houses.json

[{"name":"House Baratheon of King's Landing","description":"House Baratheon of King's Landing is an extinct cadet branch of the also extinct original House Baratheon of Storm's End. It had been the royal house of Westeros since the defeat of and exile of the Targaryen dynasty following Robert's Rebellion.\nTheir seat was the Red Keep in the city of King's Landing and their domains were the lands ruled directly by the Iron Throne, the Crownlands. After the Destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, with King Tommen I's suicide, House Baratheon of King's Landing is now extinct, along with it's parent house, House Baratheon.\nIn reality, House Baratheon of King's Landing was a puppet house of House Lannister.","background":null,"words":"\"Ours is the Fury\"","seat":"Red Keep, King's Landing","region":"The Crownlands","lord":"None, extinct","religion":"Faith of the Seven","sigil_url":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/4/43/House-Baratheon-of-King%27s_Landing-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20161205144353","sigil":"The crowned stag of Baratheon black on gold and the lion of Lannister golden on red (formerly crowned stag of Baratheon before Joffrey I ascended to Iron Throne)","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/f/f6/House_Baratheon_of_King%27s_Landing.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20130102203425","caption":"The royal family (from left to right): Myrcella, Tommen, Robert, Cersei, and Joffrey."},{"src":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/a/a6/Joffrey%27s_sigil.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20111121203755","caption":"Joffrey's new heraldry for House Baratheon of King's Landing."}]},{"name":"House Baratheon of Dragonstone","description":"House Baratheon of Dragonstone is an extinct cadet branch of the also extinct original House Baratheon of Storm's End and ruling house of the island of Dragonstone since the defeat of House Targaryen in Robert's Rebellion. Stannis Baratheon, the head of the house and the Lord of Dragonstone, is a claimant to the Iron Throne in the War of the Five Kings.\nTheir seat is the island fortress of Dragonstone in Blackwater Bay. The houses of Blackwater Bay, also known as the Lords of the Narrow Sea, are sworn directly to Dragonstone.\nFollowing the deaths of Stannis, Selyse and Shireen Baratheon, House Baratheon of Dragonstone has become officially extinct.\nThe official words of the house were Ours is the Fury, which they shared with their overlords and fellow cadet branches. However, the most common saying of the house was \"For The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors\". This was also a common saying of followers of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, who was the official religion of the house due to the influence of the red priestess Melisandre.","background":"House Baratheon became the ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms when Stannis's brother Robert Baratheon deposed King Aerys II Targaryen. Stannis fought for Robert in the preceding civil war. He was besieged within the family seat Storm's End. When the siege was lifted Stannis took Dragonstone, the seat of House Targaryen. He was awarded the castle as his own by Robert but was slighted when Storm's End was given to his younger brother Renly Baratheon. Stannis served Robert as Master of Ships on his small council.","words":"\"Ours is the Fury\" (official), \"The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors\" (religious)","seat":"Dragonstone","region":"Blackwater Bay, the Crownlands","lord":"None, extinct","religion":"R'hllor, the Lord of Light","sigil_url":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/4/4a/House-Baratheon-of-Dragonstone-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20160811072112","sigil":"The crowned black stag of Baratheon enclosed within the fiery red heart of the Lord of Light","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/9/9d/Stannis_attacks.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20140616131932","caption":"Stannis takes the wildling army by surprise."}]},{"name":"House Hoare","description":"House Hoare of Harrenhal is an extinct Great House of Westeros. It ruled over the Iron Islands and the Riverlands when Aegon I Targaryen invaded the Seven Kingdoms. Their sigil depicts per saltire and with two heavy silver chains crossing between a gold longship on black (for the Iron Islands), a dark green pine on white (for Bear Island), a cluster of red grapes on gold (for the Arbor), and a black raven flying in a blue sky (for the Maesters of Oldtown) all bound by the chains of the Ironborn. Their sigil shows the extent of the Hoare holdings at their peak.","background":"In past centuries, it was said that following the Old Way of reaving and raiding, the ironborn held dominion along the coasts as far inland as the sound of the waves was heard. While this may be somewhat exaggerated, House Hoare of the Iron Islands conquered and held lands as far afield as Bear Island in The North and The Arbor in the Reach. However, as the Kings of House Stark consolidated the North and the Kings of House Gardener consolidated the Reach, the ironborn were eventually driven from Bear Island and the Arbor.\nThree generations before the Targaryen Conquest, House Hoare launched a second era of expansion, this time pushing inland to conquer all of the Riverlands from the rule of the Storm King, which had conquered the Riverlands some three centuries before Aegon's landing. The leaders of House Hoare ruled as Kings of the Iron Islands and the Riverlands.\nThe sigil of House Hoare was diagonally quartered, displaying (clockwise from the top) a longship, a pine tree, red grapes, and a black raven, representing all the distant lands that had been under the rule of the House: the longship for the Iron Islands, the green pine for the Bear Island (the northern border of their dominion), the cluster for the Arbor (the southernmost) and the black raven for Raventree Hall in the Riverlands; all bound by the iron chains of the ironborn.\nKing Harren Hoare (whose grandfather had conquered the Riverlands) intended to build the greatest castle on the entire continent, Harrenhal, on the north shore of Gods Eye lake in the Riverlands. It was completed on the same day that Aegon Targaryen set foot in Westeros. Harren was very cruel and arrogant, thus many of his vassals in the Riverlands - led by Edmyn Tully - rebelled against him and sided with Aegon Targaryen's invading force. The high walls of Harrenhal could have repelled any attack from the ground, but Aegon's dragons flew right over them. Dragonfire roasted King Harren alive within his own tower, along with all of his sons, rendering House Hoare extinct.\nFollowing the extinction of House Hoare, the ironborn elected a new house to rule over them, under the overall rule of the Targaryen Kings on the Iron Throne: House Greyjoy.\nAccording to tales and stories, the flaming ghosts of Harren and his sons still haunt Harrenhal.","words":null,"seat":"Harrenhal","region":"The Iron Islands and the Riverlands","lord":"None, extinct","religion":"Drowned God","sigil_url":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/2/29/House-Hoare-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20161202182224","sigil":"Per saltire and with two heavy silver chains crossing between a gold longship on black, a dark green pine on white, a cluster of red grapes on gold, and a black raven flying in a blue sky.","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/2/22/Hoare_sigil_in_a_sail.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20161119183955","caption":"The sigil of House Hoare."}]},{"name":"House Baratheon","description":"House Baratheon of Storm's End is a legally extinct Great House of Westeros. Its main branch was formerly the royal house, but House Lannister now controls the throne.\nHouse Baratheon's sigil is a black stag on a gold background and their house motto is \"Ours is the Fury\". When Robert ascended to the Iron Throne, a gold crown was added to the stag, denoting their status as the royal house.\nThe ancestral Baratheon stronghold is Storm's End, but since becoming the royal house, they have also taken possession of the old Targaryen island fortress of Dragonstone, while the King rules from the city of King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms.\nWhen the War of the Five Kings began following King Robert Baratheon's death, House Baratheon became divided into three distinct factions: one led by Robert's alleged son (who is actually the product of an incestuous relationship between Queen Cersei and Ser Jaime Lannister), Joffrey; one led by his younger brother, Stannis; and one led by his youngest brother, Renly. As a result of Renly's murder and the casualties suffered at the Battle of the Blackwater, the majority of House Baratheon's surviving lords and bannermen are now sworn to Stannis, though much of the Stormlands are occupied by Lannister and Tyrell forces loyal to King Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's younger brother and successor.\nWith Tommen's death, House Baratheon has become legally extinct.\nThe only remaining known member of the Baratheon bloodline is Gendry, King Robert's unacknowledged bastard son.","background":null,"words":"\"Ours is the Fury\"","seat":"Storm's End","region":"The Stormlands","lord":"None, extinct (offically)","religion":"Faith of the Seven","sigil_url":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/0/00/House-Baratheon-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20161206005433","sigil":"A crowned black stag rampant on a gold field (formerly just a black stag rampant on a gold field before Robert I ascended to the Iron Throne)","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/1/16/Orys_Baratheon_leadering_his_troops_in_Storm%27s_End.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130615095936","caption":"Orys Baratheon leading his troops in Storm's End"},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/a/ae/House_Baratheon_lineage.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20160804235256","caption":"A history book with information on the founders of House Baratheon."},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/3/32/Robert_in_the_Iron_Throne.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130615100334","caption":"Robert on the Iron Throne"},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/88/House-Baratheon-of-Kings-Landing-heraldry.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160731100449","caption":"The sigil of Joffrey's \"House Baratheon of King's Landing\""},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/4/4a/House-Baratheon-of-Dragonstone-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160811072112","caption":"The sigil of Stannis's \"House Baratheon of Dragonstone\""},{"src":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/82/House-Baratheon-of-Storm%27s-End-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20151209172815","caption":"The sigil adopted by King Renly I for his faction in the War of the Five Kings mirrored his alliance with House Tyrell."}]},{"name":"House Greyjoy","description":"House Greyjoy of Pyke is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It rules over the Iron Islands, a harsh and bleak collection of islands off the west coast of Westeros, from the castle at Pyke. The head of the house is the Lord Reaper of Pyke.\nHouse Greyjoy's sigil is traditionally a golden kraken on a black field. Their house motto is \"We Do Not Sow\", although the phrase \"What Is Dead May Never Die\" is also closely associated with House Greyjoy and their bannermen, as they are associated with the faith of the Drowned God.\nHouse Greyjoy has been in open rebellion against the Iron Throne since the War of the Five Kings, during which it sought independence for the Iron Islands once more. However, following the death of King Balon Greyjoy and the election of his brother, Euron, as the new King of the Iron Islands, House Greyjoy has been divided between Euron and his followers, and Balon's surviving children, Yara and Theon, and their followers.","background":"House Greyjoy is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Their lands are the Iron Islands off the west coast of the continent. They rule from their castle Pyke from the island of the same name. The Iron Islands are harsh and bleak and the Greyjoys have traditionally survived by raiding their neighbors. They have always had plans to conquer the mainland. The head of the house is the Lord Reaper of Pyke.\nHouse Greyjoy boasts descent from the Grey King, a legendary King of the Iron Islands said to have ruled for a thousand years and taken a mermaid as his wife. Like the vast majority of ironborn, they worship the Drowned God.\nLord Balon Greyjoy was the founder of the Kingdom of the Iron Islands. He led a rebellion against King Robert Baratheon eight years before the events of the series begin. Balon's sons Rodrik and Maron were killed in the unsuccessful rebellion. Balon's only surviving son Theon was made a ward of Lord Eddard Stark to ensure Balon's submission to King Robert. Only his daughter, Yara Greyjoy, and two of his brothers remained on the Iron Islands after his defeat.\nAt some point, Balon exiles his younger brother Euron Greyjoy, who becomes a feared pirate that terrorises the seas between Oldtown and Qarth.","words":"\"We Do Not Sow\" (official), \"What Is Dead May Never Die\" (common saying)","seat":"Pyke","region":"Iron Islands","lord":"Disputed:, King Euron Greyjoy, Queen Yara Greyjoy","religion":"Drowned God","sigil_url":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/86/House-Greyjoy-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20160312122204","sigil":"A golden kraken on a black field","images_attributes":[]},{"name":"House Mudd","description":"House Mudd is an extinct great house that once ruled the Riverlands as Kings of the Rivers and Hills. Eventually, however, their line was seemingly extinguished after being defeated by the Storm Kings of House Durrandon.","background":null,"words":null,"seat":null,"region":"The Riverlands","lord":"Extinct","religion":null,"sigil_url":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/1/11/House-Mudd-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20160711165203","sigil":"A golden crown studded with emeralds over a red-brown field","images_attributes":[]},{"name":"House Bolton","description":"House Bolton of the Dreadfort is an extinct noble house from the North. After the Red Wedding, they became the Great House of the North, having usurped their position from their former liege lords, House Stark. Their original lands were in the northeast of the Stark territories. Their stronghold was a castle called the Dreadfort and the head of the house was the Lord of the Dreadfort.\nHouse Bolton was infamous for its centuries-old practice of flaying their enemies alive, to the point that they used a flayed man as their House sigil. The Boltons supposedly gave up this practice after bending the knee to House Stark, and centuries later Lord Eddard Stark outlawed flaying in the North altogether, but the Boltons continued the practice. This resulted in them being despised and feared by many of the Northern houses, especially after their betrayal of House Stark and their torching of Winterfell.\nShortly before the Battle of the Bastards, Lord Ramsay Bolton murdered his father, Lord Roose Bolton, taking his father's titles and ranks. In the aftermath of the battle, Ramsay was executed by the Starks; with no heir to follow him, House Bolton has officially become extinct.\nHouse Bolton's heraldry consisted of a red flayed man upside-down on an x-shaped white cross over a field of black. Their official motto was \"Our Blades Are Sharp\", though a common saying of members of the House was \"A naked man has few secrets; a flayed man, none\".","background":"The origins of House Bolton date back to at least the Age of Heroes, a savage age in which the houses of First Men waged war one upon the other. For centuries, House Bolton resisted the efforts of the Starks to unify the North under their rule, killing several Starks in the process, and, according to rumors, keeping their skins as trophies and even wearing them as cloaks.\nDuring these centuries when the North was divided into a dozen or so smaller petty kingdoms, the Boltons and Starks were chief rivals for domination over all the others. The leaders of House Bolton during this time were known as the Red Kings, and their kingdom covered a large portion of the lands east of Winterfell, centered around the Dreadfort itself.\nEventually, the Boltons were defeated and bent the knee to House Stark, giving up their practice of flaying their prisoners as sign of their submission. Nevertheless, they remained the second most powerful house of the North. The practice of flaying, however, was officially outlawed in the North just during the lordship of Eddard Stark.","words":"\"Our Blades Are Sharp\" (official), \"A Naked Man Has Few Secrets; A Flayed Man, None\"(common saying)","seat":"The Dreadfort (ancestral), Winterfell (formerly)","region":"The North","lord":"None, extinct","religion":"Old Gods of the Forest","sigil_url":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/d/dd/House-Bolton-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20161231131431","sigil":"A red flayed man, hanging upside-down on a white X-shaped cross, on a black background","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/3/35/FlayedManHoldsNoSecrets.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20140315013151","caption":"House Bolton is infamous for its centuries-old practice of flaying their enemies alive, to the point that they use a flayed man as their House sigil."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/b/b8/Royce_Redarm.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20161117144123","caption":"King Royce IV Bolton, known as \"the Redarm\" because of his fondness for pulling out entrails."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/d/dd/Bolton-bends-the-knee.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20140327144040","caption":"King Rogar Bolton bends the knee to the Starks of Winterfell."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/1/1e/Bolton-troops.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20140406100316","caption":"Bolton men take Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth prisoner."},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/2/26/Boltonmen3.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20140327133332","caption":"Bolton men garrisoned at Harrenhal."},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/d/d7/FlayedSkinsDreadfortDungeon.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20140219200952","caption":"House Bolton are said to have worn the skins of their enemies as cloaks after flaying them."}]},{"name":"House Arryn","description":"House Arryn of the Eyrie is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It has ruled over the Vale of Arryn for millennia, originally as the Kings of Mountain and Vale and more recently as Lords Paramount of the Vale and Wardens of the East under the Targaryen kings and Baratheon-Lannister kings. The nominal head of House Arryn is Robin Arryn, the Lord of the Eyrie, with his stepfather Petyr Baelish acting as Lord Protector until he reaches the age of majority.\nTheir lands are in the central-eastern region of the continent. Their seat is the Eyrie, ancestral seat of the Mountain Kings. House Arryn's sigil is a white crescent moon and falcon on a blue field. Their motto is \"As High As Honor\".\nAt the start of the series, Lord Jon Arryn was killed under suspicious circumstances. His widow Lysa blamed House Lannister and sought refuge in the Eyrie. Despite her enmity towards the Lannisters, she remained neutral in the War of the Five Kings and aimed to use the forces of the Vale to defend Robin and the Eyrie if necessary. After killing Lysa and making it appear like an accident, Lord Petyr Baelish becomes Lord Protector of the Vale until young Robin comes of age. Under his rule, supervised by Baelish, the Vale assists House Stark in toppling House Bolton in the North during the Battle of the Bastards. After the battle, the Vale declares for House Stark and becomes part of the Kingdom of the North in defiance of the Iron Throne.","background":"According to legend, the house was founded by Ser Artys Arryn, the Winged Knight. He is said to have flown atop a giant falcon, landing on the topmost mountain of the Vale, and defeated the Griffin King, the last of the First Men Mountain Kings. Afterward, he took the Eyrie and became the first King of Mountain and Vale. His descendants continued to rule the Vale ever since. The Eyrie has never fallen to invaders. During the War of Conquest, House Arryn repulsed a Targaryen invasion at Gulltown with Braavosi aid, but ultimately bent the knee peacefully as they realized they could not fend off the Targaryens forever. By submitting peacefully instead of being conquered, they were allowed to continue to rule as Lords Paramount of the Vale and Wardens of the East in the name of the Iron Throne. The Eyrie is considered impregnable and defends House Arryn from the violent Hill tribes of the Mountains of the Moon.\nJon Arryn is the most recent head of House Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie, Warden of the East and Defender of the Vale. He was a respected nobleman and both Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon fostered with him. The Mad King condoned the kidnap of Eddard's sister and Robert's betrothed, Lyanna Stark. The Mad King had Eddard's father and brother killed for protesting against the kidnapping. When he then demanded that Eddard be turned over to the King's justice, Lord Arryn rebelled, calling his banners to war. House Stark and House Baratheon followed suit. The rebels forged an alliance with House Tully through marriage, with Eddard married to Catelyn Tully and the then-elderly Jon to the young Lady Lysa Tully.\nAfter the rebel victory in the war, Robert became King and appointed Jon as his Hand. Jon served the realm well for many years as Hand of the King. He died immediately prior to the events of the series, sparking King Robert's search for a replacement. Jon is survived by his wife Lysa and their six-year-old son, Robin. Jon was investigating the legitimacy of the children of Queen Cersei Lannister when he died. He found that they were not Robert's offspring by comparing their appearance to Robert's bastards based on the genetic preponderence for dark hair in House Baratheon.","words":"\"As High as Honor\"","seat":"The Eyrie","region":"The Vale of Arryn","lord":"Robin Arryn (de jure), Petyr \"Littlefinger\" Baelish (de facto; regent)","religion":"Faith of the Seven","sigil_url":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/1/15/House-Arryn-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20170101094153","sigil":"A white falcon volant and crescent moon on a blue field.","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/9/97/Battle_of_the_Bastards_44.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160621185458","caption":"The knights of the Vale ride in at the command of Petyr Baelish."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/b/b0/Knights_of_the_Vale_S6E09_1.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160826132852","caption":"The knights of the Vale charging into the Battle of the Bastards."}]},{"name":"House Frey","description":"House Frey of the Twins is a noble house from the Riverlands. They are currently the Great House of the Riverlands, having gained their position for their treachery against their former liege lords, House Tully, who were stripped of all their lands and titles for their rebellion against the Iron Throne; House Tully had supported the independence movement for the Kingdom of the North. The current head of the house is unknown following the assassinations of Lord Walder Frey and two of his sons, Lothar Frey and Walder Rivers, by the vengeful Arya Stark.\nTheir ancestral seat is known as the Twins for its two identical keeps on both sides of a river linked by a bridge, sometimes called the Stone Bridge. The Twins is one of the primary crossings over the Green Fork of the Trident River, and tolls from bridge crossings have made the Freys quite wealthy fairly quickly, elevating them from obscurity six centuries ago to being one of the most powerful noble houses in the Riverlands - though they are looked down upon by older aristocratic families.\nThe heraldry of House Frey represents their castle-seat of the Twins: it consists of two grey towers linked by a bridge, on a darker grey background, over an escutcheon of blue water. Their words are (apparently) \"We Stand Together\", ironic considering the Freys' frequent infighting between family members.","background":"House Frey was a noble house in the Riverlands that had emerged about six hundred years before the War of the Five Kings. Their seat is at The Twins, a castle consisting of two identical towers and a bridge intersecting the Green Fork of The Trident river. The Freys grew rich from exacting tolls on travelers crossing the Green Fork. For most of their history, the Freys have been vassals of House Tully, the paramount lords of the Trident since the Targaryen conquest. During Robert's Rebellion, Lord Walder Frey was late in marshalling forces to assist the forces of his liege lord Hoster Tully during the Battle of the Trident. For this insolence, Lord Hoster mockingly referred to Lord Frey as the \"Late Walder Frey\"; much to Walder's chagrin.","words":"\"We Stand Together\"","seat":"The Twins (ancestral), Riverrun","region":"The Riverlands","lord":"Uncertain, (See \"Current Status\" below)","religion":"Faith of the Seven","sigil_url":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/e/e6/House-Frey-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20160312124244","sigil":"The two stone grey towers and bridge of the Twins, on a dark grey field, surmounting an escutcheon of blue water.","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/e/e7/Frey_men_season_6.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160612091011","caption":"Frey soldiers during the Second Siege of Riverrun."},{"src":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/e/e8/Many-Freys.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20140327163753","caption":"Several members of House Frey."}]},{"name":"House Stark","description":"House Stark of Winterfell is a Great House of Westeros, ruling over the vast region known as the North and the Vale as Kings in the North from their seat in Winterfell, recently retaken by the Starks from House Bolton. It is by far one of the oldest lines of Westerosi nobility, claiming a line of descent stretching back over eight thousand years. The head of the house is the Lord of Winterfell. Before the Targaryen conquest, the leaders of House Stark ruled over the region as the Kings in the North. Jon Snow is the current King in the North and the Vale, partially due to the allegiance of Petyr Baelish, the Lord Regent of the Vale, to House Stark.\nTheir rule in the North seemingly ended after the events of the Red Wedding when House Frey and House Bolton betrayed them, after joining alliance with House Lannister. Roose Bolton personally killed King Robb Stark. Both the North and Winterfell were taken over by House Bolton, but their hold was jeopardized when Sansa Stark escaped their clutches after learning that her brothers Bran and Rickon Stark were still alive. House Stark were restored to their former stature after the Battle of the Bastards albeit at great cost with Rickon's death. Their success in this battle later leads to the resurgence of House Stark as the royal family of the North, with its vassals declaring Jon Snow as King in the North.\nHouse Stark's sigil is a grey direwolf on a white background, over a green escutcheon. They are one of the few noble Houses whose family motto is not a boast or threat. Instead, the House Stark family motto is a warning, one that no matter the circumstances will always be relevant: \"Winter is Coming\".","background":"Before the Targaryen conquest, the leaders of House Stark ruled over the region as the Kings in the North. King Torrhen Stark was on the throne at the time of the Targaryen conquest and marched his army south to face them. He surrendered when he saw the Targaryens' vast host and dragons, believing that fighting was futile. He was made Lord Paramount of the North and served the Targaryens as Warden of the North. Thereafter, Torrhen was known as \"the king who knelt\".","words":"\"Winter is Coming\"","seat":"Winterfell","region":"The North","lord":"King Jon I Snow (de facto), Princess Sansa Stark (official), Prince Bran Stark (rightful), (see \"Current Status\" below)","religion":"Old Gods of the Forest","sigil_url":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/8a/House-Stark-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20170101103142","sigil":"A grey direwolf on a white field","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/0/08/House_Stark_banner.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20110408162221","caption":"The banner of House Stark of Winterfell, the rulers of the North."},{"src":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/9/9b/House_Stark_tapestry.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20110314204610","caption":"The sigil of House Stark on a tapestry in Winterfell."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/3/3d/Robb-stark-richard-madden-helen-sloan.jpeg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20120223002521","caption":"Robb Stark in Northern cavalry armor"},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/a/a0/Stark_guard_%28The_Pointy_End%29.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160718190941","caption":"A Stark guardsman"}]},{"name":"House Tyrell","description":"House Tyrell of Highgarden is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It rules over the Reach, a vast, fertile, and heavily-populated region of southwestern Westeros, from their castle-seat, Highgarden. Formerly led by Lord Mace Tyrell, his mother, the indomitable Olenna Tyrell, stands as the last known member of the house. Mace's son Loras was a noted tournament knight (and, secretly, the lover of Lord Renly Baratheon). Mace's daughter Margaery married Renly when he crowned himself king, to cement the alliance between Renly and her father. Following Renly's death, Margaery was then married to King Joffrey Baratheon before his assassination at his wedding feast. She was then married to his younger brother, King Tommen Baratheon. Olenna Tyrell assumed House Tyrell's lordship as Margaery Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and Mace Tyrell were killed by wildfire by at the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor. Under Lady Olenna, who has served as the head of the house since, House Tyrell has aligned itself with House Targaryen in opposition against Queen Cersei I for orchestrating the demise of most of the main branch of the Tyrell family.\nThe Tyrell sigil is a golden rose on a pale green field. Their words are, \"Growing Strong\".","background":"House Tyrell began as a cadet branch of House Gardener, the ancient Kings of the Reach. The Tyrells became senior servants of the main Gardener line, serving for centuries as castellans of the royal castle at Highgarden. Over time they rose to prominence as one of the strongest noble Houses in the Reach, and even intermarried with the royal line - though so did many other powerful Houses from the Reach.  During the Targaryen Conquest, King Mern Gardener was burned alive at the Field of Fire by the Targaryen dragons, along with all of his immediate heirs. Subsequently, Mern's steward Harlen Tyrell voluntarily surrendered Highgarden to Aegon Targaryen. Aegon rewarded Harlen by making him Lord of Highgarden and Lord Paramount of the Reach - ahead of other Houses from the Reach which were actually more closely related to House Gardener. Chief among these is House Florent of Brightwater Keep, which claims direct male-line descent from the old Gardener kings, while House Tyrell only claim descent from House Gardener through the female line.\nHouse Tyrell's overall disposition is adequately represented by their sigil of a rose: a rose's beauty often hides the fact that it has thorns. Though the Tyrells do try to be just and fair, their benevolent demeanor serves to lull their enemies into thinking that, like the Starks, they are utterly beholden to honorable conduct. In reality, the Tyrells are just as cunning as the Lannisters in court politics and intrigue, though they often prefer a more subtle approach. Thus they strike a pragmatic balance between the Starks' honor and the Lannisters' ruthlessness.  Throughout history, House Tyrell has played by the strategy of following the sure path, siding with whoever is most likely to win in any conflict. During the Targaryen Conquest, they surrendered Highgarden to the invading forces of Aegon the Conqueror, and in return the Tyrells were elevated as the new Lords Paramount of the Reach. During Robert's Rebellion, House Tyrell remained loyal to House Targaryen, as Robert Baratheon was a rebel unlikely to win, and the Tyrells owed their rule of the Reach to the Targaryens. Forces of House Tyrell managed to inflict the only loss Robert suffered during the war, albeit an indecisive one, at the Battle of Ashford. However, the vast army and resources of House Tyrell were tied up on a siege of Storm's End (held for Robert by his brother; Stannis Baratheon). After the Mad King's death, the Tyrells surrendered and swore fealty to Robert Baratheon. \nIn the current generation, House Tyrell is a stable and honestly loving family, with none of the internal rivalries that are to be found in House Lannister and House Baratheon. Thus the relationships between Lord Mace and his children, and between siblings like Loras and Margaery, are genuine and uncomplicated.","words":"\"Growing Strong\"","seat":"Highgarden","region":"The Reach","lord":"Lady Olenna Tyrell","religion":null,"sigil_url":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/c/cf/House-Tyrell-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20170108163035","sigil":"A golden rose on a green field","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/0/0c/House_Tyrell_banner.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20110408162416","caption":"The banner of  of Highgarden, the rulers of the Reach."},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/b/b7/Harlen_Tyrell_surrender_to_Aegon_the_Conqueror.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130615085357","caption":"Harlen Tyrell surrenders to Aegon the Conqueror."},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/3/35/Tyrell_surrender_to_Robert.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130615075308","caption":"Mace Tyrell surrenders to Robert Baratheon."}]},{"name":"House Tully","description":"House Tully of Riverrun is an exiled Great House of Westeros. Its most senior member carried the title of Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident, until the Red Wedding. The current head is Lord Edmure Tully, son of the late Hoster Tully. The Tully sigil is a silver trout on a red and blue background. Their motto is \"Family, Duty, Honor.\"\nAt the onset of the War of the Five Kings, House Tully came under attack by House Lannister and lent its support for House Stark when they came to their aid in the liberation of the Riverlands. House Tully has since been formally stripped of lands and titles for rebellion against the Iron Throne, with Lord Edmure a captive of House Frey following the Red Wedding. \nLater, Ser Brynden Tully gathered the remaining Tully forces and reclaimed Riverrun from the Freys, reopening conflict between the Tullys and the Iron Throne. The Freys lay siege to Riverrun, and were later assisted by the Lannisters on the orders of King Tommen I. Ser Jaime Lannister managed to end the siege by convincing Edmure Tully to command the garrison to lay down their weapons in return for clemency and protection. Brynden was killed during a final stand with Lannister and Frey forces while Edmure was returned to the Freys as a prisoner.","background":"House Tully is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Their lands are to the west of the continent. Their seat is Riverrun, a castle at the confluence of the Red Fork of the Trident with the Tumblestone. They rule over the Riverlands from the castle and the head of the house is the Lord of Riverrun.\nHouse Tully rose to prominence during the Wars of Conquest. Lord Edmyn Tully rebelled against the King of the Isles and the Riverlands, Harren the Black, to support the invading House Targaryen. Edmyn's fellow Riverlords followed his lead. When Aegon Targaryen established his rule from the Iron Throne he rewarded Edmyn, elevating the Tullys to Lords Paramount of the Riverlands.\nHouse Tully fought on the side of the Iron Throne during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. Hoster Tully and Brynden Tully fought during the conflict. The two brothers later parted on acrimonious terms after Brynden rejected his older brother's command that he marry Bethany Redwyne in order to seal a marriage pact with House Redwyne. Brynden broke ties with Hoster, earning the name \"Blackfish\", which also became his personal sigil. Hoster later married Lady Minisa of House Whent and they produced three children: two daughters Catelyn, Lysa, and a son named Edmure.\nIts current head is Lord Edmure Tully. His sisters, Catelyn and Lysa, married Lords Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn during Robert's Rebellion, forming a powerful alliance of major houses. Together, the Tully-Stark-Arryn alliance defeated the \"Mad King\" Aerys II and ended Targaryen rule over the Seven Kingdoms.","words":"\"Family, Duty, Honor\"","seat":"None, Riverrun (formerly) ","region":"The Riverlands (formerly)","lord":"Lord Edmure Tully","religion":"Faith of the Seven","sigil_url":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/b/bd/House-Tully-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20160312103126","sigil":"A silver trout leaping on a red and blue background.","images_attributes":[]},{"name":"House Durrandon","description":"House Durrandon of Storm's End is a former Great House of Westeros. It ruled over the Stormlands until the War of Conquest. It also held much of the Riverlands until they lost them to House Hoare. The head of House Durrandon held the title of Storm King.\nThe House was founded by Durran Godsgrief, a legendary figure from the Age of Heroes. The last King of the Durrandon dynasty, Argilac the Arrogant was killed by Orys Baratheon during the Last Storm. Baratheon took Argilac's daughter as his wife, as well as his sigil and words, taking over the Stormlands as vassal of his half-brother Aegon the Conqueror. From that point on, Houses Durrandon became House Baratheon.","background":null,"words":"\"Ours is the Fury\"","seat":"Storm's End","region":"The Stormlands","lord":"See House Baratheon","religion":"Old Gods of the Forest (before the Andal Invasion), Faith of the Seven (after the Andal Invasion)","sigil_url":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/0/00/House-Baratheon-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20161206005433","sigil":"A crowned black stag rampant on a gold field","images_attributes":[]},{"name":"House Gardener","description":"House Gardener of Highgarden is an extinct Great House of Westeros, dating back to the time in which the First Men ruled the entire continent. Prior to the Targaryen conquest, they ruled as Kings of the Reach. Their heraldry depicted a green hand on a white field.\nIts founder was Garth Greenhand, who wore a crown of vines and flowers and was said to have made the land bloom. Many of the noble houses of the Reach, including House Tyrell and House Florent, trace their descent to him.\nThe Gardeners became extinct when Aegon the Conqueror invaded Westeros. The King of the Reach, Mern IX, joined forces with the King of the Rock, Loren I, to challenge the invaders. In the battle, that became known as the Field of Fire, King Mern died incinerated when Aegon unleashed his three dragons, Vhagar, Meraxes and Balerion the Black Dread, against the combined forces of the Reach and the Rock.Harlen Tyrell, the steward of Highgarden, surrendered the castle to Aegon, and he was afterward made Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South.","background":null,"words":null,"seat":"Highgarden","region":"The Reach","lord":"None, Extinct","religion":"Old Gods of the Forest (before the Andal invasion), Faith of the Seven (after the Andal Invasion)","sigil_url":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/89/House-Gardener-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20161120134141","sigil":"A green hand on a white field","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/0/0a/Mern_gardener.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20130301192329","caption":"King Mern Gardener, holding a shield displaying the green hand sigil of House Gardener"},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/4/46/Garth%27s_crown.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20150215153402","caption":"The crown of the Gardener kings."}]},{"name":"House Lannister","description":"House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, one of its richest and most powerful families and oldest dynasties. It is also the current royal house of the Seven Kingdoms following the extinction of House Baratheon of King's Landing.\nTheir lands are in the far west of the continent. Their seat is Casterly Rock, a massive rocky promontory overlooking the Sunset Sea which has had habitations and fortifications built into it over the millennia. They are the Lords Paramount of the Westerlands and Wardens of the West. As the new royal house, they also rule directly over the Crownlands from their seat of the Red Keep in King's Landing, the traditional seat of the royal family. House Lannister's Heraldry consists of a golden lion on a crimson background, and their House words are \"Hear me roar!\", which is rarely mentioned. Their unofficial motto, which is as well known as the official one, is \"A Lannister always pays his debts\" - which is used much more often and mostly in negative context, though it can also be used in the original, literal sense.\nThe incestuous relationship of Cersei and Jaime has been concealed in a conspiracy. Their son Joffrey Baratheon has claimed the Iron Throne on the premise that he was actually fathered by the late King Robert Baratheon. Lord Tywin was a key supporter of his reign in the War of the Five Kings.","background":"House Lannister is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Their lands are in the far west of the continent. Their seat is Casterly Rock, a castle on a rocky promontory overlooking the Sunset Sea. It overlooks the thriving city of Lannisport and sits atop the most productive gold mine in the Westerlands. They are the wealthiest family in the realm. They once possessed a Valyrian steel sword called Brightroar, which was lost by King Tommen II Lannister.\nFair-haired, tall and handsome, the modern Lannisters are the blood of Andal adventurers who carved out a mighty kingdom in the western hills and valleys. Through the female line, they boast of descent from Lann the Clever, the legendary trickster of the Age of Heroes who swindled Casterly Rock from its previous rulers. They used to rule the Westerlands as the Kings of the Rock before swearing allegiance to the Targaryen family. The last King of the Rock, Loren Lannister, and the last King of the Reach, Mern Gardener, joined forces and fielded 60,000 men against Aegon the Conqueror. They were defeated by his dragons in a battle that came to be known as the 'Field of Fire' and lost 4,000 men. They have since served the Targaryens and now King Robert Baratheon as the Lords Paramount of the Westerlands and Wardens of the West. The gold of Casterly Rock and the Golden Tooth has made them the wealthiest of the Great Houses.\nTywin Lannister is the current head of the family. His father Tytos Lannister presided over a period of decline for the house. He frittered away much of their fortune on poor investments and allowed himself to be mocked at court creating a perception of weakness. Their vassals House Reyne of Castamere rebelled against Lord Tytos. Tywin put down the rebellion personally, extinguishing their house and re-establishing the fearsome reputation of House Lannister. His ruthlessness gave darker meaning to the common phrase \"A Lannister always pays his debts\" and was immortalized in the song \"The Rains of Castamere\".\nTywin has three children Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion by his wife Joanna Lannister. Joanna died after giving birth to Tyrion. Tyrion is a dwarf and has a troubled relationship with Tywin. Cersei and Jaime are fraternal twins. Cersei is Queen of Westeros since Tywin arranged for her marriage to King Robert Baratheon in exchange for his support in Robert's Rebellion. She has a longstanding incestuous relationship with her brother Jaime. The two conspire to conceal their love and have passed their children (Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen) off as being the product of Cersei's marriage.","words":"\"Hear Me Roar!\" (official), \"A Lannister Always Pays His Debts\" (common saying)","seat":"Red Keep, King's Landing, Casterly Rock (ancestral)","region":"The Crownlands, The Westerlands","lord":"Queen Cersei I","religion":"Faith of the Seven (de jure), None (de facto)","sigil_url":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/8a/House-Lannister-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20170101095357","sigil":"A golden lion rampant on a crimson field.","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/9/9a/ReyneRebellion.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20120603204229","caption":"The red lion of Reyne confronts the golden lion of Lannister"},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/0/0b/House_Lannister_banner.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/124?cb=20110408162149","caption":""},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/4/4d/Tywinfullarmor.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20121213222825","caption":"Tywin Lannister in armor after the Battle of the Green Fork"},{"src":"http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/1/14/High_Sparrow_engulfed_in_Wild_Fire.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160627114538","caption":"The High Sparrow is engulfed in wildfire flames as the Great Sept explodes."},{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/9/96/The_Winds_of_Winter_30.jpeg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20161215030355","caption":"Cersei Lannister sits the Iron Throne."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/89/Jaime_at_Cerseis_coronation.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160628212606","caption":"Jaime watches as his sister is proclaimed Queen of the Andals and the First Men."}]},{"name":"House Targaryen","description":"House Targaryen is a former Great House of Westeros and was the ruling royal House of the Seven Kingdoms for three centuries, before it was deposed during Robert's Rebellion and House Baratheon replaced it as the new royal House. The few surviving Targaryens fled into exile. Currently based in Essos, House Targaryen seeks to retake the Seven Kingdoms from House Lannister, who formally replaced House Baratheon as the royal House following the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor.\nHouse Targaryen's sigil is a three-headed red dragon on a black background, and their words are \"Fire and Blood\".","background":"Once a noble family of the vast Valyrian Freehold, an empire spanning most of the eastern continent, the Targaryens were given control of the island of Dragonstone in the Narrow Sea some centuries ago. After the obliteration of Valyria in the Doom, the Targaryens launched a devastating invasion of Westeros using three dragons to spearhead their attack. In a short period of time, six of the seven formerly independent kingdoms had surrendered to the Targaryen leader, King Aegon I, unifying the continent under his rule. The last hold-out, Dorne, joined the kingdom through a political and marriage alliance some two centuries later.\nDuring the increasingly erratic reign of King Aerys II, his son Rhaegar was said to have kidnapped Lyanna Stark of Winterfell for unknown reasons. When Lyanna's brother Brandon protested, Aerys responded by having both him and his father Rickard Stark arrested and executed. This sparked a massive uprising led by Eddard Stark, Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn. At the end of this war Aerys and Rhaegar were dead and the Targaryen power-base in Westeros destroyed. Aerys's youngest children, Viserys and Daenerys, were taken by Targaryen loyalists into exile in the Free Cities of the East.\nGenerations of compound inbreeding have preserved in the Targaryen bloodline the classic Valyrian features of silver-white (platinum blonde) hair, and very fair, pale skin. Allegedly, this also preserved in their bloodline the ability to successfully bond with and ride dragons. They also seem to be somewhat more tolerant of extreme heat and high temperatures than other people, though they are by no means invulnerable to fire – or at least, not all of them.","words":"\"Fire and Blood\"","seat":"Great Pyramid, Meereen, Dragonstone (formerly), Red Keep, King's Landing (formerly)","region":"Bay of Dragons, The Crownlands (claimant)","lord":"Queen Daenerys Targaryen","religion":null,"sigil_url":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/4/43/House-Targaryen-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20161206005534","sigil":"A red three-headed dragon, on a black field","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/e/e0/House_Targaryen_banner.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20110408162308","caption":"The banner of House Targaryen of Dragonstone, the former royal house of Westeros, now in exile."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/f/f5/Aegon%27s_crown.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20150215152559","caption":"The crown of Aegon the Conqueror."}]},{"name":"House Martell","description":"House Martell of Sunspear is a legally extinct Great House of Westeros. It ruled the peninsula of Dorne in the far south of the continent from their castle Sunspear. Though loyal to the Iron Throne, the Martells were never conquered by the Targaryens and pursued a more isolated role in wider political events since Robert's Rebellion.\nHouse Martell's sigil is a red sun pierced by a golden spear, on an orange field, a combination of the original Martell sigil - a yellow spear - and the emblem of Princess Nymeria - a red sun - to symbolize the marriage of the warrior-queen to Mors Martell. Their motto of the House is \"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken\"​.\nWith the assassinations of Prince Doran Martell and his only heir, Prince Trystane, by Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes, House Martell is legally extinct, although the Sand Snakes themselves carry Martell blood through their father Oberyn. The Sand Snakes also continue to use the Martell sigil to represent themselves and Dorne.\nUnder the leadership of Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes, the forces of House Martell and Dorne have aligned to support the cause of Daenerys Targaryen, against House Lannister after they declared war against them.","background":"House Martell started out as local kings in Dorne, which was long divided between many petty kings of the First Men and Andals. About a thousand years ago, Rhoynar refugees fleeing conquest by the Valyrian Freehold in Essos migrated across the Narrow Sea to Dorne, led by their warrior-queen Nymeria. Mors Martell was smitten with Nymeria and chose to join forces with her through marriage-alliance. With their combined strength, they conquered and unified the rest of Dorne. To symbolize their union, the original golden spear sigil of Mors Martell was combined with the red sun sigil of Nymeria, creating the red sun pierced by a golden spear sigil that House Martell has used ever since. Like their Rhoynar ancestors, House Martell styled its rulers as \"princes\" instead of \"kings\".\nThe Martell words are \"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken\" - referring to their history, in which they have never been successfully conquered by outsiders. This makes them unique among all of the Great Houses. During the Targaryen Conquest (three centuries before the War of the Five Kings), Dorne was the only region of the Seven Kingdoms to successfully resist the Targaryens and their dragons. Realizing that large armies could not stand against dragons (as seen at the Field of Fire), nor large castles (as seen at the Burning of Harrenhal), the Dornish instead resorted to guerrilla warfare, ambushing Targaryen soldiers and harassing their supply lines as soon as their dragons moved on to the next castle, then disappearing back into the harsh deserts when the dragons returned. The heat of Dorne's deserts also worked to the Martells' advantage, as Dorne's arid climate cannot easily support large invading armies. Losing many men due to attrition, ultimately even Aegon the Conqueror decided to withdraw from Dorne, to focus on reining in the other six newly conquered kingdoms.\nHouse Martell and Dorne have never been successfully conquered. Over a century and a half after the Targaryen Conquest of the rest of Westeros, they were invaded again by King Daeron I Targaryen, the Young Dragon. A military genius, his Conquest of Dorne actually succeeded - on the battlefield. But the initial conquest was followed by a four year long Dornish insurgency, in which occupying troops were again bled through ambush and guerrilla tactics. Lyonel Tyrell, the steward that Daeron I put in charge of Dorne, was then assassinated, and all of Dorne rose up in open rebellion. Daeron I himself was killed attempting to put down the insurrection, and after only four short years House Martell once again ruled an independent Dorne.\nA few decades later (a little over a century before the War of the Five Kings), King Daeron II the Good managed to finally unite Dorne with the Iron Throne - not through conquest, but by voluntary marriage-alliance on equal terms. Daeron II married the sister of the Prince of Dorne, and the Prince of Dorne married Daeron II's sister. This special, semi-autonomous status allowed Dorne to retain several special privileges, such as the Martells continuing to style themselves as \"Prince\" or \"Princess\" instead of \"Lord Paramount\" and continuing their practice of gender-blind primogeniture. This union did cause several political tensions at the royal court between Daeron II's pro-Martell faction and anti-Martell lords (from the Reach, the Stormlands, and the Dornish Marches), eventually leading to the Blackfyre Rebellion.\nGenerations later, King Aerys II Targaryen (later known as \"the Mad King\") had no daughters, so he sought a suitable bride for his son Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen from outside of the family. Aerys II chose to snub the offer of Tywin Lannister, his own trusted Hand of the King and dutiful servant, that Rhaegar marry his own young daughter Cersei. Instead, a match was arranged with the then-current Princess of Dorne to wed her daughter Elia Martell to Rhaegar.\nIn Robert's Rebellion, Elia was kept in King's Landing to ensure the continued allegiance of House Martell to the Targaryen's against the rebels. Elia bore Rhaegar two children but all three were later killed during Robert's Rebellion, during the Sack of King's Landing by Tywin Lannister's army. Elia's brothers Doran and Oberyn were outraged and, while peace was restored, the Martells withdrew from interacting with the royal court. During King Robert Baratheon's subsequent reign, the Martells and Dorne were rarely if ever even mentioned at court, except for their Dornish wine.","words":"\"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken\"","seat":"Sunspear","region":"Dorne","lord":"Ellaria Sand (de facto), Extinct (officially)","religion":null,"sigil_url":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/7/7e/House-Martell-Main-Shield.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20160312085543","sigil":"A red sun pierced by a gold spear, on an orange field","images_attributes":[{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/2/20/Nymeria_Ten_Thousand_Ships.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20150410223335","caption":"Nymeria led the Rhoynar refugee fleet in a massive migration to Dorne, fleeing the Valyrians."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/7/70/Dorne_resists_the_Targaryen_Conquest.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20150410213031","caption":"The Martells resisted the Targaryen conquest by resorting to guerrilla warfare: if a dragon came the Dornish hid in the desert until it left, then ambushed the Targaryens' supply lines, until they eventually withdrew."},{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/6/6d/Daeron%27s_death.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20150203111958","caption":"King Daeron I Targaryen's invasion of Dorne lasted only 4 years, ending with the death of Daeron I, along with 60,000 of his men, and the Martells still defiantly independent."},{"src":"http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/8/8f/Targaryen_Martell_two_marriages.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20150410223058","caption":"The double marriage-alliance that united the Martells with the Iron Throne: King Daeron II Targaryen married Prince Maron Martell's sister Myriah (left), and Prince Maron married Daeron II's sister Daenerys (right)."},{"src":"http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/4/4a/Slaughter.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130416000518","caption":"At the end of Robert's Rebellion, Lannister bannerman Gregor Clegane killed Elia Martell's children, then raped and killed Elia."},{"src":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/9/99/Nymeria_and_Mors_Martell.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20150316165321","caption":"Mors Martell and Nymeria united to conquer and unify Dorne. Afterwards they ruled equally, and were succeeded by their eldest daughter over their younger son - following the gender-blind inheritance customs of the Rhoynar."},{"src":"http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/d/da/Doran%2C_Ellaria%2C_Areo_%26_Sand_Snakes.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160823014456","caption":""}]}]