House Greyjoy
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House Greyjoy is a fictional family from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. House Greyjoy is the principal noble house on the Iron Islands; many lesser ironborn houses are sworn to them. Their seat is at Pyke. Their sigil is a golden kraken on a black field, and their words are "We Do Not Sow."
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[edit] History
The House descends from the legendary Grey King in the Age of Heroes. The Greyjoys became Lords Paramount of the Iron Isles after the Targaryen conquest, when Aegon I allowed the ironborn to choose who would have primacy over them. They chose Vickon Greyjoy and his line.
[edit] House genealogy
Quellon (by three wives)
│
┌────────┬───────┬────────┼────────┬────────┬─────────┬───────┬──────┐
Harlon Quenton Donel │ Euron Victarion Urrigon Aeron Robin
│
Balon══╤══Alannys Harlaw
│
┌──────┬─────┼────┐
Rodrik Maron Asha Theon
[edit] Current members
[edit] Balon
Lord of the Iron Islands, King of Salt and Rock, Son of the Sea Wind, Lord Reaper of Pyke, captain of the Great Kraken. A harsh and fierce man, devoted in most respects to ironborn custom, he nonetheless sees his daughter Asha as his successor. He led a rebellion against King Robert Baratheon, which was put down by House Baratheon and Lord Eddard Stark. Balon's elder sons Rodrik and Malon were killed during this conflict, and his third son Theon was taken hostage by Lord Stark. Balon is married to Lady Alannys Harlaw, from whom he is estranged.
After Robert Baratheon's death, Balon spurned Robb Stark's offer of an alliance and declared himself King of the Iron Islands and the North, taking the Neck and ravaging the coastline of the Stark-held North.
Balon died in a fall while crossing a weak bridge during a storm. Some portents and the timely return of his brother Euron lead characters to speculate that Balon may have been murdered by an assassin at Euron's command.
[edit] Aeron
The youngest of Balon's brothers and a POV character, Aeron was a ribald drunk in his youth. He once wagered his birthright against a flock of goats that he could douse a hearth-fire by urinating on it, and won. After a near-drowning, he experienced a spiritual reawakening, and dedicated himself to the ironborn religion of the The Drowned God. He is now a hard, humorless ascetic, wearing a roughspun robe and living as a hermit on the beach. He weaves seaweed into his uncut hair, earning him the name "Damphair". Fellow holy men, called Drowned Men, do his bidding without question, and he is greatly respected by the Ironborn in general.
Aeron fears his brother Euron for reasons that are not presently clear. He has recurring memories and nightmares of a door with screeching hinges, which might have something to do with his fear of Euron. He is still afflicted with guilt over the death of his brother Urrigon, who died from the infection of a wound that occurred while he and Aeron performed the Finger Dance, a traditional axe-juggling game.
After Balon's death and Euron's return, Aeron used his influence as a high priest of the Drowned God to bring about a Kingsmoot for the selection of Balon's replacement. He had hoped to crown his brother Victarion, whom he knew would continue Balon's traditional and conservative ways. The plan went awry, however, and Euron was able to claim the throne. Aeron announced plans to try to rouse the people against the "godless" Euron, and disappeared the next day. His fate is unknown.
[edit] Asha
Balon Greyjoy's only daughter and oldest living child, Asha is a POV character as of A Feast for Crows. Asha was Balon's only child after Eddard Stark took Theon hostage, and she has been raised as his unofficial heir. She is fierce and proud, and defies traditional ironborn gender roles by commanding her own ship and leading men into battle.
For her part in Balon's invasion, Asha sailed to Deepwood Motte and conquered it. She visited Theon at Winterfell, but refused to help him defend the castle. She returned to the isles after Balon's death to claim his throne. With the proposal to make peace with the mainland in exchange for land, she did better than many expected at the Kingsmoot, but was passed over in favor of Euron. She departed again shortly thereafter, her plans unclear.
[edit] Euron
A younger brother of Balon and captain of the Silence, a ship crewed entirely by mutes whose tongues Euron ripped out. Euron is a wildly unpredictable man, known for his delight in playing vicious mind games and waging psychological warfare on anyone around him. He is hated by all his brothers for this reason. He wears a patch over his left eye, and is nicknamed "Crow's Eye", though it is unclear what he hides beneath the patch. He was banished from the isles by Balon for seducing Victarion's wife and warned never to return while Balon was alive.
Euron returned to the isles the day after Balon's death. He claimed to have reaved all over the world during his exile, including a trip to the feared ruins of Valyria. He also captured and holds hostage several warlocks of Qarth, who may have coached him in black magic. At the Kingsmoot called by Aeron, he promised to conquer all Westeros for the ironborn using dragons, which he claimed he could bind to his will with a magic horn. He was elected king, and began raids upon the Reach. These raids were wildly successful, and Euron weakened possible rivals by giving lands and titles to key followers of theirs. However, he failed to move the ironborn beyond raiding and to continue their quest for the dragons. Instead, he sent Victarion to find Daenerys Targaryen, court her in his name, and bring her and her dragons to Westeros.
[edit] Theon
Theon Greyjoy, a POV character, is the son and heir apparent of Balon Greyjoy. He was taken as a hostage and ward by Eddard Stark when he was around ten years old after Balon's Rebellion and thereafter raised in Winterfell for ten years. He is caught between the Stark and Greyjoy worlds, belonging to neither in full.
Despite being an outsider in Winterfell most of his life, Theon was raised with the Stark children and tutored along with them in all disciplines. He became close friends with Robb Stark, especially after Robb raised his banners against the south. Theon fought alongside Robb in several battles before being sent home to seek a Stark/Greyjoy alliance. His Greyjoy family criticized Theon's mainland, northern ways and rejected Robb's proposal. Balon sent him to raid the northern shores, but he ignored those orders and captured Winterfell in an attempt to win his family's esteem. The Winterfell household attempted to rebel against him, and finally Bran and Rickon Stark escaped. When a search for the boys turned up nothing, Theon found two peasant boys around the same age, killed them and skinned them, and stuck their heads on the gatehouse. He successfully deceived both Winterfell and the rest of Westeros into believing the corpses belonged to Bran and Rickon, seemingly consolidating his victory. Theon held Winterfell for a short time, but was ultimately captured by Ramsay Bolton and taken to the Dreadfort. He remains there as prisoner, reportedly being flayed in Bolton fashion. Some of the Ironborn, including his sister Asha, believe him dead.
[edit] Victarion
Brother to Balon, Lord Commander of the Iron Fleet, and a POV character. Victarion loves battle and the open sea. He is a very capable commander and a fierce warrior in battle, but has a calm demeanor outside of it, thinking of enemies with great respect and deploring Euron's tendency to humiliate captives. He is a religious man and wears full plate armor while sailing because he has no fear of drowning. Years ago Euron seduced his wife, and Victarion was forced to kill her to maintain his honor. Only the taboo against kinslaying kept Victarion from killing Euron. He has not remarried since.
A claimant to the throne of the isles after Balon's death, Victarion appeared to be the leading contender for the throne, but was eventually passed over in favor of Euron. Despite his hatred for Euron, Victarion's obedient and dutiful nature kept him following Euron's orders. He perceived the political games Euron played with the other ironborn, but was powerless to stop them. Though Euron has asked him court Daenerys Targaryen in Euron's name, he secretly plans to marry her himself, as revenge for Euron's earlier betrayal.
[edit] Past and historic members
[edit] Quellon
The Lord of Pyke before Balon. He sired nine sons from three marriages. The children from his first wife, a woman of the Stonetrees, all died early; two, Quenton, and Donel, died in infancy, while Harlon died of grayscale in childhood. Balon, Euron, Victarion, Urrigon, and Aeron were born of his second marriage to a Sunderly of Saltcliffe. For a third wife Quellon married a Piper of Pinkmaiden Castle, their son was a sickly, simpleton named Robin, who did not survive childhood. Their second child, was a daughter, though stillborn; causing the Lady's death. Quellon died reaving with Balon, Euron and Victarion.
[edit] Urrigon
Called "Urri". Fourth son of Lord Quellon and his second wife, younger brother of Balon, Euron and Victarion, older brother of Aeron. A favored son and brother, he died at the age of fourteen from an infected wound inflicted by Aeron while playing the Finger Dance. His wound could have been healed, but his stepmother relied on the maester. The maester sewed the hand back on, but infection had set in. Poultices and potions proved ineffectual; by the time the maester amputated the arm, gangrene had set in and Urri died shortly afterward. After Lord Quellon died reaving, Balon returned as Lord and promptly inflicted the same wound on the maester. He commanded his stepmother to try and heal him.
[edit] Sworn Houses
- House Blacktyde of Blacktyde.
- House Botley resides on Blacktyde.
- House Codd. A house of very low standing. Their words are "Though All Men Do Despise Us."
- House Drumm of Old Wyk.
- House Farwynd. The Farwynds are considered strange by their fellow ironborn. Several branches of the house exist, including:
- Farwynd of Sealskin Point. Located on the western shore of Great Wyk
- Farwynd of Lonely Light. Located on one of the westernmost islets of Great Wyk. They are rumored to be skinchangers, taking the shape of various sea mammals.
- House Goodbrother of Great Wyk. There are three branches of this house:
- House Goodbrother of Hammerhorn are the senior branch its Lord is titled Lord of Great Wyk.
- House Goodbrother of Shatterstone they reside on Old Wyk, a cadet branch of the former.
- House Goodbrother they reside on Orkmont, a cadet branch of the former.
- House Harlaw of Harlaw. Several branches of the house exist, including:
- House Harlaw of Ten Towers. The senior house. Its Lord is titled the Lord of Harlaw. The wife of Lord Balon Greyjoy is a Harlaw.
- House Harlaw of Grey Garden. A cadet branch.
- House Harlaw of Tower of Glimmering. A cadet branch.
- House Harlaw of Harridan Hill. A cadet branch.
- House Humble. A house of low standing, originating from the blood of thralls.
- House Merlyn of Pebbleton.
- House Orkwood of Orkmont.
- House Saltcliffe of Saltcliffe.
- House Sparr resides on Great Wyk.
- House Stonehouse resides on Old Wyk.
- House Stonetree of Harlaw.
- House Sunderly resides on Saltcliffe.
- House Wynch of Iron Holt.
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