Benjicot Blackwood

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House Blackwood.svg
Benjicot Blackwood
House Blackwood.svg
Alias Bloody Ben Blackwood[1]
Title Lord of Raventree Hall[1]
Allegiances
Culture Rivermen
Born 119 AC[2]
Books

Benjicot Blackwood, also known as Bloody Ben Blackwood,[1] was the Lord of Raventree Hall and head of House Blackwood during the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons and during the reign of King Aegon III Targaryen.[1][3]

Appearance and Character

Benjicot was tall and slim, with a shy and sensitive manner. When armored for battle, however, he was quite fierce.[3]

History

When he was only eleven years old, Benjicot became the head of his House after the death of his father, Lord Samwell Blackwood, in the Battle of the Burning Mill during the Dance of the Dragons.[4] A member of the blacks, Benjicot participated in the Battle by the Lakeshore. Although the soldiers from the riverlands and the north defeated the westermen army in the battle, Ben wept when he saw all of the dead. When Prince Aemond Targaryen raided the riverlands atop Vhagar, Ben asked Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen to protect the river lords with her dragons, but she remained in King's Landing.[1]

Benjicot's men hunted the foragers of Ser Criston Cole after the Kingmaker left Harrenhal.[3] Ben commanded the center during the Second Battle of Tumbleton.[3] Following the battle, Benjicot had one of his longbowmen, Billy Burley, put three arrows through the eye of the weakened dragon Tessarion.[1]

During the Battle of the Kingsroad, the Lads were led by young lord Kermit Tully, his brother Ser Oscar, and the even-younger Lord Blackwood.[3] Ben broke the flank of Lord Borros Baratheon's greens in the battle, allowing his aunt Black Aly Blackwood's archers to bring down the loyalist knights. Benjicot was remembered after the battle as Bloody Ben.[5] The Lads, joined by Black Aly and Lady Sabitha Frey, were well received when they arrived at King's Landing. The youths deferred to the more formidable Lord Cregan Stark after the northern army appeared at the capital, however.[3] With peace having been achieved, many northmen agreed to settle in Lord Blackwood's lands instead of returning north.[6]

During the reign of King Aegon III Targaryen, Lord Ben and a thousand Blackwoods supported Ser Robert Rowan's campaign to end the civil war in the Vale of Arryn. Robert's host of nine thousand was slowed by snow on the high road, however, and repeatedly attacked by Vale mountain clans. Lord Blackwood took command after Robert was crushed by a boulder. The royal host had lost a third of their men in reaching the Bloody Gate, and were therefore less useful for the cause of Ser Joffrey Arryn.[6] Ben and Lord Alyn Velaryon eventually forced the other claimants to accept Joffrey, and Lord Blackwood returned to Raventree Hall.[7]

Benjicot had a long life.[8]

Family

 
 
 
 
 
 
Lord
Blackwood
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Robb
Rivers
 
Samwell
 
Unknown
wife
 
Alysanne
 
Cregan
Stark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Benjicot
 
Sarra
Stark
 
Alys
Stark
 
Raya
Stark
 
Mariah
Stark
 


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Princess and the Queen.
  2. See the Benjicot Blackwood calculation.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Fire & Blood, Aftermath - The House of the Wolf.
  4. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
  5. The World of Ice & Fire, The Stormlands: House Baratheon.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
  7. Fire & Blood, The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency.
  8. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II.