House Tully

House Tully of Riverrun is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms. Lord Hoster Tully, the Lord Paramount of the Trident, rules over the riverlands from the Tully seat of Riverrun. Their sigil is a silver trout leaping on a striped field of blue and mud red, and their house words are "Family, Duty, Honor."

## Customs

Although Riverrun still has a godswood, House Tully follows the Faith of the Seven.

Tully funeral customs decree that a deceased member is placed on a small boat. Men might be clad in their armor and surcoat, with a wooden sword and shield. They are placed on their cloak, among stones to make the boat heavy in the water, and driftwood, kindling and scraps of parchement to allow it to catch fire. In honor of the Seven, seven men are chosen to push the funereal boat to the water. Using a flaming arrow, the boat is lit afire.

## History

### Pre-Targaryen

House Tully is an old noble house of First Men origin, dating back to the Age of Heroes. Ser Edmure Tully and his sons were allies of Tristifer IV Mudd, the King of the Rivers and the Hills, but the Tullys knelt to the Andal conqueror Armistead Vance after Tristifer's death. Edmure's son, Axel Tully, received land at the junction of the Red Fork and the Tumblestone, where he constructed Riverrun.

Unlike many Great Houses the Tullys never ruled as kings, but held Riverrun for a thousand years as powerful vassals of those who did. They often defended the Trident from the Kings of the Rock. Lord Elston Tully died supporting Lord Roderick Blackwood against King Humfrey I Teague. Lord Tommen Tully futilely supported Lady Agnes Blackwood against Harwyn Hoare, King of the Iron Islands, and Tommen's natural son Samwell Rivers was slain at the Tumblestone.

### Targaryen Era

House Tully rose to prominence during Aegon's Conquest, when Lord Edmyn Tully led the rebel river lords who deserted King Harren the Black and joined Aegon the Conqueror. Following the burning of Harrenhal, Edmyn was rewarded with dominion over the riverlands as the Lord Paramount of the Trident. One of Edmyn's daughters married Lord Quenton Qoherys of Harrenhal, while Edmyn himself served two years as Hand of the King to King Aegon I.

King Aenys I Targaryen relied on the Tullys during the rebellion of Harren the Red, and King Maegor I Targaryen was supported by the Tullys and the Harroways against Prince Aegon Targaryen in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye. The Tullys later supported Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen against Maegor.

In 101 AC during the Great Council, Lord Grover Tully spoke in favor of Prince Viserys Targaryen over Laenor Velaryon as the successor to Jaehaerys I. During the Dance of the Dragons, the Tullys ruled over, in name at least, the quarrelsome river lords. The aged Lord Grover wanted to support the greens, but his grandson Elmo and great-grandson Kermit supported the blacks. Elmo led the riverlords to battle on the side of Rhaenyra during the Second Battle of Tumbleton. His grandfather died soon after, and Elmo himself followed his grandfather to the grave forty-nine days later. His young son Kermit led the Lads and slew Lord Borros Baratheonin the Battle of the Kingsroad.

The Tullys were Targaryen loyalists during the Blackfyre Rebellions. Lord Medgar Tully participated in the tourney at Ashford Meadow, where he challenged Ser Humfrey Hardyng in his first tilt but was defeated. Two years later, during the reign of Aerys I Targaryen, there was a new Lord Tully, a boy of eight (in 211 AC). He was surrounded by women, indicating he had no brothers or uncles.

### War of the Seven Kings

House Tully was an integral part in Robb Starks success in the War of the Seven Kings. Brynden ‘Blackfish’ Tully and Greatjon Umber attacked Steffon Lannister at Oxcross, killing him and dealing a great defeat to the Westerlands.

Blackfish and Umber slaughtered the Lannister men at Oxcross before splitting their forces. Greatjon would lead the remaining Northmen to forage the West whilst the Blackfish returned to the Riverlands to defend his home. Edmure Tully, the new Lord of Riverrun, engaged Tywin’s host in the field, pushing them back. Blackfish and Edmure regrouped at Riverrun whilst Tywin and his company retreat to Harrenhal.

Following the War, the Blackfish faithfully served in the Vale as Regent to his great nephew along with Lady Waynwood and Lord Royce. Edmure Tully ended up marrying Barbara Bracken.

### The Little War

Much like their Northern and Vale counterparts, House Tully suffered embarrassing losses against the Sellsword invasion. Lord Tully and a handful of his commanders getting captured in the process.

### First War of Reclamation

Due to the Riverlands being on the boarder of the Kingdom of Winter and the Iron Throne, House Tully was a major player in the First War of Reclaimation.

Lord Tully, hearing that Lord Morton had to pull back to Harrenhall after losing Maidenpool, knew that Lord Baratheon was moving to capture Saltpans in order to gain control of the bay of Crabs. If they succeeded, they’d gain control of the Narrow Seas and it would end the attack on the Stepstones.  Lord Tully also learned that the Riverlands army wasn’t fully gathered and the Tyrell army was marching from the South.  Ultimately, Lord Tully made the decision: His army would march on Saltpans.

Lord Baratheon’s men would need to march past Harrenhal on the King’s Road so Tully ordered his men to stage a blockade at Darry and keep the Baratheon’s in the South. Meanwhile, he ordered Lord Mallister to gather a second army and meet Tyrell before he could do real damage. Lord Tully then moved to join his men at Darry. They built up defenses on the King’s Road, intending a blockade. Soon enough, Lord Baratheon and his men arrived to find the defenses in his way. He ordered his men to go through it. The first land battle of the War began.

The battle lasted a full day and only drew to a close as the light of the sun faded. As the moon rose so did Baratheon’s army in victory. Lord Tully himself was captured with his son slain. Lord Piper rallied the soldiers and they retreated North back to Harrenhal. Baratheon lay siege to Darry following his victory, offering Lord Darry Tully in exchange for Darry’s unconditional surrender. Tully himself ordered Darry to not surrender. Darry chose to follow his Lord’s order. Baratheon left Lord Estermont in charge of the siege. King Baratheon and his forces soon pulled up on Lord Baratheon’s rear. King Baratheon ordered half of Lord Baratheon’s forces to join his own. He intended to march North and crush the Riverlanders for a swift victory.

Lord Tully would remain imprisoned for the better part of the War, his life threatened daily by Lord Baratheon before Lord Frey of Darry, and Lord Frey of Darry refusing to surrender his castle. Eventually the siege of Darry was broken by Lord Arryn, but Lord Tully remained a prisoner of Lord Baratheon as he fled.

### The War for the Vale

Upon the knowledge of King Targaryen's invasion of the Vale, Lords Tully, Egen of Harrenhal, Frey of Darry, and Lord Mooton form a land blockade of troops along the Vales borders but do not attack waiting for King Starks order. After 2 moons, Stark had arrived with more men to add to the blockade, Lord Tully marched south while King Stark took the High Road.

First, Lord Tully took Wickenden and left it in the capable hands of Lord Piper of Pinkmaiden and marched for Redfort. He then fought with Prince Martell in the field, defeating him and then blockading Runestone and Gulltown by land. For a year, Tully would beseige Runestone and attack the armies at Gulltown taking back the port city and allowing Lord Karstark's fleet to land their ships at Gulltown. Lord Tully also created Siege equipment to harass King Targaryen's dragon.

Tully's forces at Runestone were eventually pushed back by Martell, but Lord Tully would strike back at the Gates of the Moon, crushing Martell's forces.

Then, a raven came to the Lord, causing him to pull his troops from The Vale after King Targaryen was routed. Maidenpool had fallen to King Bartheon.