with a bastard child: a daughter, as it turned out, of her kinsman Jon Snow/Daemon Lostson. Shortly beforehand the Arryns had obligated the Martells to force one of the Sand Snakes to abort her own bastard pregnancy, in view of her betrothal to Ronnel's younger brother Bold Yohn Arryn. Bold Yohn's betrothal was promptly dissolved. In this episode was the conception of the Arryn-Martell feud, made worse by the death of Ser Elbert by poison (from his opponent's blade) after defeating Quentyn Martell in a trial by combat.

Succession
Ronnel was displaced in the succession of the Vale by the birth of Artys Arrynbray, passed off by his mother Allyria Dayne as the legitimate son of her husband, the Lord Paramount Jon. Artys succeeded his presumed father as Lord Paramount at a young age, with his mother serving as Regent on his behalf and Ronnel in an uncomfortable position under her command.

It was Cersei who eventually exposed the Lady Regent Allyria as the paramour of her right-hand man and confidant, Lord Lyn Corbray. Cersei connived to bring the Lord and Lady Royce and several other Vale lords into two secret passages from where they listened in on the drunk Lord Corbray and the Regent.

Later Life
At the side of Lord Willas Tyrell Ronnel served dutifully as Lord Deputy Hand throughout the minority of King Aegon VII. He was nevertheless eclipsed when the minority ended, Willas passed and Aegon took a wife from House Stark. Dismissed as Hand, he was appointed (by his daughter's intervention) to a face-saving post as Governor of the newly conquered territories in Essos.

A widower, he married a second time: the young and pretty Padma Oakheart, of old and respectable Reach nobility. She gave him an additional daughter and accompanied him into comfortable retirement at the Arbor.

Ronnel Arryn would be in his 60th year when called out of retirement by Prince Lucerys Targaryen, prompted by his daughter Sharra who had cut several backroom deals to the effect: namely, Ronnel's elevation as Lord Hand, in which capacity he spent the final eleven years of his life. With the declaration of the Empire per Sharra's Law, Ronnel had the distinction of serving as the first Lord Imperial Hand.

Legacy
Ronnel's legacy is considerable in many a field. He expanded the direct rule of House Arryn over new territories, including the Free City of Tyrosh and a strategic slice of the Disputed Lands, the Lordship of Kylos. He expanded the military and strengthened House Arryn's position in the Vale, tying his house by marriage to the high nobility and ruthlessly pursuing the conquest of the tribesmen in the Mountains of the Moon. He had the good sense and foresight to make good use of his mother and daughter as Regents, curbing their excesses as they sought to steer their house to unprecedented supremacy.

Issue
By his wife the Princess Naerys he fathered five children: He also raised his wife's bastard daughter: By the wildling chieftainess Chella of the Black Ears he had a bastard, initially passed off as his brother's:
 * SHARRA-CERSEYS ARRYN, his successor
 * JON ARRYN THE YOUNGER, disinherited King-Beyond-The-Wall
 * JASPYS ARRYN, disinherited by royal decree for his Blackfyre wife
 * MYRCELLIS ARRYN
 * JONAERYS ARRYN
 * DAENA WATERS
 * ELBERT WILDARRYN

By his final marriage to Padma of House Oakheart he also fathered a child:
 * ALYSSA ARRYN