Jeanne is currently the Head of House Lannister of Casterly Rock. She is married matrilineally to Ser Gerion Lannister, a later son of the House Lannister of Lannisport cadet branch.
Appearance & Personality[]
Jeanne has a strong Lannister look to her. She has green eyes, and a full head of thick blonde curls. As a child, her hair was long and lustrous, considered chief among her best features. As an adult, she has little patience (nor time) for the special care required to maintain it, and now keeps her hair short and neat. She is petite and stands only at five feet and four inches, earning her the nickname "The Small Lion" among friends.
When it comes to clothing, she prefers darker shades, and will always choose the colors of her House when appropriate. She prefers a more officious style of clothing and minimal jewelry, and takes great pride in her appearance. She is always presentable, always composed, and expects the same from all she comes in regular contact with.
She has the vanity and pride of most great lords, Lannisters especially, but the hardship of life has humbled her several degrees. Jeanne is not openly boastful, nor is she the sort to unnecessarily disrespect or belittle anyone. For the most part, she rules justly when unopposed, and conducts herself as she believes any self-respecting leader should. However, she does not take kindly to uninvited 'suggestions', and isn't one to follow commands from those who've yet to earn her respect, and when angered, she is not one to sugarcoat her words.
Interests & Hobbies[]
She is not one to partake in excess drink or merriment, but neither is she the type to force on others the same strict rules her martinet father had for her. Also, unlike her father, she has a certain appreciation for the lighter things in life: she enjoys music and dance, poetry, art, and is known to hire minstrels and other entertainers on a regular basis. Had she not become her father's heir at a young age, she might have pursued her interest for the arts. Drawing and painting, specifically, are much neglected hobbies of hers. To fill this void in her life, she built a large gallery at Lannisport, where she hires artists to showcase their work, and also allows artists to teach their craft at no cost to them.
Due to her love of feasts and tournaments, the arts, and other like things, many assume that Jeanne is frivolous with her spending, but she is a woman focused on statecraft and culture both and believes strongly that the wellbeing of her people and the development of her region should come before everything else. She has little interest in the on-goings of the realm beyond her borders for that reason, and is an isolationist in that regard. She has received some criticism for her lack of interest where martial matters are concerned, and to answer the concerns of her vassals--her uncle Damon especially--she maintains the strong Westerland fleet and is focused on the Westerlands' defense.
History[]
Jeanne was born to Martyn Lannister and Jeyne Westerling, Lord and Lady of Casterly Rock respectively, during the 8th month of 177AC. She was the third child but first daughter of her House, following Tygett (born 169AC) and Tommen (born 171AC).
Jeanne was ten when Tommen, a squire for her uncle Damon Lannister at the time, was killed in 187AC during the Blackwater Rebellion during the Battle of the Hills. Though he died under Damon's watch, her brother Tygett often blamed himself for Tommen's death, having tasked his uncle (and brother, by extension) to lead the army in charge of dealing with Redtusk, instead of doing it himself as their father (infirm at the time due a recent heart attack) had commanded, following an injury at Crakehall moons earlier. When news of Tommen's death reached Casterly Rock, Tygett was overcome with grief.
After the rebellion, Tygett exhibited signs of depression. Furthermore, his earlier leg injury had been treated improperly, and he was stuck with an obvious limp and acute pain, and could no longer ride a horse properly, nor fight effectively with a weapon. Their father's disappointment only made matters worse, and Tygett took to his vices: drink and women, and became a notorious lush and womanizer both. It was during a feast in 189AC, just two years after Tommen's death, and when Jeanne was twelve, that Tygett mysteriously vanished. He was found days later at the bottom of Casterly Rock, his body broken from the fall that had directly caused his death.
Overnight, Jeanne became her father's heir, much to the chagrin of her uncle Damon, who was also in line to inherit. Her studies shifted from the arts, to rulership and governance. She grew closer to her father, and drifted away from her sister Laurel (born 178AC).
In late 194AC, she married Gerion Lannister, a younger son of their Lannisport cadet branch who had squired for her uncle Damon. The match was an arranged one, suggested by her uncle, but agreed upon by her father for political and personal reasons. As a result, her childhood betrothal with Alester Tyrell, heir of the Reach, was broken, resulting in a renegotiation for her sister Laurel's hand instead.
Though she hadn't officially met her husband prior to their wedding, the two have a friendly relationship and have a healthy and stable marriage thus far. They have two children together: Sybell (born 196AC) and recently Tion (born mid 200AC).
In 195AC, her father had another debilitating heart attack, presumably due to a combination of the high stress involved in managing his lands, and his own poor health. Following the incident, he appointed the rulership of Casterly Rock and the Westerlands to his daughter and heir; but left the matters pertaining to military to his brother Damon. He hoped that forcing the two to work together would remove the strain in their relationship, and it worked for a time.
Seeing that Damon still asked for his rightful position as heir, offering to marry his youngest son to his darling daughter Laurel,Martyn saw no more than anger and left his final testament days before his death,naming his daughter his heir, and stating that the males lawfully begotten from her line would follow after,followed by Jeanne's daughters, followed by Laurel's line if she married matrilineally, and so on so forth. Only after would his brother Damon's line inherit Casterly Rock. He had his will sent to both King's Landing and The Citadel to officiate and received confirmation from both the King and the Master of Law.
Angered by his brother's words and infuriated at having to serve under his niece, Damon led a revolt in 196AC that would later be called the Battle of Lions. The war consisted of two major battles, The Coup of Lannisport and the Battle of Hornvale, and several skirmishes, and ultimately led to the defeat and execution of her uncle and his abettors. His sons Tybolt and Gerold were spared due to their non-involvement.
Recent History[]
Martyn Lannister died at the end of 195AC.His daughter Jeanne would die of childbirth on 200 AC,leaving her husbandr,Ser Gerion Lannister,as regent for little Tion Lannister,the Heir to the line of the Golden lions.
This dinastical debate would open a family feud mixed with the political comes and goes for years to come as Tybolt and Gerold had much to say in the future of the Lannister tree.