House Lannister

House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Seven Kingdoms, and the principal house of The Westerlands.

Their seat is Casterly Rock, although another branch exists at Lannisport. The Lannister sigil is a golden lion on a field of crimson. Their official motto is "Hear Me Roar!" However, their unofficial motto, equally well known, is "A Lannister always pays his debts."

They currently swear to House Baratheon of King's Landing and are led by Lord Tytus Lannister.

Kings of the Rock
The Lannisters of legend appear in the chronicles just as the Casterlys fade - they claim their descent from a legendary hero named Lann the Clever. For centuries the Lannisters have held sway over the Westerlands, heroes and villains all bearing the title of King of the Rock. The wealth of the region's gold mines saw their coffers fill to legendary levels, tales of Lannister wealth even reaching far away Essos. Though Aegon ended their kingdom and removed their crown, the House of Lannister remains a proud and regal one, and is one of the most powerful in all of Westeros.

Robert's Rebellion
During Robert's Rebellion, the Lannisters stayed neutral for the majority of the war. Only after the defeat of Prince Rhaegar at the Trident did Lord Tywin bestir himself to join Robert Baratheon against the Targaryen dynasty, perpetrating the Sack of King's Landing when the Lannister loyalist Grand Maester Pycelle suggested the gates be opened. There Ser Jaime Lannister, still a Kingsguard, slew Aerys, the last crowned Targaryen king. Meanwhile Tywin's knights killed the rest of the Targaryens in the capital to prove their commitment to Robert's cause. Afterwards, Tywin's daughter Cersei was wed to King Robert.

The Falseborn Conspiracy
Though the Lannister influence on the King and Crown had long been envied and despised by lords from across the realm, it was not until 299AC that it came to an abrupt and violent end. The King Robert Baratheon, wounded and dying, denounced his son Joffery Baratheon as unfit to rule and legitmized his bastard by Delena Florent; young Edric Storm. Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King, aware of Joffery's status as a bastard himself, sends word to the late king's brothers. Both are informed of the boy's falseborn nature, and Renly is sent to fetch him.

Queen Dowager Cersei Lannister, however, refuses to accept Eddard's proclamation. He is executed, leaving control of the city to House Lannister. Sansa and Arya Stark are taken captive, while Robb Stark declares war on the Iron Throne. Stannis Baratheon sends word to all the realm that Joffery Baratheon is in truth Joffery Waters, and that Edric Storm is to become Edric Baratheon.

The War of the False Stag
With Robb Stark in rebellion, the Lannister forces engage him in the Riverlands. Fighting goes both ways, though it begins to favour the North after a surprise attack at the Whispering Wood sees Jaime Lannister captured. Northern forces begin to threaten the Westerlands itself, but a Riverlander army prevents Tywin Lannister from marching out to the defense of his homeland. Ser Stafford Lannister's host is destroyed, leaving the West open for the predations of the Northmen. Tywin retreats to Harrenhall, where he recieves word of Stannis Baratheon threatening King's Landing.

The Defense of Kings Landing
Stannis Baratheon arrives at King’s Landing with troops from across the Crownlands and the northern Stormlands, intent on besieging the city. Tywin moves from Harrenhal and appears to be making a move towards the capital, but renewed attacks from the north and west redirects his attention back to the Starks. Renly Baratheon and his host, finally rallying from the south, join with Stannis Baratheon and continue the siege. Half of the party soon departs once more - marching into the Riverlands to bring down Tywin. Tywin manages to skirt the forces of the Riverlands, drawing out Lord Edmure and skirting his attack. The Lannister host then decends upon an unwary Renly, Loras, and Garlan. Their host suffers a catastrophic defeat, known as the Battle of the God's Eye. Renly and his retinue manage to escape, regrouping at King's Landing with the rest of their army.

The Battle for King's Landing
Renly and his men reunite with the besieging army, still encamped outside of the city. King's Landing is starving, on the verge of surrender. Tywin Lannister, learning of this, leads an attempt to relieve the siege, now that the odds are closer to even after Renly’s blunder. The Battle for King's Landing is fierce, but but the Reach carries the day through tremendous loss.

Tywin Lannister is forced to retreat, and many prominent Westermen slain or captured. As his army routs, Tyrion's Mountain Clansmen, tired of starving, seize the Gate of the Gods and the Lion's Gate, throwing them open for the armies of the rebels.

The Capture of the Capital
Stannis takes the city, starving and weakened as it was. Tommen is found dead, of suspected poison, but before Myrcella can meet a similiar fate the Lannisters are taken. The Lord of Dragonstone puts Cersei Lannister and Joffery Waters to the sword. Renly is loathe to execute the remaining Myrcella Waters, however, and she is kept as a hostage in Dragonstone, as a lady-in-waiting to young Shireen. Kevan Lannister is granted Casterly Rock, and he bends the knee once more to House Baratheon of King's Landing. His daughter, Janei Lannister, is taken and betrothed to Edmure Tully's firstborn son.

The End of Tywin Lannister
The remains of the Lannister army, broken and defeated, retreat towards the Blackwater Rush. Kept in firm grip by their lord and commander, Tywin himself, they seem to maintain fairly decent order as they withdraw. The morning after, however, as the sun rises over the camp, the body of Tywin Lannister is discovered; murdered in his command tent by persons unknown, though there is no sign of either struggle nor robbery. The crossbow bolts took him in chest, navel, and groin. Some whisper that he was betrayed by none other than the Imp.

With his death, any hopes of continuing the war came to a final end.

The New Lion
Kevan Lannister's ascension to Casterly Rock heralded a period of decline in the West. Their defeat on both fronts in the war against the Baratheons had immense cost in blood and gold alike, leaving much of their crops to rot in the field and many of their coastal regions ravaged. Following the War, the Lannisters looked inward, focusing on rebuilding themselves from their fallen glory. Western influence over the capital decreased to all but nothing, pleasing Renly and his co-conspirators. Many in the West saw the death of Cersei and her children as acts of cruelty and treachery not unlike the Dornish saw those of Elia and her offspring.

The War in the Narrow Sea
"Main Article: The Targaryen Invasion of 353AC"When the Targaryens invade, Lord Tytus Lannister hopes to improve his standing in the eyes of the crown by hurrying to defend Westeros from the Dragons. Young Lord Tytus sets up the siege of Duskendale after Baelor Targaryen captures the city. With the assistance from Quentyn Marbrand, and the Royal Fleet blocking the Duskendale harbour, the Lannister army blockades the city. As reinforcements from Dragonstone and the capital arrive, King Raymont leads a charge into the city, soldiers attacking both from land and sea.

The end of the war begins the slow, steady return of House Lannister once more into prominence, though things between their house and the crown are still slightly strained.

The War in the West
"Main Article: The War in the West"In 360AC the Reach begins to make moves against the West, who are still held poorly in opinion. Several lords from the Reach march armies north and seize Western lands along the border of the Reach and West. When Lannister petitions to the Crown fall upon deaf ears, Lord Tytus Lannister, veteran of the Targaryen Invasion, raises an army.

The Reach seizes control of Crakehall, and begins to march to Cornfield. House Lannister’s army marches to meet them and their army reaches Cornfield before the Reach army. A bloody battle ensues, many lives are lost on the battlefield, but the West wins the battle and pushes the Reach army back towards Crakehall.

In 361 AC Crakehall is besieged by the Western army, and when the time comes, the exiled Lord Crakehall leads the charge into his former castle. He is wounded in the battle, but his son carries him to safety. The Reach army surrenders the castle. Reinforcements from the Reach arrive to find that Crakehall is once more under command of the West. The Reach attempts to besiege the castle, but the now experienced soldiers who wish nothing more than to hold onto their lands strike forth from the castle in a sortie led by Lord Lannister. The Reach army does not expect the Westermen to attack and is caught unawares. In the battle, the West inflicts heavy losses upon their enemy, but takes few of their own - namely the heir to the Rock, Lucas Lannister.

Lord Tyrell orders a retreat, though he vows to himself to one day return.

Recent Events (370 AC - Present)
House Lannister attended the Grand Tournament, but of the attendees only the bastard of the Rock, Damion Hill, won any acclaim. Upon returning home to the West the Lannisters were caught unawares, when an army led by Lord Edmund Harlaw descended upon Lannisport in the Second Sack of Lannisport.

Members of House Lannister
Family Tree
 * Lord Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West and Hand of the King. Murdered in his camp by persons unknown.
 * Lady {Joanna Lannister}, his wife and cousin. Died in childbirth.
 * Queen Cersei Lannister, Queen Dowager and Lady of Casterly Rock, his daughter. The widow of Robert I. Executed at the end of the War of the False Stag.
 * Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, his eldest son. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Slain in the Battle of King's Landing and a common part in the myth: The Lady and the Lion.
 * Tyrion Lannister, his second son. Disinherited by Tywin. Called the Imp and Halfman. Disappeared and presumed dead.
 * Lord Kevan Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West, Tywin's eldest brother. Married to Dorna Swyft.
 * Lord Martyn Lannister, son of Kevan.

Currently

 * Lord Tytus Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West
 * His wife, Elara Lannister nee Payne, deceased
 * His son and heir, Lucas, slain in the year 360.
 * His second son, Tygett, heir to the Rock
 * His third son, Daven Lannister
 * His daughter, Cerenna Lannister
 * His bastard by Joanna Lannett, Damion Hill, the Bastard of the Rock
 * Gwynna Lannister
 * Reginald Lannister, deceased
 * His wife, Claire Lannister nee Westerling
 * His son, Tommen Lannister
 * Leila Lannister
 * Her husband, Dorian Brax
 * Her children, of House Brax
 * Jaime Lannister