House Lannister
House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Westeros and the ruling family of the Westerlands. Their sigil is a golden lion on a field of crimson, and their official words are "Hear Me Roar!" -- though the House is far better known by an unofficial saying that clings to it like a shadow: "A Lannister always pays his debts." They rule from Casterly Rock, a colossal stronghold carved from a mountain above the western sea, atop the gold mines that have made them the wealthiest family in the realm.
The Lannisters claim descent from Lann the Clever, a legendary trickster of the Age of Heroes said to have swindled Casterly Rock from its original holders, the Casterlys. For thousands of years the line ruled as Kings of the Rock until they too bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror.
History
The Lannisters rose to dominance over Westeros not on the battlefield but at court. Tywin Lannister, the hard and humorless lord who restored the House to greatness after his father's ruinous weakness, served as Hand of the King to Aerys II for twenty years. During Robert's Rebellion, Tywin held the Lannister forces aloof until the outcome was certain, then sacked King's Landing -- an act that ended the Targaryen dynasty in fire and blood.
Tywin's daughter Cersei Lannister wed Robert Baratheon and became queen. When Robert died, her son Joffrey took the throne, and the War of the Five Kings erupted, with the Lannisters as the dominant power behind the Iron Throne.
Notable Members
- Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, twice Hand of the King
- Cersei Lannister, his daughter, Queen to Robert Baratheon
- Jaime Lannister, his eldest son, called the Kingslayer
- Tyrion Lannister, his younger son, a dwarf of sharp wit
- Joffrey Baratheon and Tommen Baratheon, grandsons who sat the Iron Throne
Significance
The Lannisters' gold underwrites the Iron Throne itself, and their ruthlessness in defending their position drives much of the war that consumes Westeros. The maxim that a Lannister always pays his debts is a promise of vengeance as much as of coin, and few who cross the House escape its reach.