House Tully

House Tully is a great house that rules over the Riverlands. As one of the ancient houses of the seven kingdoms, its ruler, the Lord Paramount of the Trident, governs the affairs of one of the most fertile parts of Westeros. With its seat of power at Riverrun, it is a crucial part of Westeros as it remains one of the primary places for the conflicts that have taken place since the arrival of the Andals.

Key Details about House Tully

• Location: Riverlands.
• Words: Family, Duty, Honor.
• Sigil: A leaping silver trout on a wavy red and deep blue field.
• Former Overlords: House Stark, House Baratheon of King’s Landing, House Targaryen, House Hoare, House Durrandon, House Teague, House Justman, House Mudd.
• Titles: Lord of Riverrun, Lord Paramount of the Trident.
• Current Lord: Lord Edmure Tully.
• Culture: Andal.
• Religion: Faith of the Seven.
• Distinctive Hair Color: Auburn.
• Eye Color: Deep blue.

Culture

House Tully follows the Andal culture even though it got founded by the First Men. Many members of its house have a similar trait of having deep blue eyes and auburn hair. By the Tullys’ custom, when someone dies, they get put in a boat and rowed by seven men in honor of the Faith the Seven. It gets set on fire.

History

Pre Aegon’s Conquest

House Tully traces its origin to the First Men during the Age of Heroes. After the Others got defeated by the First Men and Children of the Forest, men became the rulers of Westeros. Ser Edmure Tully became allies of Tristifer IV Mudd, the King of the Rivers and the Hills, but later the Andals arrived on the continent and created conflict. The Tullys bent to Armistead Vance, the Andal Conqueror, after Tristifer’s death. As payment for their loyalty, Axel Tully, Edmure’s successor, received the land at the confluence of the Red Fork and Tumblestone, which he used to construct Riverrun.

After building their house, the Tullys remained vassals to great kings and ruled the Riverlands for about a thousand years. They defended the Trident from the Kings of the Rock of House Lannister. Many Tully lords died supporting causes against Kings of the Rocks. 

Some notable Tully lords include Lord Elston Tully, who died fighting against King Humfrey I Teague in support of Lord Roderick Blackwood, and Lord Tommen Tully, who supported Lady Agnes Blackwood against King Harwyn Hoare.

The Era of the Targaryens

When Aegon I Targaryen began a conquest in Westeros, House Tully, ruled by Lord Edmyn Tully, supported his cause. It started a rebellion against Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers. After Aegon the Conqueror roasted Harren and his sons during the burning of Harrenhal, Edmyn got rewarded for his support of House Targaryen and became the first Lord Paramount of the Trident. Though the Tullys became the rulers of the Riverlands, they still had a smaller army than the Freys, Vances, Blackwoods, and Brackens.

Lord Edmyn served for two years as the Hand of the King to Aegon, and one of his daughters married Lord Quenton Qoherys of Harrenhal. After leaving the service of the first King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, House Tully remained a crucial supporter of the Targaryens. They supported King Aenys I Targaryen during Harren the Red’s rebellion and helped Maegor I Targaryen against Prince Aegon Targaryen the Uncrowned during the Battle Beneath the God’s Eye. They eventually switched sides and supported Prince Jaehaerys against Maegor, and for their contribution, Lord Prentys Tully became the master of laws.

In 101 AC, the Great Council got held to determine the next King of the seven kingdoms. Lord Grover Tully supported Prince Viserys Targaryen over Laenor Velaryon. After Viserys became King, his daughter, Rhaenyra, got crowned heir, and later his son by Alicent Hightower, Aegon II Targaryen, claimed the throne, starting the civil war called the Dance of the Dragons.

Though Lord Grover wanted to support Aegon, his grandson, Elmo, sided with Rhaenyra and led the lords of the Riverlands during the Second Battle of Tumbleton. Elmo’s son, Kermit, led the Lads, a group of Riverland men, and slew Lord Borros Baratheon in the Battle of the Kingsroad. The Tullys remained loyal to House Targaryen and fought against the Blackfyre Pretenders during the Blackfyre Rebellion.

Modern History

Knowing that Riverrun was at a geographical disadvantage, House Tully sought alliances to help defend itself against invaders. Lord Hoster Tully tried marrying his brother, Brynden Tully, the hero of the War of the Ninepenny Kings, to Bethany Redwyne, but he refused. Hoster took in Petyr Baelish as a ward, and when Petyr asked for his eldest daughter, Catelyn’s hand, he rejected his offer and ordered Lysa, his second daughter, to drink moon tea to prevent getting pregnant for Petyr. 

Lord Tywin Lannister offered to marry Lysa Tully to Jaime Lannister, but before the marriage proposal got finalized, Jaime joined the kingsguard. Tywin tried asking Lysa to wed his son Tyrion, but Hoster rejected the offer. Later, Hoster accepted Lord Rickard Stark’s proposal to marry Brandon Stark, heir to Winterfell, to Catelyn Tully, his eldest daughter. Angry at Brandon, Petyr challenged him for Catelyn’s hand but lost and got banished from Riverrun.

Robert’s Rebellion

After Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark, her brother and father, Brandon and Rickard, traveled to King’s Landing demanding justice. However, they got executed by King Aerys II Targaryen; this started Robert’s Rebellion. During the rebellion, Hoster married his daughter, Catelyn, to Eddard Stark and Lysa, to Lord Jon Arryn. After the war, Lysa moved to the Vale of Arryn, accompanied by her uncle Brynden, who became the Knight of the Gate. Catelyn moved to Winterfell with Eddard.

Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones

Lord Hoster Tully falls ill, and his son, Edmure Tully, takes over the responsibilities as head of House Tully. When Lord Jon Arryn suddenly dies, his wife, Lysa Arryn, sends a message to Catelyn Stark stating that the Lannisters are behind her husband’s death. Meanwhile, Robert Baratheon asks Eddard to become the new Hand of the King, and he agrees. 

Catelyn rides to King’s Landing to reveal to her husband about the Lannisters plotting against them, and she meets Petyr Baelish, who tells her that the blade an assassin had tried to use to kill Bran Stark belonged to Tyrion Lannister. When Catelyn captures Tyrion, Lord Tywin Lannister calls his banners and tasks Gregor Clegane to begin raiding the Riverlands to draw Ned Stark out. Ned sends Lord Beric Dondarrion to kill Gregor.

Robert Baratheon dies from a hunting accident, and Jaime Lannister defeats Lord Piper and Vance in a battle in the hills beneath the Golden Tooth. King Joffrey I Baratheon names Edmure, Brynden, and Lord Hoster among the nobles who must swear loyalty to the Iron Throne or forfeit their lands. When Lysa refuses to move her forces against the Lannisters, her uncle, Brynden the Blackfish, resigns. Lord Eddard Stark gets killed, and Robb is crowned King in the North.

A Clash of Kings

Ser Brynden Tully travels back to Riverrun, where he reconciles with his dying brother. As the War of the Five Kings begins, Catelyn rides out to meet Renly Baratheon to ally with him and her son. However, he gets killed at Storm’s End. Catelyn returns to Riverrun, where she meets her brother, Edmure, who takes in the smallfolk and guards Robb’s rear. He also leads the Riverlords in the Battle of the Fords and stops Tywin from crossing the Red Fork.

Catelyn gets word of her sons, Bran and Rickon’s death. Stricken with grief, she frees Jaime, who got captured by Robb and tasks Brienne with taking him safely to King’s Landing in exchange for Sansa and Arya. When Edmure finds out what his sister did, he restrains her to Lord Hoster’s chambers and releases a message promising money to anyone who can return Jaime.

A Storm of Swords

When Lord Hoster Tully dies, Edmure becomes the Lord of Riverrun. He learns defeating Gregor’s army gave Tywin Lannister an upper hand as he returned to King’s Landing and defended it against Stannis Baratheon. For his part in the event, Edmure gets asked to marry Walder Frey’s daughter, as Robb Stark had broken a marriage pact with House Frey in favor of marrying Jeyne Westerling. Edmure, Catelyn, and Robb travel to the Twins for the wedding, but the night turns bloody as Robb and his mother get killed. Edmure gets arrested and held hostage by his father-in-law, Lord Frey, and House Tully gets stripped of its lands.

A Feast for Crows

After the Red Wedding, The Freys besiege Riverrun, and Jaime gets sent to the Riverlands with a Lannister force. During the siege of Riverrun, Ser Ryman Frey threatens to hang Edmure, but Brynden does not yield the castle. Jaime convinces Edmure to let Bryden surrender, and when he sends him in, Edmure lets his uncle escape and gets taken to Casterly Rock, where he gets held captive.

A Dance with Dragons

Though most of the Riverlord bend to the Lannisters, Lord Tytos Blackwood still flies the banners of the Tullys and Starks. Jaime negotiates with him to end the siege of the Raventree.

House Tully: The Faithful Servants

In A Song of Ice and Fire, no house embodies the true meaning of loyalty like House Tully. It prided itself in being obedient and loyal and followed the core principles of its words to the latter. Even in tribulation, the Tullys maintained their loyalty and served to the last minute.

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