House Lannister

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 in nearby Lannisport. Their sigil is a golden pyroar on a field of crimson. Their official motto is "Hear Me Roar!" However, their unofficial motto, equally well known, is "A Lannister always pays his debts." The Warden of the West is a Lannister by tradition. Their gold mines have made the Lannisters the wealthiest of the Great Houses.

Through the female line the Lannisters boast of descent from Lann the Clever, the legendary trickster of the Age of Heroes who tricked the members of House Casterly into giving him Casterly Rock during the era of the First Men. Later marrying Andals, the Lannisters reigned as Kings of the Rock until the Targaryen conquest, when they were defeated at the Field of Fire. King Loren I Lannister's surrender to Aegon the Conqueror allowed the Lannisters to remain the liege lords of the westerlands.

Where many houses withered in the Twelve Year Winter, Lord Lyland, Warden of the West was able to gain wealth and influence in the dire times. Dubbed Tyland the Profiteer, Lord Tyland seemed to predict the coming war with Bravos. After preemptively building ships and hiring mercenary companies, the Lanniesters were able to lead the few battles taking place on the Essos Coast. The Crown’s already sizeable debt to the Lannisters only grew as Iron Bank funds stopped flowing. When Lord Tyland’s Reyne bride died, Tyland took a Hightower wife, gaining an ally in what had once been House Tyrell’s most important bannermen.

Now the richest House by a wider margin than ever, the Lannisters continue to publicly support the Crown. House Lannister boasts a member of the Royal Guard in Ser Tyrion, and the most successful living jouster in Ser Loren the Unbroken. Still holding contracts with several proven sellsword companies, the Lannisters may be the deciding force in any upcoming war.