Corina Banner

Corina Banner
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POV Role	None
Appears In	Lucernian Series The Rise of Lucerne Westros (Book) Burning Dreams
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Allegiance	Family Loyalties House Banner
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Corina Banner is the daughter of Nikolas and Adala Banner making her a member of House Banner. Corina Banner has five siblings in the form of Arthur, Erna, Minnie, Cersei, and Theo Banner of which her brother Arthur was a baby when he was murdered by Whent Urnet during the sack of Jeutenburg, her sister Minni would be raped and then hanged on the gates into the palace of Jeutenburg where she remained for days until Hornwood forces took her down, her brother Theo is the heir to House Banner and was able to escape Jeutenburg where he would rally those who had been able to escape and kept them safe during the sacking of the city, her sister Cersei is a very young girl of whom survived the sacking of Jeutenburg and was taken with Daryn Hornwood back to Hornwood in order to keep her safe, her sister Erna is a skilled warrior that is also a part of the army of Banner trying to retake jeutenburg. Corina Banner would become close to Daryn Hornwood after they spent the night together during the sack of Jeutenburg.

Corina Banner would be born the second child of Nikolas Banner and was born several years after her older sister Erna of whom would be the person that seemingly raised her for her youth. While her mother was reduced to a bed for a year after the birth of Corina it was Erna that took care of her. She would thus share much of the ways of her fighting sister when she begin training in archery and sword fighting of which she was quite skilled at by the age of seventeen. She would convert to christianty when she was eighteen after she visited a church while in Pontus, and this would somewhat seperate her from the Dragonoph worshipping rest of her family. She would be training in the House Banner armory with her sister Erna when the army of Bolten arrived and tricked their way into Jeutenburg. She would fight in defence of the armor alongside her sister and they would hold for a few hours until they were captured by the forces of House Hornwood who had been targeted for the capture of House Banner by Domeric Bolten who wanted them under his control so that noone elce could get to them. Corina would spend a night with Daryn Hornwood and would strike a close relationship with him over that night which led to Daryn ignoring his orders and letting House Banner surivive and escape the ruins of Jeutenburg. Fleeing to Grandlen they would mobilize those who had escaped into a small army and would join with the advancing House Lannister in moving against Jeutenburg. Corina Banner would become a figurehead of House Banner as they attempted to retake the lands of Jeutenburg, and she would be in the frontlines when the final holdouts of Bolten would surrender giving back control of Jeutenburg. Following the retaking of Jeutenburg she would travel eastward with a troop of men to Hornwood where she planned to offer her hand in marriage to Daryn Hornwood due partly because of her family wishing to gain alliances in the area but mainly because she cares for him.

History

The Divine Lands

Main Article : The Divine Lands

“If everything we heard about the Boltens was correct then we needed to move on the Divine Lands quick before the Frey's or Boltens did it first. ”

— Hedrik Clegane III.

Following the meeting of the Kingdom of Lucerne, and Lorderon it became clear through those talks, and the talks with the Riverlands, Seagard and others that the Kingdom of Bolten was an extremely menecing actor in the field of Westros. Along the westernside of Westros sat the independant land called the Divine Lands. The Divine Lands had an alliance amongst eachother to defend eachother if things ever came to fighting, and this had allowed them to escape the clutches of larger Kingdoms like Bolten, and the Freys. Communication begin with the Divine Lands after Nicoli Machiavelli would communicate with the leadership of the three city states and from insiders he had planted in the area learned the ways he believed he could get them to the Lucerne side of things.

Grandlen

City States in the Divine Lands	Ruler
Grandlen	House Grandlen
Jeutenburg	House Banner
Koenisburg	Theocracy
Ventin	Mercentile
Toenisburg	Theocracy

“Grandlen had a population on par with Gulltown. I didn't have to hear another word about why we needed them in the fold.”

— Hedrik Clegane III.

Firstly he sent promices of large arms trade agreements with the largest of the towns in the form of Grandlen of which created a strong bond between the two. On top of this he would offer hands in marriage to his eldest daughter in Allenia Grandlen of whom was approaching twenty three but the prospects in Grandlen were not what he was looking for. Lord Grandlen was very much interested in having a large meeting of the Divine Lands, and said that if the Lucernians could put it together he would be a staunch supporter of theirs during the meeting.

Jeutenburg and Ventin

“Jeutenburg was scared of the Karstarks. It took two letters to realize that they wanted us more then we probably needed them, but even if we could have squeezed them into a more permanent alliance our mandate wasn't to do that so we played fair.”

— Hedrik Clegane III.

Jeutenburg would be substancially easier to placate as they mainly just wanted protection, and this was dealt with when William Lovie sent a letter to House Banner telling them that the Kingdom of Lucerne would intervene on any conflict which involved Jeutenburg. Nikolas Banner would arrive at Koenisburg after the third letter between he and Lucerne and would be prepared to be very positive towards the Lucernians during the meeting. Alongside Jeutenburg the mercentile city state of Ventin would be contacted as well, and they basically only wanted assurances of assistence in the case that the Frey's attempted to block their trade routes. If the Frey's could not be reasoned with then increased southern trade was their main option thus making them send five members of the Trade Union Guilds to Koenisburg for the meeting.

Koenisburg

“Oberyn Martell II. showed me during that tournament that honor and knighthood were real. My doubts about the Dragon were extinguished that day never to rise again, and the only fitting thank you I could do now was to swear an oath to his blood.”

— Britt Lancave

Last to get within the fold was Koenisburg of whom was perhaps the most important of the city states as the long term goal of Koenisburg was to act a major port nearbye The Trident which would alert Lucerne to any problems. Koenisburg was led not by a house as the other states were and instead was a hyper theocracy led by the Voices of the Dragon of whom are led theoretically by the Voice of the Dragon. Communicating with this voice they discovered the voice was Britt Lancave of whom had won prestige in Lucerne during the Nortburg Tournament of 5120. After determing from the council that they would like to be aligned with Lucerne if for no other reason then to make the Frey's less willing to threaten them she would go about making the best deal possible. After negotiations of shipping lanes, and trade was over she knew the deal was signed and simply wanted one more thing. Britt Lancave wanted only one thing in order to pull her to their side and that was for them to send a Martell that she could swear an oath before. This was an easy task and they sent Obella Martell of whom wanted any excuse to travel eastward and see her fiance Robb Starke.

The Meeting

“It was rubber stamped and the only thing remaining was to actually get everyone in a room and agree to work together. There were small talks of making the Divine Lands a state, but this went away when the Grandlens made it clear they were not ready for that yet.”

— Hedrik Clegane III.

The meeting would finally take place following the return of William Lovie III. and his family from their time in Lorderon the second time. Nicholi, and Hedrik Clegane would not return to Lucerne with the rest of the group and instead would meet Obella and Robb Starke in Koenisburg for the meeting. All the parties would arrive for the meeting except Teonisburg of whom obeyed the command of Koenisburg and saw no reason to send more representatives. The meeting would become somewhat interesting when several Frey's made dock in Koenisburg and attempted to join the meeting. Finding Robb Starke inside there was nearly a fight inside the hallway and Robb Starke would leave the hall in order to not make more of an issue then there already was. The meeting would continue and Obella Martell took the oaths of Koenisburg while the others signed papers of alliance with Lucerne thus sealing the Divine Lands as a Lucernian alligned area. The night came and as the Frey's prepared to leave Robb Starke once more attempted to make things better but instead of this he ended up insulting them more when Obella came out, and seeing she was his fiance by the way she clung to him the Freys were further insulted and left more angry and with more ammunition.

The Rise of Lucerne I saw the destruction of the world, and knew I had to stop it. There was nothing left to do but become bigger then everyone else. The Empire was never going to be the beacon the world needed it to be. Westros was on fire. The Bretonians had reached for the stars and been burned. And the old shadow of Numeron was fading far too quickly. It was left to us in Lucerne to change the fate of all those who wished to reject darkness. We were the last hope for a world who had long since given up on believing.

I watched from my window as Robb Starke walked out of the tower and into the street. I wondered what he was doing until I saw the weasely Frey he was walking towards. I could hear that Britt was still talking but despite the loveliness of her conversation I couldn't let Robb get into a duel in the streets. The last thing we needed was a fight with the Frey's at a time like this. "I'm sorry my Lady but I must take your leave for a time my friend is in for some trouble outside." "Trouble amongst the children of Glaurung on the streets of his city is city isn't something I can ignore. I shall accompany you." Lady Lancave followed closely behind me as we exited the room. "Alright my Lady but we must hurry." We made our way down the steps and into the street to find the Frey man with a sword pointed at the direction of Obella Martell of whom was being shielded by Robb who had his hand on his own sword. Three of the Frey's men stood behind him hands on their swords, while more then ten Martell, and Starke men stood around behind Robb. Reaching them I finally could hear their words. "At some point this must end Frey." Robb held his hands out peacefully and you hoped the Frey would accept this, but he spit at Robbs hands before speaking. It was dark but I knew this Frey to be Hosteen Frey one of the endless sons of Walder Frey. Hosteen is a husky man with a square face, and despite his size he wasn't fate just very large. When we were told of the Freys that had arrived they had made a special point to say that he is very much comparable to a bull, slow to anger but implacable when aroused. "This could have been so much different wolf, but you chose that whore over a true lady." He looked at Obella with such discust that her cousin Obara nearly charged forward until I saw Britt move infront of her stopping her dead in her tracks. Alongside his anger it was apparent that Hosteen is either dim and stupid, or arrogant and foolish. "And I am sorry that this has offended your family but you can either accept my apology or you won't." The slight was so small that it seemed almost insane that someone would still be angry over it. These Frey's held a grudge over what I had heard was the fact that a few men laughed at them. "We will not." "I am sorry Ser Hosteen but you are causing undue problems for the City of the Dragon, and I must ask that you leave." She stood strong, and I gained even more respect for Britt then I already had as she stood in the middle of two very angry groups barely looking like she was afraid at all. "The rivers will run red with your blood wolf." He turned and walked back before turning one last time and looking at Robb. "Trust me when I say that. You'll one day be surrounded by death and wonder how it could have all gone so wrong." With that he left and Robb turned towards Obella of whom held onto him tighter then her strength should have allowed her to.

Conflict in Bolten

Fall of Jeutenburg Jeutenburg was the first act of a truly insane man. Instead of offering quarter and hoping for any kind of assistence in the Divine Lands he butchered the first city he found and expected the rest to what...give in to him peacefully. Madness, and stupidity.

Fall of Jeutenburg Main Article : Bolten Capture of Jeutenburg “Daryn the truth is that nothing that happens here will end well. My brother is pretending that it will but the reality is that hes going to destroy Juetenburg. You need to stay here after its done and make sure as much of the city is protected as possible.” — Domeric Bolten The city of Jeutenburg with the promise of Lucerne to defend it should the worst come stood tall as the army of Bolten came to its door, and House Banner blocked there entry. At first the Boltens sent in emissaries of whom promised peace and they simply wished to pass peacefully so they could get to Koenisburg in order to stop Lucerne from taking Koenisburg. Nikolas refused this offer as he was now aligned with Koenisburg and told the Boltens they would not peacefully be passing by the city, and when this happened to his shock the Bolten emissaries said they would do this the following day. Despite these promises during the night spies, and mercenaries scaled the walls of Jeutenburg infiltrating the main gatehouse and once they got inside the walls they showed hidden weapons and overpowered the outnumbered guards they had before occupying the gatehouse. The forces of Jeutenburg were somewhat unprepared for this sudden attack and despite attempting to resist the taking of the gatehouse the Bolten forces held out for nearly twenty minutes while the army of Bolten reached the gate. With the gatehouse in their control they filled into the city overwhelming every point of resistance with their vastly superior numbers and for nearly an hour the sacking of the city went on before Domeric Bolten, and Daryn Hornwood were able to control the palace and large enough segments of the city that they slowed the killing. One spot where the Jeutenburg defences held was the estate of House Chandyll where under the leadership of Calrin Chandyll they held the gaps between the estate buildings killing dozens and forcing a coordinated assault on the estate. This assault would be led by the Stoney Shore forces of House Haryen, and House Rurwell who led by Lucas Rurwell launched a ferocious attack on the estate which by this point was simply buying time to get there people out of the city. While after nearly a half an hour of assault the estate fell the leadership of House Chandyll retreated in good order and had bought time for there members and vassals to escape out of the city, and alongside this Daman Haryen would be badly injured during the fighting and fell into a coma due to his injuries and then died several days after. “Brother what have you done? Every child, and man you just butchered could have filled our armies. Every family and home you destroyed could have given us gold. Why do this?” — Domeric Bolten During the sacking of the city Jeutenburg was given very little quarter with nearly half the city killed, and the survivors forced to live under the occupation of House Urnet of whom spent their time ransacking the city of its ancient wealth and history. As the army of Bolten did this their was division as the forces under the command of Domeric Bolten, and House Hornwood would protect several areas within the city, and were the main reason the entire city wasn't massacred. With conflict between this force, and the more chaotic forces of Ramsey Bolten looking likely a raven arrived from Roose Bolten who tasked them with quickly moving towards Koenisburg before the Lucernians could react. A meeting was held in the old Jeutenburg palace where Ramsey Bolten commanded the entire army leave Jeutenburg except for House Urnet of whom would hold the town alongside two companies of mercenaries. Domeric was able to trick Ramsey into allowing House Hornwood under Daryn to stay behind as well after he convinced everyone that Daryn was about to capture the Banner family. Following this meeting Ramsey would lead the army outside of Jeutenburg alongside Domeric of whom went along with him but during the first night of the march he abandoned the army and returned to Jeutenburg to meet with Daryn. Behind Enemy Lines “Daryn Hornwood raised his sword before smashing it against a log to the left of me. As I looked up I saw the crying faces of my family but I also saw his hand as he offered me help up. From there he would assist me in gathering as many of my supporters as we could find alongside much of my family and then shuttling me out of the city. I will forever remember the actions of Daryn Hornwood in doing what was right and not what was easy.” — Nichlas Banner Daryn Hornwood would be leading his forces alongside Orsen Stout and others in his personal council, and during his searching for nobles of Jeutenburg he captured Nikolas Banner and his family bringing them back to the Hornwood quarters in Jeutenburg which were once the Banner home. Daryn Hornwood would send word of the capture but by this point Ramsey and most of the other leaders had already left for Koenisburg and thus he was sent a raven saying he should kill all members of House Banner he had before taking House Hornwood, and his vassals towards Koenisburg. While an honorable young man he was also driven by duty, and thus when he first received this command he planned on following through but Daryn would have a change of heart after he spent the night talking to Nikolas's daughter Corina Banner. Originally meeting her by mistake when he was planning on going to tell Nikolas about the execution he found her crying and without thinking consoled her. Corina would see quickly that Daryn was a good young man and someone that didn't want to do what he told her had been commanded to do by the raven sent to him from Ramsey Bolten. The two spent the entire night talking and as he prepared to leave she would steal a kiss, and from the second that happened the already conflicted Daryn Hornwood didn't know what he would do when he raised the sword to kill Nikolas. “I was a man built on two pillars. My father had taught me of honor, and duty. On one hand I could do the honorable thing and let Jeutenburg live since it didn't deserve the death the Urnet's were instilling on it. Or I could do my duty and burn the town down and leave the Banners dead in it. The decision would destroy one pillar, and I only hoped it left the roof intact.” — Daryn Hornwood As he debated this in his mind he went to his war council of whom consisted of Jonas Intris, Lorant of Hornwood, Rafford of Wisborne, and Ser Roger Horntree and together he discussed with them his misgivings on what was happening. Lorand, and Rafford were very much behind the idea of protecting the people of Juetenburg but Roger and Jonas believed that they would be branded traitors and that the hostages held by the Boltens in the Dreadfort would be in danger. Roger Horntree had a son in the Dreadfort as a hostage and argued that his child would be killed if they did anything to hurt Ramsey Boltens ideas. Not coming to a complete agreement after talking for almost two hours they would break up but before they did Jonas who also had a child in the Dreadfort convinsed Roger of the honor of what Daryn wanted to do and thus Roger relented on trying to protect at least noble women and children. With this in agreement Roger would take the forces of House Horntree alongside several hundred others and begin rounding up women and children and bringing them east of the town to the main army of Hornwood who was camped there. Daryn Hornwood for the first time in his life saw a reason that he should ignore duty and do what was right. On top of that he had no illusions in his mind over the fact that he would without a doubt be unable to kill Corina. While the Hornwood forces arranged the saving of so many women and children it was the Urnet's led by Gunthor Urnet that were hunting the streets for more gold, and women when during one of their raids they discovered that the Banners had been taken from a hiding spot to the Palace and thus he realized that Daryn Hornwood had not killed them yet. For Daryn Hornwood though, the rest of the day was drawing away and Daryn knew he had to make a decision, and he found himself outside the makeshift cell of Corina Banner of whom he kneeled before the bars and rested his head against them. Corina would come towards him and gently rub his hair trying to make him understand that she understood that he had to do what he had to do. Entering the cell he pulled her into a hug and laid with her against the wall where the two would discuss what kind of life they could have lived together as Daryn came to the understanding that if he didn't kill her and her family then his own family including many people he knew from his time in the Dreadfort would be at risk. The two would kiss and the heated kissing was only interupted when Rafford would arive to tell him that several Urnet men had arrived and were demanding to see him. Rafford would depart and sadly Daryn went to go as well but before leaving she would give him a necklace that her mother had given her when she was a child, and the two would kiss again. Conversation Incoming Fairmarket. The Riverlands. Lorderon, and Kul Tiras. Westbridge. All had fallen to our might. All had sworn the sword to the Valley of Lucerne. All that power, and yet I looked north and saw a great demon the likes of which I could not hope to resist. The Empire was the reason for growth. The Empire was the reason for everything we did. The Empire was the land that should have done great things for the world, but instead of this they did nothing. They allowed chaos to breed amongst them, and in that weakeness and failing they threatened to ruin the entire continent. I walked down the corridors of the smoking castle not knowing where I was going, but knowing where I was going at the same time. A part of me didn't want to see her because I understood that I had to kill her father, and her with him. There just didn't seem to be a way to move forward without that simple truth. If I let her live the Boltens would without a doubt that they would kill his cousin Tyse and without a doubt all the hostages of the Hornwood's vassals would also be killed with poor Tyse.  Reaching the cell door I fell to my knees, and the sound of my armor clanking on the ground made her jump, but whatever fear there was in her disappeared behind her smile when she saw me. I hated myself. I wanted to make this different...I wanted everyone to live...I wanted the Boltens to just stop. "I was hoping you would come Lord Hornwood." She smiled as she walked up me, and I couldn't bare to see her face knowing what I had to do so I lowered my face against the bar. I scarsley knew what was happening and then I felt the first of the tears flowing down my cheek and her hand gently rubbing my head. "I don't deserve your kindness my lady. We both know how this ends." "We may know how this ends my lord, but we both also know what end you wish for. You know who you are. I know who you are, and doing this doesn't change that." I looked up at her and saw the tears on her cheek, and I removed my armored gauntlet and wiped the tears away. She moved herself into my hand, and broke inside feeling her so close. I felt onto my belt and grabbed the keys opening the door and moving myself inside the room where she enveloped me into a hug. "Will it be quick Daryn?" "The Quickest. So quick you'll barely know what happened." "I wish I could have married you Daryn...I wish I could have spent years with you in the warmth of a hearth instead of the coldness of this place." "I wish that too." "Tell me Daryn what our life would be like in Hornwood." Her eyes were filled with tears as I looked into them, but somehow she seemed to smile through it all. "It would be beautiful Corina. We would spend our mornings just staring into the sky. My room has a cieling which during the summer you can stars so clearly it is as if you could reach out and touch them." "That sounds like a paradise." "It would be." "Milord." The voice of Rafford would cause me to jump back from Corrina and stand myself towards him. "Lord Hornwood, there are several Urnet men at the gate who are demanding to see you." "Do they bring with them a good reason?" "Gunthor Urnet is amongst them and he has learned that Lord Banner still lives." Daryn returned to the top level of the castle to find Lorant, Jonas and Ser Rafford talking to Gunthor Urnet of whom was accompanied by many of his men including several Karstark men led by Atolf Karstark. Gunthor revealed he knew they had not killed the Lord of Jeutenburg yet and was here to make sure the deed was done to the satisfaction of those above and heavily threatened death to the Hornwood hostages in the Dreadfort if the task was not done to their satisfaction as well. Daryn to the surprise of his council would tell Gunthor that they were fine to do it now, and that he would summon the family right away, and Gunthor could witness it himself. Rafford, and Lorant went to gather the Banner family, and while they did this Atolf Karstark begin bragging about the number of young girls he had been with during the sacking of Jeutenburg to the point that Jonas nearly attacked him before Daryn commanded him to stand down. “I knew what my orders were, but I couldn't do it. My father had taught me different and it wasn't until this moment that I finally understood that we were on the wrong side. We were the bad guys in this scenario. We were the ones causing pain to the world. We were the ones that children would one day read about and think to themselves of how could people do such things. If we wanted that to change then we had to accept that were on the wrong side of history. And that had to change, otherwise what the hell were we doing out here.” — Daryn Hornwood When Rafford, and Lorant returned with the Banner family Nikolas kneeled before Daryn and closed his eyes as Daryn prepared to execute the man. Daryn would raise the sword once before putting it down briefly when Atolf Karstark begin rubbing the hair of Corina's younger sister Cersei and taunted Nikolas about what he was going to do to the young before she died too. Gunthor Urnet would then taunt Daryn calling him a coward and this led him to raise his sword once more, but this time as he did he felt Corina's presence behind him, and as he turned to look at her she gave him a sad smile before closing her eyes. Daryn knew in that moment that he couldn't do it and smashed his sword against a block of wood nearby. Gunthor would push his way past Jonas screaming about the commands of the Boltens and calling Daryn a coward and a traitor. As Gunther Urnet stepped forward to try and kill Nikolas it was Jonas Intris that stepped forward and slit the throat of Gunther before he could kill Nikolas. “What you just did Lord Hornwood shows who you are. Look at me son. You may pay a price for doing what is right, but look out there. Those are the people you saved. Your actions saved all of there lives and trust me son. They will all know what you did here. They will all know who you are.” — Nikolas Banner The several Urnet, and Karstark men in the room tried to fight back, but were overwhelmed by the more numerous Hornwood forces and killed leaving only Atolf Karstark of whom begged for mercy, but without a word Daryn dragged him out of the courtyard and away from the Banners and once out of sight decapitated Atolf. Nikolas was set free from his bonds along with his family and Daryn would assist him in locating the loyalist members of his vassals along with his sister and her family. Following this he would set his men to helping Nikolas in exiting the city and as they left he stole his own kiss from Corina Banner before she was rushed from the burning town. Nikolas would thus be able to escape with much of his family and a significant force of his most loyal banner men. Staying behind under orders from Nikolas was his step-brother Otto Dragoon the bastard husband of his sister of whom led the rebels within the city while Nikolas rallied the Divine Lands to retake Jeutenburg. Daryn Hornwood would leave behind his knightly house in House Intris in order to better assist Nikolas Banner, and to make sure that his actions were not discovered by House Karstarke and Urnet who remained in the town with several influential family members.

Relationships

Daryn Hornwood

See Also : Daryn Hornwood