The Reach was formerly a sovereign nation
ruled by the Kings of the Reach before the War of Conquest. It is the second-largest of the kingdoms behind
the north, and is the second wealthiest region in the Seven Kingdoms behind the westerlands,
but it is the most fertile region. Among the products it produces are melons,
fireplums, peaches, apples, and grapes. The Arbor is said to make the finest of wines,
from dry fruity reds to a rich golden vintage. Before the War of Conquest, the golden coins
of the Reach were known as hands. They still exist in some number, with each
hand coin roughly half the value of a dragon coin. The Reach is considered the home of chivalry
in Westeros. As it is the place where knighthood is looked
upon with the greatest reverence and esteemed the most. The Tyrells of Highgarden, Wardens of the
South, can field at least some seventy thousand soldiers. The naval strength of the Reach is made up
mostly out of the Redwyne fleet of the Arbor, which contains two hundred warships. The beginnings of the Reach can be traced
back to Garth Greenhand, the legendary High King of the First Men who lived in the Age
of Heroes. The royal line of House Gardener of Highgarden
claimed descent from Garth as do many current houses in the region. House Footly of Tumbleton. The prosperous market town of Tumbleton was
the site of two battles during the Dance of the Dragons. In the Battle of Tumbleton, the Two Betrayers,
Ser Hugh Hammer and Ser Ulf White, betrayed their black allies and unleashed their dragons,
Vermithor and Silverwing, upon the town. Lord Footly's men surrendered, but were slain. Much of Tumbleton was burned to ash by dragonfire
and in the subsequent sack by the greens, who encamped around the castle until the second
battle. Three dragons fought during the Second Battle
of Tumbleton, in which the town was further damaged. Tumbleton was reduced to ash and embers in
the civil war, but the town existed again by the reign of King Robert Baratheon. The words of house Footly are: “Tread Lightly
Here.” House Shermer of Smithyton. House Shermer declares for Renly Baratheon
during the War of the Five Kings, so as most houses of the Reach. House Caswell of Bitterbridge. The Caswells carry the title Defender of the
Fords. Bitterbridge was formerly known as Stonebridge,
due to an ancient stone bridge that crosses the Mander river. The castle is small, made of stone and timber. The keep is not that tall, but the land is
low and flat and thus makes it seem taller. The Battle of Stonebridge was one of many
battles during the Faith Militant uprising against King Maegor I Targaryen. The savagery of that particular battle made
the Mander run red with blood for twenty leagues. The bridge and castle that commanded it was
forever known as Bitterbridge thereafter. Renly Baratheon's army is camped beneath the
walls of Bitterbridge when Lady Catelyn Tully comes to meet with him. House Meadows of Grassy Vale. Grassfield Keep is the castle of House Meadows
in or near the town of Grassy Vale. The young lord Elwood Meadows, a cousin of
the Fossoways, is Ser Cortnay Penrose's second-in-command at Storm's End. After the death of Cortnay, Elwood names himself
the new castellan of Storm's End and surrenders the castle to Stannis Baratheon. House Ashford of Ashford. House Ashford held a tourney at Ashford Meadow
in year 209 AC. Lord Ashford's sons, Ser Androw and Ser Robert,
were two of the original champions of their thirteen year old sister. During the tourney an altercation occurred
between Ser Duncan the Tall and Prince Aerion Targaryen. This resulted in Duncan striking the prince,
claiming that he was only following the knight's vows to defend the weak. Aerion demanded a trial of seven to clear
his name. During the trial King Daeron II Targaryen's
son and heir, Prince Baelor, was slain by his own brother, Prince Maekar, later known
as King Maekar I. Robert Baratheon was defeated at the Battle
of Ashford during Robert's Rebellion. The battle occurred when the van of the Tyrell
army under command of Lord Randyll Tarly ran into Lord Robert Baratheon's forces. Randyll's forces overran Robert's army, and
Robert was forced to withdraw from the field before the main force of the Tyrell host had
joined the battle. The result of the battle was marked by Tyrion
Lannister as inconclusive, thus it is likely the battle was not very large and Robert's
forces remained relatively intact. However, faced with the large numbers of the
main Tyrell force, Robert had no choice but to withdraw from the south and attempt to
link up with his allies in the north. To this end, he force-marched his troops north
towards the riverlands. Robert's withdrawal from the stormlands allowed
the victorious Tyrell army to invade the stormlands and lay siege to Storm's End. The words of house Ashford are: "Our Sun Shines
Bright" House Fossoway of New Barrel. A knightly house, they are commonly referred
as the green-apple Fossoways, to differentiate them from the original branch of the house,
the red apple Fossoways from Cider Hall. The origin of this branch of House Fossoway
is from year 209 AC, when Raymun Fossoway took different side than his cousin Ser Steffon,
the Knight of Cider Hall, in a trial of seven at Ashford Meadow. Raymun, who was knighted minutes before the
battle by Ser Lyonel Baratheon, fought for his friend Ser Duncan the Tall. To differentiate himself from his cousin fighting
for the other side, he painted the apple on his shield in green, playing at Steffon's
oft-repeated jape that he was "still green". He stated that he preferred to be green than
rotten. House Merryweather of Longtable. House Merryweather was once a powerful and
rich family. Aerys II stripped the Merryweathers of their
lands and exiled Lord Owen for his failures as Hand of the King to prevent Robert's Rebellion. King Robert I Baratheon restored their title
and some of their lands when he took the Iron Throne, but the family's wealth and status
have not completely recovered. The words of house Merryweather are: "Behold
our Bounty." House Fossoway of Cider Hall. They are commonly referred as the red-apple
Fossoways, to differentiate them from the other branch of the house, the green apple
Fossoways from New Barrel. The words of house Fossoway of Cider Hall
are: "A Taste of Glory". House Roxton of the Ring. The Roxtons trace their ancestry back to Andal
adventurers given lands and wives by the Three Sage Kings of House Gardener during the Andal
Invasion. The Three Sage Kings were a trio of wise and
cunning Kings of the Reach from House Gardener who followed one another and who dealt with
the Andal invasion of the Reach long after the fall of the Vale and the riverlands and
stormlands. Instead of armed resistance they took a policy
of accord and assimilation toward the Andals. Roxtons possess a Valyrian steel sword called
Orphan-Maker, said to have a black blade. House Kidwell of Ivy Hall. House Cordwayner of Hammerhal. House Appleton of Appleton. House Graceford of Holyhall. The Gracefords trace their ancestry back to
Andal adventurers given lands and wives by the Three Sage Kings of House Gardener during
the Andal Invasion. They blazon their arms with the Mother's face
of The Seven. The words of house Graceford are: "Work Her
Will" House Rowan of Goldengrove. It is one of the most prominent and old families
from the Reach, its dominions extending all along its northern borders. This may mean that the Rowans were made Marshall
of the Northmarch to replace the declining House Osgrey, now their bannermen. Like several other major Reach houses, the
Rowans can trace their descent from the legendary Garth Greenhand, through his daughter Rowan
Gold-Tree. According to legend, she was so bereft when
her lover left her for a rich rival that she wrapped an apple in her golden hair and planted
it upon a hill. From the apple grew a tree whose bark, leaves
and fruit were yellow gold. In some tales of the Reach, Lann the Clever
was a bastard born to Rowan or her sister Florys the Fox. Dareon, one of the Night’s Watch recruits
training with Jon Snow, was an apprentice singer in the Reach, before being caught in
bed with a daughter of Lord Mathis Rowan. Though Dareon maintains that she was waiting
for him naked and helped him into her room, under her father's eye she named it rape. For this Dareon was sent to join the Night's
Watch. House Webber of Coldmoat. Coldmoat has crenellated outer walls standing
thirty feet high, with towers at each of the corners and is surrounded by a moat. Coldmoat was raised by Lord Perwyn the Proud. However, the castle was taken from the Osgreys
during the reign of Maegor I Targaryen because Lord Ormond Osgrey opposed King Maegor's laws. Lady Rohanne Webber later married Ser Eustace
Osgrey, thereby bringing Coldmoat under the joint control of House Webber and House Osgrey. House Osgrey of Standfast. They have not been lords in centuries, now
being landed knights, though they once had been among the greatest houses of the Reach. House Osgrey was established at least 1,000
years before the Conquest. The family used to be Marshalls of the Northmarch
under House Gardener. At that time they possessed four castles and
were done fealty by a score of lesser lordlings and a hundred landed knights. Their largest castle was Coldmoat. The Osgreys were a prominent family who intermarried
with such families such as the Florents, Swanns, Tarbecks, Hightowers and Blackwoods. After the last Gardener king was killed on
the Field of Fire, the Osgreys' prominence began to diminish. Lord Ormond Osgrey lost Coldmoat when he spoke
out against King Maegor the Cruel for his suppression of the Faith Militant. In the First Blackfyre Rebellion the head
of the house, Ser Eustace Osgrey, supported Daemon Blackfyre. In return Daemon promised the return of Coldmoat,
but the rebellion failed and Osgrey's three sons were killed at the Battle of the Redgrass
Field. Eustace was forgiven by King Daeron II Targaryen,
but his daughter Alysanne was taken as a hostage. His wife committed suicide after the loss
of all their children. This made Eustace the last of his line. After Rohanne Webber and Eustace Osgrey married,
Eustace became the Lord of Coldmoat: thus, lands that were previously under the domain
of House Webber were restored to House Osgrey. House Crane of Red Lake. According to legend the house was founded
by a daughter of Garth Greenhand, Rose of Red Lake. It is rumored that some female members of
House Crane are able to skinchange into cranes. Red Lake and the Cranes joined the Kingdom
of the Reach through pacts of friendship and mutual defense with King Garth III Gardener. House Oakheart of Old Oak. The Oakhearts claim descent from John the
Oak, a legendary son of Garth Greenhand and a giantess. He was a huge man, eight feet tall in some
tales, or even ten or twelve in others. Even though chivalry was brought by the Andals
millennia later, he's credited with bringing chivalry to Westeros. As part of the longstanding rivalry between
the Reach and Dorne, Oakhearts have fought Dornishmen extensively. The words of House Oakheart are: “Our Roots
Go Deep". House Hewett of Oakenshield. Oakenshield is one of the Shield Islands in
the Reach. The Shield Islands, commonly called the Shields
or Four Shields', are four islands of the Reach. Their name derives from their strategical
location that helped protect the Mander river from the Iron Islands for centuries. When any sign of longships is spotted, elders
in watchtowers light beacon fires, which in turn cause other watchtowers to light their
own beacons and spread the warning to settlements further inland so they will not be caught
unaware. The Shields Islands were originally known
as the Misty Islands. The Misty Islands were renamed once King Garth
VII Gardener drove out the ironmen and fortified them with men from the Reach. Lord Hewett's castle, with thick walls and
studded oaken gates evoking the ancient arms of the house, sits above the harbor of Lord
Hewett's Town, which is a relatively big port. House Grimm of Greyshield. One of the Shield Islands, It is the site
of Grimston, the seat of House Grimm. House Serry of Southshield. House Chester of Greenshield. House Blackbar of Bandallon. House Florent of Brightwater Keep. According to legend, the Florents, the Balls,
and the Peakes descend from the three husbands of Florys the Fox, a legendary daughter of
Garth Greenhand and the cleverest of his children. According to myth, she kept three husbands,
each ignorant of the existence of the other two. In some tales of the Reach, Lann the Clever
was a bastard born to Florys or her sister Rowan Gold-Tree. The Florents, like the Tyrells, claim descent
from the extinct House Gardener, and since they have a superior line of descent, believe
that they by rights should possess Highgarden. Selyse Florent is the queen of newly-crowned
Stannis Baratheon, to whom she is lovelessly married. As the War of the Five Kings breaks out, House
Florent follows House Tyrell in supporting the late Robert I Baratheon's youngest brother,
Renly. They field roughly 2,000 men, a large proportion
of whom are cavalry. However, upon Renly's death at Storm's End,
the house switches allegiance to Stannis. Following the Lannister victory over Stannis
on Blackwater, Lord Tywin dispossesses the Florents of their holdings and awards them
to Ser Garlan Tyrell, the second son of Lord Mace Tyrell, as a reward for loyal service,
forming House Tyrell of Brightwater Keep. House Beesbury of Honeyholt. They are sworn to House Hightower and claim
descent from Ellyn Ever Sweet, a legendary daughter of Garth Greenhand. According to legend, she loved honey so much
she sought the King of the Bees in his vast mountain hive and made pact with him, to care
for his children and his children's children for all time, becoming the first beekeeper. Ser Hugh Beesbury took part in the wager on
Brienne of Tarth's maidenhood, offering her as a present a pot of honey "as sweet as the
maids of Tarth". The words of house Beesbury are: «Beware
our Sting». House Mullendore of Uplands. They are sworn to the Hightowers. House Mullendore supports Renly Baratheon's
claim for the Iron Throne during the War of the Five Kings. Ser Mark Mullendore is a popular member in
Renly's army, notably because of his trained black-and-white monkey. Ser Mark is amongst the lords who join Renly
Baratheon beneath the walls of Bitterbridge. He feeds his monkey morsels at the feast. Brienne of Tarth later recalls that Mark was
a part of the wager over who would claim her maidenhead. He used his monkey to make her laugh in his
attempt to woo her, but Lord Randyll Tarly found out about the wager and put an end to
it. After the bet was discovered and ended, Brienne
sought out and defeated Mark during the melee at Bitterbridge. Mark goes over to Stannis Baratheon after
Renly's death and loses his arm and his monkey at the Battle of the Blackwater, and is one
of the nobles captured. He bends the knee to King Joffrey Baratheon. House Bulwer of Blackcrown. They are sworn to the Hightowers. According to legend, House Bulwer descends
from Bors the Breaker, a legendary son of Garth Greenhand, who gained the strength of
twenty men by drinking only bull's blood. Some tales state Bors drank so much blood
he grew a pair of shiny black horns. Lady Alysanne Bulwer, a child of seven, is
among Margaery Tyrell's companions at King's Landing. Jack Bulwer, known as Black Jack Bulwer, is
a ranger of the Night's Watch.He stays at Castle Black and survives the battle against
the wildlings. The words of house Bulwer are: «Death Before
Disgrace». House Costayne of Three Towers. They are sworn to the Hightowers. Lord Owen Costayne of Three Towers declared
for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen during the Dance of the Dragons, going against his Hightower
overlords. He was mortally wounded by Ser Jon Roxton's
Valyrian steel black blade, Orphan-Maker, during the Battle on the Honeywine. Aemon Costayne is among the seven singers
selected to sing at King Joffrey's wedding. House Cuy of Sunhouse. They are sworn to the Hightowers and trace
their ancestry back to Andal adventurers given lands and wives by the Three Sage Kings of
House Gardener during the Andal Invasion.Sunhouse, also called Sunflower Hall is located by the
town Cuy. House Cuy supports Renly Baratheon in the
War of the Five Kings. Ser Emmon Cuy is chosen for Renly Baratheon's
Rainbow Guard, being known as Ser Emmon the Yellow afterwards. Emmon Cuy and Ser Robar Royce are slain by
Ser Loras Tyrell in a fit of rage after the death of Renly; Loras blames them for not
having protected Renly well enough. House Hightower of the Hightower. They are one of the most important and powerful
vassals of House Tyrell, and before them of House Gardener. Their seat is the Hightower in the city of
Oldtown. The family is ancient, existing since the
dawn of days when they were petty-kings. While most scholars believe they descend from
the First Men, some state that they descend from the seafarers and traders that settled
at the top of the Whispering Sound bay in an earlier time, men who came to Westeros
before the First Men and seem to have founded the original incarnation of Oldtown. Whatever the truth, the Hightowers resided
in the ancient black stone fortress of Battle Isle at the mouth of the Honeywine river before
the "Hightower" of stone was built. The Hightowers built four successive wooden
beacon towers atop the fortress. The legendary King Uthor of the High Tower
is said to have commissioned Bran the Builder or his son Brandon to design the fifth tower,
one built entirely of stone. Uthor's son, Peremore Hightower, known as
Peremore the Twisted was a sickly boy born with a withered arm and twisted back. He was bedridden for much of his short life
but had an insatiable thirst for knowledge about the world, so he turned to wise men,
teachers, priests, healers, and singers, as well as wizards, alchemists and sorcerers. When Peremore died, his brother, King Urrigon,
bequeathed a large tract of land beside the Honeywine to "Peremore's pets", that they
might establish and continue in their quest for knowldege. Thus the Citadel and the order of maesters
was established. During these early days Oldtown was threatened
and sacked many times, including by ironborn raiders, Dornishmen, and the armies of the
Kings of the Reach, House Gardener of Highgarden. The Kings of the High Tower raised strong
walls and higher towers to keep any further invaders out. Oldtown was not brought into the realm of
the Gardeners by conquest, but by marriage. During the Andal invasion, the Hightowers
and the Gardeners allied with the newcomers. Thus they were able to keep their wealth,
lands and privileges. Protected by the might of Highgarden, the
lords of Oldtown turned their eyes to trade and commerce and grew with every generation
to become one of the richest and most powerful noble families in Westeros. The Hightowers were also one of the first
great lords to accept the Faith of the Seven and thus gave their patronage to the establishment
of the office of High Septon and the building of the Starry Sept as the center of the Faith. Hightowers possess a Valyrian steel sword
called Vigilance. During Aegon's Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms,
Lord Manfred Hightower heeded the High Septon and did not join his liege lord, King Mern
IX Gardener, on the march to the Field of Fire. Soon, Mern was dead and Highgarden surrendered,
with the Tyrells replacing the Gardeners. When Aegon the Conqueror arrived at Oldtown
on dragonback, Manfred opened his gates. Aegon spared the city, and the High Septon
anointed him and acknowledged House Targaryen's right to rule all Seven Kingdoms. During Robert's Rebellion, the Hightowers
remained loyal to King Aerys II and the Targaryen dynasty. Ser Gerold Hightower, the Lord Commander of
the Kingsguard, was killed at the Tower of Joy.The Hightowers knelt to the new king,
Robert I Baratheon, after the defeat of the Targaryens. Lord Leyton attended the tourney at Lannisport
to watch his sons joust. Lynesse accompanied her father, meeting and
marrying Jorah Mormont, Lord of Bear Island. Mormont's hall proved underwhelming, however,
and Lynesse eventually became the chief concubine of a merchant prince Tregar Ormollen in Lys. House Hightower continues to be patrons of
both the Citadel and the Faith of the Seven. They are as rich as House Lannister and can
field three times as many swords as other Tyrell bannermen, as well as the manpower
of Oldtown. The current head of the house, Lord Leyton,
has not descended from the High Tower in over a decade. His fourth and current wife is Rhea Florent. Besides her family, the Hightowers are connected
to several prominent Reach houses; Leyton's second daughter, Alerie, is wed to their liege,
Mace Tyrell. At the start of the War of the Five Kings,
the Hightowers follow the Tyrell lead in supporting Renly, though they do not change to Stannis
Baratheon's side after Renly's assassination. Some Hightowers are said to have dabbled in
alchemy and necromancy. The words of house Hightower are: "We Light
the Way". House Redwyne of the Arbor. It is a powerful house with strong ties to
the Tyrells, and the Redwyne fleet provides a significant portion of the fleet of the
Reach, owning 200 warships and five times as many merchant vessels. Members of the house tend to be freckled and
red of hair. The current Lord of the Arbor, Paxter Redwyne,
is married to his cousin, Mina Tyrell, the sister of his liege, Lord Mace Tyrell. His elderly aunt, Olenna Redwyne, the "Queen
of Thorns", is the mother of Mace and Mina, and is an excellent schemer. Besides their marital ties, Lady Olenna's
influence over House Tyrell gives the Redwynes a strong voice in the Reach. The Redwynes claim descent from Gilbert of
the Vines, a legendary son of Garth Greenhand, who taught the men of the Arbor to make wine. House Redwyne ruled over the Arbor as Kings
of the Arbor until its last king was lost at sea, allowing his cousin, King Meryn III
Gardener, to make the isle part of the Kingdom of the Reach. Bethany Redwyne was to have married Brynden
Tully, but he refused the match and she was wed to Lord Mathis Rowan instead. During the War of the Usurper, Lord Paxter
Redwyne joined his cousin-goodbrother, Mace Tyrell, in staying loyal to King Aerys II
Targaryen. His main contribution to the war was the naval
blockade of Storm's End during Mace's siege, ferrying men across Blackwater Bay and blockading
Shipbreaker Bay. During Greyjoy's Rebellion, the Redwyne fleet
supported Stannis Baratheon in the Battle of Fair Isle. Paxter Redwyne’s twin sons, Horas and Hobber,
teased and humiliated Samwell Tarly when he was sent to the Arbor as a page. Later ser Horas and Ser Hobber were kept as
hostages in King's Landing, preventing House Redwyne from joining the Tyrells in declaring
for King Renly. The port town of Ryamsport is located on the
Arbor, as well as the settlements of Vinetown and Starfish Harbor. House Tarly of Horn Hill. One of the strongest houses sworn to House
Tyrell. Marcher lords of the Dornish Marches, the
Tarlys are a family old in honor with rich lands and a strong keep. They are also the keepers of a Valyrian greatsword
called Heartsbane. Samwell Tarly has been removed from the Tarly
line of succession by Lord Randyll Tarly in favor of Dickon Tarly. According to legend, Tarly castle was built
on Horn Hill by Garth Greenhand’s sons Harlon the Hunter and Herndon of the Horn, who built
their castle atop Horn Hill and took to wife the beautiful woods witch who dwelled there,
sharing her favors for a hundred years. The brothers did not age so long as they had
intercourse with her whenever the moon was full. Prior to the acquisition of the western marches
by the Kings of the Reach, the castle was in a kingdom which extended from Horn Hill
to Nightsong. Randyll Tarly is among the lords that join
their forces to Renly Baratheon's beneath Bitterbridge. Renly was at Horn Hill with Lord Tarly when
he received Stannis Baratheon's letter concerning the illegitimacy of Queen Cersei Lannister's
children. Randyll is among the lords who do not go over
to Stannis after Renly's death at Storm's End. He captures Renly's stores at Bitterbridge
and puts many men to death, mainly Florent men-at-arms, lest they go over to Stannis
along with their lords. Randyll is presented to the Iron Throne after
the Battle of the Blackwater, where he had commanded the center of the Tyrell and Lannister
host. The words of house Tarly are: "First in Battle"
House Peake of Starpike. The Peakes are Marcher lords from the Dornish
Marches. The three black castles on their arms symbolize
the three castles that House Peake once owned: Starpike, Dunstonbury, and Whitegrove. House Peake is an ancient house of First Men
origin. According to tales from the Reach, the Peakes,
Florents, and Balls are each descended from one of the three husbands of Florys the Fox,
a daughter of Garth Greenhand. Near the end of the long reign of King Garth
Greybeard, a problem arose with the succession as Garth had sired no sons and only daughters,
one of whom had married Lord Manderly, and another to Lord Peake. Both lords were determined that their own
wife should succeed to the throne, and the rivalry between them was marked by betrayal,
conspiracy and murder, and finally escalated into open war with other lords joining the
cause on both sides. The anarchy that followed lasted almost a
decade until Ser Osmund Tyrell, the High Steward of Highgarden, made common cause with the
other lords of the Reach and defeated both the Peakes and Manderlys. Ser Osmund then placed a distant cousin of
the late Garth Greybeard on the throne who ascended as King Mern VI Gardener. House Manderly was driven into exile from
the Reach by Lord Lorimar Peake upon the behest of King Perceon III Gardener who feared the
Manderly's swelling power in the Reach.This allowed House Peake to acquire the Manderly's
seat of Dunstonbury. Lord Gormon Peake was a fierce supporter of
Daemon I Blackfyre and was considered one of the finest knights during the reign of
King Daeron II Targaryen. After they chose the side of House Blackfyre
in the failed First Blackfyre Rebellion, they had two of their castles stripped from them,
leaving them only Starpike. The Peakes rose against the Iron Throne in
the Peake Uprising. Maekar I Targaryen fell in battle beneath
the walls of Starpike, Lord Robert Reyne and Ser Tywald Lannister were also killed in the
Storming of Starpike. In the aftermath of Starpike, Roger Reyne,
the new Lord of Castamere took vengeance for his father Robert's death by slaughtering
seven captive Peakes before Prince Aegon “Egg” Targaryen prevented him from harming others. Whitegrove is one of the castles that were
taken from house Peake. Its current ruling house is not known. Dunstonbury was once a castle of House Manderly
when they lived along the Mander in the Kingdom of the Reach. When the Manderlys fled the Reach a thousand
years before the War of Conquest, Dunstonbury passed to their rivals, House Peake. Exiled in the North, the Manderlys built the
New Keep at White Harbor to reflect Dunstonbury. Dunstonbury was the other castle that was
taken from house Peake because of their support of the Blackfyres. House Vyrwel of Darkdell. House Tyrell of Highgarden. It is one of the Great Houses of the Seven
Kingdoms, being Lords Paramount of the Mander and the liege lords of the Reach. A large, wealthy house, its wealth is only
surpassed among the Great Houses by House Lannister, and the Tyrells can field the greatest
armies. Additionally, if they call the ships of the
Redwyne fleet, the lords of the Shield Islands, and the coastal lords, they can command a
navy that equals if not surpasses the royal fleet of King's Landing. Highgarden is an ancient seat of rule and
the heart of chivalry in the Seven Kingdoms; the Tyrells style themselves 'Defenders of
the Marches' and 'High Marshals of the Reach', and traditionally, they have been Wardens
of the South and Lords Paramount of the Mander. Members of the family tend to have curly brown
hair and brown or golden eyes. The Tyrells trace their line of descent through
the female line to the legendary Garth the Gardener, the mythical first King of the Reach
reigning in the Age of Heroes, and the son of the equally mythic Garth Greenhand. Unlike other Great Houses, the Tyrells never
ruled as kings. The Tyrells were stewards to House Gardener,
the ancient ruling line of the Kings of the Reach, who periodically intermarried with
lower ranking houses of the Reach such as House Tyrell or House Florent. Ser Alester Tyrell, the founder of the house,
was an Andal knight and adventurer who showed such prowess at arms that he was named the
champion of King Gwayne V Gardener, the last of the Three Sage Kings. Ser Alester's eldest son also became a notable
knight, but died in a tourney. Alester's second son, Gareth, was of a more
bookish bent and never achieved knighthood, choosing instead to serve as a royal steward. He and his son Leo performed their duties
so well, the Gardeners made the office of High Steward hereditary. It is from Gareth that today’s Tyrells descend. During the minority of King Garland VI Gardener,
a member of House Tyrell ruled the Reach in his name as Regent. Mern VI was so pleased with the Tyrells, that
he gave Ser Robert the hand of his youngest daughter in marriage, thereby allowing the
following generations of Tyrells to claim descent from Garth Greenhand. That was the first marriage between the two
houses, and nine more unions followed in the passing centuries. Following the defeat and death of King Mern
IX Gardener and his other kin, at the Field of Fire during the War of Conquest, Harlen
Tyrell, hereditary high steward of the Reach, surrendered Highgarden and was granted the
castle along with dominion of the Reach as Lord Paramount of the Mander by Aegon the
Conqueror. As Wardens of the South they frequently warred
with the Dornishmen, who remained independent. As the Dance of the Dragons began, Lord Lyonel
Tyrell was an infant, and his regent mother was judged likely to align the Reach with
the House's "overmighty" bannermen, the Hightowers, and the greens. However, House Tyrell decided to take no part
in the war. The Tyrell bannermen, on the other hand, were
split during the war, with men of the Reach fighting on both sides. Later Ser Ulf the White, one of the dragonseed
bastards, would attempt to claim Highgarden for himself, as House Tyrell had taken no
part in the Dance and he believed they should be considered traitors. When Daeron I Targaryen, the Young Dragon,
attempted the conquest of Dorne, Lord Lyonel commanded the army that invaded via Prince's
Pass. After the initial victory, Daeron appointed
Lord Tyrell as governor of Dorne. Lord Tyrell liked Dornish women and one night
he pulled the rope that would signal for a wench to come to his bed, and a hundred scorpions
fell from the canopy instead. His death sparked new revolts, and the conquest
was undone in a fortnight. During Robert's Rebellion, House Tyrell stayed
loyal to King Aerys II Targaryen. Lord Mace Tyrell's forces achieved victory
against Robert Baratheon at the Battle of Ashford, dealing the future king his only
defeat of the war at the cost of Ser Quentin Tyrell's life. Mace likes to take credit for the success,
but it was the van under command of Lord Randyll Tarly that put Robert to flight. Mace went on to besiege Robert's brother Stannis
at Storm's End, but bent the knee after the Targaryens were all but wiped out in the Sack
of King's Landing. Robert Baratheon, king by conquest, forgave
them and accepted them as sworn vassals. Highgarden is surrounded by three rings of
white stone whose walls increase in height. Between the outer and middle walls is a famous
briar labyrinth which serves to entertain as well as slow invaders. The oldest towers, squat and square, are from
the Age of Heroes. Newer towers are tall and slender, round fortifications
that are dating from after the Andal invasion. Also within Highgarden's walls are groves,
fountains, and courtyards. The sept is matched only by the Great Sept
of Baelor and the Starry Sept. The castle's godswood contains three weirwoods
known as the Three Singers. The palatial keep is decorated with statues
and colonnades. The castle's structures are covered in ivy,
grapes, and climbing roses. Highgarden is filled with flowers, singers,
pipers, fiddlers and harpers. The stables have a fine selection of horseflesh.There
are fields of golden roses that stretch as far as the eye can see. Ser Loras Tyrell, also known as the Knight
of Flowers, is a knight of House Tyrell and the third son of Lord Mace Tyrell of Highgarden
and his wife, Lady Alerie Hightower. He is a highly skilled knight and jouster. His tournament successes, dazzling good looks,
and ostentatious showmanship have made him a celebrated figure in the courts of the Seven
Kingdoms. Loras was born at Highgarden. He has two older brothers, Willas and Garlan,
and one younger sister, Margaery. Loras squired for Lord Renly Baratheon at
Storm's End, and grew close to him. He soon became Renly's lover. Margaery Tyrell is the only daughter of Lord
Mace Tyrell and his wife, Lady Alerie Hightower. According to Cersei, Margaery and Loras look
more alike than Cersei and her twin, Jaime. Margaery is intelligent and shrewed, and takes
after her grandmother, the cunning Lady Olenna Tyrell. Margaery is her grandmother's protégée,
and as such, Olenna has made certain that Margaery is capable of protecting herself
from those who might use or abuse her. Some people say that Margaery looks like Lyanna
Stark, so Renly and Loras Tyrell actually hope to rid themselves of Queen Cersei Lannister,
by getting Robert, who is still in love with Lyanna after fourteen years, to become infatuated
with Margaery. According to Varys, Loras writes his father,
Mace Tyrell, urging him to send Margaery to court. The words of house Tyrell are: "Growing Strong." Of course there are many other houses in the
Reach. Some are pretty well known, yet their lands
are not spoken of, and some are known only by their name. Thank You for watching. Feel free to like the story. See Ya!
