Robert I Baratheon

INFORMATION

Full name: Robert Baratheon, the First of His Name Aliases: The Usurper, Demon of the Trident Titles: King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men Lord of the Seven Kingdoms Protector of the Territory Born: 262 AD, in Storm's End Died: 298 AD, in King's Landing

FAMILY

Royal House: House Baratheon of King's Landing Predecessor: Aerys II Heir: Joffrey Baratheon Successor: Joffrey I Queen: Cersei Lannister Children: Joffrey Baratheon (legally) Myrcella Baratheon (legally) Tommen Baratheon (legally) among other Known Bastards Father: Steffon Baratheon Mother: Cassana Estermont

APPEARANCE AND PERSONALITY

A large man, though not particularly intelligent, Robert was a renowned warrior. In his youth he was described as being tall, at nearly six feet tall, with clear eyes, broad shoulders, and muscular as any maiden's fancy. He kept his beard neatly trimmed. However, after winning the crown, his weight increased greatly due to all the partying and excessive drinking, eventually gaining one hundred pounds. He grew a beard, as coarse and black as iron wire, to hide his double chin and the sagging of his royal cheeks. However, nothing could hide his stomach or the dark circles under his eyes. Some of his favorite songs were "A Barrel of Beer" and "Fifty-Four Barrels". He was known for his charm, outgoing, sociable personality, and remarkable ability to turn enemies into friends. According to Eddard Stark, Robert was capable of promising a woman anything overnight and forgetting everything (including herself) in the morning.

EARLY LIFE

Robert Baratheon was the first son of Cassana Estermont and Steffon Baratheon, then Lord of House Baratheon and Lord of the Stormlands. Robert was born and raised at the Baratheon family seat of Storm's End. He was a year older than his brother Stannis. Many years later, a third Baratheon brother was born, named Renly. When they were still young, Robert and Stannis watched as their parents died in a shipwreck within sight of Storm's End, making Robert Lord of Storm's End. Lord Robert went with Lord Jon Arryn to the Eyrie in the Vale of Arryn, along with Eddard Stark. They soon became friends, and Jon Arryn, who had no children, came to treat them as his own family. Robert fell in love with Eddard's sister Lyanna, who was betrothed to him by their father, Lord Rickard Stark. At the time Robert already had a bastard daughter, which led Lyanna to comment that Robert would never keep only one bed. Some time after this event, Lyanna was apparently kidnapped and taken by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. The kidnapping set in motion a chain of events that led to Robert's Rebellion.

ROBERT'S REBELLION

News of the kidnapping brought Lyanna's eldest brother Brandon and later her father Rickard to King's Landing demanding justice, and both were executed by the mad King Aerys II Targaryen, who demanded that Jon Arryn hand over Robert and Eddard. Instead, Lord Jon raised a rebellion, with Eddard (now Lord of Winterfell) and Robert reuniting the Vale of Arryn, the North, and the Stormlands, respectively. [7] Robert, whose ancestry gave him the best chance of claiming the throne of the three lords, soon became the leader of the revolt, which became known as Robert's Rebellion. At the Battle of Gulltown, Robert killed Lord Randyll Grafton. Robert began to gather his bannermen at Storm's End, but he was separated from his northern allies. In addition, some of his bannermen decided to remain loyal to the throne, and began gathering their strength at Summerhall. [8] Robert learned of this plan and defeated them all, winning three battles in a single day. While attempting to link up with the Northern forces, Robert suffered a defeat at the Battle of Ashford and was later imprisoned in the city of Stoney Sept where he hid in a brothel and bedded nearly every whore while hidden there. [9] A Targaryen army eventually led by Lord Jon Connington arrived and began searching the city for Robert, but Robert was saved when a rebel force from the North joined him, and the Battle of the Bells began. [9] Robert subsequently led the combined Baratheon, Stark, Arryn, and Tully forces to victory over the royal forces led by Rhaegar himself at the Battle of the Trident and personally killed the Crown Prince, securing a victory for the rebels. Although he defeated the rebellion and killed Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert's hatred for his dead enemy had not diminished.

ROBERT'S REBELLION

Although he had defeated the rebellion and killed Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert's hatred for his dead enemy had not diminished when Tywin Lannister presented Robert with the mutilated bodies of Rhaegar's wife and two children; Robert was actually pleased that they were dead. Eddard Stark, on the other hand, was outraged and disgusted by the act, calling it murder, and saying that the young prince and princess were no more than babes. Robert's callous response was, "I see no babes, only dragonspawn." Even Jon Arryn could not cool the anger and the ensuing argument between Robert and Eddard over this. Eddard left the Red Keep to save Storm's End, where Robert's brother Stannis was under siege. It took Lyanna's death and their shared suffering to reunite Ned and Robert in friendship again.[10] He was later haunted by her memory and the desire for further revenge against the dead Rhaegar.[3]