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Oly (childhood nickname)|titles = Lord of Highgarden |
Oly (childhood nickname)|titles = Lord of Highgarden |
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Revision as of 01:13, 13 September 2021
Olyvar Tyrell is the current Lord of Highgarden, having been released from his maester's vows to the Citadel by King Damon Lannister. He is one of Lord Baelor Tyrell eldest children, the head of House Tyrell, and the last surviving male of the Tyrell line.
He is a man of average height, with light brown hair and golden-brown eyes. He was once considered relatively attractive in a boyish sort of way, but is now considered very serious looking, despite still being seen as somewhat handsome.
History
Born in 473 AC, Olyvar Tyrell was the eldest son of Lord Baelor Tyrell, born minutes before his twin brother, Troy. With an astounding intellect, Olyvar desired to study at the Citadel and become a maester, thus removing himself from the line of succession and solidifying Troy as heir. His father was hesitant at first, though eventually resigned to support Olyvar's decision. He left for Oldtown at the age of ten.
Besides his twin, Olyvar also had a younger brother named Benjen, as well as three sisters; Maude, Meredyth, and Mellara.
In spite of his removal from the line of succession, there is little indication that Olyvar had a strained relationship with his parents or siblings, though he was usually left to his own devices.
At the Citadel, Olyvar completed a multitude of chain links in various subjects, including- smithing, astronomy, ravenry, economics, linguistics, philosophy, and history. Out of everything he studied, however, Olyvar was particularly adept in the fields of mathematics and healing. He earned several yellow gold and silver links while studying. Much of his work at the Citadel once a fully chained maester focused on interpretating texts from Old Valyria, as well as a select a few readings from Yi-Ti.
Olyvar was eventually assigned to Highgarden to serve his father and former house as its maester. He retained numerous contacts at the Citadel and continued his scholarly work at Highgarden, eventually publishing the book, "The Public Law."
It was the somewhat controversial text and as a result saw little notoriety. In it, he explained the concept of a social contract between the classes within the Westerosi kingdoms. He states in the text that the noble class, or the ruling class more specifically, is in place as a service to its people and therefore subject to the people's will. On the other end, he also says the people owe fealty and devotion to their lieges, for they offer them safety and protection that they would not otherwise be afforded. The book received backlash from devout followers of the Faith of the Seven; who claimed the theory contradicted the divine right a King or Queen possess.
Recent History
First Era
Though House Tyrell were Baratheon loyalists during the War of the Ascent of the Lion, Olyvar was officially neutral during the course of the war in accordance with his station as a maester. He was however emotionally devastated to see the sack of Highgarden and the destruction of his house. The fall of Highgarden and the Tyrell dynasty were defining events in Olyvar's life. He developed a strong personal grudge against Lord Gylen Hightower and House Hightower more generally for their part in it all.
Second Era
True to his vows, Olyvar swore his service to Robert Manderly as the new Lord of Highgarden. He was relieved that a least two of his sisters survived the war, as well as grateful that they returned home, even if Mellara was a ward and hostage while Meredyth came home through a marriage to the man who had helped dismantle his family's house. He tried to help his sisters as best as he could while staying within his vows as a maester to the castle.
Third Era
Olyvar supplied Meredyth with the poison and the knowledge on how to use it on Robert Manderly at the urging and with the assistance of Queen Danae Targaryen. Suspecting foul play in the death of his friend, Gylen Hightower sent his son, Gerold, to bring Mellara Tyrell to the Hightower as a ward. With no clear heir to Highgarden, Meredyth Tyrell inherited the castle as Robert's widow. Olyvar assisted his sister in the daily running of the lordship.
Fourth Era
In the War of the False King, Highgarden was taken by the ironborn, led by Dagon Greyjoy, in the name of the Iron Throne. Olyvar continued to manage the castle during Meredyth's captivity within.
Fifth Era
After the war's conclusion, King Damon Lannister and Queen Danae Targaryen stayed at Highgarden on their way back to King's Landing. Danae was given a gift of poisoned wine at their arrival feast (unbeknownst to Danae, Olyvar actually served her a particularly high amount of nutmeg to induce the symptoms of having been poisoned) and she fell ill. Maester Olyvar's subsequent intervention 'saved' Danae, and a grateful Damon agreed to grant the maester a boon. Olyvar's only request, and one granted by the King, was to be freed of his vows and chain and granted all the titles and holdings of his father, save for the Lord Paramountcy, thus making Olyvar the Lord of Highgarden and head of House Tyrell.
He married Melessa Merryweather weeks after his appointment, sealing his alliance with House Merryweather, who remain Tyrell loyalists since the Ascent. Melessa quickly became pregnant with Olyvar's first child, despite the couple's cold and largely asexual relationship. She gave birth to a girl named Elyana Tyrell at the end of 505 AC.
Sixth Era
Olyvar Tyrell began to oversee the reconstruction of Highgarden that Robert Manderly had begun. After five years of cautious restoration under Manderly, Meredyth, and Olyver Tyrell, the town slowly recovered some of its vital districts and reemerged as an important trading hub along the Mander. In order to accelerate the rejuvenation of the Tyrell holdings, Olyvar instituted a radical set of reforms in Highgarden. These reforms allowed for the seizure of estates from Olyvar's landowners, which were then used to open homesteads for refugees of the flooding of in the Riverlands during the Spring Without Sun.
Seventh Era
Olyvar and Melessa continued their attempts to produce a male heir for House Tyrell. Unfortunately, the couple experienced two miscarriages and a stillbirth, and all being girls.
The blight continued to ravage the Reach with no sign of ending. Olyvar conceded there was a clear problem, though he insisted to his people and counsel the issue was scientific and not a curse as many had come to believe. Highgarden, with the supervision of Lord Olyvar, prepared to accept the Most Devout as they pass through on a mission to relieve the Reach from its blight. Septon Aethelmure led a portion of the relief effort to stay at Highgarden, using the intersection of the Rose and Ocean Roads to distribute aid more easily to the rest of the kingdom. The other half of the Most Devout continued south to Oldtown.
Eighth Era
Olyvar received a notice of a council being held at the Hightower by Lady Paramount Ashara Lannister and King Damon, in order to discuss topics of import like the roads and the blight. The council meeting grew tense between Ashara and Olyvar in particular, their distaste for one another became quite apparent by the end of the night. During the meeting, Olyvar surprised the Lannisters by revealing to the other lords that the king planned on reforming the laws of the Seven Kingdoms. This caused a great stir among the assembled and led to Ashara calling an end to the council. Afterwards, Olyvar was stopped in a corridor of the tower by Garth Bulwer, who spouted rather rebellious ideas and delivered a chest of formerly seized Tyrell heirlooms to him in the hopes of gaining Olyvar's support. Finding Garth to be a danger not only to the Reach but his House's continued existence, Olyvar turned to Ashara for assistance. The two agreed to work together in reuniting the fractured Reach, however Olyvar was reluctant in doing so when Ashara insisted it be on her terms. Olyvar spent the next several months following Bulwer and learning all he planned. With Ashara's approval, he sought out an old friend from the Citadel and acquired Tears of Lys, which he, Lord Jonothor Roxton, and the Jon's daughter Margaery used on Garth Bulwer at the Lioness' Ball.
Olyvar's wife went into labor during the ball. The birth was a difficult one, and Olyvar eventually was forced to step in to assist, utilizing former skills from his days as a maester. By the end of the night, the Tyrells had a second daughter named Alysanne and a stillborn son. As a result of the challenges of the labor, Melessa was left unable to have anymore children.
The Tyrells returned to Highgarden as a blizzard hit the Reach. Olyvar spent most of his time with his daughter, Elyana, deferring most of his duties to the Lord Seneschal, Parmen Flowers. Once he did returned to his role as lord a month later, Olyvar found Parmen had mismanaged terribly, especially regarding Highgarden's food stores. He fired the steward on the spot and was forced to write back to Lady Arianne Dayne regarding a trade deal with Dorne. In order to preserve the alliance House Tyrell held with House Roxton thanks to Parmen's granted position, Olyvar offered the two eldest daughters of Lord Jonothor the position of handmaidens to Lady Tyrell. Hoping to use the appointment to watch Margaery as the sole "loose string" in Bulwer's murder, Olyvar found his plan backfire as Melessa grew to mistrust he and the Roxton's closeness. At a welcoming feast for the Daynes, Melessa confronted Olyvar about what she presumed to be an affair. Olyvar told her the truth of Margaery, as well as the truth of his past. The couple grew close following the confession, proving a united front for the negotiations that followed. It was not long after this, they were heard saying "I love you."
Highgarden hosted the negotiations between the Dornish envoy, Ashara Dayne, and the few Reach houses to join, namely Lord Jon Roxton and an envoy from Lord Owen Merryeather, his young son Jasper. The negotiations took over a week, the Reachmen agreeing to not only pay with what little gold they had, but also through gems from The Ring, lumber sent to Ghost Hill, and weirwood, promised by the Tyrells who planned to cut down one of the Three Singers in their castle's godswood. In return, Highgarden, the Ring, and Longtable were to begin receiving shipments of not only mass amounts of food from Dorne, but also medicinal herbs as well. Prior to this beginning however, Olyvar was required to convince Lady Tarly to join as well. The passes through the mountains in her land were required to see the supplies to Highgarden. Olyvar first visited Grassy Vale, where he offered Lord Addam Meadows a loan of Dornish supplies in return for financial repayment come spring, as well as the lord personally joining Olyvar on his trip to Horn Hill.
Quotes
"If he hadn't relinquished his titles, he would have been a formidable Lord." -Gylen Hightower
"He always placed more value on a sharp mind than a sharp sword. He left for the Citadel when I was still a little girl, though I remember all the arguments around the decision well. Funny how his lordship found him afterall." - Meredyth Tyrell
"I first met Olyvar Tyrell after I put down his pitiful brother. He was the most unpleasant, vile piece of horse shit I've ever had to deal with. If that was any other man, Tyrell or not, I would have quartered him, beheaded him, and fed his mangled remains to the fires. But no, this was Maester Olyvar, not Olyvar Tyrell, or so I believed. So I spared him. Yes, can you believe it? Gylen Hightower spared a Tyrell, one that abused his titles and his lord." -Gylen Hightower
"I will not supplicate to the Lion and risk being her next meal. The strong do what they can; the weak what they must. Order cannot be imposed from the top, else those below risk predation by their masters. No - House Tyrell cannot act out of a position of weakness. Stability must emerge from a balance of the powers." - Olyvar Tyrell
"Highgarden is one breath away from anarchy. It requires the rule of a firm hand - not cruel, but firm. And that is a condition of governance which supervenes on justice." - Olyvar Tyrell
"L-Lord Tyrell’s men offered me t-this job. They brought me and a bunch of the others from t-town into the castle. Offered us f-food, and sh-shelter. And you Tyrells started the rations for the rest of t-town. From what we hear, not m-many lords and ladies help their p-people like you lot. S-so the way I s-see it, the least I can do is to stick around.” - Beric, a servant at Highgarden
"Ah yes, Olyvar Tyrell. The ex-maester. A shrew man, I hear." - Franklyn, a former steward at Horn Hill