House Mertyns

**House Mertyns of Mistwood** is a noble House from the Stormlands, sword directly to House Baratheon. Its seat is the castle of Mistwood, located at the forest edge of the Rainwood, some miles inland from the shore of the Sea of Dorne.

## History

### Early History

Little is known about the origins of House Mertyns. Although the name is of an Andal origin and since the time of the Andal Invasion the rulers of Mistwood worshipped the Seven, also earlier influences can be noticed, for example continued worship of the Old Gods in the Rainwood, with whose followers the ruling House still held ties, as well as an unwritten code of conduct still held dear by members of the family that reminds of the honourability of the First Men.

On a Realm-wide scope, House Mertyns only from time to time gained relevance, with the most notable example being Ser Michael Mertyns, a knight of the Kingsguard, called the White Owl.

### War of the Five Kings

During the War of the Five Kings, under the rule of Lady Mary Mertyns, House Mertyns initially declared for Stannis Baratheon, their troops taking part in the Siege of Storm's End. After the brief battle, two of Lady Mertyns' three sons bent their knees to King Renly Baratheon, thereby avoiding ostracism. Only the youngest, Franklyn Mertyns, stayed loyal to Lord Stannis and was exiled to the Wall, where he went missing during the Last Ranging.

### The Recent Past

Ruling wisely, Lord Andros Mertyns acquired great appreciation for his benevolence among the smallfolk and the merchants of the Mertyns estate. Before he assumed Lordship, he served as a knight in the War of the Exile, allegedly alongside the later Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Nathaniel Connington.

As Lord of Mistwood, Andros especially furthered the commercial relations of Mistwood, trading with Dorne and the Free Cities primarily. Also maintaining relations to merchants in King's Landing, he purchased a mansion at the foot of Visenya's Hill, which would later serve House Mertyns as Townhouse and be known as "Mertyns House".

## Recent Events

Under the rule of Lord Andros Mertyns, relations to other Houses from the Stormlands were maintained, especially to House Penrose and House Baratheon. In 367 AC, Tommard Mertyns, then heir to his father Lord Andros, started to represent him as judge over legal cases brought to the Lord's court, a task that also included legal counsel to other noble houses, including House Errol. After having taken responsibility for the bookkeeping of the Mertyns estate before, Tommard, who, instead of training for knighthood, had anyway always preferred intellectual challenges, shortly even considering to become a Maester, was thereby further prepared for Lordship, which he took over upon Lord Andros' death in the Second Moon of 370 AC.

Before Tommard Mertyns arrived in King's Landing for the Grand Feast - a visit that was prolonged by the death of Alesander Baratheon and the following coronation of Robert III Baratheon - he started to collect the most interesting of his legal cases in a work called *Of Disputes Concerning the Ownership of Title Claims and Solutions Thereof According to the Laws of Westeros.*

After having settled in in Mertyns House, Tommard and Alysanne Mertyns furthered their relationships to other Noble Houses, especially House Florent. Meanwhile, Tommard Mertyns participates in the investigations concerning the regicide, assisting Lord Protector Roland Westerling. In that course, he contacted the Lady Justice, Alerah Horpe, Prince Edric Baratheon, and Lord Tytos Marbrand, the Master of Laws.

In the course of bonding with House Florent, in the Eighth Moon of 370 AC, it was agreed that Lady Alysanne Mertyns would be courted by the Acting Lord Florian Florent. The following days encompassed several proceedings concerning the courtship. With Lady Meredyth Penrose as Lord Tommard's escort, the Mertyns siblings attended the Great Ball of House Florent.

After rumours of a merchant's convoy with goods of academic interest located in the Stormlands reached Tommard Mertyns, he sent Maester Perwyn to seek that convoy. With the Northern merchant Wyllard Snow, Maester Perwyn closed a bargain to exchange rare shards of Obsidian for the prototype of a *close-eye*, a scientific instrument developed by the Maester in Mistwood.

## Family

* {Lady Mary Mertyns} (b. 247 AC, d. 305 AC)
	+ {Lord Matthos Mertyns} (b. 264 AC, d. 317 AC)
		- {Ser Gerold Mertyns}, (b. 281 AC, d. 300 AC)
		- {Lord Rolph Mertyns} (b. 283 AC, d. 343 AC)
		- {Lady Arianne Mertyns (nee Fell)} (b. 295 AC, d. 357 AC)
			* {Lord Andros Mertyns} (b. 324 AC, d. 370 AC)
			* Dowager Lady Joanna Mertyns (nee Wensington) (b. 324 AC)
				+ **Lord Tommard Mertyns** (b. 350 AC)
				+ Alysanne Mertyns (b. 352 AC)
				+ Shireen Mertyns (b. 361 AC)
			* {Alyssa Mertyns} (b. 325 AC, d. 350 AC)
			* {Stannis Swann} (d. 350 AC)
				+ Robert Swann
				+ Harrold Swann
				+ Sylvi Swann (b. 348 AC)
			* Ser Damon Mertyns (b. 326 AC)
			* Lanna Mertyns (nee Baratheon) (b. 327 AC)
				+ Ser Michael Mertyns (b. 348 AC)
				+ Marya Mertyns (b. 351 AC)
	+ {Ser Gareth Mertyns}, (b. 268 AC , d. 334 AC)
	+ {Franklyn Mertyns}, Brother of the Night's Watch (b. 273 AC, disappeared 301 AC)

## Household

### At Mistwood

* Ser Cleyton Musgood (b. 334 AC), Castellan of Mistwood
* Maester Perwyn (b. 312 AC), maester
* Ser Oswell Musgood (b. 353 AC), son of Ser Cleyton

### At King's Landing

* Carter (b. 316 AC), head servant at Mertyns House
* Hooper, a driver
* Cass, a cook

## References

1. ↑ One Cause Through Different Means
2. ↑ Hope Despite Insecurity
3. ↑ From The Mud Gates, The Stags Flow
4. ↑ A Song To Sing
5. ↑ One Cause Through Different Means
6. ↑ Hope Despite Insecurity
7. ↑ Not One Day Like Another
8. ↑ From The Mud Gates, The Stags Flow
9. ↑ The Fox's Den
10. ↑ A Protecting Hand
11. ↑ Advancing Beyond The Surface
12. ↑ To The Rock, pt. II
13. ↑ Open At Your Pleasure
14. ↑ Foxes & Owls
15. ↑ An Initial Proposition
16. ↑ Letters Concerning And Incipience
17. ↑ A Love Couple And A Crisis Committee
18. ↑ A Diplomatic Solution
19. ↑ Diplomacy Continues
20. ↑ Let's Have A Ball
21. ↑ There Has Been An Awakening
22. ↑ A Maester Has Felt It