HOUSE LANNISTER

House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, one of its richest and most powerful families and one of its oldest dynasties. It was also the royal house of the Seven Kingdoms following the extinction of House Baratheon of King's Landing, which had been their puppet house during the War of the Five Kings, for a brief stint of time until House Targaryen took back the Iron Throne in Daenerys Targaryen's war for Westeros.

The Lannisters rule over the Westerlands. Their seat is Casterly Rock, a massive rocky promontory overlooking the Sunset Sea, which has had habitations and fortifications built into it over the millennia. They are the Lords Paramount of the Westerlands and Wardens of the West. As the new royal house, they also ruled directly over the Crownlands from their seat of the Red Keep in King's Landing, the traditional seat of the royal family. House Lannister's heraldry consists of a golden lion on a crimson background, and their house words are "Hear Me Roar!," which are rarely mentioned. Their unofficial motto, which is as well known as the official one, is "A Lannister always pays his debts," which is used much more often yet mostly in negative context, though it can also be used in the literal sense.

The incestuous relationship of twins Cersei and Jaime Lannister had been concealed in a conspiracy. Their son Joffrey Baratheon had claimed the Iron Throne on the premise that he was actually fathered by the late King Robert Baratheon. Their father, Lord Tywin Lannister, was a key supporter of his reign in the War of the Five Kings. The Lannisters continued to hold sway when Tommen Baratheon ascended the throne, with Kevan Lannister as Hand of the King and Protector of the Realm, but lost their hold over Tommen to the Faith of the Seven, and, after destroying the Great Sept of Baelor, Cersei took the throne. With the deaths of Cersei and Jaime at the Battle of King's Landing, their younger brother, Tyrion Lannister, is now the head of their house and has given up the crown in favor of an elective monarchy. It currently swears fealty directly to the King of the Andals and the First Men, an office which is currently held by Bran Stark.

BACKGROUND

Fair-haired, tall and handsome, the modern Lannisters are the blood of Andal adventurers who carved out a mighty kingdom in the western hills and valleys. Through the female line, they boast of descent from Lann the Clever, the legendary trickster of the Age of Heroes who swindled Casterly Rock from its previous rulers. They used to rule the Westerlands as the Kings of the Rock before swearing allegiance to the Targaryen family. The last King of the Rock, Loren Lannister, and the last King of the Reach, Mern Gardener, joined forces and fielded 60,000 men against Aegon the Conqueror. They were defeated by his dragons in a battle that came to be known as the 'Field of Fire' and lost 4,000 men. They have since served the Targaryens and then King Robert Baratheon as the Lords Paramount of the Westerlands and Wardens of the West. The gold of Casterly Rock and the Golden Tooth has made them the wealthiest of the Great Houses.

Lord Tywin Lannister was the head of the family and his father Tytos Lannister presided over a period of decline for the house. He frittered away much of their fortune on poor investments and allowed himself to be mocked at court creating a perception of weakness. Their vassals House Reyne of Castamere rebelled against Lord Tytos. Tywin put down the rebellion personally, extinguishing their house and re-establishing the fearsome reputation of House Lannister. His ruthlessness gave darker meaning to the common phrase "A Lannister always pays his debts" and was immortalized in the song “The Rains of Castamere.”

Tywin has three children Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion by his wife Joanna Lannister. Joanna died after giving birth to Tyrion, who was born a dwarf and has a troubled relationship with Tywin and Cersei, who blame him for Joanna's death. Cersei then became the Queen of Westeros after Tywin arranged for her marriage to King Robert in exchange for his support in Robert's Rebellion. She has a longstanding incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime and the siblings conspire to conceal their love and have passed their three children off as being the product of Cersei's marriage to Robert.

 MEMBERS and ALLIES

*REPRESENTED IN THE SERIES*