Editing Barristan Selmy (section)

==History==
===Early life===
[[File:Ninepenny.png|thumb|400px|Barristan and [[Maelys I Blackfyre|Maelys the Monstrous]], by José Daniel Cabrera Peña in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]
Barristan was born the first son of Ser [[Lyonel Selmy]]. He squired for Ser [[Manfred Swann]] in his youth.{{Ref|ASOS|57}}{{Ref|ASOS|67}} At the age of ten, Barristan donned the armor of a [[mystery knight]] and entered a [[List of tourneys in Westeros#Tourney at Blackhaven|tourney]] at [[Blackhaven]]. Prince [[Duncan Targaryen]] took pity on the small mystery knight while others laughed. Duncan jousted Barristan when no one else would and it was Duncan who gave Barristan his epithet.{{Ref|ASOS|24}}{{Ref|ASOS|67}}{{Ref|ADWD|59}} Again competing as a mystery knight, Barristan received his [[knight]]hood at the age of sixteen from King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] after unhorsing Prince Duncan and Ser [[Duncan the Tall]], the [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard]], during the [[winter tourney at King's Landing]].{{Ref|ASOS|67}}{{Ref|ADWD|55}}

An eminently successful [[tourney knight]] throughout his career, Barristan also proved his worth on the battlefield. During the [[War of the Ninepenny Kings]] Barristan slew [[Maelys I Blackfyre]] in single combat, ending the male line of the [[Blackfyre Pretenders]]. Barristan cut a bloody path through the [[Golden Company]] to reach Maelys.{{Ref|ASOS|67}}{{Ref|ADWD|5}}{{Ref|ADWD|67}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}} The remaining members of the [[Band of Nine]] had little to no interest in conquering [[Westeros]], and soon returned to their own domains. Barristan's deeds during the war gained him undying fame and his name was well known throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]] afterwards.{{Ref|ADWD|5}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

Barristan was named to the [[Kingsguard]] at the age of twenty-three and swore his vows before Ser [[Gerold Hightower]], while King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] bestowed the white cloak on him.{{Ref|ADWD|55}}{{Ref|ADWD|48}} In joining the Kingsguard, he gave up the claim to his family seat, and the girl he was to wed was married to his cousin instead.{{Ref|AGOT|57}}{{Ref|ASOS|67}}

===Aerys II===
Barristan continued to serve in the [[Kingsguard]] after Jaehaerys died and [[Aerys II Targaryen]] ascended the throne. In {{Date|277}}, during the [[Defiance of Duskendale]], King Aerys had been held hostage inside of the town for half a year. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]], [[Hand of the King]], was planning to storm [[Duskendale]], but Barristan offered to personally attempt to retrieve the captive Aerys himself. Tywin gave him a day.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}{{Ref|ADWD|55}}{{Ref|AFFC|9}}{{Ref|ASOS|67}}{{Ref|ADWD|67}}

Disguised as a hooded beggar in the dead of night, Barristan climbed the walls of Duskendale, scaled the walls of the [[Dun Fort]], and slew a sentry before the man could raise the alarm. Barristan freed Aerys from the dungeon and led him to the upper levels. During the escape attempt, Barristan slew two guards and Ser [[Symon Hollard]], avenging the death of his [[sworn brother]], Ser [[Gwayne Gaunt]], who had been killed by Symon. Barristan and Aerys rushed to the stables, with the knight fending off those who tried to intervene. Mounted on stolen horses, the pair charged out the Dun Fort's gate and escaped through the streets of Duskendale.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}{{Ref|ASOS|67}} Barristan took an arrow to the chest during the rescue.{{Ref|ASOS|42}} Houses [[House Darklyn|Darklyn]] and [[House Hollard|Hollard]] were destroyed by Aerys afterward, but the king acquiesced to Barristan's plea to spare the life of the child [[Dontos Hollard]].{{Ref|AFFC|9}} Many songs have since been sung of Barristan's deeds at Duskendale.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}

When the band of outlaws known as the [[Kingswood Brotherhood]] caused problems, the king sent his Kingsguard on campaign in the [[kingswood]]. Barristan rescued Lady [[Jeyne Swann]] and her septa, and he killed the bandits' leader, Ser [[Simon Toyne]], in single combat.{{Ref|ASOS|67}} During a [[tourney at Storm's End]], Barristan defeated Aerys's heir, Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], in the final joust, winning the tourney.{{Ref|ASOS|42}}{{Ref|ASOS|67}}

Barristan had greater difficulty keeping his vows in the later years of Aerys's reign, as the king became madder and crueler.{{Ref|ADWD|55}} Like his other sworn brothers of the Kingsguard, Barristan was present at the [[tourney at Harrenhal]]. He was infatuated by the beautiful Lady [[Ashara Dayne]], though he knew nothing could come of his desire for her. Barristan planned on naming her [[queen of love and beauty]] if he won the tournament, but the knight was unhorsed by Rhaegar.{{Ref|ADWD|67}} The crown prince then crowned [[Lyanna Stark]], setting off a chain of events that led to [[Robert's Rebellion]].{{Ref|AGOT|58}} Years later, Barristan wonders if he could have averted the war if he had defeated Rhaegar in the tournament. He also fantasizes that, if he had won the tourney and crowned Ashara, perhaps she would have turned to him "instead of Stark." He thinks of the consequences of his unspoken love for Ashara as one of his many failures.{{Ref|ADWD|67}}

===Robert's Rebellion===
During [[Robert's Rebellion]], after the defeat of Lord [[Jon Connington]] at the [[Battle of the Bells]], Barristan and Ser [[Jonothor Darry]] of the Kingsguard were sent to rally the remnants of the loyalist army.{{Ref|ASOS|37}} 

Barristan fought in the [[Battle of the Trident]], during which he was wounded by arrow, spear, and sword{{Ref|ASOS|67}} while slaying a dozen friends of Lords [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] and [[Eddard Stark]].{{Ref|AGOT|33}} Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] was killed by Robert in single combat in the [[ruby ford]].{{Ref|AGOT|4}} After the battle, Lord [[Roose Bolton]] counseled that Barristan's throat should be cut, but Robert instead called for his own [[maester]] to attend the knight.{{Ref|AGOT|33}}{{Ref|ADWD|67}}

Because he had been wounded so badly, Barristan was not present in [[King's Landing]] when the bodies of Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]'s children, Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Rhaegar)|Rhaenys]] and Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon]]—slain during [[Sack of King's Landing|the Sack]]—were presented to Robert by Lord [[Tywin Lannister]]. Barristan later felt that if he had been present and Robert had smiled at the bodies, nothing would have stopped him from killing the man.{{Ref|ADWD|67}}

===Robert I===
[[File:Barristan Selmy by Jason Engle.png|thumb|350px|Barristan Selmy, [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard]], by Jason Engle © FFG]]
Barristan considered seeking out Prince [[Viserys Targaryen]], but the exile was too young to rule on his own and had already begun showing signs of [[Targaryen madness]].{{Ref|ASOS|71}} Because the lives of Barristan and many others had chivalrously been spared during the war by the new king, [[Robert I Baratheon]],{{Ref|ASOS|71}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Fall of the Dragons: Robert's Rebellion}} Barristan instead took Robert's pardon and was named [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard]].{{Ref|AGOT|33}}

Having already had reservations about Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] due to the youth's age and inexperience, Barristan did not approve of Robert allowing Jaime to continue his service after having killed King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] in the [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Barristan was known to say that the Kingslayer's white cloak should be traded for a [[Night's Watch|black one]].{{Ref|aDwD|57}}

[[Jeor Mormont]], [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]], knew Barristan when he was younger.{{Ref|AGOT|52}} During [[Greyjoy's Rebellion]], Barristan led the attack on [[Old Wyk]].{{Ref|ASOS|67}} He has remained a formidable fighter even in his advanced years, winning the championship of a tourney at King's Landing at the age of fifty-seven, and unhorsing [[Sandor Clegane]] in a tilt in the [[tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day]] in {{Date|297}}.{{Ref|AGOT|25}}