Cregan Truemark

Cregan Truemark is the current Lord of the Gates of the Moon and the head of House Truemark, a vassal of House Arryn of the Vale of Arryn. His noble House and line was founded when his grandfather, Cley 'Truemark', slayed the dragon Sheepstealer in the Mountains of the Moon in an event known as the Hunt for the Last Dragon.

Biography
Born to Dale Truemark and Alarra Truemark in 190 AC, he would be the first of two boys. His parents had a happy if someone dry relationship and that seemed to be transferred onto the children. Dale, Cregan’s father, rarely saw the children often out either with the men of the Vale or in the affairs of his castle. Alarra would take a much more active role in the raising of her children and would tutor them alongside the Maester and Master-of-Arms. Both Cregan and his brother Jaremy were placed under a heavy regime of education and training. The Truemark’s were very aware of their low heritage and tried to compensate by being competent warriors and administrators. Most importantly, at an early age both were trained with bows slowly building their strength up. Cregan would excel in this area in comparison to his brother, graduating to stronger draw weights as he got older.

One of the major interactions that Cregan had when he was younger was when he was thirteen. His father took him on a long ride into the mountains surrounding their castle and waited in the woods for some time. Anxiety and fear overtook the boy as he had heard the tales of the Mountain Clans, curbed as they were, roaming the mountains and forests of the Vale. Sure enough, a great throng of Mountain Clansmen surrounded the pair but they did not seem to be making any aggressive moves toward them. It was at that moment that his father told him of the long tradition that their house had with the people of the Mountain. His grandfather was born of the Burned Men tribe when one of them forced themselves on his (Cregan's) great grandmother. His grandfather after slaying Sheepstealer had sought out his father among the clans, eventually finding an old and broken man who had lost his legs in the fight with the dragon. Rather than make revenge the Dragonslayer would make a pact with the tribe to make sure that they were connected and retained at least a piece of their heritage. Cregan’s father related to him that this was their great secret, only known by the Arryn’s and only partly. They knew that they were descended partly from one of the Mountain Clan but nothing more. The connection between tribe and house was sealed in the Burned Men tradition of burning off a part of the body. To denote his half connection to the Vale and half to the Mountain, Cregan would burn off the bow fingers on his non-draw hand.

When they returned to the castle, Dale Truemark continued to neglect his son and went off with Lord Arryn. He did not realize his son was brewing in anger about having been kept in the dark and in a fit of rage decided to plot a small revenge. He would be sent off to Victor Arryn’s tutelage to be a squire but as he left he would steal the ancestral Dragonbone bow and take it with him, hiding it in his bag. His father didn’t seem to mind, in reality, it seemed that Dale Truemark half expected his son to take the bow so made no mention of it. Yet the young squire kept it secret, only practicing with it when no one else was around. Despite the protesting of Victor Arryn, Cregan would continuously use a bow in tradition with his family. On Mathos Arryn’s nameday tournament he would place 1st in the archery competition. The archery contest would be marked with Cregan pulling out the family bow and landing three bullseyes.

In an act of rebellion, Cregan found he wanted nothing to do with the Vale and would travel the 7 participating in tournaments and living the life of a hedge knight. He figured that if the worst should happen his brother could always take the title. He would become a tourney household name, very popular among the commonfolk for his origins and his success in archery. Right before the Highgarden Tournament Cregan would receive a letter saying that his father had died and he would be declared the new Lord of the Gate of the Moon upon his return under the wishes of his father.

Upon returning to the Vale he would take up the seat of the Vale, a new appreciation for his land, family, and duty.