01 THEON GREYJOY

Name=Theon Greyjoy Nickname=Little Theon, Prince, Lord Birth=281 AC Age=19 Occupation=Personal servant and captive to Ramsay Snow/Bolton, Prince of the Iron Islands, Lord of Winterfell (formerly) Family=Balon (father), Alannys (mother), Rodrik (dead older brother), Maron (dead brother), Yara (older sister) Appearance=medium-length medium-brown wavy hair, a shaven-to-stubble brown beard, grey-green eyes, average at 5'9", lean muscular build, fair complexion Clothing=a tunic, padded undersleeves, jerkins, fur collars, trousers, cloaks, boots, a belt with a sword hanging from it

Personality=Before his capture by Ramsay Snow, Theon is shown to be arrogant, narcissistic and vain, but fundamentally not malicious. For example, when he returned to the Iron Islands, he expected to receive a hero's welcome for being the only living heir of Balon Greyjoy. He was both baffled and offended that he did not receive such a welcome when he landed in Pyke. Also, in order to appear like a strong, accomplished young man, he would gloat over things in an almost ridiculous way - he gloated to Osha that he was the man who captured her, even though Robb Stark fought and captured her. Beneath his confident exterior, however, Theon is insecure, weak, and unsure of himself. This stems particularly from his conflicted family allegiances. After his father's failed rebellion against Robert Baratheon, he was taken from Pyke when he was nine years old to be raised at Winterfell by the Stark family as their ward/hostage. Even though he grew up alongside the Stark children - Robb Stark and Theon considered each other best friends - Theon never forgot that he was an outsider since he was not of their blood, and would be executed if his father tried to rebel again. This outsider status weighed heavily on Theon, demonstrated when Ros and Tyrion Lannister mention it. This insecurity eventually leads him to question which is his true family: the Starks or the Greyjoys. When Robb sends Theon to Pyke to convince his father Balon and sister Yara to help the Starks fight against the Lannisters, Balon and Yara are initially successful in using their family bond to sway Theon to their side to instead fight the Starks and not aid them against the Lannisters. Even though Theon agrees to go along with his father's plan, this still causes a great deal of conflict in Theon and he almost warns Robb of Balon's plan before deciding against it. Theon tries to become a ruthless Ironborn raider to gain his biological father's approval and find a true home but the conscience that he developed living with the Starks makes it difficult for him to live up to these expectations. When he seizes Winterfell, he promises Bran that no one will be harmed if Bran surrenders - which is something an honorable northerner would promise but no true Ironborn would ever do - but minutes later, Theon shatters his promise by beheading Ser Rodrik Cassel when Cassel spits in his face, an unforgivable act among the Ironborn. In his time "ruling" Winterfell Theon mostly acts reckless and impulsive, attempting to keep order with iron hand desperate to not look as a fool at the eyes of his family and his own men. The seizure of Winterfell shows that Theon has tactical skills, but also that, like his father, he is a total ignorant in strategy. He fails to consider what Yara explains him very bluntly: that Winterfell is surrounded by hostile forces and too far from the sea, thus the Ironborn garrison cannot be reinforced and eventually will be destroyed. Yara urges Theon to leave Winterfell, but he foolishly insists to keep his "prize", refusing to understand how poor his position is. Even throughout Theon's "rule" of Winterfell, he is shown to be in a constant battle with himself, implying he knows deep down that invading his childhood home for his father was far from the right thing to do. Maester Luwin even points out to Theon that all of this is just an act to live up to his father's expectations and that Theon himself must know that his betrayal at Winterfell is wrong. Theon resignedly admits to Luwin that he is correct, but that he can't stop because he has already come too far to be forgiven, and refuses to join the Night's Watch, where all of his crimes would be forgiven, out of shame (and partially out of fear that Jon Snow might kill him in retribution for allegedly murdering Bran and Rickon). It is only after Theon becomes a prisoner of the Boltons and realizes that his father has no intention of rescuing him that he admits to himself and to Ramsay Snow that Ned Stark was his "real father" and laments Ned's execution in King's Landing. After being tortured by Ramsay Snow in the dungeons of the Dreadfort for over a month, Theon's original personality has been seemingly obliterated, and he is little more than a broken and half-insane prisoner. Among various tortures, Ramsay cut off several of his fingers and toes, flayed off sections of his skin.

Backstory=Prince Theon Greyjoy was the youngest son of King Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands and the younger brother of Rodrik, Maron, and Yara Greyjoy. Following his father's failed rebellion against the Iron Throne, Theon is taken as a ward (initially hostage) to Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Theon was the youngest son of Lord Balon and Lady Alannys Greyjoy. Balon is the head of House Greyjoy and Lord of the Iron Islands. The Iron Islands are one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms and House Greyjoy is one of the Great Houses of the realm. House Greyjoy rule the region from their seat at Pyke and Balon also holds the title Lord Reaper of Pyke. Theon was born at Pyke. He is Balon and Alannys's fourth child after Rodrik, Maron, and Yara. Eight years before the start of the series Balon rose in rebellion against the Iron Throne. The Ironborn were crushed in a war led by King Robert Baratheon and Lord Eddard Stark. Theon's brothers were both killed in the fighting. Balon surrendered and was allowed to remain Lord of the Iron Islands on the condition that Theon remains a hostage and ward of Eddard Stark. Theon's sister Yara remained on the Iron Islands. Despite his status as a hostage at Winterfell, Theon was treated well by the Starks, and he came to see Eddard as a surrogate father while becoming best friends with Robb Stark and forming a friendly rivalry with Jon Snow. Theon is a skilled archer. His cocky arrogance and cavalier actions contrast with the staid ways of the North. Theon appeals to Robb to seek an alliance with his father, Balon Greyjoy, reasoning that Robb needs a fleet to attack King's Landing, and confident that Balon will listen to him. Despite Catelyn's reservations that Balon Greyjoy cannot be trusted, Robb sends Theon home to Pyke as his envoy. Theon seduces the daughter of the ship's captain and tells her about how he will be welcomed home. He is deflated at the lack of a reception for his return, resorting to bribing, despite his status. His sister, Yara, poses as a stranger and offers to give him a ride to the castle. She wants to see what Theon has grown up to be. He flirts with her relentlessly, even touching her almost intimately and brags about his own importance. Balon greets Theon coolly, believing that he has forgotten his roots and become loyal to the Starks in his time away. He insults Theon's fine clothes given to him by the Starks, and is furious when Theon tells him that Robb thinks of him as a brother. Yara reveals her deception and Balon compares Theon to his sister unfavorably. Balon rejects the alliance Theon suggests and is insulted that Theon thought he would accept being given a crown. He reminds Theon that they pay the iron price and take what they want. Balon reveals that he plans to attack the North while it is poorly defended. Balon gives Yara a fleet of thirty ships to take Deepwood Motte and insults Theon by giving him a lesser mission to raid fishing villages on the Stony Shore, with only a single ship. Theon considers informing Robb of the plot but decides that his loyalty lies with his family. Having decided to betray House Stark he is baptized in the name of the Drowned God as Balon and Yara watch. He takes command of the Sea Bitch but finds his crew unruly. His first mate Dagmer tells him that he must prove himself to the men and that Ironborn do not follow orders. Theon senses the opportunity to attack Torrhen's Square to lure the Stark garrison away from Winterfell. His plan is successful and Theon has his men seize the poorly defended Winterfell. He forces Bran Stark to yield to him by threatening his people. His men capture Ser Rodrik Cassel coming back from Torrhen's Square, and Rodrik is openly defiant, calling Theon a traitor. Ser Rodrik regrets that he gave him weapon training and even spits in Theon's face. Dagmer insists that Rodrik must be killed to maintain the respect of the men. Rodrik baits Theon into performing the execution himself. Theon botches the beheading, taking three swings and a vicious kick to accomplish it, to the horror of Bran and the watching crowd. Theon is seduced by Osha, who Theon grants her freedom to in return for her sexual service. She then frees Bran and Rickon, fleeing with them while Theon sleeps. When Theon wakes the next day, he is told that Bran and Rickon have escaped. He is angry at his men for allowing the children and the simpleminded Hodor to escape. Black Lorren implies that Theon is actually to blame for their escape by allowing himself to be seduced by Osha. Theon, in turn, responds to this insolence by publicly beating Lorren. Despite his attempts, Theon is unable to find the escapees. Unwilling to appear weak, he has Dagmer murder two boys, Jack and Billy, from a farm and burn their bodies. Unknown to Theon, Osha led Bran and Rickon into the Winterfell crypts after realizing that Theon would never give up the chase. Theon displays the corpses of Jack and Billy at Winterfell and claims they were Bran and Rickon. Theon sends word to Yara to bring him 500 men as reinforcements. She arrives with just twenty men and warns him that everyone in the North wants him dead because of his killing of the Stark boys, and he is too far from the sea to supply or reinforce his position. Yara tells him about how she remembers him as a child, demanding but sweet. She urges him to abandon Winterfell, return to the Iron Islands, and not to die so far from his home, but he refuses to give up his prize. Feeling some guilt over the deaths of the two farms boys, his asks Dagmer to pay the farmer for his grief. Dagmer tells Theon that after killing the orphans, he also murdered the farmer and his wife. Winterfell is later surrounded by Northmen under the command of Ramsay Snow, who infuriates Theon by blowing a horn all through the night. Besieged with no hope for relief, Theon tearfully vents his frustration to Maester Luwin at being constantly reminded by everyone, including Luwin himself, how fortunate he was to be a prisoner of the Starks. Assuming a more sympathetic tone, Luwin advises Theon to flee to the Wall and join the Night's Watch so that he might save his life and attempt to redeem himself, adding he knows Theon is not the ruthless man he is pretending to be. Theon owes to Luwin that he has done terrible things in his futile attempts to gain power and respect but he refuses to deviate from the course he has set, saying he has gone too far to ever pretend to be anyone else, and also adds that Jon Snow will likely kill him in revenge for allegedly killing Bran and Rickon. He readies his men for a glorious death in battle, giving a rousing speech, but is betrayed and knocked out by Dagmer, who plans to turn him over to the northern forces so the rest of them can go home. Luwin attempts to aid Theon but is stabbed in the abdomen by Dagmer, who then has Theon dragged away with his head covered by a cloth bag. Roose Bolton's bastard son Ramsay Snow has been sent to secure Winterfell from the Ironborn and bring Theon back to Robb Stark alive. However, Roose plans to double-cross Robb and after the Ironborn turn on Theon and surrender themselves to Snow's forces, he has them all killed and secretly captures Theon. Theon is imprisoned at the Dreadfort, although Theon is unaware where he is. Bound to a rack, he is repeatedly tortured by a group of men, some of whom are dressed in the garb of Greyjoy men. One of them pries off Theon's fingernails with a knife while the others drive a screw through his foot. After enduring extensive torture, Theon is given some reprieve. Ramsay Snow deceives Theon, claiming he is a servant and approaches him and claims he's been sent by Yara to rescue him, before leaving Theon, placing the cloth bag over his head for the night. Before dawn, Ramsay returns and cuts Theon free and provides him with water and a mount. Ramsay advises Theon to keep heading east where Yara is waiting for him. Theon says he'll make the boy a lord of the Iron Islands for his actions. The boy replies, "We're not in the Iron Islands." As Theon rides east, an arrow narrowly misses his head, and Theon sees that his captors are following him. After a harrowing chase the former Prince of Winterfell is knocked from his horse by a blow from a flail. The men hold Theon in place as the leading torturer prepares to rape him. Theon's pleas for them to stop fall on deaf ears but then the leader is pierced by an arrow. Ramsay has returned and swiftly kills all his men. Ramsay helps Theon to his feet and tells him to come with him, because he is far from home and winter is coming. After rescuing him the boy promises Theon to take him to Deepwood Motte to see Yara. When Theon questions his savior, Ramsay lies that he is Ironborn as well, growing up on Saltcliffe, and he witnessed Theon being shipped off to Winterfell. Some time later the men reach a holdfast, and Theon questions why they have to sneak inside when surely Yara's men are loyal to her. Ramsay warns Theon that some of the men belong to his father Balon, who wants him dead. As Ramsay struggles to open a locked gate Theon confesses his sins. He wanted desperately to impress his father but he knows now that Eddard Stark was his true father. After opening the gate Theon and Ramsay enter a darkened room. The youth lights a torch and much to Theon's horror he's back in the same torture chamber in the Dreadfort. Armed men enter and Ramsay claims that Theon killed their comrades and escaped but he has brought their captive back. Kicking and screaming, Theon is refastened to the rack. Theon is awakened by the ringing of a trumpet. Ramsay 'begs pardon' for rousing his guest. Theon tries to mumble something but fails. Ramsay understands his prisoner requires water but pours it out all over the dungeon floor to further torment him. Ramsay proposes a game to pass the time and he asks the heir to Pyke which body part he does not need. Hearing this Theon vows to tell his captor all he wishes to know. The cruel boy merely mocks him stating that Theon already told him everything of value. Ramsay goes on saying that he realizes Theon wants to know who he is and why he is being tortured. The young man makes a proposal: If Theon guesses correctly who he actually is Theon is the victor, but if Theon begs his tormentor to remove his finger he wins. Theon then asks if winning said game will secure his release. Ramsay then mocks Theon's naïveté stating there is no happy ending in store for him. Theon does guess correctly that he is still in the North. However when the former prince of Winterfell supposes that Ramsay is a son of Rickard Karstark he is revealed to be wrong. Ramsay slowly flays his captive's finger stating that Theon first should have asked if he was a liar. Theon begs for the finger to be cut off which delights Ramsay since Ramsay has won the 'game'.