Gunthor Royce

Gunthor Royce, known in the Vale as the Bronze Giant, was an elderly lord of Runestone whose stubbornness and fearlessness shaped his confrontation with Ser Corwyn Corbray. When Corwyn came to take Ser Arnold Arryn from sanctuary, Gunthor rode out in ancient bronze armor to face him; the encounter ended in Corwyn’s death and renewed conflict across the Vale.

Identity and Position

Gunthor was an old man, and the Vale knew him as the Bronze Giant. His characterization in the account rests on a stark contrast: he was both stubborn and fearless. He was also Lord of Runestone, where Ser Arnold had sought refuge after escaping Corwyn’s attempt to bring him under control.

The Confrontation at Runestone

Corwyn arrived at Runestone to remove Arnold from his sanctuary. Gunthor donned his ancient bronze armor and rode out to confront him. Their exchange escalated from heated words to curses and threats. When Corwyn drew Lady Forlorn, it remained uncertain whether he meant to strike Gunthor or merely threaten him. A crossbowman on Runestone’s battlements then shot Corwyn; the account does not say that Gunthor ordered or carried out the attack.

Consequences in the Vale

Corwyn’s death had consequences well beyond the confrontation. As one of the king’s regents, his killing was treated as treason, comparable to an attack on the king. It reignited war between the factions contending over the Vale’s succession: Gunthor and the Royces of Runestone stood with Arnold, alongside the Templetons, Tolletts, Coldwaters, Duttons, and lords of the Fingers and Three Sisters. Corwyn’s death therefore made Gunthor’s stand at Runestone the immediate setting for a wider political and military rupture, though the account gives no further detail about Gunthor’s own actions in the ensuing conflict.