Work Text:
House Andarseer
Seat: Granitehall
Head: Lord Elias Andarseer
Arms: House Andarseer has one of the most complicated sigils in Westeros. Because of its complexity, and the fact that wars are usually sudden, they typically fly a dark orange banner with their signature granite castle on the banner. But its official sigil is as follows:
A black cross upon a dark orange field, with four devices set into each orange corner. On the top left, a sword holding up a crown, signifying their kingdom in the marches which ruled for a thousand years and was held up by military might. On the top right, two crossed yellow swords slaying a serpent, in relation to their victories over the Vulture King and the Dornish in their wars over the hundreds of years. On the bottom right, a golden shield is depicted, as the House is sometimes called the "Shield of the Stormlands" in relation to its critical positioning between the Dornish and the Stormlands. On the bottom left, a granite-colored castle with three towers, signifying Granitehall, is displayed. In the middle are the House Words inscribed in black; "Strength, Justice, Loyalty"
House Words: "Strength, Justice, Loyalty"
Military Strength: Second to House Baratheon in the Stormlands. Directly, from Granitehall's direct lands, they can raise six thousand men and a thousand horse, while they receive four thousand men and one thousand horse from their vassal lords.
Named for its primary building material and vast halls, Granitehall is the seat of House Andarseer. The seat is able to maintain, host and feast a maximum host of twelve thousand men. The House is sworn to Lord Renly Baratheon of Storm’s End. Granitehall is located on the coast of the Dornish Marches, and is extremely close to Wyl. It held out during the Second Dornish War and sustained a siege from the Vulture King’s forces, which allowed messages to be sent to the King and the lords of the Reach of the impending danger. The castle has never fallen to assault.
Farhold, the secondary tower to the right, is actually possessed by the holder of the title ‘Knight of the Pass’ meanwhile, the small town below the walls belongs to the holder of the title ‘Knight of the Gate’ these two titles are both non-hereditary and have been rivals since the keep was raised, and act as the Lord’s personal advisors. The Knight of the Pass is also the personal bodyguard of the Lord. This interchangeable activity was established by King Ormund Andarseer because one of his knights saved his life, so he granted the newly built tower to the knight in a non-hereditary holding. This practice continues up to the present day.
The ‘Gate’ refers to the only entrance into the mountain pass which allows access to the two main towers. The ‘Pass’ refers to the only way of connection with the main towers, the large bridge between the two.
The Maester’s quarters are located on the Knight of the Pass’s tower, in the secondary ‘tower’ to the bottom left. The current maesters are Qarson, sixty-nine, the Senior, and Maeson, thirty, the Junior.
Inside the main central tower, there are the Lord’s quarters, the throne room, which the Lords Andarseer still sit even though they do not claim themselves to be King of the Marches anymore, and the apartments of his family and retainers. The vault of the House is located beneath the mountain of the central tower, rumored to hold some of the most wealth of any noble House in the Stormlands.
The left tower, as well as its attachments, are the housing of his vassal lords for whenever they visit, and also serve as training rooms for the lord’s hosts. House Andarseer is known to produce some of the best heavy infantry ever to accompany its cavalry. The cavalry of the House, approximately 3,000 horse, is saddled and held in the small town below the main towers, the dominion of the Knight of the Pass.
They have a large harbor built into the mountain which allows access to the Narrow Sea. On multiple occasions when the Andarseers were petty Storm Kings, this harbor served as an escape for the kings and their families. House Andarseer has long been in opposition to House Dondarrion as the principal vassal to the Baratheons. House Andarseer typically raises slightly less than double the Dondarrions because of its large keep and numerous well-populated lands, holdings, and the mercenaries it raises by its tremendous coin.
The Andarseers joined House Durrandon in fighting Aegon the Conqueror when he came to Westeros, but when both the Knight of the Gate and Knight of the Pass were slain during a skirmish, House Andarseer withdrew to Granitehall, thereby avoiding the worst of House Durrandon’s destruction. They continued as Storm Kings, eventually kneeling after Aegon brought his dragon and reminded them of Harrenhal. They were the last house in the Stormlands to join the Seven Kingdoms.
With the dragons all gone, House Andarseer joined Robert’s Rebellion and served as the rearguard during the Battle of Ashford, holding off the forces of Randyll Tarly to allow Robert to escape. They returned to the Stormlands after participating in the Battle of the Trident where they once again served as a rearguard. Their words are “Strength, Justice, Loyalty” and their house has always, in one way or another, always fit these words.
The current head of the House is Lord Elias Andarseer, an inexperienced man of twenty years, who became Lord after the passing of his father from a ravaging fever. He has much work to live up to the life of his father, and is eager to leave his shadow. With the War of the Five Kings, however, he might have a once in a lifetime chance.
CHARACTERS:
Elias Andarseer, Lord of the Marches (claimant), Lord of Granitehall
Ser Quentyn Farhold, Knight of the Pass, sworn sword of Elias Andarseer, possesses the Farhold, a tower beside the regular fortress of Granitehall, a non-hereditary possession
Ser Willem Highhouse, Knight of the Gate, possesses the Gate and the village of Lowtown non-hereditarily
Ser Tomar Kellard, Master-at-Arms of Granitehall; childhood mentor of Lord Elias, third son of Quellon Kellard, thus to inherit no lands
Lord Jeor Highstone, Lord of Highstone, vassal of Granitehall
Lord Randyll Highhouse, Lord of High Home
Lord Mason Kellard of Ethorus, Lord of House Kellard
Lord Jason Kellard of Mountcross, Lord of House Kellard of Mountcross (a Cadet Branch)
Renly Baratheon; the liege lord of House Andarseer
Maester Qarson, sworn to Granitehall, and his pre-determined successor, Maester Maeson, a younger man
Now that I have explained the modern histories of the House, let me explain the ancient.
House Andarseer was founded originally in the Reach by Andar the Seer, a grandson of the legendary High King of the First Men, Garth Greenhand. In battle against other Reachmen, three thousand were captured and sealed off in a cave to die. The Reachmen thought there was no other exit, but Andar the Seer dreamt of a way to leave that night, and while the enemy slept, Andar led all the men out. Legend has it, as soon as they were out, Andar took one of their few swords, drew a line in the mud, and told the men, "Whoever wishes to go and return to their families, go! But for whomever stay with me, I promise you a great keep in the mountains, and a kingdom of riches, far away from this wretched land." None crossed the line, and Andar the Seer's name fused into Andarseer over the centuries. The Three Thousand, of which the descendants now live within the town of Lowtown directly beneath Granitehall, and in House Andarseer's direct vassals, raised the mighty Granitehall in ten and two years, and Andar's descendants continue to rule to this day.
Throughout ancient history, they rivaled other Stormland and Reach families for control over the Marches, and claimed the title Kings of the Marches, being some of the greatest of the Petty Kings of the First Men. For a thousand years, dozens of lords and five hundred landed knights paid fealty to the Kings on the Mount. Not much is known, but House Andarseer has slew many Dornish princes as they attempted to cross the mountains. Each pass is known to the men of the mountains, and each guarded with many men. Until Aegon's Conquest, they were unrivaled, as each siege done by the Durrandons led to emptiness, as they could not break the walls of the castle, and starved each time before being forced to retreat. Aegon's dragons changed that, however.
For a time, House Andarseer made the only alliance with Dorne in its history, to maintain its crown. They followed the same tactics as the Dornish, bringing all the food into the mountains and destroying whatever Targaryen host was sent against them. Eventually, though, their infighting led to a breaking of the Dornish alliance, and without the Dornish, House Andarseer could not stand alone. They bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror when he personally rode forth with Balerion, and his sister-wives traveled with him to ensure the same. The King of the Marches' knee bent, and when he rose, he was a Lord. The Andarseers were granted essentially every vassal they had before the war in return for this peace and integration into the Kingdom. In a strange practice, the Andarseers still wear their regnal crown of old, a beautiful, heavy thing, set in pure gold and diamonds, when sitting the Old Throne, as it is called.
House Andarseer remained neutral during the Blackfyre Rebellion, and the only time it emerged from its neutrality was when Robert's Rebellion broke out, which was previously described.
We follow House Andarseer to the current lord to sit the Old Throne, Elias Andarseer. The year is 298 AC, and both Baratheon Brothers have declared their candidacy for the Iron Throne. Time will tell who the Gods will favor.