Jonah Battleborn was not born as other Kinsmen nobles. Sure, his father is the High Lord of Redsnow, King of the Kinsmen, but Jonah was born in a straw hut south of Rosekeep in The Hills. When Jonah was born, the clans had been waging war against one another for decades. Redsnow Castle had fallen, and the Battleborns had barely escaped with their lives. Jonah's father, however, was not a coward, and would not run for long.
Shortly after their flight from Redsnow Castle, Jonah's father Reese gathered his Kinsmen, and all those who rode under their colors, and stormed Redsnow Castle, reclaiming what was rightfully his. After securing his family in their stronghold, Reese Battleborn burned and pillaged across the countryside in wild rage until all of The Hills were under his rule, unifying the clans for the first time in over a century.
Being the firstborn son of High Lord Reese Battleborn isn't everything as wonderful as it may sound. Jonah was raised to be tough, and independent. He was raised to be the heir of one of the most vicious highlanders to ever stare across a battlefield. At six years of age, Jonah slashed his older cousin across the cheek with a rusty shard of metal over a toy. While his father was pleased at his initiative, Jonah was reprimanded for attacking a Battleborn. "Blood is thicker than water, Jonah. And, Battleborn blood is thicker than the rest. Don't fight with your family, lad," his father would tell him often.
Jonah took to combat training, and was a real prodigy of his father. His balance, even as a youth, was steady and confident. Those who sparred with him found him to be agile, and light on his feet. His strikes were powerful, his defense was sharp and precise, even at a young age. His father, and his fathers men were constantly drilling and training, while Jonah also struggled to balance education from his mother and the Maester of Redsnow.
Jonah was fifteen before he first laid eyes on a flatlander. This man was from the land of Laniveer, the kingdom of little men and cowards. Jonah was shocked to see the small man, an adult, under six feet tall! At fifteen, Jonah was only average in height, at 6 feet. The flatlander had been sent by the King of Laniveer to initiate trade with the Rychan of The Hills. After a mere half an hour, the flatlander was escorted out of Redsnow Castle, and his head was cut off.
In his late teens, Jonah grew into an heir the entire clan was proud of. Jonah proved to have a sharp mind and a quick blade. The young women would swoon over his attention and many of the young men were afraid to look him in the eye. Though his manner is serious, his mind focused constantly, Jonah has a lighter side that many do not get to see. His younger siblings love to be around him, to play games, and hear his jokes. When Jonah would ride with the Kinsmen, he would always bring things back for them; toys, trinkets, and treasures.
In 228, High Lord Reese Battleborn decided it would be prudent to learn more about those to his south. The Rychan had invaded the south before, but had never been on a mission of discovery and diplomacy. Lord Reese felt like the time had come to learn more about the enemies of the north, and perhaps even make diplomatic contact with other people. For weeks he wrestled with himself about who he would send. Finally, his mind fell on his eldest son, Jonah. Who else could he trust with such an important task? Thus, Jonah Battleborn, and fifty Kinsmen from Redsnow, struck out in search of their fate.
