HOUSE DONDARRION

House Dondarrion of Blackhaven is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Baratheon of Storm's End, Lords Paramount of the Stormlands. Their lands are located within the Dornish Marches, a region of the Stormlands that lies to the north of Dorne. House Dondarrion’s heraldry consists of a forked purple lightning bolt on a black starry sky.

The Dondarrion line was founded when a messenger from the Storm King was ambushed by two Dornishmen while riding on a stormy night. An arrow killed his horse and his sword broke when he fell. When he thought he was doomed, a bright purple lightning bolt struck the Dornishmen, killing both. After successfully delivering the message, the Storm King raised him to lordship, and he became the first Dondarrion. During the period of incessant warfare in Westeros before Aegon's conquest and after it, the Dondarrions were charged with guarding the Boneway against any raids by the Dornishmen. During the reign of Aerys II Targaryen, the lord and lady of House Dondarrion were abducted by bandits and kept hostage at the Diamond Cave. They were rescued by the famed knight Ser Arthur Dayne, who killed all the bandit lords. Prior to the War of the Five Kings, Beric Dondarrion, the charismatic and popular Lord of Blackhaven who is noted for his skill at tourneys, had been assigned by the Hand of the King, Eddard Stark, to apprehend Ser Gregor Clegane for treason and murder. During the Battle at the Mummer's Ford, Lord Beric was killed by Ser Gregor but was later resurrected by a Red Priest named Thoros of Myr. Following this, Lord Beric and the men who survived the battle formed a guerrilla resistance group known as the Brotherhood Without Banners, with Dondarrion as their leader. In the war efforts against the Lannisters, Beric was killed multiple times, and each time was brought back to life by Thoros. Some time later, Beric confides in Sandor Clegane, an eventual member of the Brotherhood, that he does not know what the Lord of Light is trying to tell him with regards to being granted multiple lives under the religion. Following the death of Thoros, with no one to resurrect him, Lord Beric served his seventh and final life leading the Brotherhood until he later perished fighting a horde of wights during the Battle of Winterfell. The current status of House Dondarrion remains unknown, however, the bastard son of King Robert, Gendry Baratheon, was eventually granted lordship over the Stormlands.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, a century before the events of the series, House Dondarrion was charged by the King Aenys Targaryen to root out a bandit warlord known as the Vulture King, who had established a hideaway in the Red Mountains of Dorne. The Dondarrions, allied to the neighbouring House Caron of Nightsong, taking eight hundred horses and four thousand foot soldiers into the mountains in order to complete the mission. Lord Beric once held a castle on the Marches, and was betrothed to Lady Allyria Dayne. After dying so many times, his memory has been severely harmed: he has no idea where the castle is at present, and cannot remember who was the woman he was pledged to marry, not even the color of her hair. Beric died his final death when he gave his life to bring back Catelyn Stark, whose body had been found by the outlaws after the Red Wedding. Thoros refused to revive Catelyn, so Beric passed the flame of life from him to her, resurrecting her as Lady Stoneheart.

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HOUSE SEAWORTH

House Seaworth is a noble house that once held fealty to House Baratheon of Dragonstone and later holds fealty to House Stark of Winterfell. Their lands are located in the Stormlands in a small but cozy keep near the sea. House Seaworth’s heraldry consists of a white ship with black sails on a pale grey field with a white onion on its sails.

House Seaworth is ruled by the landed knight named Ser Davos Seaworth, the so-called "Onion Knight," a reformed smuggler formerly in the service of Lord Stannis Baratheon at Dragonstone. Ser Davos’ wife Marya Seaworth is usually found at their keep. House Seaworth came into existence following Robert's Rebellion when Davos, then a smuggler infamous on the Narrow Sea for being able to smuggle anything anywhere, transported a cargo hold full of onions into the besieged castle of Storm's End, keeping the garrison alive until the war was over. Stannis Baratheon rewarded Davos by knighting him and giving him lands, though he also insisted on taking the tips of Davos' right hand fingers in compensation for his smuggling. Davos judged this as fair, since it bought him and his family a more secure future, one he could never have imagined, much less earned for them on his own. At the start of the War of the Five Kings, Ser Davos continued to serve under Stannis, who laid claim to the Iron Throne following the death of his older brother, King Robert Baratheon. Following the death of his son Matthos Seaworth during their defeat at the Battle of the Blackwater, Davos continued to grow resentment and distrust over Stannis’ other advisor, the Red Priestess Melisandre who, through her religion, had committed several atrocities to position Stannis higher throughout the war. After Stannis is defeated and killed during the Battle of Winterfell, however, Davos encourages Melisandre to bring a Northern leader named Jon Snow back to life. Upon Jon’s resurrection, Ser Davos becomes his right hand man and helps him and his family reclaim their home of Winterfell. He later declares House Seaworth's support for House Stark and Jon as the newly crowned King in the North. Following the Battle of King's Landing and the assassination of dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen, Davos takes part in the Great Council of 305 AC and elects Bran Stark as the new King of the Six Kingdoms, who then appoints Davos to serve as his Master of Ships, an integral position within the king’s small council that is charged with commanding the royal fleet.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the full name of Davos' house is House Seaworth of Cape Wrath, though it is never revealed in the series where the location of his keep is. Ser Davos has seven sons and the oldest five actually serve in Stannis' army, while the younger two are still children. In the novels, four of his children die during the Battle of the Backwater. In the series, the five elder sons have been functionally condensed into Matthos, and no other children have appeared or have even been mentioned. After Lord Alester Florent betrays Stannis, the king makes Davos Hand of the King and names him Lord of the Rainwood and Admiral of the Narrow Sea. It is unknown if the title 'Lord of the Rainwood' is granted to House Seaworth in perpetuity, which would elevate the family from landed knights to full-fledged lords.

HOUSE SELMY

House Selmy of Harvest Hall is a minor vassal house that holds fealty to House Baratheon of Storm's End, Lords Paramount of the Stormlands. Their lands are located in the Dornish Marches, a region of the Stormlands that lies to the north of Dorne. House Selmy’s heraldry consists of three stalks of yellow wheat on a brown field.

Ser Barristan Selmy was a knight who served in the Kingsguard with distinction for over forty years. Nicknamed “Barristan the Bold,” he was considered by many to be one of the best swordsmen and most honorable men in all the Seven Kingdoms. As a young boy, he took part in many tourneys, being defeated and unmasked in his fifteenth tourney by Prince Duncan Targaryen. For his bravery, he received the honorable title "the Bold". Ser Barristan took part in the Winter Tourney at King's Landing when he was seventeen years old, being knighted by King Aegon V Targaryen after defeating Ser Duncan the Tall. He is the eldest son of Ser Lyonel Selmy and was in line to inherit the seat of House Selmy, but Barristan gave up his claim after he became a member of the Kingsguard under King Aegon at twenty-three years old. He later served in the Kingsguard of King Aerys II Targaryen, during which he attended the Great Tourney at Harrenhal and unseated Aerys's son and heir, Rhaegar Targaryen. Although dismayed by King Aerys's many acts of insane cruelty, Ser Barristan had great admiration and loyalty for Prince Rhaegar. Following Robert’s Rebellion and the deaths of Aerys and Rhaegar, he then served as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard during the reign of the usurper king, Robert Baratheon. When King Robert was assassinated by House Lannister, Barristan was publicly dismissed by Joffrey Baratheon, an affront to any Kingsguard as the position is an irrevocable lifetime appointment. Ser Barristan, a Targaryen loyalist free of any vows, then chose to sail to the eastern continent of Essos and serve the dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen, the only known member remaining of House Targaryen. Upon his arrival, Barristan became a close advisor to Daenerys during the liberation of Slaver’s Bay, as the dragon queen vowed to free the slave cities before taking back the Iron Throne from the Lannisters. After conquering Meereen, an insurgency group called the Sons of the Harpy opposed Daenerys’ reign and during an attack on the city Ser Barristan was killed. Some time later, following Daenerys’ eventual conquest over Westeros, Gendry Baratheon, King Robert’s bastard son, was then appointed as the new Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. It is assumed that House Selmy currently still holds fealty to House Baratheon.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the lands around Harvest Hall is more fertile than most of the Stormlands. According to semi-canon sources, House Selmy are only landed knights. In the appendix of A Dance with Dragons, however, the head of the house and great-nephew to Ser Barristan, Arstan Selmy, is listed as a full lord, making the Selmys marcher lords. Nothing else is known about Lord Arstan outside of his name and title. Ser Barristan, who is still alive in the books, is by far the most renown of his house. Though House Selmy support Renly Baratheon during the War of the Five Kings, Barristan himself joins the retinue of Daenerys Targaryen by posing as Strong Belwas squire, “Arstan Whitebeard”.

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HOUSE TARTH

House Tarth of Evenfall Hall is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Baratheon of Storm's End, Lords Paramount of the Stormlands. The family controls the island of Tarth, which lies in the Narrow Sea just off the coast of the Stormlands. House Tarth’s heraldry consists of yellow suns on rose, quartered with white crescents on azure.

Ancestors of House Tarth were once kings, and the head of the family is known as the Evenstar, which they claim dates back to the Dawn of Days. The island of Tarth came under the dominion of Storm Kings of House Durrandon when Durran Godsgrief married the daughter of King Edwyn Tarth. At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, Ser Otto Hightower believed that the Evenstar of Tarth would be among the Narrow Sea powers who would support Rhaenyra Targaryen in claiming the Iron Throne. Centuries later, House Tarth is ruled by Lord Selwyn Tarth, a widower. His sole surviving child and former heir is named Brienne, whom he dotes on. Brienne, a tall and broad-shouldered woman, prefers the lifestyle of a warrior to that of a typical daughter of a noble house, and is highly skilled at arms. After the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings, Lord Selwyn declared for Renly Baratheon and sent Brienne to join his army, quickly being granted permission to join his Kingsguard after winning a tournament against famed knight, Ser Loras Tyrell. Following the assassination of King Renly, Brienne swore an oath of fealty to Catelyn Stark, becoming her sworn sword as they then traveled to Robb Stark’s camp in the Westerlands. It is there when Lady Catelyn assigned Brienne with the task of escorting their prisoner, Ser Jaime Lannister, to the capital of King’s Landing in order to trade him in for Catelyn’s two daughters, Sansa and Arya Stark, who had been held hostage by House Lannister. Upon her arrival, Brienne is informed that Lady Catelyn and King Robb were murdered at the Red Wedding and that Arya hadn’t been seen in the capital for several months. Shortly thereafter, Sansa fled from King’s Landing, at which point Ser Jaime encouraged Brienne to keep her vow to Catelyn and locate the Stark girls to in order escort them back to their home of Winterfell. Some time later, following the Stark reunion, Brienne is knighted by Ser Jaime prior to the victorious Battle of Winterfell against the White Walkers, making her the first woman in Westeros to become a knight. Following the Battle of King's Landing and the assassination of dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen, Brienne takes part in the Great Council of 305 AC and elects Bran Stark as the new King of the Six Kingdoms, who then appoints Brienne as the new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Also following the recent battles, Gendry Baratheon was appointed as the new Lord Paramount of the Stormlands.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Tarth is said to have blood ties to House Durrandon and Baratheon, and more recently to House Targaryen, but the exact details of these relations are unclear as of yet. After Renly Baratheon dies, it isn't clearly stated whom Lord Selwyn and House Tarth officially support. Selwyn certainly didn't send troops to aid Stannis, but it's unclear if he bent the knee to King Joffrey Baratheon and outright lent his support to him, or if he simply adopted an isolationist stance, like Lord Gulian Swann. Brienne is the oldest daughter of Lord Selwyn, previously having two younger sisters but they both died in the cradle. She also had an older brother named Galladon, but he drowned when she was eight years old, leaving her as Selwyn's only surviving heir. In the series, Brienne does note that she is her father's only "surviving" child, apparently a nod to this fact from the books.

HOUSE TRANT

House Trant of Gallowsgrey is a vassal house located in the Stormlands who hold fealty to House Baratheon of Storm's End, Lords Paramount of the Stormlands. Accordng to semi-canon sources, their heraldry consists of a hanged man on a blue field, and their house words are “So End Our Foes”.

Steffon Trant was a member of the house during the reign of Maegor Targaryen. In 44 AC, he dishonored Axel Baratheon's wife Alanna, and then killed Axel in a duel at Gallowsgrey. At the tourney at Ashford Meadow in 209 AC, Steely Pate gave Ser Duncan the Tall a newly-painted shield with a man hanging across it. Most likely the personal arms of a member from House Trant. Nearly a century later, following Robert’s Rebellion, Ser Meryn Trant, a successful tourney knight, became a member of the Kingsguard under the usurper king, Robert Baratheon. He took great pride in his status as a knight of the Kingsguard even though he routinely followed orders that break a knight's sworn duty to defend the weak and the innocent without hesitation or question. In the aftermath of King Robert’s assassination, as well as the purge of House Stark from the capital of King’s Landing, Ser Meryn served under the illegitimate Joffrey Baratheon, who frequently commanded Meryn to beat upon the king’s defenseless young hostage, Sansa Stark. As a member of the Kingsguard, Meryn also served the king’s mother, Cersei Lannister, and took orders from her brother Ser Jaime Lannister, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Following the death of King Joffrey at the Purple Wedding, Ser Meryn continued to serve as Kingsguard to the Lannisters under Joffrey’s brother and heir, Tommen Baratheon. Some time later, When Lord Mace Tyrell is assigned to negotiate a deal concerning the crown's debt with the Iron Bank of Braavos, Cersei assigns Ser Meryn to escort the Master of Coin across the Narrow Sea to Braavos. Upon his arrival with Lord Mace, Sansa Stark’s younger sister, Arya Stark, recognizes Meryn as someone she still holds a grudge over and follows him into a nearby brothel. Inside, Arya discovers Ser Meryn choosing a very young girl. The next night, Meryn returns to the brothel where he beats three girls he has been provided with for his own amusement. To his astonishment, the third girl reveals herself as Arya Stark, who subsequently stabs Ser Meryn repeatedly in the eyes and chest until she eventually slits his throat.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Trant is a vassal house sworn to Storm's End, however, Ser Meryn Trant is regarded by Lord Varys as "Cersei's creature". Ser Meryn in the series is something of a condensation of Meryn and Boros Blount in the books; while Boros is in the series most of his lines and actions have been given to Meryn, such as beating Sansa in the throne room and subsequently being threatened by Tyrion Lannister or being a weak and incompetent fighter. Ser Meryn is not sent to Braavos as a guard for the new Master of Coin (who is Harys Swyft, not Mace Tyrell), thus is not killed by Arya. Instead, another man in Arya's kill list, Rafford, is sent with Harys Swyft, and meets his fate. Meryn Trant wasn't also depicted as a pedophile, but Rafford was, the series condensed their character traits.

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