House Hilwood

House Hilwood of The Lodge is a noble house from the Crownlands. Sworn to King's Landing, their home is an ancient castle deep within the Kingswood known as The Lodge. The castle is so named because it was constructed by King Durran X as his personal retreat and hunting lodge. Though small and quite old the castle is very stoutly constructed and well appointed owing to its regal origins. Perched atop a steep, stony hill the keep was designed to be easily defended by a small guard force. For a small castle, The Lodge has extensive stables, kennels and, mews where once the kings horses, hounds and, hawks were kept while he was in residence. It is known that the castle houses a spring fed well and, rumors tell of a network of cellars capable of provisioning the defenders through a lengthy siege.

The Hilwood family takes great pride in their position as bannermen to the crown. Charged with the security and management of the royal hunting preserve the Hilwood lords traditionally carry the title "Warden of the Kingswood". To this end their forces contain a small cadre of highly skilled woodsmen and archers "Hilwoods Hounds" who regularly scout the forest. Also present, though much less spoken of, are a group of former outlaws that sold their allegiance to the late lord for pardons who now jokingly call themselves "Hilwoods Whores."

The family words "I stand here." are attributed to Ser Garth Hilwood during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. Assigned to a detachment of Crownlanders tasked with securing a vital beachhead in the Stepstones, Ser Garth distinguished himself when Ser Brendan Rykker the force commander was slain in the fray. As the Targaryan force began to break Ser Garth realized were they to rout the the Blackfyre force would surely annihilate them before they could regain the safety of their ships. He is said to have rallied those around him and, ultimately the entire host as he took to the crest of a small rise, planted his greatsword in the sand and shouted "I stand here!". The impromptu battle cry spread through the Targaryan ranks restoring steel to nerves and vigor to sword arms. Though they suffered terrible losses that day the force was able to hold the beachhead long enough for Ormund Baratheon and the main force of the royalist army to land and, take to the field of battle.

The Abduction of Talea Hilwood
House HIlwood were the first noble house to have contact with the Kingswood Brotherhood. In the early months of 280 AC, Lady Talea Hilwood was captured by bandits on her way home to the Lodge, returning from visiting her family in Last Hearth in the North. Lady Talea was taken deep into the woods while here retinue were tortured for information. Petyr of the Lodge, the captain of Lord Garth Hilwood's personal guard, Black Ben, a lieutenant in the Hilwood scouts, and Ser Theomar, a hedge knight recently under employee as a guard for Lady Talea were among those captured.

The three men were tortured savagely by the man that would be known as the Smiling Knight, but with the help of one of their own, the trio made their daring escape toward the Lodge. The way was difficult due to their injuries, and under constant pursuit. Eventually, on the footsteps of the Lodge itself, the Smiling Knight and his men caught Petyr as his pony faltered and he fell from the saddle. The captain was killed by the Smiling Knight and his men before they were driven off by a volley of arrows from the garrison of the town.

Shattered Kingdoms: 280 AC - Beginnings of a Brotherhood

Fighting the Kingswood Brotherhood
Lord Garth Hilwood received word of his wife's capture from Black Ben and Ser Theomar. Lord Garth's eldest son, Ser Damon, had taken his personal guard in search of his step-mother, only to find a long time enemy known as "the Whores", a group of poachers who had often run afoul of Lord Garth's justice. They had wished a parlay to discuss the new threat. After receiving advice from his Master-at-Arms and long time confidant, Otto, who also happened to be Petyr's father, Lord Garth decided to risk the meeting. After sending a raven to King's Landing requesting aid, Garth's men departed.

The meeting took place on the banks of the Wendwater at the furthest point from the Lodge in Lord Garth's domain. Somewhat surprisingly, Lord Garth and his captains found the Whores waiting there encamped as Damon's letter advised they had said they would. Their leader, a notorious criminal known as Jack the Axe, spoke for their numbers. Jack and Ben had many previous meetings at the edge of a knife, which made the parlay contentious at best. Eventually, Jack agreed to aid House Hilwood in exchange for pardons and safety behind the Lodge's walls. Jack also marked the location of a bandit force raiding villages along the Wendwater. After combining their forces with Ser Damon, Lord Garth led an attack against the bandit force in camp, routing their forces into the woods. Unfortunately, Lord Garth's heir, Ser Damon, was killed in the fighting.

Lady Talea was found in the camp, badly beaten and defiled. Lord Garth sent her, and the body of his son, along with Jack the Axe to the neighboring lands of House Greenleaf for aid. Meanwhile, Lord Garth's page arrived on scene, reporting that the Lodge itself was under attack.

Shattered Kingdoms: 280 AC - Justice

The Fight for the Lodge
Lord Garth immediately mustered his troops and made for the Lodge, sending Black Ben as an advance force. Ben was able to capture and question the bandits' advanced scouts as well, questioning them and executing them in turn. They gave up the name Simon Toyne, which was the first connection to a noble house that had been made thus far.

Strangely, in the night, Ser Theomar disappeared from camp, earning the name Theomar the Craven and universal hate among House Hilwood even to this day.

When the forces of House Hilwood arrived they fought a pitched battle through the streets before the keep, eventually driving the bandits into smaller fighting in homes and alleyways. It would take many hours to resolve the fighting, giving a select few the opportunity to climb the road to the keep. Lord Garth with Black Ben, Otto and some of her personal guards and scout, including a guard named Reynald made the trek and entered the keep.

First the group found Maester Aubry, who had tended Black Ben and Theomar's wounds. He reported seeing a group of men headed to Lord Garth's Solar, which was in use by Lord Garth's son and new heir, Ryan, who was Eight-and-Ten. Also, men were headed to the family's estate rooms, where his youngest sons of Lady Talea, Adam and Roddrick, would have been under guard. And lastly, the treasury was to be robbed. Choosing his young children, Lord Garth led the force to the estate and defeated an ambush and retrieved the children, sending them under guard to the bulk of his forces.

Finally, Lord Garth took the remainder of his men, which included only Ben, Otto and Reynald along with himself. There, they found Ryan fighting off the Smiling Knight while other captains of the Kingswood Brotherhood watched on. A violent clash ensued between the two groups, but in the end, Lord Garth was killed as a half dozen arrows pierced his body, along with many wounds suffered from Big Belly Ben's warhammer.

Ryan, on the other side of the fighting, was killed by Ser Simon Toyne as Ryan sacrificed himself to save Otto's life on a vicious attack. Black Ben, who had been attempting to shoot at the Smiling Knight, was eventually tracked down and murdered by the insane torturer. Reynald would suffer the same fate as the Smiling Knight stabbed him through the back.

Otto, the last remaining warrior of House Hilwood, was gang tackled by Toyne and Big Belly Ben and taken captive instead of killed.

Shattered Kingdoms: 280 AC - The Fall of House Hilwood

Aftermath and Robert's Rebellion
Lady Talea remained at Greenleaf Hall for six months after her rescue at the Battle at the Wendwater with her sons who were saved by Lord Garth and his attacking force. When she returned to the Lodge she set about rebuilding what was lost.

When Robert Baratheon raised his banner in revolt of the crown House Hilwood delayed sending troops claiming the lady was still suffering from her attacks at the hands of the Kingswood Brotherhood. Instead, House Hilwood began to harry the Kingsroad against the king, remembering that he sent no aid to House Hilwood in their time of need just two years earlier. In a secret treaty with Robert Baratheon, House Hilwood sided with the usurper while neighboring houses remained loyal to the king.

Eventually their betrayal became known, and a force of loyalists from Kings Landing were able to catch the entire Hilwood family before they could escape the Lodge. The Mad King had both put to death, while Talea was placed in the Black Cells until her execution. Luckily for the lady, soon after the Lannisters sacked Kings Landing and she was freed.

For House Hilwood's service to King Robert, they were given domain over the entire Kingswood, becoming the overlord of other small houses that had long aided the policing of the ancient forest. And yet, with no heir and not being of Hilwood blood herself, various distant relatives have constantly petitioned the king for legitimacy over House Hilwood in an attempt to oust Lady Talea from control of her seemingly cursed House and home. King Robert has yet to rule favorably on any request to remove Lady Talea from her seat.