House Cloverwood

House Cloverwood of Northmarch is a minor house pledged to House Ashford of Ashford. House Cloverwood was founded soon after House Gardner was destroyed. The founder was a Braavosi sellsword that had served Aegon the Conqueror well, and as a reward was given one of the many abandoned castles after the Field of Fire.

The house remained in animosity generation after generation, and in recent history remaining loyal to the crown in Robert's Rebellion. Like the Tyrells and Ashfords, they were pardoned, even after participating in the Battle of Ashford and helping to deal Robert Baratheon his only defeat of the war.

Before Robert's Rebellion
In 272 AC, the heir of House Cloverwood, Jacob and his brother, Mikel took up arms against each other in a pitched duel in the grand hall of Castle Cloverwood, ending with Jacob's death. Rumor holds that the fight was over Jacob's betrothed, Gwyn Musgood.

With no other heir, Lord Thomad Cloverwood made his second son his heir. Thomad Cloverwood was, if anything, a hardy and fit man in his later years. In fact, he left much of the running of his house to his son, Mikel, whom he named steward. Thomad was fond of hunting and other pursuits, unfortunately guiding his house was not one of them. By the time of his death in 281 the House was already faltering.

Thomad died under strange circumstances, only because the man was so fit. He would routinely still ride in tournaments even though he was nearing seventy. Lord Cloverwood died in his bed, but at his age, even with his great health, is not that shocking.

Even still, half of his household immediately left the service of Cloverwood, not finding Mikel a worthy successor. Mikel was gathering his household in order when bandits began raiding Northmarch and hiding in the Red Mountains. Lord Mikel had great trouble repelling the bandits, never capturing their elusive leader, but some say that they are lead by none other than Mike's nephew, the bastard Hevard Flowers. Who at seventeen was already a renowned warrior.

Lawlessness, poverty, disloyalty, and Mike's wife's family all influenced his family negatively. Not to mention, Mikel awoke one day without the power to control his left leg. Left crippled, he drifted into solitude and depression. Gwyn Musgood, his wife from a disreputable family began to oversee the family ...

Mikel and Gwyn would go on to have three children, Lyonel, Wen and Timon. Mikel also sired a bastard with a woman in Oldtown, the boy named Cillyan Flowers.