HOUSE BLACKMONT

House Blackmont of Blackmont is a vassal house which holds fealty to the House Martell of Dorne. Their seat is the eponymous castle of Blackmont, located on the banks of the Torentine River in the Red Mountains of Dorne. Their heraldry consists of a flying vulture with a baby in its talons, on a black field.

The Blackmonts were among the houses defeated by Mors Martell and Nymeria during Nymeria's War. As result, King Benedict Blackmont and five other kings were exiled to the Wall in golden chains to join the Night’s Watch, a military order that protects the realm from foreign threats. The Blackmonts also unsuccessfully supported House Yronwood against House Martell during the war. According to a semi-canon, one of the Vulture Kings may have been a Blackmont. During the War of the Five Kings, Lord Blackmont is greeted by Tyrion Lannister, outside the capital of King's Landing, when the latter had been sent to welcome the entourage of Dornish lords and knights who travelled with Prince Oberyn Martell in order to attend the wedding of King Joffrey Baratheon. The two exchanged greetings, in which Lord Blackmont then revealed that Oberyn came to attend in lieu of his brother Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne, reported to be unwell. He also informed Tyrion that Oberyn arrived the previous night, before he and the rest of the envoy proceeded towards the Red Keep. Some time later, in the Dornish capital of Sunspear, Prince Oberyn’s paramour Ellaria Sand lead a rebellion against House Martell for their political neutralism in response to the death of Oberyn. Prince Doran and his heir, Trystane Martell, were betrayed and murdered by Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, who eventually gained control over Dorne promising to avenge Prince Oberyn by entering into conflict with House Lannister. Ellaria's eventual imprisonment in the Black Cells of King’s Landing then lead to an unnamed Prince Martell assuming power in Dorne, with the Blackmonts remaining their loyal bannermen.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Blackmont’s castle-seat is located in the far west of Dorne, in the Red Mountains. It is further up the Torentine River from Starfall (the seat of House Dayne), which is located closer to the river's mouth. It is ruled by Lady Larra Blackmont as the Dornish practice equal primogeniture, allowing firstborn daughters to inherit and to pass on the family name instead of adopting that of their husbands. Lady Blackmont and her children are among the Dornish nobles that accompany Oberyn Martell to the capital of King's Landing. Larra's offspring are later among the favorite children hosted by Prince Doran Martell at the Water Gardens of Dorne.

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HOUSE DALT

House Dalt of Lemonwood is a knightly house which holds fealty to the House Martell of Dorne. Their seat at Lemonwood is located on the east coast of Dorne, south of the mouth of the Greenblood River, close to the capital of Sunspear. Their heraldry consists of yellow wild lemons strewn on a purple field.

House Dalt is a knightly house, not a lordly house, meaning they do not have the authority to dispense justice and executions. However, they are still considered one of the more powerful houses from Dorne. As a result of House Dalt’s location, they are known as "Salty Dornishmen". When the Rhoynar migrated to Dorne a thousand years ago, they primarily settled around the coasts and river valleys, and in these places their bloodlines had the largest impact. Salty Dornishmen tend to have olive skin, dark hair and eyes, and somewhat short but lithe stature. The coasts of Dorne also enjoy a fair amount of trade with the nearby Free Cities across the Narrow Sea. During the War of the Five Kings, Ser Deziel Dalt, the Knight of Lemonwood and the head the house, was part of the entourage of Dornish lords and knights who had travelled with Prince Oberyn Martell in order to attend the wedding of King Joffrey Baratheon. Ser Deziel and Lord Blackmont were greeted by Tyrion Lannister on the outskirts of the capital King's Landing, when the latter had been sent to welcome the group. After exchanging greetings, Lord Blackmont revealed that Oberyn came to attend in lieu of his brother Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne, who was reported to be unwell. He also informed Tyrion that Oberyn arrived the previous night, before he and the rest of the envoy proceeded towards the Red Keep. Some time later, in Sunspear, Prince Oberyn’s paramour Ellaria Sand lead a rebellion against House Martell for their political neutralism in response to the death of Oberyn. Prince Doran and his heir, Trystane Martell, were betrayed and murdered by Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, who eventually gained control over Dorne promising to avenge Prince Oberyn by entering into conflict with House Lannister. Ellaria's eventual imprisonment in the Black Cells of King’s Landing then lead to an unnamed Prince Martell assuming power in Dorne, with the Dalts remaining their loyal bannermen.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the heraldry of House Dalt apparently refers to the fact that Dorne, the southernmost of the Seven Kingdoms, is the only region in Westeros where citrus fruits grow. Ser Deziel Dalt is one of the many Dornish nobles that escort Prince Oberyn to King's Landing. Ser Andrey Dalt is among Arianne Martell's dearest friends who joins the Dornish princess in her plan to crown Myrcella Baratheon and is one of the conspirators who try to bring her to Hellholt, the seat of House Uller. For participating in Arianne's conspiracy, Ser Andrey is sent to Norvos for three years to serve Lady Mellario. While prisoner in the Spear Tower of Sunspear, Arianne thinks Ser Deziel is too dutiful to fight for her against his liege lord, her father Prince Doran, and the Knight of Lemonwood is not powerful enough to defy the Prince of Dorne.

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HOUSE DAYNE

House Dayne of Starfall is a vassal house which holds fealty to the House Martell of Dorne. Their seat at Starfall is located in the far west of Dorne, near the border of the Reach and south of Blackmont. Their heraldry consists of a sword and falling star crossing on a lavender field.

House Dayne, who can trace their roots back to the Dawn Age, were once minor kings, styling themselves as Kings of the Torrentine. Their castle Starfall is so-called because of a meteor, referred to as a "fallen star," which fell out of the sky nearby, almost two thousand years ago. Their ancestral weapon is named “Dawn,” a blade forged from the metal of the meteor. The Dayne knight that bears the sword is granted the title of "the Sword of the Morning". House Dayne fought several battles with houses from the Reach and King Vorian Dayne was once defeated by House Martell during Nymeria's War, though because of his honor, Nymeria sent him to the Wall to join the Night’s Watch, a military order that protects the realm from foreign threats. Since then, the Daynes were fiercely loyal to House Martell, who rallied their vassal houses behind House Targaryen during Robert's Rebellion. Beric Dayne was the former Lord of Starfall and his son and legendary knight, Ser Arthur Dayne, was eventually killed in the the showdown at the Tower of Joy, one of the last battles in the war. Although killing or disarming all of his opponents with ease, Ser Arthur was stabbed in the back by Howland Reed, whom he thought was mortally wounded earlier in the fight. After Arthur was subsequently killed by Lord Eddard Stark, his sword Dawn was then returned to Starfall. Some decades later, in the Dornish capital of Sunspear, Ellaria Sand lead a rebellion against House Martell for their political neutralism in response to the death of Oberyn Martell. Prince Doran Martell and his heir Trystane were betrayed and murdered by Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, who eventually gained control over Dorne promising to avenge Oberyn by entering into conflict with House Lannister. Ellaria's eventual imprisonment in the Black Cells of King’s Landing then lead to an unnamed Prince Martell assuming power in Dorne, with House Dayne remaining their loyal bannermen.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, members of House Dayne are Stony Dornishmen, whose characteristics mostly resemble the rest of the Seven Kingdoms in look and customs, as well as traditions (being composed of the same First Men / Andal mixture, unlike the rest of the more Rhoynish-looking Dornishmen). Following the showdown at the Tower of Joy, Eddard Stark returned Ser Arthur’s sword to Starfall and informed Ashara Dayne of her brother's death. Ashara then threw herself into the Summer Sea, although her body was never recovered. Edric Dayne, the current Lord of Starfall and nephew of Arthur, was sent to squire for Lord Beric Dondarrion after the betrothal of the Lord of Blackhaven to Edric's aunt, Allyria. After joining Lord Beric in creating the outlaw band, the Brotherhood Without Banners, Lord Edric’s whereabouts remain unknown following his eventual departure from the group.

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