House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Seven Kingdoms, and the principal house of the Westerlands. Their seat is Casterly Rock, though another branch exists that is based in nearby Lannisport. Their sigil is a golden lion on a field of crimson.Their official words are Hear me roar! However their unofficial words, equally well known, are A Lannister always pays his debts.
The Lannisters descend from Andal adventurers who married the daughters of the King of the Rock. The King himself descended from Lann the Clever, a legendary trickster from the Age of Heroes who tricked the Casterlys into giving him Casterly Rock. The Lannisters reigned as Kings of the Rock until the Targaryen conquest. Afer the Field of Fire, King Loren I surrendered and his House was allowed to remain the paramount lords of the westerlands. The Lannisters are the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms, due in large part to the many gold mines under their control. House Lannister once possessed an ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword called Brightroar; but it has long been lost.
During the Blackfyre Rebellion, Lord Damon Lannister remained loyal to the Targaryens. The great rebel general Ser Quentyn Ball defeated him outside the gates of Lannisport.
Later, during the lordship of Tytos Lannister, the House fell on hard times. Tytos' weakness allowed him to be bullied by his vassals. Eventually his son Tywin brought the wayward bannermen to heel and restored the house to its former glory. Soon thereafter, Tywin was made Hand of the King by Aerys II, 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 Tywin's wife, cousin and trusted confidante Joanna. Tywin was never a jovial man, but when Joanna died birthing their third child, Tyrion, he was much saddened and his brother Kevan became his right hand. Their sister Genna took a maternal role over the children. His second brother Tygett died of a pox, and their brother Gerion sailed off on a journey to Valyria, never to be seen again.
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. 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 murdered her friend who had witnessed the prophecy. Tyrion, when 13 years old, was out with Jaime when he met and married a girl named Tysha, a match which was quickly and savagely ended by Lord Tywin. Jaime was a promising young knight, dubbed by Ser Arthur Dayne. Tywin was devastated when Jaime joined King Aery's Kingsguard. Upon this action (which he perceived as the Mad King "stealing" his heir), coupled with the Mad King's refusal to wed Prince Rhaegar 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.
During Robert's Rebellion, the Lannisters stayed neutral for the majority of the war. Only after the defeat of Prince Rhaegar at the Trident did Lord Tywin bestir himself to join Robert Baratheon against the Targaryen dynasty, perpetrating the Sack of King's Landing when the Lannister loyalist Grand Maester Pycelle suggested the gates be opened. There Ser Jaime Lannister, still a Kingsguard, slew Aerys, the last crowned Targaryen king. Meanwhile Tywin's knights killed the rest of the Targaryens in the capitol to prove their commitment to Robert's cause. Afterwards, Tywin's daughter Cersei was wed to King Robert. This marriage and the increasing amount of gold Robert owes to Tywin have only increased Lannister power. Much of Lord Tywin's energy is directed inward, ensuring all of his relatives do their part to uphold the family name.
The Lannisters descend from Andal adventurers who married the daughters of the King of the Rock. The King himself descended from Lann the Clever, a legendary trickster from the Age of Heroes who tricked the Casterlys into giving him Casterly Rock. The Lannisters reigned as Kings of the Rock until the Targaryen conquest. Afer the Field of Fire, King Loren I surrendered and his House was allowed to remain the paramount lords of the westerlands. The Lannisters are the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms, due in large part to the many gold mines under their control. House Lannister once possessed an ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword called Brightroar; but it has long been lost.
During the Blackfyre Rebellion, Lord Damon Lannister remained loyal to the Targaryens. The great rebel general Ser Quentyn Ball defeated him outside the gates of Lannisport.
Later, during the lordship of Tytos Lannister, the House fell on hard times. Tytos' weakness allowed him to be bullied by his vassals. Eventually his son Tywin brought the wayward bannermen to heel and restored the house to its former glory. Soon thereafter, Tywin was made Hand of the King by Aerys II, 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 Tywin's wife, cousin and trusted confidante Joanna. Tywin was never a jovial man, but when Joanna died birthing their third child, Tyrion, he was much saddened and his brother Kevan became his right hand. Their sister Genna took a maternal role over the children. His second brother Tygett died of a pox, and their brother Gerion sailed off on a journey to Valyria, never to be seen again.
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. 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 murdered her friend who had witnessed the prophecy. Tyrion, when 13 years old, was out with Jaime when he met and married a girl named Tysha, a match which was quickly and savagely ended by Lord Tywin. Jaime was a promising young knight, dubbed by Ser Arthur Dayne. Tywin was devastated when Jaime joined King Aery's Kingsguard. Upon this action (which he perceived as the Mad King "stealing" his heir), coupled with the Mad King's refusal to wed Prince Rhaegar 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.
During Robert's Rebellion, the Lannisters stayed neutral for the majority of the war. Only after the defeat of Prince Rhaegar at the Trident did Lord Tywin bestir himself to join Robert Baratheon against the Targaryen dynasty, perpetrating the Sack of King's Landing when the Lannister loyalist Grand Maester Pycelle suggested the gates be opened. There Ser Jaime Lannister, still a Kingsguard, slew Aerys, the last crowned Targaryen king. Meanwhile Tywin's knights killed the rest of the Targaryens in the capitol to prove their commitment to Robert's cause. Afterwards, Tywin's daughter Cersei was wed to King Robert. This marriage and the increasing amount of gold Robert owes to Tywin have only increased Lannister power. Much of Lord Tywin's energy is directed inward, ensuring all of his relatives do their part to uphold the family name.