Pyke

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Revision as of 17:02, 30 April 2015 by Nittanian (talk | contribs) (History)
Jump to: navigation, search
Pyke
Castle, Regional Capital
Pyke is located in The Iron Islands
Pyke
Pyke (The Iron Islands)
Location Iron Islands
Government House Greyjoy
Religion Drowned God
Pyke by Rene Aigner©
Pyke by Abe Papakhian©
Pyke by Feliche©
This article is about the castle in the Iron Islands. For the island, see Pyke (island). "Pyke" is also a traditional bastard surname.

Pyke is a castle located on the island of the same name, which is one of the eight major Iron Islands. It is the seat of House Greyjoy, whose lord is known as the Lord Reaper of Pyke. The Greyjoys have been rulers of the Iron Islands since the War of Conquest. The Greyjoys claim the island is named after the castle.[1]

The Castle

See also: Images of Pyke

Pyke is an ancient stronghold. It was originally built on a cliff jutting out into the sea, but over time the cliff has eroded, leaving the castle's towers standing on series of small, barren rock stacks, surrounded by water. Since there is no safe anchorage at Pyke, those who wish to travel there have to sail to nearby Lordsport.

The towers are connected by swaying rope bridges. The keep, its towers, walls and bridges are made of the same grey-black stone of which the rest of the island is composed. In the thousands of years the keep has stood, it has become covered with green lichen. A curtain wall encloses the headland of fifty acres and the cliffs around the foot of the wide stone bridge which extended out to the largest islet. The stables, kennels and livestock are located on the headland. The Great Keep, Kitchen Keep and the Bloody Keep each sit on their own islands. Towers and outbuildings are located on stacks beyond them, linked to each other by covered archways where the pillars stood close and by long, swaying walks of wood and rope when they did not.[2] To get to the Sea Tower, one must cross three bridges, the last of which is made of rope.[2]

  • The Great Keep is massive and caps the largest islet. It is connected to the Bloody Keep by a covered stone walkway. Its long smoky hall contains the Seastone Chair.[3]
  • The Bloody Keep[2] or Guest Keep[3] is one of the largest sections of the castle. It lies on its own island, further out than the Great Keep. Its halls are larger and better furnished. It received its name a thousand years ago when the sons of the river king, Bernarr II Justman,[4] were slaughtered within it and their pieces returned to their father on the mainland.[2] To get to the Great Keep one must use a covered stone walkway.[2]
  • The Kitchen Keep sits on its own island. It lies further out from the mainland than the Great Keep.[2]
  • The Sea Tower rises from the outermost island at the far reaches of the island. It is the oldest part of the castle, and is round and tall. The base of the tower is white from centuries of salt spray and is crooked. To get from the Great Keep to the Sea Tower, one must cross three bridges. The tower contains the solar of Lord Greyjoy.[3]
  • The gatehouse is separated from the Great Keep by a high bridge.[2] The walls of Pyke run in a crescent moon from cliff to cliff, with the gatehouse providing entry, located in the center portion of the wall and including an iron portcullis[5] to provide additional protection should the wall be attacked. There are three towers to either side; the southernmost tower is new, made of a paler grey stone, after the old southern tower had been destroyed during Greyjoy's Rebellion when King Robert I Baratheon breached the walls.[2]

History

Pyke is so old that its original builders and lords are unknown.[1] The castle was once larger and located on the island of Pyke, but unstable earth led to some portions of the cliff falling into the sea. The surviving structures are built upon stone stacks.[6][1]

King Qhored I Hoare murdered the sons of King Bernarr II Justman at Pyke while they were his hostages.[4]

In the aftermath of the War of Conquest, Lord Vickon Greyjoy became the new Lord of the Iron Islands, ruling from the Seastone Chair at Pyke.[7]

During Greyjoy's Rebellion, the siege of Pyke was the final battle. King Robert I Baratheon, along with Lord Eddard Stark, mustered thousands of men and invaded the island of Pyke thorough Lordsport. They captured the castle after bringing down the southern part of the outer wall of Pyke using siege engines.

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

Theon Greyjoy returns to Pyke for the first time since being taken away as a child after Greyjoy's Rebellion. Instead of staying in the Sea Tower, where he slept as a child, Theon is given a suite in the Bloody Keep.[2] From the Seastone Chair, Lord Balon Greyjoy hosts a feast for his assembled captains. He then discusses his plans for independence and invading the North with his family in the solar of the Sea Tower.[3]

A Storm of Swords

It is reported that Balon, King of the Isles and the North, fell to his death when a bridge of Pyke was torn to pieces by the wind. His exiled brother, Euron Greyjoy, returned to Pyke the day after and claimed the Seastone Chair.[8]

A Feast for Crows

When Euron Crow's Eye summons the ironborn captains to Pyke to pay homage to their new king, his brother Aeron Greyjoy instead calls for a kingsmoot on Old Wyk.[9] Despite the efforts of Aeron, Euron is confirmed king at the gathering.[10]

Chapters that take place at Pyke

References and Notes