House Tarly

## House Tarly of Horn Hill

**House Tarly** is a noble house within the Reach. Their seat is Horn Hill in the Dornish Marshes, they are a House of Marcher Lords and as such have a large martial tradition. Their words \*First in Battle\*, is a source of pride, bravery and loyalty as House Tarly has provided the Reach with its best warriors throughout history.

Currently, House Tarly went through turmoil when Sam Tarly a famed military commander went to war with House Hightower, House Peake, and House Tarly over the Tarly War of Succession. Rolland was the firstborn son of Lord Gareth Tyrell, Samwell had taken the Lordship from the true heir Lord Rolland who had been taken to Starpike after the death of Lord Gareth Tarly's first wife, Lady Lillianna Peake died in childbirth.

## Family Tree

### Rolland 'the Ruthless'

Lord Rolland Tarly is the Lord of Horn Hill and a Marcher Lord of the Dornish Marches. Born in 384 AC. Firstborn son of Gareth Tarly and Lillianna Peake.

Rolland grew up in Starpike and eventually moved to Oldtown with Ser Harlon Hunt to work as blacksmiths and for Harlon to find a new master for Lord Rolland as he was getting to old and slow for the already strong and fearsome Rolland. Ser Harlon pleaded with Ser Erron Hightower, he begged for him to take on the young man as a squire. Erron gave in once Harlon told him that he was the true Lord of Horn Hill.

Rolland 'the Ruthless' became a famous name after the Tarly War of Succession in 411 AC. Samwell Tarly was accused of murdering Lord Abelar and taking the lordship of Horn Hill for himself. Rolland accused him of kinslaying, and he promised to put an end to his life once and for all.

Samwell broke the betrothal with House Hightower after Maekar's rebellion. He saw them as weak and his lessers, he wanted a wife of higher class than the hightowers.

This was the opportunity Rolland needed, he pleaded with Ser Erron to join his cause in retaking Horn Hill, and in return he promised to marry his daughter, Cissa Hightower.

Ser Erron came to Leyton with the new information. Rolland presented Leyton with a letter from Lord Horras Peake, in the letter he promised to join Rolland Tarly's cause as he was the firstborn son of Lord Gareth Tarly and Lady Lillianna Peake, and the true heir of Horn Hill.

Now that Rolland had the Hightower and Peake forces behind him, many men loyal to House Tarly joined Rolland's cause. The Hightower and Tarly forces marched to Starpike to rally with the Peake men, then their combined forces marched on Horn Hill.

Once the fighting was over and the Tarly forces were defeated, many of them bent the knee. Those that did not were cut down by Rolland himself. The last man standing was Alan Tarly, the 'heir of Horn Hill'. Rolland took the ancestral sword of House Tarly, Heartsbane from the ground and decapitated Alan in a powerful swing.

All the men stared down, the battlefield had become as silent as a sept. Rolland was there on known a Rolland 'the Ruthless'.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck at the tournament of Summerhall in 418 AC. Rolland, though he had been a strong and bold lord, lost his life in the joust. With already so many of the Tarly family filling the crypts over infighting, it seemed tragedy was in abundance. As if there had not been enough misfortune to befall the house, word quickly returned that the lady and her children had also died in a savage attack upon their carriage.

For its kinslaying, perhaps House Tarly had been cursed and a final heir emerged as a last chance at redemption. Gwyneth Tarly became the next to ascend the place, though most of her life she had been pushed to the side and kept from any elevated position within the house. A mixed welcome followed her given her unknown skills and her age, seeing it as an inability to produce heirs.

Where there was doubt, Gwyneth found triumph, and not long after taking her place, she had married Auguste Florent. It did not change the doubts on her capability of producing the next generation, and the simple manner of Auguste's particular habits, made it seem even more unlikely. To the surprise of those within Horn Hill, the lady was noticeably pregnant not long after they had wed. Speculation rose that there had been more involved in their study sessions, but those thoughts were never spoken aloud with a relief that there would be children of Tarly once more. In fact, the first had been twins, Viola and Auguste, and the following years would see two more children, Genavene and Owen.