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."

## History

### Pre-Conquest Era

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.[9]

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.[10]

### Targaryen Dynasty

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.[9] Lord Prentys Tully served Jaehaerys I as master of laws, while his wife, Lady Lucinda Tully, led the household for Queen Alysanne Targaryen.

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 Baratheon in the Battle of the Kingsroad. Kermit's brother, Ser Oscar Tully, founded the Stormbreakers.

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.

### The Great Council (233 AC)

In the Great Council, the Riverlands, as usual, presents much less than a united front. House Blackwood backs Aegon, House Darry backs Aemon, and House Bracken votes for Maegor, though one can imagine they intended to vote for Aenys before his "unfortunate accident." House Tully does not speak one way or another until is is clear the majority is for Aemon, after which they throw their support behind him. This pleases no one.