A Game of Thrones (113 page)

HOSTER TULLY, Lord of Riverrun,

—his wife, {LADY MINISA, of House Whent}, died in childbed,
—their children:

—CATELYN, the eldest daughter, wed to Lord Eddard Stark,
—LYSA, the younger daughter, wed to Lord Jon Arryn,
—SER EDMURE, heir to Riverrun,

—his brother, SER BRYNDEN, called the Blackfish,
—his household:

—MAESTER VYMAN, counselor, healer, and tutor,
—SER DESMOND GRELL, master-at-arms,
—SER ROBIN RYGER, captain of the guard,
—UTHERYDES WAYN, steward of Riverrun,

—his knights and lords bannermen:

—JASON MALLISTER, Lord of Seagate,

—PATREK MALLISTER, his son and heir,

—WALDER FREY, Lord of the Crossing,

—his numerous sons, grandsons, and bastards,

—JONOS BRACKEN, Lord of the Stone Hedge,
—TYTOS BLACKWOOD, Lord of Raventree,
—SER RAYMUN DARRY,
—SER KARYL VANCE,
—SER MARQ PIPER,
—SHELLA WHENT, Lady of Harrenhal,

—SER WILLIS WODE, a knight in her service,

Lesser houses sworn to Riverrun include Darry, Frey, Mallister, Bracken, Blackwood, Whent, Ryger, Piper, Vance.

The Tyrells rose to power as stewards to the Kings of the Reach, whose domains included the fertile plains of the southwest from the Dornish marches and Blackwater Rush to the shores of the Sunset Sea. Through the female line they claim descent from Garth Greenhand, gardener king of the First Men, who wore a crown of vines and flowers and made the land bloom. When King Mern, last of the old line, perished on the Field of Fire, his steward Harlen Tyrell surrendered Highgarden to Aegon Targaryen, pledging fealty. Aegon granted him the castle and dominion over the Reach. The Tyrell sigil is a golden rose on a grass-green field. Their words are
Growing Strong

MACE TYRELL, Lord of Highgarden, Warden of the South, Defender of the Marches, High Marshal of the Reach,

—his wife, LADY ALERIE, of House Hightower of Oldtown,
—their children:

—WILLAS, their eldest son, heir to Highgarden,
—SER GARLAN, called the Gallant, their second son,
—SER LORAS, the Knight of Flowers, their youngest son,
—MARGAERY, their daughter, a maid of fourteen years,

—his widowed mother, LADY OLENNA of House Redwyne, called the Queen of Thorns,
—his sisters:

—MINA, web to Lord Paxter Redwyne,
—JANNA, wed to Ser Jon Fossoway,

—his uncles:

—GARTH, called the Gross, Lord Seneschal of Highgarden,

—his bastard sons, GARSE and GARRETT FLOWERS,

—SER MORYN, Lord Commander of the City Watch of Oldtown,
—MAESTER GORMON, a scholar of the Citadel,

—his household:

—MAESTER LOMYS, counselor, healer, and tutor,
—IGON VYRWEL, captain of the guard,
—SER VORTIMER CRANE, master-at-arms,

—his knights and lords bannermen:

—PAXTER REDWYNE, Lord of the Arbor,

—his wife, LADY MINA, of House Tyrell,
—their children:

—SER HORAS, mocked as Horror, twin to Hobber,
—SER HOBBER, mocked as Slobber, twin to Horas,
—DESMERA, a maid of fifteen,

—RANDYLL TARLY, Lord of Horn Hill,

—SAMWELL, his elder son, of the Night’s Watch,
—DICKON, his younger son, heir to Horn Hill,

—ARWYN OAKHEART, Lady of Old Oak,
—MATHIS ROWAN, Lord of Goldengrove,
—LEYTON HIGHTOWER, Voice of Oldtown, Lord of the Port,
—SER JON FOSSOWAY,

Principal houses sworn to Highgarden are Vrywel, Florent, Oakheart, Hightower, Crane, Tarly, Redwyne, Rowan, Fossoway, and Mullendore.

The Greyjoys of Pyke claim descent from the Grey King of the Age of Heroes. Legend says the Grey King ruled not only the western isles but the sea itself, and took a mermaid to wife.

For thousands of years, raiders from the Iron Islands—called “ironmen” by those they plundered—were the terrors of the seas, sailing as far as the Port of Ibben and the Summer Isles. They prided themselves on their fierceness in battle and their sacred freedoms. Each island had its own “salt king” and “rock king.” The High King of the Isles was chosen from among their number, until King Urron made the throne hereditary by murdering the other kings when they assembled for a choosing. Urron’s own line was extinguished a thousand years later when the Andals swept over the islands. The Greyjoys, like other island lords, intermarried with the conquerors.

The Iron Kings extended their rule far beyond the isles themselves, carving kingdoms out of the mainland with fire and sword. King Qhored could truthfully boast that his writ ran “wherever men can smell salt water or hear the crash of waves.” In later centuries, Qhored’s descendants lost the Arbor, Oldtown, Bear Island, and much of the western shore. Still, come the Wars of Conquest, King Harren the Black ruled all the lands between the mountains, from the Neck to the Blackwater Rush. When Harren and his sons perished in the fall of Harrenhal, Aegon Targaryen granted the riverlands to House Tully, and allowed the surviving lords of the Iron Islands to revive their ancient custom and choose who should have the primacy among them. They chose Lord Vickon Greyjoy of Pyke.

The Greyjoy sigil is a golden kraken upon a black field. Their words are
We Do Not Sow
.

BALON GREYJOY, Lord of the Iron Islands, King of Salt and Rock, Son of the Sea Wind, Lord Reaper of Pyke.

—his wife, LADY ALANNYS, of House Harlaw,
—their children:

—{RODRIK}, their eldest son, slain at Seagard during Greyjoy’s Rebellion,
—{MARON}, their second son, slain on the walls of Pyke during Greyjoy’s Rebellion,
—ASHA, their daughter, captain of the
Black Wind
,
—THEON, their sole surviving son, heir to Pyke, a ward of Lord Eddard Stark,

—his brothers:

—EURON, called Crow’s Eye, captain of the
Silence
, an outlaw, pirate, and raider,
—VICTARION, Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet,
—AERON, called Damphair, a priest of the Drowned God,

Lesser houses sworn to Pyke include Harlaw, Stonehouse, Merlyn, Sunderly, Botley, Tawney, Wynch, Goodbrother.

Nymeria, the warrior queen of the Rhoyne, brought her ten thousand ships to land in Dorne, the southernmost of the Seven Kingdoms, and took Lord Mors Martell to husband. With her help, he vanquished his rivals to rule all Dorne. The Rhoynar influence remains strong. Thus Dornish rulers style themselves “Prince” rather than “King.” Under Dornish law, lands and titles pass to the eldest child, not the eldest male. Dorne, alone of the Seven Kingdoms, was never conquered by Aegon the Dragon. It was not permanently joined to the realm until two hundred years later, and then by marriage and treaty, not the sword. Peaceable King Daeron II succeeded where the warriors had failed by wedding the Dornish princess Myriah and giving his own sister in marriage to the reigning Prince of Dorne. The Martell banner is a red sun pierced by a golden spear. Their words are
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
.

DORAN NYMEROS MARTELL, Lord of Sunspear, Prince of Dorne,

—his wife, MELLARIO, of the Free City of Norvos,
—their children:

—PRINCESS ARIANNE, their eldest daughter, heir to Sunspear,
—PRINCE QUENTYN, their eldest son,
—PRINCE TRYSTANE, their younger son,

—his siblings:

—his sister, {PRINCESS ELIA}, wed to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing,
—their children:

—{PRINCESS RHAENYS}, a young girl, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing,
—{PRINCE AEGON}, a babe, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing,

—his brother, PRINCE OBERYN, the Red Viper,

—his household:

—AREO HOTAH, a Norvashi sellsword, captain of guards,
—MAESTER CALEOTTE, counselor, healer, and tutor,

—his knights and lords bannermen:

—EDRIC DAYNE, Lord of Starfall,

The principal houses sworn to Sunspear include Jordayne, Santagar, Allyrion, Toland, Yronwood, Wyl, Fowler, and Dayne.

The Targaryens are the blood of the dragon, descended from the high lords of the ancient Freehold of Valyria, their heritage proclaimed in a striking (some say inhuman) beauty, with lilac or indigo or violet eyes and hair of silver-gold or platinum white.

Aegon the Dragon’s ancestors escaped the Doom of Valyria and the chaos and slaughter that followed to settle on Dragonstone, a rocky island in the narrow sea. It was from there that Aegon and his sisters sailed to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. To preserve the blood royal and keep it pure, House Targaryen has often followed the Valyrian custom of wedding brother to sister. Aegon himself took both his sisters to wife, and fathered sons on each. The Targaryen banner is a three-headed dragon, red on black, the three heads representing Aegon and his sisters. The Targaryen words are
Fire and Blood
.

THE TARGARYEN SUCCESSION
Dated By Years After Aegon’s Landing