House Reyne

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House Reyne of Castamere
House Reyne.PNG
Coat of arms A red lion rampant regardant with a forked tail, with gold teeth and claws, on a silver field
(Argent, a lion rampant regardant queue-fourché gules, armed and langued or)
Seat Castamere
Head Extinct
Region The Westerlands
Title Lord of Castamere
Overlord House Lannister
Cadet branch House Vikary possibly[1]
Died out 261 AC[2]

House Reyne of Castamere was a noble house from Castamere in the Westerlands. According to semi-canon sources they blazoned their arms with a red lion rampant regardant with a forked tail, armed and langued gold, on silver.[3]

History

House Reyne is a house with a long history, they were old, rich and powerful. Like Casterly Rock, the seat of House Reyne also begun as a mine. Silver and gold made them wealthy. The richest and most powerful Westerland house after the Lannisters. As such, it was involved with quite a few historical events. Take the Dance of the Dragons for instance, The Reynes sided with the greens in that Targaryen civil war. The Lord Reyne at that time, was killed during the Battle by the Lakeshore in 130 AC.[4]

During the First Blackfyre Rebellion, Ser Robb Reyne, a famous knight, sided with Daemon Blackfyre. Ser Robb was considered to be one the finest knights of his age.[5]

The event that led to the downfall of the house, and for which they are best known for had its origins in the time of Lord Robert Reyne. He was the head of House Reyne during the rule of Lord Gerold the Golden. He arranged the betrothal of his daughter Ellyn to Lord Gerold's son and heir Tywald Lannister. Tywald served Lord Robert as a squire during the Peake Uprising, but both Robert and his squire Tywald were killed in battle at Starpike in 233 AC.[2] Lady Ellyn, who had long anticipated to become the Lady of Casterly Rock, was unwilling to forsake that dream. She persuaded her dead betrothed's twin brother to set aside his own fiancé and espouse her instead. During this time, Lady Ellyn held a splendid court at the Rock, staging magnificent tourneys and balls and filling the Rock with musicians, mummers and Reynes. She bestowed honors, offices and lands on her brothers, Roger and Reynard, upon uncles, cousins, and nephews and nieces.

An acerbic hunchback named, Lord Toad, was heard saying "Lady Ellyn must be a sorceress, for she has made it rain inside the Rock all year".

The death of Ser Tion Lannister, who died during the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, roused his father Lord Gerold, who took firm control over the Westerlands again. The "Reign of the Reynes" was over. In 239 AC Lady Ellyn was accused of trying to bed the third son of Lord Gerold, Tytos Lannister, which resulted in her being removed from Casterly Rock and being married to Lord Walderan Tarbeck.[6]

Lord Roger Reyne, who succeeded his father Lord Robert, was the head of House Reyne during the rule of Lord Gerold's successor, Lord Tytos Lannister. The Reynes had prospered greatly under Lord Tytos' misrule. Both Lord Roger and Ser Reynard extracted large amounts of gold from Lord Tytos. When, after the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Lord Tytos' son and heir Tywin Lannister demanded repayment of the gold that was lent out, Lord Roger reportedly laughed and told his vassals to do nothing. This eventually led Tywin to summon the Reynes and the Tarbecks to answer for their crimes. They chose defiance instead and with it, started the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion against their Lannister overlords. House Tarbeck was the first to feel Tywin's wroth and the house was exterminated. After an unsuccessful battle against the Lannister host led by Tywin, the remaining Reynes took refuge in the mines underneath Castamere, their seat. Ser Reynard, once his folk were safe, offered terms to Tywin. Instead Tywin ordered the entrances of Castamere, mined much like Casterly Rock, to be sealed and filled with water. None survived. So ended a once great house.[6]

Historical Members

"The Rains of Castamere"

The song "The Rains of Castamere" was made about the rebellion after its end. The refrain goes:

And who are you, the proud lord said,
that I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat,
that's all the truth I know.
In a coat of gold or a coat of red,
a lion still has claws,
And mine are long and sharp, my lord,
as long and sharp as yours.
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
that lord of Castamere,
But now the rains weep o'er his hall,
with no one there to hear.
Yes now the rains weep o'er his hall,
and not a soul to hear.[7]

Behind the Scenes

References and Notes