This is a listing of houses in the Narrow Sea that appear in A Song of Ice and Fire that do not have enough members or tropes to justify their own page (yet).
For the main character index, see here
For the main Crownlands entry, see here
In days of old, the Narrow Sea separated The Valyrian Freehold from the backwater known as Westeros. Only a few petty nobles lived in the small desolate islands found there. The greatest of them were the dragonlords of House Targaryen. After the Doom, Aegon Targaryen conquered Westeros and established his dynasty. The Lord of Dragonstone was elevated to Prince and automatically bestowed to the Iron Throne's heir apparent. When the Targaryens fell, Prince fell into disuse and Lord was reinstated. Though considered within the Crownlands, the nobles of the Narrow Sea are sworn to Dragonstone.
Tropes about the Narrow Sea Houses
- Impoverished Patrician: Being the Targaryens' most loyal subjects doesn't stop them from being rather poor, specially after the downfall of the dynasty.
- The Proud Elite: They are still proud of their Valyrian heritage.
- The Remnant: Houses Velaryon and Celtigar are the only remaining noble families in Westeros descended from Old Valyria after the extinction of House Qoherys and the downfall and exile of House Targaryen.
Noble House
House Baratheon of Dragonstone
House Baratheon of Dragonstone is a cadet branch of House Baratheon of Storm's End. Its seat is Dragonstone, the island castle that sits off the mainland to the northeast of King's Landing, and the Great House commands the allegiance of the lords of the narrow sea. Its founder and current head is Lord Stannis Baratheon, who seized the island at the end of Robert's Rebellion and received it as a reward from his brother, King Robert I Baratheon.- See the House Baratheon of Dragonstone page
Vassal Houses
House Bar Emmon of Sharp Point
A noble house of Andal descent seated at Sharp Point on the northern end of Massey's Point. They are sworn to Dragonstone.
Their blazon is a leaping blue swordfish on fretty silver on white. Their motto does not appear in the texts.
Tropes related to House Bar Emmon:
- Aerith and Bob: Bar Emmons have weird names even by Westerosi standards. It's even weirder because they are an Andal house.
- Les Collaborateurs: During the War of Conquest they supported Aegon despite being vassals of House Durrandon. Like the Masseys they had closer ties to the Targaryens of Dragonstone than to the Storm Kings.
- No Name Given: While several Bar Emmons have been mentioned throughout history, their given names have not.
- Odd Name Out: The only Westerosi House whose last name is two words instead of one.
Lord Duram Bar Emmon
Head of House Bar Emmon and Lord of Sharp Point.
- Adipose Rex: He's described as plump.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: He is only fourteen but is the head of the House.
- Bit Character: So far he has only appeared very briefly and has had no lines.
- Purple Is Powerful: Dresses in purple velvet.
Historical Bar Emmons
King Togarion Bar Emmon
Togarion the Terrible
Togarion Bar Emmon was an Andal warlord who established his own kingdom north of Blackwater Bay during the Andal invasion.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: Married Softspear Massey's daughter possibly as his price for driving the Stormlanders.
- Evil Overlord
- Has a scary nickname, check.
- The Usurper of House Massey, check.
- Built Sharp Point. By the way, I Don't Like the Sound of That Place.
- Founder of the Kingdom: Built the castle of Sharp Point.
- The Man Behind the Man: To the Masseys.
House Celtigar of Claw Isle
House Celtigar rules Claw Isle, an island in the Narrow Sea off the coast of Crackclaw Point. Like House Velaryon, the Celtigars were a lesser house from Valyria who came to Westeros and settled in Blackwater Bay. They are sworn directly to Dragonstone instead of King's Landing.
Their arms depict red crabs strewn on white. Their words do not appear in the books.
- Not to be confused with House Santagar of Spottswood, a Dornish house.
Tropes related to House Celtigar:
- Ancestral Weapon: Uniquely, an unnamed Valyrian steel axe rather than the swords that are more common.
- Animal Motifs: The crab. They live on an island out in the sea and have a reputation for wanting money to themselves. And admittedly, while they and House Targaryen share Valyrian ancestry, crabs aren't quite as awe-inspiring as dragons, which about sums up how impressive other nobles tend to find House Celtigar.
- Authority in Name Only: They claim control of Crackclaw Point and send tax collectors to the region, but no one there swears loyalty to them or pays taxes. Only a few tax collectors return alive.
- Famous Ancestor:
- Crispian Celtigar, who was the first Master of Coin on Aegon I's Small Council.
- Alton Celtigar, who served ably as Hand of the King under Aegon I after the resignation of Edmyn Tully.
- Arthor Celtigar, who was killed trying to defend his relative Bartimos from maddened rioters. He was only 15 years old.
- Clement Celtigar, the son and successor of Bartimos as Lord of Claw Isle.
- Family Theme Naming: Every male member of the family has a name beginning with an early letter of the alphabet: Alton, Ardrian, Arthor, Bartimos, Clement, Crispian, Edwell.
- Feuding Families: They have long claimed control of Crackclaw Point, and thus have tension with every noble house that resides in that region. It is mentioned that House Celtigar tries to collect taxes from the region periodically, and if they send enough collectors a few might manage to return.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Celtigars are rarely popular due to their greed, and don't command nearly as much respect as their fellow Valyrian-descended Houses the Targaryens and Velaryons.
- Edwell made himself unpopular during Maegor's reign by taxing the smallfolk and tripling the fees of three major ports (and Rogar Baratheon rudely said that his daughters had "no chins, no teats and no sense").
- Bartimos imposed massive taxes to replenish the royal treasury during the Dance of the Dragons, which ended with his head on a spike.
- In the modern era, Stannis Baratheon isn't too fond of Ardrian and thinks of him as a Yes-Man, and Crackclaw Point refuses to acknowledge the House's tax collectors.
- Penny-Pinching Crab: Celtigar men have been in charge of the crown's and Crackclaw Point's financial matters more than once, and they have a tendency to be greedy and self-serving.
- The Runt at the End: They are the only remnant Valyrian house that don't have the silver hair or the violet eyes (of the Targaryens and the Velaryons). They are also the least powerful of the four in name, reputation and domains.
- Treasure Room: They supposedly have one filled with valuables and ancient trophies, including an ax of Valyrian steel and a horn said to summon krakens from under the sea.
Lord Ardrian Celtigar
The Red Crab
The head of House Celtigar and Lord of Claw Isle. He is a reluctant supporter of Stannis Baratheon.
- Bit Character: Very little featured.
- In-Series Nickname: The Red Crab, after the sigil of the house.
- My Nayme Is: Ardrian instead of just Adrian.
- The Scrooge: He is known as a stingy man, yet his family and hold are very wealthy.
- Turn Coat: After being captured in the Battle of the Blackwater, Ardrian turns on Stannis and swears loyalty to King Joffrey. He then stays in King's Landing out of fear that Stannis will attack him if he returns to Claw Isle.
- Yes-Man: Stannis dismisses him as one, noting that he could show Ardrian the contents of his privy and he would pronounce it admirable.
Historical Celtigars
Lord Edwell Celtigar, Hand of the King
Hand of the King to Maegor, after the execution of Lucas Harroway. Later Master of Coin under Jaehaerys.
- 0% Approval Rating: Nobody was very fond of his high taxes. Still, nobody ever broke into his home and cut his genitalia off as a result, so he at least remained more popular than his descendant Bartimos.
- Co-Dragons: When Maegor left King's Landing to personally fight the Faith Militant, Edwell remained in King's Landing to rule alongside Queen Tyanna.
- Coattail-Riding Relative: Even though he's already Hand of the King, he offers his two daughters (one 13, the other 12 years old) to Maegor for marriage.
- Family Theme Naming: His daughters were named Prudence and Prunella.
- No Name Given: His son who died shortly after him from the Shivers isn't named.
- Number Two: As Hand of the King, he was (nominally) the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms after Maegor himself.
- The Plague: One of the first victim of the Shivers.
- Punch-Clock Villain/ Punch-Clock Hero: Served Jaehaerys just as he served Maegor: with blinding mediocrity and a touch of self-interest.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He resigned his position after Maegor's regime began to crumble and returned to his seat in Claw Isle.
Prudence Celtigar
One of Edwell's daughters, Prudence became a companion of Queen Alysanne for the first several years of Jaehaerys reign as part of her retinue of "Wise Women".
- Arranged Marriage: Not long after being wounded by a Septa in an assassination attempt on Alysanne, the Queen helped arrange for Prudence to marry Lord Grafton of the Vale.
- Lady-In-Waiting: She and her sister Prunella were originally part of a group of noble ladies and Septas sent to serve Alysanne on Dragonstone and drive her to set aside her unconsummated marriage to Jaehaerys. Instead, they ended up as her most loyal companions after being won over by the young Queen.
- Only a Flesh Wound: During the assassination attempt on Alysanne at Maidenpool, Prudence is stabbed in the shoulder while defending her Queen, although she quickly recovers.
- Undying Loyalty: To Alysanne.
Lord Bartimos Celtigar
One of Queen Rhaenyra's supporters during the Dance of the Dragons, made Master of Coin during her time in control of King's Landing.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Caught during the riots at King's Landing, he's tortured and has his nads cut off as a "repayment" for his taxes, then his head's cut off and used as a grotesque standard.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Bartimos is entirely loyal to Rhaenyra. He's also principled, incorruptible and smart... but it's his taxation ideas that forever nuke Rhaenyra's approval rating with the smallfolk and lead to her appellation of "Maegor with teats".
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: A reflection of Simon of Sudbury, Richard II's chancellor during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Both raised unsustainable taxes, both were very unpopular with the commons, and both were beheaded by mobs and suffered Decapitation Presentation- although Simon was at least lucky enough to avoid Celtigar's Groin Attack.
- Undying Loyalty: To Rhaenyra.
House Sunglass of Sweetport Sound
A noble house seated at Sweetport Sound, House Sunglass is sworn to directly to Dragonstone. Its members have traditionally held an old and deep faith in the Seven. The location of Sweetport Sound in the Crownlands has not been stated.
Their blazon is composed by seven golden seven-pointed stars in a ring on white.
Tropes related to House Sunglass:
- The Exile: After Lord Guncer is burned alive, his so-far unidentified brother and heir flees to Volantis.
- Real Men Love Jesus: This family is known for their piety.
Lord Guncer Sunglass
Head of House Sunglass and Lord of Sweetport Sound. He is one of Stannis Baratheon's supporters.
- Bit Character: Appears once in the prologue of A Clash of Kings before being jailed by Stannis and subsequently killed off-page.
- Human Sacrifice: He is burned alive by order of Queen Selyse after Stannis left to attack King’s Landing.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Melisandre burns the Dragonstone sept, Guncer informs Stannis he can no longer support his claim to the Iron Throne and attempts to leave. Stannis immediately has him placed in Dragonstone's dungeon.
- Thrown from the Zeppelin: As Stannis begins to embrace the R'hllor religion while preparing for war, Lord Sunglass withdraws his support of Stannis due to how this conflicts with his own religion. Sunglass is promptly arrested, and is later made into a Human Sacrifice by Stannis's wife while Stannis is away at war.
Ser Triston of Tally Hill
A knight sworn to House Sunglass and one of the King's Men, who are supporters of Stannis who hold to the Faith of the Seven and are led by Davos Seaworth.
- Only One Name: Being a knight of common origin, he has no house name.
- Put on a Bus: He is one of several King's Men who escort Edric Storm to Lys to protect him from Melisandre.
House Velaryon of Driftmark
- The Old, the True, the Brave—House Velaryon words
House Velaryon of Driftmark rules the island of Driftmark, the largest island of Blackwater Bay in the Crownlands. Their castles include Driftmark and High Tide. The head of House Velaryon is titled Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark. The Velaryons are sworn to Dragonstone. Their arms depict a silver seahorse on sea green.
- See the House Velaryon page
