House Bracken

**House Bracken of Stone Hedge** is an old house from Stone Hedge in the Riverlands, one of the main families sworn to House Tully of Riverrun. They blazon their arms with a red stallion upon a golden escutcheon on brown.[1][2] Their words do not appear in the books.

The Bracken lands lie along the Red Fork of the Trident.

The current Lord is Benjen Bracken.

## History

### Age Of Heros

The Brackens have the blood of the First Men in their veins and were kings of the riverlands during the Age of Heroes. They have an old and bitter feud against their neighbors, the Blackwoods. According to the Brackens, the Blackwoods were vassals who betrayed the Brackens and usurped their crown.

The Brackens and Blackwoods allied together against the Andal invasion, but they were defeated in the Battle of the Bitter River. The feud has continued throughout the years, aided by House Bracken's change to the Faith of the Seven after the Andal invasion. The Blackwoods believe the Brackens poisoned the weirwood at Raventree Hall. Battle Valley and the village of Blackbuckle are part of the disputed land. There have been numerous peaces between the Brackens and Blackwoods, many sealed by marriage, but the feud always restarts. Benedict Rivers was a bastard born from both houses who eventually became King Benedict I Justman.

When Lady Agnes Blackwood led the resistance of the river lords to King Harwyn Hoare, Lord Lothar Bracken attacked Agnes's army from behind. It is possible Lothar hoped to become King of the Trident after Harwyn defeated the Storm King Arrec Durrandon, but House Hoare instead took the riverlands for themselves. Harwyn starved Lothar to death when he rose in rebellion.

### After The Dragons

House Bracken aided Aegon the Conquerer during his War of Conquest and rebelled against Harwyn's grandson, King Harren the Black of Harrenhal. The Brackens and the Blackwoods had been weakened by a private war a decade before the rebellion, however, and Aegon granted the new title of Lord Paramount of the Trident to Lord Edmyn Tullyof Riverrun.

A Bracken fought a duel with a Blackwood over Rhaenyra Targaryen in 112 AC, but the princess eventually wed Ser Laenor Velaryon.

Lord Bracken served as Hand of the King to King Aegon IV Targaryen. His daughter Barba Bracken, the fifth mistress of Aegon IV, was the mother of Aegor Rivers, the Great Bastard known as Bittersteel. According to Ser Eustace Osgrey, Lord Bracken was to sail with Myrish crossbowmen to aid Daemon Blackfyre and Bittersteel during the First Blackfyre Rebellion, but was delayed by storms.

Ser Otho Bracken slew Lord Quentyn Blackwood at a tourney in King's Landing, reinvigorating the feud. Three years later Otho and some Blackwoods participated in the tourney at Ashford Meadow. Ser Steffon Fossoway considered convincing Otho or the Blackwoods to fight for Dunk at his trial of seven, but decided it would be impossible to make them fight on the same side. When Lord Bracken lay dying, Septon Sefton explained that Otho would inherit and the Blackwoods would not suffer him, meaning war. Lord Bracken's eldest son died in the Great Spring Sickness. The then-Hand of the King, Bittersteel's rival Lord Bloodraven, was half-Blackwood, so he was unlikely to stop it.

Lords Bracken and Blackwood came to Riverrun when Lysa Tully was young to put their feud before Lord Hoster Tully's judgment. Hoster attempted to marry Ser Brynden Tully to Lord Bracken's daughter. The daughter of Elys Waynwood was on her way to marry a Bracken when she was kidnapped by the Burned Men and not heard from again.

*Following The Death Of Eddard Stark*

Three Bracken men-at-arms, Kurleket, Lharys and Mohor, assist Catelyn Tully in arresting Tyrion Lannister at the inn at the crossroads. The three die during the trek to the Vale of Arryn, slain by mountain clansmen.

After the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings, Ser Gregor Clegane burns out the Brackens, laying waste to their fields, slaughtering their smallfolk and leaving Stone Hedge a smoking ruin. Lord Jonos Bracken is listed among the nobles Joffrey commands to do him fealty or be declared traitors. Lord Jonos arrives at Riverrun after the Battle of the Camps. At the war council at Riverrun, Jonos suggests to pledge fealty to King Renly Baratheon, perhaps only to contradict Lord Tytos Blackwood's previous statement. After Greatjon Umber speaks, Jonos joins the other river lords in declaring Robb Stark to be King in the North.

Lord Jonos recovers Stone Hedge from the Lannisters, but he is wounded and his nephew Hendry is killed in the fighting.

### War Of The Exile

House Bracken participated in the War of the Exile under the North, during the **Battle of Maidenpool**in 342 AC, where the Northern forces took Maidenpool back from the Pentoshi host. At this battle fought Mychel Bracken, along with his brothers Dickon and Brynden. Their father died in that battle, making Mychel the new lord of Stones Hedge.

### War of the Burning Brand

The Brackens participated in this war as well, up until the **Battle of the Brand (357 AC).**The army of Arrec was caught between the armies of the North and South in the foothills of the Westerland mountains. Arrec (slain in single combat by Alan Tarly) and his host were destroyed, but lord Mychel lost his life in the final charge.

## Current Members

* Old Lord Bracken (301 AC - 342 AC)

* Mychel Bracken, his father (325 AC - 357 AC)
* Olenna Bracken nee Smallwood, his mother (327 AC)
	+ Jeyne Bracken, his sister (347 AC)
	+ Burton Bracken (Twin of Dale, Elder twin)(352 AC)
	+ Dale Bracken (Twin of Burton)(352 AC)
* Dickon Bracken, his uncle (329 AC)
	+ Desmond Bracken, his cousin (350 AC)
* Brynden Bracken, his uncle, steward at Riverrun (327 AC)

## Historical Members

* + Benedict Rivers, a bastard who became King Benedict I Justman.
	+ Lord Lothar Bracken, who betrayed Lady Agnes Blackwood and was starved by Harwyn Hoare.
	+ Unknown son of Lord Bracken, who, in 112 AC, dueled the son of Lord Blackwood for the hand of Rhaenyra Targaryen.
	+ Lord Bracken, who served as Hand of the King to Aegon IV Targaryen.
		- Barba Bracken, the fifth of Aegon IV's mistresses and mother of Aegor "Bittersteel" Rivers.
		- Bethany Bracken, the seventh of Aegon IV's mistresses.
	+ Lord Bracken, unknown member of House Bracken, head of the House during the last part of the reign of King Daeron II Targaryen, and the early part of the reign of KingAerys I Targaryen.
		- His son and heir, an unknown son, died in the Spring Sickness.
		- Ser Otho Bracken, known as the Brute of Bracken, the second son of Lord Bracken, and his heir during the reign of King Aerys I Targaryen.