House Lannister

**House Lannister** is one of the Great Houses of The Seven Kingdoms, and the principal house of The Westerlands. Their seat is Casterly Rock, though also have another seat in the nearby Lannisport. Their sigil is a golden lion on a field of crimson.

Their official motto is "*Hear Me Roar!*" However, their unofficial motto, equally well known, is "*A Lannister always pays his debts*." The Warden of the West is a Lannister by tradition.

## **History:**

### **First Men Kings:**

The Lannisters suddenly appear as First Men in historical records of The Age of Heroes, ruling large portions of The Westerlands from Casterly Rock just as the Casterlys vanished from the chronicles. They claim descent from Lann the Clever, the legendary figure who tricked the Casterlys from their seat, Casterly Rock.

Members of lesser branches of the family left Casterly Rock and developed a nearby village into the city of Lannisport. Meanwhile, the Lannisters of Casterly Rock grew to become Kings of the Rock. The first known King of the Rock was Loreon I Lannister, although Lann the Clever has posthumously been called by the same title.

### **Andal Kings:**

The gold of Casterly Rock, Castamere, the Pendric Hills and The Golden Tooth has made them the wealthiest of the Great Houses. The keep at Casterly Rock sits on top of a gold mine, built into the very rock. From that lofty yet uncomfortable position, House Lannister rules over The Westerlands and influences all of Westeros, by virtue of the kingdom's purse strings.

House Lannister possessed an ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword called Brightroar, but it was lost when King Tommen II Lannister went on a quest to Valyria and never returned. The Lannisters have been looking for a replacement ever since, though they have not stopped looking for their own lost ancestral sword.

Hagon Hoare, King of the Iron Islands, allowed his mother, the dowager queen Lelia Lannister, to be mutilated by the Shrike. Her nephew, the King of the Rock, began a war which left the Iron Islands impoverished.

### **Tywin Lannister**:

In more recent times, during the lordship of Tytos Lannister, the house fell on hard times. Tytos's weakness allowed him to be bullied by his vassals, House Reyne and Tarbeck. Eventually his son Tywin crushed the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt and restored the house to its former glory. Soon thereafter, Tywin was made Hand of the King by Aerys II Targaryen, holding that position for many years. When Aerys was held hostage by Denys Darklyn, Tywin's conservative approach took six months to resolve the conflict. This instigated Aerys's paranoia and drove a wedge between the two, along with the king's lusting after Joanna Lannister, Tywin's wife, cousin, and trusted confidante.

Despite Tywin's attempts to ensure a strong legacy, life at Casterly Rock was dysfunctional at best. His twin children, Cersei and Jaime, began an incestuous relationship at an early age. Tywin was never a jovial man, but when Joanna died birthing their third child, Tyrion, he was much saddened. His brother, Kevan, became his right hand and their sister, Genna, took a maternal role over the children. His second brother, Tygett, died of a pox.

Cersei, while a young maid, visited a woods witch called Maggy the Frog, who shared portents of Cersei's future that planted seeds of her paranoia. Cersei possibly murdered her friend Melara Hetherspoon, who had witnessed the prophecy. Tyrion, when thirteen years old, was out with Jaime when he met and married a girl named Tysha, a match which was quickly and savagely ended by their father. Tywin offered Tyrion to Houses Martell, Hightower, Royce, Florent and Tully, but he was rejected by all. Jaime was a promising young knight, dubbed by Ser Arthur Dayne. Tywin was devastated when Jaime joined King Aery's Kingsguard, breaking off a betrothal to Lysa Tully. Upon this action (which he perceived as Aerys "stealing" his heir), coupled with the Mad King's refusal to wed Prince Rhaegar Targaryen to Cersei, Tywin resigned the Handship. This flew in the face of Jaime's plan, which was to be closer to Cersei: he was kept in King's Landing while Cersei returned to Casterly Rock.

Tywin Lannister decided to stay neutral when he received summons from King Aerys I Targaryen to fight the rebelling lords and when he got an offer from Robert Baratheon, he in turn decided to march his army towards King's Landing, on his way to the capital he encountered the Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, who told him of his plans to replace his father as king, so Tywin Lannister joined the Prince, when they got to the capital Jamie Lannister had already killed the Mad King, making Rhaegar Targaryen the king, Tywin tried to get Jamie released from his oath but the new king and his son refused.

After the war was over Tywin noticed how closely allied most of the kingdom were becoming, through marriages. So he decided to marry his daughter Cersei Lannister to Lord of Storm's End, Robert Baratheon.

## **Family:**

* Lord Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, Warden of The West, and former Hand of the King and current Master of Coin.
	+ Lady {Joanna Lannister}, his wife and cousin. Died in childbirth.
		- Lady Cersei Lannister, Lady of Storm's End, his daughter.
			* Lord Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, Lord Paramount of The Stormlands.
				+ Joffrey Baratheon, his eldest son and heir.
				+ Myrcella Baratheon, his daughter.
				+ Tommen Baratheon, his second son.
		- Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, his eldest son. A member of the Kingsguard.
		- Tyrion Lannister, his second son. Disinherited by Tywin, titles restored by King Rhaegar I. Called the Imp and Halfman.
* Lord Kevan Lannister, Tywin's eldest brother, Lord of Lannisport.
	+ Lady Dorna Lannister, his wife, from House Swyft.
		- Lancel Lannister, Kevan's eldest son.
		- Willem Lannister, Kevan's second son.
		- Martyn Lannister, Kevan's third son. Twin to Willem.
		- Janei Lannister, Kevan's daughter.
* Lady Genna Lannister, his sister, Lady of Casterly Rock.
	+ Emmon Frey, her husband and father of her children.
		- Ser Cleos Frey, His eldest son.
			* Jeyne Frey, of House Darry, his wife, mother of his two children.
				+ Tywin Frey, Cleos's eldest son. A young squire.
				+ Willem Frey, Cleos's second son. A page at Ashemark.
		- Ser Lyonel Frey, His second son.
			* Melesa Frey, of House Crakehall, his wife.
		- Tion Frey, His third son.
		- Walder Frey, His fourth son. Called Red Walder. A squire and page at Casterly Rock.
* Ser {Tygett Lannister}, his second brother. Died from a pox.
	+ Lady Darlessa Lannister, of House Marbrand, his wife.
		- Tyrek Lannister, Tygett's son.
* Ser Gerion Lannister, his third brother.
	+ Joy Hill, Gerion's bastard daughter.

* Ser {Damon Lannister}, older (half-)brother of Stafford and Joanna Lannister. Dead.
	+ Ella Lannister, wife of Damon and mother to his son Damion. Cousin of an unknown branch.
		- Ser Damion Lannister, Damon's son, castellan of Casterly Rock.
			* Lady Shiera Lannister, Ser Damion's wife, from House Crakehall.
				+ Ser Lucion Lannister, his son.
				+ Lady Lanna Jast, his daughter, married to Lord Antario Jast.
* Ser Stafford Lannister, younger brother of Joanna Lannister.
	+ Lady Myranda Lannister, his wife and mother to his three children, from House Lefford.
		- Ser Daven Lannister, Stafford's son.
		- Cerenna Lannister, Stafford's daughter.
		- Myrielle Lannister, Stafford's daughter.
* Lynora Hill, bastard daughter of Jason Lannister, sister to Joanna, Stafford and Damon.

With unspecified familiar relationship to the main branch there is also:

* Lady Margot Peake, a cousin of an unknown branch.
	+ Lord Titus Peake, Lord of Starpike, her Husband.

* Ser Alton Lannister was a young knight from a cadet branch.