Aedan 'Rivers' is the current Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Formerly First Ranger, and blood of House Blackwood.
Appearance[]
Lacking the auburn hair or the high cheekbones of the traditional Riverman, but instead the long face and dark hair of the Northman, many thought Aedan to be a Northman. His jet black hair reaches up to his neck, and his scruff of a beard takes after the same colour. His tall and intimidating build comes along with a broken left pinky and a scar on his chest, and while not a handsome person, on the Wall he is considered attractive.
History[]
The Bastard of Blackwood, the Raven of the Crows, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Aedan Rivers was born to Edmure Blackwood, cousin to the Lord of Raventree Hall, and a mere commoner lady named Maura. Acknowledged but left with his mother, Aedan grew to resent his father as the years went by. He would till the soil and chop down the trees, but if one of the descendants of the Great Wolf Pack came to his farm, Aedan would grab hisaxe and cut it down with not much trouble.
As his mother grew old and weary, Aedan needed to join the hunting party of the village in order to support his mother. It turned out that he was a natural at it, setting traps and skinning game became his profession during his time at the village. But on the same day his mother passed, a man in black came to the village, asking for able-bodied men with nothing to lose to join him at the Wall. With his mother buried and his father nowhere to be found, Aedan decided to take the black.
Life at the Wall was tough for the first few weeks, on his third Moon he was assigned to the Rangers, on his fourth he went out on a ranging to track down some wildlings who had attempted to chip through the Wall. There did he find himself somewhat fearful for his life. He'd just gotten at the Wall and now he was on a ranging in a forest he did not know, with people he did not trust. He almost broke his vows that night, when he found himself lost in the wood with no idea where he was. He contemplated giving up his cloak and joining with the free folk like so many before him. But he remembered his oath, an oath he made took in front of Old Gods, and stayed put; eventually being found by his brothers who reprimanded him for his lack of knowledge about sticking together, Aedan laughed it off.
A month later and Aedan found himself leading more rangings and coming back with more food and supplies for the Watch, skirmishes with wildlings ended with more morale for the rangers he led as his leadership skills showed, he was then promoted to the title of "First Ranger", it was a great honor for the Bastard of Blackwood. But then the Lord Commander succumbed to an illness, and the time had come to vote for the next one.
A rousing speech from his late-friend had earned Aedan the cheers of his brothers. And during the tally, Aedan won his current title, and now the Raven of the Crows watches over the Wall. And as winter comes to an end, maybe he'll have a chance to recruit some men at Oldtown and see his birthplace once more.
Timeline[]
354 AC: Aedan is born in a small village in the Riverlands, is acknowledged by his father but never taken in.
369 AC: His mother is taken ill, Aedan becomes an expert hunter
370 AC: Aedan's mother passes away, he takes the black.
376 AC: Aedan is named First Ranger
378 AC: He is elected 1,001st Lord Commander of the Night's Watch
380 AC: Present day