Follow TV Tropes

Following

Characters / Forum of Thrones - The Riverlands

Go To

Click here to return to the main page

The Riverlands have always been a heavily contested region in the centre of Westeros. Unlike the other regions, they don't have a stable kingdom and never had, with dozens of petty kings constantly fighting for control over the fertile landscape. The larger kingdoms that surround it had similar ambitions and at times, the Riverlands were occupied by them. The most successful of these invaders were the Storm Kings of House Durrandon and the Iron Kings of House Hoare. A hundred years ago, the latter of these drove away the former, establishing their own kingdom, the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers. If anything, the Riverlords hate these invaders only marginally more than they hate each other.

    open/close all folders 

House Tully

"Family, Duty, Honour"
Words of House Tully

If there is any house among the quarreling Riverlords that can be considered their leader, it is House Tully of Riverrun. Influential and rich, the Tully's had an important role in the history of the Riverlands even before the Ironborn invasion, after which they became their most powerful vassals in the newly formed kingdom. Their current head is Edmyn Tully.

     In General 
  • Animal Motifs: Leaping trouts, which are part of their banners.
  • Color-Coded Characters: The Tully's tend to have auburn hair and blue eyes, which are also the colours of their sigil:
  • Famous Ancestor: More than one Tully has gained prominence throughout history, such as the builder of Riverrun Axel Tully. Elston Tully, who rebelled against House Teague, or Samwell Rivers, bastard son of Lord Tommen Tully, who died trying to hold the iron born invasion.
  • Fiery Redhead: The Tully's have auburn hair and often quite a bit of a temper.
  • Thicker Than Water: Family always comes first for them.
     Lord Edmyn Tully 

Lord Edmyn Tully

The Lord of Riverrun

The head of House Tully and Lord of Riverrun at the time of the story. Edmyn is a stern, yet moral man, who is one of the few Riverlords that refuse to look away from Harren Hoare's cruelty. His king's actions and concern for his own family eventually motivate him into becoming the head of a daring conspiracy against House Hoare.
  • A Father to His Men: One of Edmyn's prominent traits is that he takes his men's lives very seriously, refusing to sacrifice them in an open rebellion against his king. The one soldier of his that is shown in the story, George, is treated with high respect, almost an equal, despite the fact that he's a mere bastard, whereas Edmyn is the most powerful among the Riverlords.
  • Anti-Hero: While Edmyn has good goals and motives, his means are not heroic in the slightest, which is something some of the other Riverlords point out. At the core, he plans to brutally murder his king and the king's sons, even going as far as to compromise his honour by using poison for the act.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Edmyn is a very polite man, affable and kind, one of the few who show strong morals in the face of a threat, while also secretly plotting to violently overthrow
  • Establishing Character Moment: His very first scene serves as one for him, when he is the only one among the entirety of the Riverlords who is brave enough to stand up towards his king and to speak in defense of a man whose only crime was to steal a loaf of bread out of hunger. It shows him as a principled, moral and brave man, with a slightly hot-headed streak.
  • Everyone Has Standards: His role in the early parts of the story serve as a way to show that some of the Riverlords, though beaten and defeated many decades ago, still hold the morals of their ancestors, when he takes a passionate stand against Harren Hoare's cruelty, making it known that he disapproves of his king and the man's actions.
  • Family Man: Edmyn lives by the words of his house, putting his family first at all times. By the time of the story, he has one son and three daughters, whom he loves dearly.
  • Fiery Redhead: Like all members of House Tully, Edmyn has red hair and his temper is decidedly fiery, as evidenced by how quick he is to consider regicide to keep his family save.
  • Guile Hero: Every man who manages to unifying the most powerful and important Riverlords qualifies as one of these, as Edmyn had to go through a lot to convince all of them to join forces with him.
  • Know When to Fold 'Em: After realizing that there is no way to save his daughter if he goes through with his plan to kill the king, Edmyn wastes no time to kneel down in front of the man. He makes it clear that he hates doing so, but even Torvin realizes that he doesn't really have a choice there.
  • "Not So Different" Remark: To his own surprise, Edmyn realizes heavy similarities between him and Torvin Breaker, a captain of the Iron Fleet, whom he has offered to join his conspiracy against the king. As the two spend more time with each other, they realize that they both share similar values, such as dedication and loyalty to their family, a firm sense of duty to their people, a strong sense of honour and, most importantly, a dislike for their king, whom they are no longer willing to tolerate.
  • Odd Friendship: After realizing the trope above, he forms one with the Iron Fleet captain Torvin Breaker.
  • Papa Wolf: Never, under any circumstance, should one pose a threat to his children. His love for them is the main reason why Edmyn starts his conspiracy against the royal House Hoare. At the same time, the revelation that his daughter is in the hands of the king just as quickly convinces him to stand down, for her sake.
  • Pragmatic Hero: Though firmly a heroic man, Edmyn is willing to do morally questionable things to achieve success in his plans. Said plans include the brutal murder of his king and the other members of the royal family, even through the use of poison, all for the ultimate goal of freeing the Riverlands from the tyranny of House Hoare.
  • Rebel Leader: His role among the other Riverlords comes down to this.
  • La Résistance: He forms one with the other Riverlords, with the goal of taking down House Hoare.
  • Sadistic Choice: During the assassination attempt in Chapter 5, Edmyn is forced to go through one. The king reveals that he had intel about the assassination, therefore making preparations to secure Edmyn's cooperation. The preparations? He took Edmyn's eldest daughter, Dayna as his hostage, forcing the lord to abandon Torvin and Garthon, in order to ensure his daughter's safety.
  • Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Quite heavily so, as Edmyn is willing to go as far as to rebel against the crown once his beliefs are no longer able to coexist with the cutthroat reality of Harrenhal.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: It's not that he had a choice, considering that Harren managed to capture his daughter, but for her sake, he proved himself all too willing to abandong his objctive of killing the king, resulting in him leaving Torvin and Garthon behind.
  • We ARE Struggling Together: Despite being more level-headed than the other Riverlords, not even he is safe from their thousand-year long history of fighting among each other. In his case, what makes him guilty of this trope is his belief that he and his family stand above the other Riverlords, due to their power. It rubs many of them off in the wrong way.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Though there is no doubt about the good intentions he has, by ridding the world of a cruel tyrant and preventing his kingdom from ruin, he employs extreme methods to achieve this goal, such as using poison and brutal assassinations to ruin the royal family.
     Lady Dayna Tully 

Lady Dayna Tully

The eldest of three daughters of Edmyn Tully. Dayna is a young, dutiful woman and her father's favourite child. It is partially out of his love for her that he takes up arms against House Hoare.
  • Damsel in Distress: After the king gains intel on her father's plans, he sends his men to take her captive. During the confrontation, Dayna is presented to her father as a threat, forcing the Riverlord to back down to ensure her survival.
  • Fiery Redhead: She doesn't get much of a chance to show off the fiery part, but her hair is just as red as her father's.
  • Morality Pet: Dayna serves as one to her father, who is the most affectionate when around her.

The Riverlords and their retainers

House Frey

"We Stand Together"
Words of House Frey

Originally bannermen of lesser importance, the Frey's of old have made good use of their lands at the Green Fork of the river Trident. Their castle, the Twins, are two identical keeps on each side of the river, between them the only bridge to cross the water for many miles. As a result, they have grown very rich from the tolls they require to allow travellers to cross the bridge. Their current head is Brandon Frey.

     Lord Brandon Frey 

Lord Brandon Frey

The Lord of the Crossing, Bloody Brandon Frey

Brandon Frey is the head of House Frey and Lord of the Crossing at the time of the story. He is a legendary warrior, though past his prime already and now focussing on protecting his family from the cruel antics of House Hoare.
  • Blood Knight: Brandon loves fighting, to the extent where he prefers a heads-on approach on how to deal with Harren Hoare, offering to lead a suicidal charge at the king and his sons in the hopes to take as many of them with him as possible.
  • Cool Old Guy: An old, renowned warrior, with a strong sense of honour and duty, who loves his children and is not afraid to personally fight against the king who poses a threat to them.
  • Headbutting Heroes: He makes it clar that he has a strong dislike of the other Riverlords he works with.
  • Honor Before Reason: Brandon heavily disapproves of Edmyn's proposal to use poison to kill the king and his sons. He has less of a problem with the assassination itself, though even then he prefers to take Harren directly in combat, giving the man a chance to defend himself.
  • Memetic Badass: His skill has reached such a level, where tales of his feats have far exceeded the man himself. It can be argued that he is to his generation what Barristan Selmy is to Westeros during the War of the Five Kings three-hundred years later.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: His nickname, Bloody Brandon, makes it clear that he is a dangerous man.
  • Papa Wolf: Brandon's love for his children is not to be questioned. The dangerous situations they are in, especially when it comes to his youngest son Adrew, who is kept as a hostage in Harrenhal, are all the motivation he needs to join a conspiracy against the king, to the point where he willingly risks his own life to succeed at this mission.
  • Red Baron: Bloody Brandon Frey.
  • La Résistance: Together with Edmyn Tully, Petyr Blackwood, Tytos Bracken and Arrec Mallister, he forms the inner council of the Riverlords' movement against Harren Hoare and his sons.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: His main motivation for joining the conspiracy against the king. He used to be a supporter of House Hoare, trying to please the king and his sons, by being loyal and courteous. To gain better relations not only to Harren, but also to his heir, he invited the crown prince, Harmund to his castle. Harmund used this opportunity to rape Brandon's beloved daughter. This triggered the fierce hatred he has towards the Ironborn and House Hoare.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: His talk with the other Riverlords is so uneasy that it's clear how much Brandon hates working with them. He seems to have a special problem with those who support the dishonourable tactics Edmyn Tully offers.
  • We ARE Struggling Together: Like all of the Riverlords, Brandon has a petty rivalry with them, something not even he is fully unable to let go of when the time comes for them to unite.
     Adrew Frey 

Adrew Frey

By a cruel twist of fate, Adrew, the youngest son of Lord Brandon Frey, has become Harren Hoare's squire, which leaves him at the receiving end of the king's cruelty quite often.
  • Bit Character: Adrew only appears in a single scene in Chapter 5, though it can be assumed that he will be back in a larger role once the storyline returns in Book 2.
  • Butt-Monkey: His time in the story might be short, but even then, it becomes clear that nothing is working out for him at the moment, with being Harren's squire and all, a position that often puts him at the kings side during the man's worst tempers.
  • The Chew Toy: Harren enjoys tormenting the boy for even the tiniest of mistakes, clearly getting angry around him on purpose and going out of his way to be as cruel as possible to him.
  • My Nayme Is: His name is not Andrew, but Adrew and while the odd spelling is not mentioned in-universe, it is brought up several times out-of-universe and the readers have noticed his odd name. It should be said that Andrew is a common name in Westeros.
  • Nice Guy: For all the abuse he is put through, Adrew seems like a pleasant young man, who is merely too shy to speak up against his king. He briefly gets a chance to be nice, before having to suffer through further abuse at the hands of Harren.

House Blackwood

"Faithful to the Last"
Words of House Blackwood

One of the oldest and most traditional houses of the Riverlands, House Blackwood is the only house south of the Neck that still practices the Faith of the Old Gods, even having a godswood at their keep. They have a famous rivalry with House Bracken of Stone Hedge, having more hatred for them than they have for their Hoare overlords. Their current head is Petyr Blackwood.

     Lord Petyr Blackwood 

Lord Petyr Blackwood

The Lord of Raventree Hall

The old lord of Raventree Hall and head of House Blackwood. Petyr is the patriarch of a large family, but he has suffered under the tyranny of House Hoare like few others, which has left him highly unsure if any sort of rebellion against the king can truly work.
  • Cool Old Guy: Petyr is one of the older Riverlords, being around sixty years old at the time the story starts. He still is youthful and dedicated enough to join a conspiracy against his cruel king, showing that he is not afraid to fight for the freedom of his people.
  • The Cynic: It's clear that years of living under the Hoare's and their brutal system have left him disillusioned on the possibility that his people could ever be free of them.
  • Happily Married: He's very much this with his wife, Lady Evelyne.
  • Headbutting Heroes: Petyr absolutely hates having to work with Tytos Bracken, with whom he has a long and colourful feud, on account of them coming from rival houses. They are both heroes, wanting to do good, but if possible not by having to work with each other.
  • Interclass Romance: With his wife, Evelyne. Born as Evelyne Hale, she is the only daughter of a minor family of landed knights from the Stormlands, making her vastly inferior in status to him, one of the most influential and powerful of the Riverlords.
  • I Was Quite the Looker: Garthon notes that stress has taken a toll on his looks throughout the years, making him look much older than he actually is.
  • Neutral No Longer: Tytos is first mentioned in passing as one of the Riverlords that are still sceptical about turning against the king and he has hesitated to do it in the past already. However, he finally comes around, making it clear that he can no longer support this man. Later on, it is mentioned that he has stopped paying his taxes, implying that he intends to turn his silent conspiracy into a fullblown rebellion.
  • The Patriarch: Of House Blackwood.
  • La Résistance: It takes him a while to come around, but he eventually joins Edmyn Tully's conspiracy against Harren Hoare's life, to free the Riverlands.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: As usual for a Riverlord, any alliance with one of the other lords comes down to this.
  • We ARE Struggling Together: In Petyr's case, the Riverlord whom he hates working with in particular is Tytos Bracken, his old enemy. Their rivalry and bickering put the whole conspiracy at risk, when they are unable to decide on a common goal.
  • Younger Than They Look: He's actually only 48, but stress has made him look much older.
     Lady Evelyne Blackwood 

Lady Evelyne Blackwood

The wife of Petyr Blackwood and Lady of Raventree Hall. Daughter of the landed knight Torvin Hale, she was exiled from the Stormlands for marrying one of House Hoare's vassals.
  • The Exile: Together with her father, Evelyne was exiled from her home in the Stormlands due to the scandalous union between her and Petyr Blackwood, a man sworn to her king's enemy.
  • Happily Married: Despite losing her birth-home over the fallout their union caused, her marriage with Petyr is very loving and they have four children together.
  • Interclass Romance: As the daughter of a mere landed knight, marrying Petyr Blackwood, an important Lord from another kingdom, was seen as quite the scandal. Harren Hoare didn't care about the union, but Argilac sure did.
  • Malicious Slander: Rumors say she hasn't aged in two decades because she bathes in the blood of young women. Edric Rivers sees those rumors as nothing but lies.
  • Older Than They Look: A very persistent rumour claims that Evelyne hasn't aged a day in the last twenty years. Garthon admits she does look much younger than expected.
  • Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Evelyne is dark-haired and fair-skinned, as well as being a renowned beauty even in her forties, with the mentioned combination playing a big part in her physical attractiveness.
     Walder Blackwood 

Walder Blackwood

The eldest child of Petyr and Evelyne Blackwood and former heir to Raventree Hall. He was exiled by his father for killing two Ironborn in order to save his life, leaving his younger brother Ethan as heir.
  • The Exile: Because of the aforementioned murders, he was exiled from the Riverlands by his father to save his life.
  • Fantastic Racism: Killing two Ironborn in broad daylight, in front of witnesses no less, speaks volumes of his hatred for the invaders. Considering what House Hoare did to his family during the Hardhand's conquest, is no surprise.
  • The Ghost: Walder has been mentioned, but hasn't actually appeared yet.
     Ser Torvin Hale 

Ser Torvin Hale

The master-at-arms of Raventree Hall and father of Evelyne Blackwood. Formerly a landed knight from the Stormlands, he lost what little wealth he had when his daughter married Petyr Blackwood, moving alongside his daughter to the Riverlands.
  • The Exile: Born a Stormlander and member of House Hale, a small, declining family of landed knights, the true downfall of his house came through the marriage of his daughter and only child with a Riverlord, sworn to his king's arch enemy. Argilac reacted by seizing the lands of House Hale and banishing Torvin and his daughter to Raventree Hall.
  • Good Parents: He's not upset about losing his lands since he knows his daughter is happy.
  • Impoverished Patrician: Not that he was very wealthy to begin with, but before his daughter married Petyr Blackwood, he was a landed knight. Unfortunately, he lost what little he had after his exile.
  • Last of Its Kind: He only has one child, his daughter Evelyne, making him the last male member of House Hale. Due to his age, it is unlikely that his name will continue after his death.
  • The Mole: Maurice suspects he's giving information to House Hoare. So far, it has not been confirmed if these suspicions are true in any way though.
  • Old Retainer: If he is not The Mole, as stated above, then he certainly counts as this and he maintains this reputation at least on the outside, having loyally served his son-in-law for over twenty years, ever since his daughter married into the family.
  • One-Steve Limit: Averted with the Ironborn Torvin Breaker. Even Garthon is surprised and quite a bit unsettled by the fact that he has the same name as his brother.
  • Scatterbrained Senior: He might try to hide it, but as he admits to Garthon, it's becoming more and more difficult to remember things, especially recent ones.

     Maurice Mad-Eye 

Maurice

Mad-Eye

A commoner from the town of Fairmarket, who has won the trust and friendship of Petyr Blackwood. However, due to his unsettling appearance, he has gained the nickname Maurice Mad-Eye.
  • Dirty Old Man: Maurice is nearly in his forties and yet he has no issue with shamelessly ogling Mariya Piper, who is merely seventeen years old, when even Garthon, himself only in his mid-twenties, refrained from doing so. Marie Redloon even implied that he has a history of making uncomfortable moves towards the female servants of Raventree Hall.
  • He-Man Woman Hater: He is rather misogynistic even for the setting and quickly dismisses Marie Redloon's abilities simply by virtue of being a woman.
  • Jerkass: Mostly due to his He-Man Woman Hater tendencies and him being a bit of a pervert, Maurice comes across as quite unlikeable. As such, most people beyond Petyr Blackwood himself see him as a necessary evil, considering how useful he is in supporting his lord.
  • Number Two: Maurice is Petyr Blackwood's closest confidante and involved in almost all of his plans.
  • Odd Friendship: While Maurice is a somewhat rude and shamelessly perverted man of low origins, he is still good friends with the respectful and easy-going Lord of Raventree Hall.
  • The Smart Guy: While he is neither charming nor physically powerful, Maurice has shown himself to be quite intelligent and observant, which is a big reason why Petyr Blackwood values him so much.
  • Token Evil Teammate: Seen as this by Garthon for House Blackwood, by virtue of being morally ambiguous and quite a bit shady. However, he seems to be perfectly loyal to his lord and there are no indicators that he is outright evil.
  • Twitchy Eye: One of his eyes is twitching quite notably, which is a big factor in his unsettling appearance and initially even a reason why Garthon hesitates to trust him.
  • Undying Loyalty: While Garthon distrusts him, Petyr feels confident in his loyalty, and so far he hasn't dissuaded that notion.
     Marie Redloon 

Marie Redloon

One of the servants at Raventree Hall, with a leading position among them. She is also, most notably, the sister-in-law of Velmont Redloon, a Riverlander turncoat and closer advisor to King Harren.
  • The Mole: Possibly. Just like Torvin Hale, she is brought up by Maurice as one of the possible people to leak information out of Raventree Hall and towards Harrenhal. In her case, he suspects her because of her family ties to Velmont Redloon, her brother-in-law, who has influence at Harren's court. However, it has not yet been revealed if she is actually guilty of any act of treason.
  • Prim and Proper Bun: She keeps her blonde hair in one of these.

House Bracken

"With Spirits Untamed"
Words of House Bracken

Neighbours of House Blackwood and similarly ancient, the Bracken's of Stone Hedge look upon a long, proud history. They are noted to be stubborn, a trait that gave them quite a lot of problems in days of old. A bitter rivalry of unknown origins connects them to House Blackwod of Raventree Hall. Their current head is Lord Tytos Bracken.

     Lord Tytos Bracken 

Lord Tytos Bracken

The Lord of Stone Hedge

The lord of Stone Hedge at the time of the story. Tytos is a proud Riverlord and a patriot, who hates the Ironborn with a vengeance, seeing them as a major threat for his family. For their sake, he is even willing to work with sworn enemies, like House Blackwood.
  • Cool Old Guy: Like most of the Riverlords, Tytos is at least in his fifties, yet still cool enough to join a secret conspiracy against his Evil Overlord.
  • Fantastic Racism: Tytos hates the Ironborn even more than the other Riverlords do and this hatred shows heavy shades of him being biased against all of them by default.
  • Headbutting Heroes: His house has a long and famous rivalry with House Blackwood, something the recent generation, portrayed by him and Petyr Blackwood, still clings on to, even though both men are aware that this can't go on forever, leading to them trying to work together at the very least.
  • The Patriarch: Of House Bracken.
  • La Résistance: Tytos joins many of the other influential Riverlords in the conspiracy against House Hoare.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With all of the other Riverlords, but especially with Petyr Blackwood.
  • We ARE Struggling Together: All of the Riverlords have some rivalries with each other. In Tytos' case, it is mutual hatred with Petyr Blackwood, a man whom he barely manages to be in the same room with.

     Ser Rickard Fowler 

Ser Rickard Fowler

A knight in service of House Bracken. Originally, he comes from House Fowler of Skyreach, one of the major noble houses in Dorne, but due to his low standing in the family, he left to find work and fame elsewhere, eventually settling down at the personal guard of Lord Bracken.
  • Going Native: Though a member of House Fowler, Rickard has left his house so long ago that he considers himself a Riverlander first and foremost, to the point where he barely identifies himself as a Dornishman anymore.
  • Praetorian Guard: This is Rickard's role in the Bracken household.
  • Undying Loyalty: His loyalty to House Bracken is without question.

House Mallister

"Above The Rest"
Words of House Mallister

House Mallister of Seagard is one of the few houses of the Riverlands that actually managed to benefit from the Ironborn rule. Deprived of their greatest enemy, on account of the raiders turning to lands they did not control, the Mallister's managed to use their strategically beneficial location to host the Iron Fleet, becoming the main war harbour for House Hoare. Their current head is Arrec Mallister.

     Lord Arrec Mallister 

Lord Arrec Mallister

The Lord of Seagard

The young Lord of Seagard is highly unusual among the other Riverlords, since he and his house actually profit from the Ironborn rule. Their seat at Seagard is the main war harbour of the Iron Fleet, meaning plenty of trade in Arrec's favour. However, he is known for his cold pragmatism and quick thinking, causing him to be open for anything in the brewing conflict against the Ironborn.
  • Abusive Parents: Though not physically abusive, Arrec is perfectly willing to marry his daughter Elaena, herself in her early teens, off to Harmund Hoare, a known serial rapist, completly disregarding her safety and personal wishes in this situation, in what is a cheap and painfully obvious power grab by him.
  • Les Collaborateurs: Despite seemingly joining the conspiracy against House Hoare, he has actually turned against the other Riverlords, being convinced that they are unable to defeat House Hoare. He has then proceeded to ally himself with his king instead.
  • Didn't Think This Through: His betrayal of the other Riverlords may have reaffirmed his loyalty to House Hoare, but has also made him a pariah among his fellow Riverlanders, with his family being shunned and himself targeted by the Sons of the Trident.
  • Face–Heel Turn: He has never been much of a Face, but betraying the conspiracy against Harren Hoare, selling his allies out for his own personal gain, makes him clearly a heel.
  • The Mole: Arrec has allied himself with House Hoare long ago, yet he continues to be a part of the conspiracy, in order to give valuable intel on the Riverlords' next steps towards the Ironborn.
  • Only Sane Man: Out of the Riverlords that join the conspiracy, he is the only one that brings up the possibility of them failing
  • La Résistance: He is part of the conspiracy against House Hoare. At least that's what he wants everyone to think. He is secretly allied with House Hoare.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: At least during Book 1, he himself only appears in the early parts of Chapter 5 as a member of the conspiracy against House Hoare, yet as the one who ultimately betrays them, he is majorly responsible for the survival of Harren Hoare and Torvin Breaker's downfall.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Like all of the Riverlords, Arrec dislikes working with others and has a heavy distrust towards his co-conspirators, yet he has no other way but to work with them.
  • We ARE Struggling Together: Again, like all of the other Riverlords, Arrec prefers to focus on personal rivalries instead of tackling the true problem and overcoming their mutual enemy.
  • Wild Card: Lampshaded by the other Riverlords. Nobody seems to know for sure whom he is loyal to, since Seagard has profited from the Ironborn rule more than any other location in the Riverlands. His motivations are heavily questioned by both, the Ironborn and the Riverlords and all that is for sure is that he truly only serves himself.

     Elaena Hoare (née Mallister) 

Elaena Mallister

The only child and heiress of Lord Arrec Mallister. Having just entered her very early teens, she used to be a promising match for marriage due to her status as Arrec's heiress. However, her father's mistakes harmed these chances, forcing him to take drastic measures when it comes to her future betrothed. Eventually, she is forced to marry Harmund Hoare, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Isles and Rivers.
  • Arranged Marriage: A particularly terrible example, as Elaena is forcibly betrothed to what might be the most vile man in the entire kingdom, crown prince Harmund Hoare.
  • Children Are Innocent: For what little is seen of her, Elaena seems like a very innocent young girl, not fully understanding the severity of what her father is doing and mostly reacting with childish (yet perfectly understandable) fear.
  • Morality Pet: Horribly averted. Her father, Arrec Mallister, might claim some sort of fondness for her, though ultimately, he is more than willing to sell her into marriage
  • Old Man Marrying a Child: This is one of the things that particularly abhor her about her intended betrothed, among other things, the fact that Harmund is about twenty years her senior.
  • Shrinking Violet: Perfectly justified, as Elaena's status as a complete wallflower is a defense mechanism, born out of utterly justified fear towards her intended husband and his father, the two most feared men in the kingdom.
  • Unwanted Spouse: She both has and is one of these, as her marriage with Harmund Hoare has been forced upon both and neither have even the slightest bit of fondness for each other.

House Piper

"Brave and Beautiful"
Words of House Piper

While not as large and influential as House Tully, Blackwood or Mallister, and despite a long history never actually kings in their own right, House Piper of Pinkmaiden is nonetheless among the principal houses of the Riverlands. Their lands near the border to the Rock mean that they have seen their fair share of war over the years. Most recently, many Piper soldiers have been sent to support Harren Hoare's war against the Kingdom of the Rock, which has completely shattered the already wavering loyalty they have towards their overlords. Their current head is Elmont Piper.

     Lord Elmont Piper 

Lord Elmont Piper

The Lord of Pinkmaiden

The Lord of Pinkmaiden, Elmont is a physically disabled but well-meaning man, who has recently stepped up to take a more active role in the Riverlands rebellion against Harren Hoare. The indecisiveness of his youth is gone and he is determined to rid his kingdom from their Ironborn overlords.
  • Career-Ending Injury: While Elmont has been a warrior in his youth, a heavy leg injury effectively crippled him and forces him to use a cane at all times, even over a decade after receiving it. As a result, he has grown a lot thinner and he is only a shadow of his former self nowadays.
  • Doting Parent: While Elmont loves all of his children, he seems to be particularly fond of Mariya, whom he even takes along to an important meeting with Lord Blackwood, above his son nonetheless.
  • Good Parents: In general, Elmont is very supportive of his daughter's intelligence and determination, which makes him a rarity in the setting, where daughters are generally expected to Stay in the Kitchen.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Not only is Elmont very open to accept his daughter's intelligent advice, he also realizes soon enough that the Riverlands cannot support House Hoare any longer and that action must be taken.
     Mariya Piper 

Mariya Piper

The secondborn child and eldest daughter of Elmont Piper. Mariya is young, yet highly intelligent and outspoken about her convictions. Thanks to her supportive father, she has taken a bit of a leader role in her houses effort to support the Riverlands rebellion.
  • Brainy Brunette: Mariya has light brown hair and Garthon takes note of her intelligence almost immediately, seeing it as even more notable than her beauty.
  • Fantastic Racism: In her first appearance in the story, she displays a strong hatred against Ironborn, even going as far as to call them monsters and she is openly urging her father to support the growing Riverlands rebellion against them.
  • Innocently Insensitive: While Mariya certainly meant what she said when she called the Ironborn monsters, she had no idea that among those listening were Garthon and Hjalgar, who are Ironborn themselves. She proves that she did not intend to insult them personally when she immediately apologizes Garthon once they have a private talk.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: Mariya, who has just turned seventeen, is friends with Lucas Lolliston, her father's childhood friend and second-in-command, who himself is in his thirties.
  • Nice Gal: Fantastic Racism aside (and even that one might be justified), Mariya is a perfectly nice and understanding person in her debut part, even managing to apologize to Garthon for accidentally insulting him.
  • The Smart Gal: Mariya is notably smarter than her own father even and it is implied that she has effectively made the decision to join the Riverlands rebellion. As such, it is also likely that she made the decision to travel to Raventree Hall in secret, without displaying any Piper heraldry on their carriage or their guards.
  • The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: While Elmont Piper is definitely not a looker, being gaunt and disabled, Mariya is noted to be stunningly beautiful in contrast and several male characters take note of her good looks.
  • Wise Beyond Their Years: Mariya is merely seventeen years old and yet she displays a keen understanding for the inner workings of the Riverlands and how the Riverlords will act in the war to come. In fact, she seems to be advising her own father on what to do.

     Lucas Lolliston 

Lucas Lolliston

The Castellan of Pinkmaiden

A member of House Lolliston, a minor house sworn to House Piper, Lucas is the loyal castellan of Pinkmaiden and second-in-command as well as best friend of Elmont Piper.
  • Alliterative Name: Lucas Lolliston.
  • Beard of Evil: Completely subverted. He has a goatee, which is among the most typically evil beards, but so far, he has shown himself to be a firm supporter of House Piper and through them an ally of the other Riverlords.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: Lucas is good friends with Mariya Piper, Lord Piper's eldest daughter, who is over a decade younger than him.
  • Number Two: Lucas is the best friend of Elmont Piper and also serves as his castellan. However, he also seems to be a firm supporter of his daughter, means he has this role towards her as well.
  • The Quiet One: While he does speak, Lucas is mostly quiet unless there is a good reason for him to open his mouth. Most of the time, he seems to be content with letting others do the talking.

House Mooton

"Wisdom and Strength"
Words of House Mooton

Located in the eastern Riverlands, at the Bay of Crabs, House Mooton rules over Maidenpool, one of the larger cities of the Riverlands, as well as one of the richest. This very wealth also meant they have often been the target of many invaders, especially from the Storm King's of House Durrandon. Their lord at the beginning of the story is Grenn Mooton, though his younger brother Jon follows at the beginning of Book 2.

     Lord Grenn Mooton* 

Lord Grenn Mooton

The Lord of Maidenpool

The head of House Mooton and Lord of Maidenpool. He leads a host alongside Lord Bryen Darklyn to face the threat of Aegon Targaryen. He's the POV character of the prologue of Book 2.
  • Action Dad: He's a father and undoubtedly a warrior.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: Being boiled alive in his own armor, deafened by a dragon's roar and then Eaten Alive by the very same dragon is far from a good way to go.
  • Frontline General: Grenn leads his men personally, despite his brother's objections and he fares quite well in combat.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: When he realizes the death and destruction he brought to his men for foolishly facing Aegon Targaryen and Balerion on open battle, Grenn has such a reaction.
  • Papa Wolf: Grenn's main reason to fight against Aegon Targaryen despite his concerns is that the dragons mean a threat to his daughter and only living child, Amerei.
  • Oh, Crap!: When he sees Balerion up close for the first time, all his confidence banishes completely.
  • Sacrificial Lion: Like Maester Eaton before him, he doesn't live past the prologue of Book 2.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Not to the same extent as Bryen Darklyn, as Grenn has some doubts about facing Aegon Targaryen, but still, fighting Balerion without vastly outnumbering him is always a terrible idea, as he surely notices.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Grenn is introduced and killed off in the same part, the prologue of Book 2.

     Ser Jon Mooton 

Ser, later Lord Jon Mooton

Grenn's younger brother and second in-command, who follows his brother in his campaign against House Targaryen despite his personal reservations of facing them openly. After his brother is killed in battle, he bends the knee to Aegon and becomes one of his Bannerman.
  • Action Dad: It has been mentioned that he has two newborn sons, and he is definitely a capable warrior.
  • Cool Uncle: He's very protective of his niece Amerei. He cares a great deal for her, to the point where he offers to give her back her birthright and name her as Lady of Maidenpool, despite his new king's previous order.
  • Know When to Fold 'Em: Jon was one of the first Lords of Westeros to kneel to Aegon Targaryen. In fact, he gave this advice to his brother on two separate occasions, before being forced into a position of leadership himself after said brother was burned to death by Balerion. His first action upon receiving lordship over Maidenpool is to surrender the city and his remaining forces to Aegon.
  • Last Stand: Decides to face Orys Baratheon in single combat to try and give his brother a chance to escape, despite knowing it would be suicidal. Sadly this didn't helped his brother in the end. And he ends up surviving the battle anyway.
  • Number Two: Jon is his brother's closest confidant and second-in-command.
  • Only Sane Man: He's the only one among the Darklyn and Mooton's host that thought facing the dragons was a bad idea and that kneeling to them would be the smarter choice. He had no idea how right he was.
  • You Are in Command Now: Becomes Lord of Maidenpool when his niece Amerei refuses rulership, as it would have involved her having to kneel to the man that killed her father.

     Amerei Mooton 

Amerei Mooton

The Maid of Maidenpool, Amy

Lord Grenn Mooton's only daughter and technically his heir, since he has no other children of his own. She's also friends with Damon Darklyn, the heir of Duskendale.
  • Abdicate the Throne: Not exactly throne, but she renounces her claim of Maidenpool in favor of her uncle, since she doesn't want to directly serve under the man who killed her father.
  • Affectionate Nickname: Amy, by her father and uncle, as well as by her friend, Damon Darklyn.
  • Break the Cutie: Her father is killed without her being able to do anything about it and then, she has to give up her claim to House Mooton to her uncle, as her new overlord, the man who killed her father in the first place, is understandably unwilling to accept a Lady Mooton that refuses to bend the knee to him.
  • Daddy's Girl: She's her father's only child and her safety comes first. Her father's last thoughts before dying are his brother Jon, Maidenpool, and she...
  • Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: It does take a significant amount of bravery to stand up to Aegon Targaryen and call him out on his use of Balerion, the Black Dread on her father' army, while said Balerion and two other dragons have her surrounded. Surprisingly for her, Aegon accepts her criticism and does not punish her for it.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: After Aegon asks her for her opinion on the matter who shall succeed as the ruler of Maidenpool, she breaks into a brief, but precise rant on how his battle tactic has been anything but honourable.

House Wode

"Touch Me Not"
Words of House Wode

A small House whose lands were once located were Harrenhal currently stands. Although they were compensated by House Hoare with a small keep a day's ride away from the castle, being driven out of their lands by the Ironborn made its head, Addam Wode, found the Sons of the Trident. Following Lord Addam's betrayal and execution, their small keep is currently deserted, with the new head of the house, Addam's brother Andrew, currently in hiding.

     Lord Addam Wode 

Lord Addam Wode

The head of House Wode and the original founder of the Sons of the Trident. He was betrayed by Edgar the Turncoat and was brutally executed for his defiance, although his followers continue fighting for his cause.
  • Posthumous Character: Addam is already dead by the time of the story, having been executed by Tedyn Bullister on orders of Harren Hoare, who specifically wanted him to die as brutally as possible.
  • Rebel Leader: The original leader of the Sons of the Trident.

Other Riverlords

     Lord Trymon Brune 

Lord Trymon Brune

The Lord of the Dyre Den

A crabby, bitter lord from the Dyre Den, a castle in the region of Crackclaw Point, a heavily contested region nominally claimed by House Hoare, which makes him one of the Riverlords. However, he receives little respect from the others lords of the Riverlands and his power is ignorable at best.
  • Alternative Character Interpretation: Is he truly a villainous rapist who has developed a petty grudge into true hatred over the years, or has he merely intended to scare Maya and never intended to harm her?
  • Create Your Own Villain: The reason he became a villain in the first place is because of Orson Royce's (alleged) actions that led to his daughter giving her virginity to the Bronze Lord. If he says the truth, then Orson had a direct hand in making him the man he is today.
  • Cynicism Catalyst: His daughter being dishonoured by the actions of Orson Royce was this to him, especially since he had to marry her off to an older ally of his, where she led a thoroughly unhappy life.
  • Dirty Old Man: His exact age is never given, but he is at the very least in his sixties. One of the first things he did in the story was trying to force himself upon Maya, who is about a third of his age.
  • Evil Old Folks: Trymon is described as an older man and his actions can be considered evil.
  • I Have You Now, My Pretty: He pulls such a situation off with Maya quickly after her arrival at the Dyre Den and he makes it absolutely clear what he intends to do to her.
  • Karmic Death: After trying to rape Maya to get revenge on the Bronze Lord, he is quickly killed by her when she reveals the knife she had hidden on her body. On top of that, it is revealed that Orson Royce has likely orchestrated his death, making him a pawn to the end.
  • Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Quickly after his introduction, he cements his villainy by trying to rape Maya.
  • Unknown Rival: Ever since Orson Royce raped (or simply seduced) his daughter, he has held a grudge towards the man, whereas Royce never even acknowledged his existence and seemingly forgot about him when he sent Maya down the path that would lead her to meet him. That said, considering the kind of a person Orson is, it wouldn't be too far fetched to assume that he genuinely planned this.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: He is killed at the very end of his first chapter, just two parts after we first met him.

Other Riverlanders

     Gabin Strad* 

Gabin Strad

Gabin was born in the Riverlands, as the older brother of Urid Strad, who later moved to Raylansfair. As a young man, he was betrothed to his childhood friend, Ribel, who was later abducted and forcefully married by the Ironborn lord Reymand Orkwood. He has worked to free her ever since. He becomes a POV character on Chapter 4 of Book 2.
  • Ascended Extra: Though a secondary background character in the original story, Gabin is confirmed to be among the characters who will get expanded roles in Book 2.
  • Childhood Friend Romance: He and Ribel have known each other since they were children and have fallen in love long ago, when they were in their early teens.
  • The Cynic: Losing Ribel has turned him into a bitter, vengeful man with a strong cynical streak.
  • Dirty Coward: Gabin's most prominent trait is that he is not a very brave man, to say the least. He serves the man who abducted his fiance out of fear and he does not hesitate to abandon others to save his own life, as shown when he abandons Torvin and Garthon the moment their assassination attempt goes somewhat sour.
  • False Friend: He claims to be Harlan Hoare's friend, in the attempt to get closer to him and the king through him, but he doesn't hold a single bit of fondness to the prince.
  • I Have Your Wife: Played With. Gabin serves Lord Orkwood loyally to keep her save, but Reymand doesn't recognize him and doesn't consciously invokve this trope. Instead, the mere fact that he literally has Gabin's betrothed as his wife and is always able to hurt her if he is displeased is enough for Gabin to serve him.
  • The Lancer: For a given value, he serves as this to Torvin. He's not particularly helpful or supportive though and some traits of this role are taken over by Hjalgar instead, who fits the spot more classically.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After realizing that the assassination attempt on Harren Hoare's life has become hard, or even almost impossible, Gabin decides to flee, to save his own life.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: There are heavy differences between Gabin and his younger brother Urid. While both love their family and would do anything for their beloved wife, they are heavily different in the way they treat their friends. Gabin is manipulative and cowardly, whereas Urid is straightforward and loyal to a fault. Only Urid would put himself in danger, whereas Gabin decides to flee the moment things become dangerous for him.
  • Sour Supporter: Even though Gabin has joined the conspiracy that is aimed to kill Harren Hoare, he is not convinced of their chances of success. As such, he is often the most vocal critic of Edmyn Tully and his plans.
  • Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Described as such.
  • Unknown Rival: Technically, he has the biggest grudge on Reymand Orkwood, the lord who abducted his wife. However, as shown by the fact that Reymand accepted him into his household, the lord doesn't even know him and certainly doesn't recognize him or is aware of the danger he poses.

     George 

George

A young man in service of House Tully and a personal guard to Lord Tully, who finds himself involved in things far greater than him when he joins Edmyn Tully in the Riverlords' attempt to take down Harren Hoare.
  • Child by Rape: His mother was raped by an Ironborn soldier, which led to his birth. Despite the pain this has taken her through, his mother is noted to love him dearly, a feeling that is mutual.
  • Defrosting Ice King: George starts the story as a very aloof man, who only reluctantly works with Garthon, with whom he barely speaks in the beginning. Over the course of their journey together, they bond and George warms up to him.
  • Heroic Bastard: A bastard and a Child by Rape, George is nonetheless a loyal and heroic soldier, who has a strong set of morals and is willing to go far to do the right thing.
  • Hero Worship: After meeting him, he almost squees in the presence of Torvin, of whom he has heard a lot of good things. It comes as a disappointment for him when he has to work with Torvin's younger brother instead.
  • The Lancer: He quickly takes up such a position for Garthon during their journey.
  • Mauve Shirt: He dies at the end of the failed assassination attempt on Harren Hoare's life, when Edward Anturion cuts his throat. Ths gives him four chapters of development, in which he becomes a supporting character in the early stages of Garthon's storyline, but he otherwise never does anything truly important.
  • Momma's Boy: His mother is noted to be the most positive relationship in his life. It is portrayed positively and only serves to show off George's nice and caring personality.
  • Motor Mouth: Initially a bit reserved, he turns into this once he mellows up. As Garthon notes, not even the singing of Jon the Harper was able to interrupt him in his story, which kept them entertained for hours.
  • Nice Guy: Loyal, caring and good-natured, George is one of the nicest guys in the story.
  • Only One Name: Technically, his bastard name is George Rivers and some characters even call him as such, but he is not an acknowledged bastard, since his father merely raped his mother before moving on. As such, he doesn't have an official name, as he doesn't have any father willing to acknowledge him.
  • La Résistance: Part of the conspiracy against Harren Hoare. George even has a key role in it, as Edmyn Tully's most trusted soldier, whom he tasks with acquiring the weapon that is supposed to end the tyrant.
  • Secret-Keeper: George is the only one of House Tully's soldiers that know of Edmyn's plans.
  • Ship Tease: He has taken a liking to Dacey Longbow from the Sons of the Trident and though she is more frosty towards him, her parting words towards Garthon hint at least at some mutual feelings.
  • Slashed Throat: He meets his end in this way, courtesy of Edward Anturion.
  • Undying Loyalty: George's loyalty to House Tully goes far deeper than what is usually shown by soldiers. After travelling together with Garthon, he extends his loyalty to him as well, which is shown in his behaviour during the assassination attempt on Harren's life.

     Velmont Redloon 

Velmont Redloon

Born as a normal citizen of the Riverlands, Velmont soon made himself a name as a cruel fighter, which attracted the attention of Harren Hoare, who gave him a chance to prove himself. Eventually, Velmont became one of the main Riverlanders in a position of power at the court of Harrenhal.
  • Bit Character: Though technically appearing in three chapters in Book 1, his involvement in all three is minimal and he doesn't do much in them or inbetween. Since he is still alive, it can only be guesse that he'll get expanded upon later in the story.
  • Fingore: During the wedding of Harmund Hoare and Elaena Mallister, he foolishly challenges Gravven Drumm to a round of the finger dance. It ends with him losing half of his left index finger.
  • Les Collaborateurs: Velmont is among the few Riverlanders who are truly loyal to their Ironborn overlords. His role at court is being part of intelligence operatives, which means he regularly outright deceives his fellow Riverlanders to gain intel on them.
  • Jerkass: Always drives the thin line between this and outright kicking the dog. In Velmont's case, being a complete and insufferable jerk is the best he can be.
  • Not-So-Harmless Villain: Though appearing like a typical case of Small Name, Big Ego, Velmont actually has enough to back up his ego, which is proven by how quickly he sees through Jon the Harper and his companions.
  • Professional Buttkisser: Described by Garthon as a man who 'made his home in Harren Hoare's backside'.
  • Sherlock Scan: As a Hoare agent, Velmont excels at this. He proves it when he quickly sees through Jon the Harper and his ruse, all by just hearing the first names of him and his companions.
  • Smug Snake: His most major flaw is his arrogance, which leads to instance of the following...
  • Underestimating Badassery: At several times, Velmont underestimates those around him. Though he correctly realizes that Jon the Harper and his companions are part of the Sons of the Trident, he does not realize how dangerous they truly are. He also underestimates Garthon and his fighting ability, which comes to bite him when he is soundly beaten by him in a fistfight.

     Alynne Hollard 

Alynne Hollard

As one of the members of House Hollard, Alynne stands out for two factors among the Ironborn of Harrenhal. She is the only woman among the Iron Fleet captains, as well as the only Riverlander.
  • Action Girl: Being a raider and captain of the Iron Fleet, she has to be this. Actually, she has to be even more of an Action Girl than other female raiders, on account of her not being Ironborn.
  • Broken Pedestal: She used to admire King Harren for his strength and determination, until he considered killing her before banishing her to a distant outpost of the northern Riverlands for the simple fact that her family had surrendered to House Targaryen alongside House Darklyn, a decision which Alynne had no knowledge or was even a part of.
  • The Captain: The name of her ship hasn't been revealed, but she commands a vessel among the Iron Fleet.
  • Les Collaborateurs: Alynne belongs to a faction of Riverlanders that fully and willingly work with the Ironborn. In her case, she has even turned against her own house to do so and she got rewarded by being the only non-Ironborn among the Iron Fleet.
  • The Lad-ette: In Alynne's behaviour, there's little difference to the men under her command. She is only slightly more refined than the crude men under her command, she swears, drinks and is generally accepted among the Ironborn.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Despite being a captain of the Iron Fleet and therefore sworn to the villainous House Hoare, Alynne shows few villainous traits, especially when she's off-duty.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: When on-duty, Alynne is this, one of the few examples of this trope among the Iron Fleet. She's even willing to let Maya and her companions to leave the Riverlands unharmed, and in the possession of Lady Forlorn, which would actually bring her back to the good graces of King Harren.
  • The Smurfette Principle: She is the only woman among the captains of the Iron Fleet.
  • Twofer Token Minority: Alynne is not only the only woman, she is also the only Riverlander among the Iron Fleet.

     Tedyn Bullister 

Tedyn Bullister

The last member of a once proud noble house that dared to disagree with House Hoare, Tedyn had to witness the death of his entire family as a young boy. He was taken in as a ward by the Hoare's who horribly abused him to the point where he became traumatized and unquestionably loyal towards them. He serves as the executioner of House Hoare.
  • Anti-Villain: He isn't really evil, just traumatized and conditioned into being loyal to his Hoare overlords. While he commits villainous acts without a second thought if they order it, he's really little more than just a tool for them to use and not too much of a bad guy outside of these orders.
  • Les Collaborateurs: He is partially unwilling and partially too afraid to resist, but Tedyn still loyally serves House Hoare, the very same house that killed his entire family.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Tedyn was once the youngest member of House Bullister, a noble house from the Riverlands. His father was one of the few lords who ever dared to defy the king, when he refused to pay his taxes. The king's answer came swiftly and brutally and he massacred the entire Bullister family. He left the young Tedyn alive, bringing him back to Harrenhal as a plaything for his sons. Under their torment, Tedyn grew up to an unfailingly obedient man, who lives in constant fear of being punished by his masters.
  • Facial Horror: In the many years of abuse, the Hoare princes didn't spare his face either. He mostly wears a helm to conceal it, but he is horribly disfigured underneath, with parts of his face flayed and burned off.
  • The Juggernaut: Silent and deadly, Tedyn is a force to be reckoned with when armed with his axe, capable of taking on multiple enemies at once, taking even experienced fighters down.
  • Last of Their Kind: Tedyn is the last of the once proud House Bullister, which has been wiped out by Harren Hoare when his family defied Harren Hoare and got wiped out as a result. He was left alive, to serve as Harrenhal's executioner.
  • My Master, Right or Wrong: Due to being tortured into submission, Tedyn has no personal fondness of House Hoare and actually hates them deeply, yet he is too afraid of them to go against their orders. This eventually leads to him turning on Garthon, trying to kill him and getting himself killed by Rell Vessels in return.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Though fully capable of villainous acts, carrying them through without any apparent remorse, Tedyn is not a bad guy himself and merely follows the orders of his masters completely. When he isn't given an order, he doesn't do anything villainous by himself.
  • The Quiet One: Despite missing most of his tongue, he amazingly averts being The Speechless by a very narrow margin. With his vocal chords still intact, he is technically capable of speech, though without his tongue, he can only press out vocals and very few consonants, forming a blurred, basic speech. It takes a lot of effort though and he doesn't use it very often, mostly preferring to be quiet.
  • The Stoic: It comes with losing his tongue and learning how to hide his emotions.
  • Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: After being a recurring character in Book 1, Tedyn holds the questionable honour of being the first character to die outside of the prologue in Book 2, when he is shot by Rell Vessels to save the live of Garthon Breaker.
  • Tongue Trauma: Out of fear of speaking against the Hoare's that have taken him as their prisoner, Tedyn has bitten off a major part of his own tongue, which leaves him largely incapable of speech.
  • Undying Loyalty: His conditioning has been so effective that he would essentially die for the members of House Hoare. It can be argued that he is by far their most loyal subject.

     Holt Torv 

Holt Torv

Formerly a sellsword, Holt has become a member of the Hoare household after losing his foot in battle. Due to his cruelty, Harren himself has taken an interest in the man and has ultimately given him the position of Harrenhal's chief torturer.
  • An Arm and a Leg: As mentioned above, he is missing a foot, which has been severed in battle.
  • Artificial Limbs: After the loss of his foot, he replaced it with a wooden prosthesis.
  • Evil Cripple: The loss of his foot has already been mentioned and despite the wooden replacement, he is left with a very prominent limp. He is also a hateful and vile man, who finds joy only in the suffering of others and who is highly envious of those who have it better than him.
  • Jerkass: His position as a torturer almost requires this by default, but Holt takes it a step further by being not only cruel, but petty. Whenever he sees a possible chance, he loves to humiliate his prisoners, including starving them on purpose, for no reason but for his own amusement.
  • Kick The Son Of A Bitch: He is on the receiving end when he gets on Harlan's nerves one too many times. The resulting beatdown leaves him humiliated and knocked to the ground and he even loses his prosthetic foot in the process, which leaves him unable to stand up on his own.
  • Retired Monster: In a rare case, he retired from one field where he has been a monster, only to go on to become a monster with no desire to retire anytime soon in a completely different field. With his career as a sellsword over after his crippling wound, he became the chief torturer of Harrenhal, a position where he was able to profit from the cruelty he has learned in his long career. Needless to say, he shows not even the slightest hint of regret for his past actions.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: All things considered, Holt holds no real position of power at the court of Harrenhal. He is valued for his skills, but frequently oversteps his position and considers himself far more important than he truly is.
  • Smug Snake: His arrogance and jerkish traits are more often than not the cause of bad things happening to him. This is especially obvious when he gets on Harlan Hoare's nevers with his insufferable attitude.
  • Torture Technician: Being the chief torturer of Harrenhal, this is absolutely required of course.

     Woody Lincoln 

Woody Lincoln

An old farmer and former soldier, who suffered a severe trauma in his service to House Hoare, which left him a mute. He retired from the army and instead built up a small farm near Harrenhal, which he has tended to for decades now.
  • Bit Character: Woody is mentioned in Chapter 4 and only appears in a single part in Chapter 5, when he returns to Harrenhal to get justice for what Harmund and his men did on his farm the night before.
  • Cool Old Guy: A nice, heroic and brave old man, who has saved dozens of women on his farm, by hiding them from the cruel Harmund Hoare and his hunts. He does so even though he knows what would happen if Harmund learns of this.
  • Good Samaritan: Woody doesn't have a personal benefit from helping the young women he keeps save and he doesn't ask for anything. All he is concerned about is their well-being, which makes him one of the few truly altruistic characters in Westeros.
  • Hero of Another Story: As said above, he only appeared in a single part and we never get to see his actions. However, it has been mentioned that he frequently hides young women on his farm to keep them save from Harmund, which makes him a heroic and selfless man, who puts his own life on the line on a regular base. None of this is has been shown in the story so far, since the narrative never moves there.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Eventually, his selfless actions come to bite him, when Harmund finally learns of what he does. Arriving at his farm, Woody is Forced to Watch as Harmund and his men rape every woman they can find hidden on his farm. Part of his grain is destroyed and while he is left alive, he is reminded of the events that happened in his past, leaving him only further traumatized.
  • Retired Badass: Woody used to be a soldier for many years and the fact that he survived for this long, despite the trauma he suffered, clearly means that he must be a badass in some way.
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran: Whatever happened in the war he served in left Woody deeply traumatized, to the point where he had to retire. His actions in the one part he appears in show that he is still not over these events.
  • The Speechless: The trauma he suffered left him unable or unwilling to speak.

The Sons of the Trident

     Ser Edric Rivers 

Ser Edric Rivers

The Lord of the Marches

The mysterious leader of the Sons of the Trident, a group of armed rebels who operate with the goal of taking down Harren Hoare. Not much is known about Edric's past, but he has proven to be a constant thorn in the side of House Hoare ever since founding his band of resistance fighters.
  • The Creon: Originally, Edric has been merely the right-hand man of his childhood friend Addam Wode. However, after the man's untimely death, he was forced to lead the Sons of the Trident, despite feeling notably more comfortable and confident in his previous role.
  • Expy: He holds quite some similarities to Beric Dondarrion, just like how his whole group is based on the Brotherhood Without Banners. Edric, whose name holds some similarities to Beric already, is nicknamed 'The Lord of the Marches', just like how Beric is one of the Marcher Lords from the southern Stormlands. Building up a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits, they both fight against injustice and cruelty in the Riverlands.
  • The Ghost: He is mentioned over the course of Book 1 and some members of his group are encountered, but he himself remains unseen for now, with much about him remaining a mystery. He eventually debuts in Book 2.
  • Heroic Bastard: His last name reveals that he is a bastard and he gets hero points for building up a highly effective band of guerilla fighters and leading them against a cruel tyrant, for the sake of freeing the Riverlands.
  • Just Like Robin Hood: His entire group, just like the Brotherhood Without Banners they are based on, have shades of this, in their methods, their organization and their moralities, as they fight a cruel tyrant in the name of the poor people.
  • Knight In Shining Armour: While he has some shades of grey in the drastic actions he is willing to take, Edric himself nonetheless stays true to his knightly vows and goes out of his way to punish Ironborn in a way appropriate for his code, giving them a fair, impartial trial. He is also one of the few characters in the story selfless enough to dedicate his life to the service of the oppressed people of the Riverlands.
  • La Résistance: His group is the most effective resistance movement against the Ironborn.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Edric, in contrast to some of his subordinates, such as Deywn, comes off as very reasonable, affable even, willing to talk to Garthon Breaker and acknowledging him and Torvin for what they did for the Riverlands. It is quite a far cry from the propaganda Harren Hoare tries to spill about him.
  • Reluctant Ruler: It is only due to Addam Wode's death that Edric stepped up to be the leader of the then nearly broken Sons of the Trident. Though reluctant, he eventually turned out to be an effective leader, turning the Sons into a highly effective rebel group, but still not seeming particularly confident with this.
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: In their quest to drive out the Ironborn and to free the Riverlands, Edric and his followers have turned to highly violent methods and it is rumoured that they kill every Ironborn they can find. He himself however actually subverts the trope, as he insists on giving every captured Ironborn a fair trial. It just happens that none of them has ever been found innocent on account of every captive being a raider, who had previously commited acts of rape and murder.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Edric gives one to Deywn the Fiddler, whom he is shown to be disgusted by when learning that the man was about to execute prisoners whose guilt has not been decided upon yet and without orders on top.

     Jon the Harper 

Jon the Harper

One of the most important members of the Sons of the Trident, Jon is among their founding members and a close lieutenant of Edric Rivers. He is also a harper and a very talented one, having made it his profession before joining the Sons of the Trident.
  • Agent Peacock: He behaves in a flashy, almost effeminate way and uses a harp, yet he is still a highly skilled rebel leader and second-in-command to Edric Rivers, under whom he serves as a tactician.
  • Anti-Hero: As Edric Rivers' second-in-command, he is a brutal rebel, who is used to hang Ironborn he encounters, even if he gives them a fair trial before, to determine the amount of their guilt.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: His calm, rational demeanor makes him the nicest of the Sons of the Trident that are encountered by Garthon and George. However, their talk makes it clear that he is also the most dangerous of them, as he is the one capable of killing them without uttering as much as a single word.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Though he has no problem with hanging the Ironborn he encounters, he makes it clear that he disapproves of just killing them. They get a trial and he claims it to be a fair one. So far, no Ironborn has met the standards he considers to be required for them to be spared, but the fact that he insists on this trial makes him more decent than many of his companions already.
  • Harp of Femininity: Played With. While Jon is a man and not particularly a Bishōnen, he still holds enough qualities to qualify as an Agent Peacock and is the softest and most understanding of the three rebels encountered by Garthon and George. As a Wandering Minstrel, the harp is his instrument of choice.
  • The Lancer: Jon is among Edric Rivers' most loyal supporters, a member of his inner circle and the most important member of the organization save for Edric himself.
  • Number Two: Jon is the second-in-command of Edric Rivers and one of his most trusted supporters.
  • The Quiet One: Amazingly for a Wandering Minstrel, Jon doesn't like to speak outside of his songs and is mostly silent, often just watching the people around him, to study them for potential weaknesses.
  • Pragmatic Hero: While Jon qualifies as a hero, being an idealistic rebel who fights against a cruel tyrant, he is also a very pragmatic man. For once, he doesn't oppose brutal actions against his enemies. However, neither does he categorically refuse to work with Ironborn, if they convince him that they do not belong to the supporters of House Hoare, which sets him apart from the Fantastic Racism some of his companions show.
  • Put on a Bus: In Book 2, the main branch of the Sons of the Trident is encountered, though Jon is not with them. Edric Rivers briefly explains that he has business in the northern Riverlands to attend to.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Jon is a very reasonable man for a rebel, willing to listen to both sides of the story and fully willing to give everyone a chance no matter their heritage. He correctly deduces that Garthon is on his side and works with him despite the reservations of his companions.
  • La Résistance: His group, the Sons of the Trident, are an infamous group of rebels.
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: His rebel group is known for the uncompromising way in which they deal with the Ironborn they capture, hanging them without exception. He fully supports his group and their methods.
  • The Smart Guy: Out of the Sons of the Trident George and Garthon encounter, Jon is the smartest and calmest one, who correctly analyzes their behaviour and motivations and makes the most rational decisions of them.
  • The Strategist: His main role among the Sons of the Trident.
  • Wandering Minstrel: He is one and also poses as one as part of his secret identity whenever he journey across the Riverlands. As Garthon notices, he is a very talented singer, with a nice voice and a lot of skill with his harp.

     Dacey Longbow 

Dacey Longbow

Dacey is another member of the Sons of the Trident and the only girl belonging to the inner circle of Edric Rivers. She has a particularly fierce hatred of the Ironborn that exceeds even what is typical for the members of her group.
  • Broken Bird: It quickly becomes obvious that Dacey has suffered a lot in her past, with the death of her father and other hardships. It has turned her into a hardened and cold young woman, a far cry from the happy girl she allegedly once used to be.
  • Cold Sniper: Dacey is an archer and a highly talented one, with a cold, frosty personality to match.
  • Cynicism Catalyst: The death of her father was this to her.
  • Daddy's Girl: Apparently, Dacey was very close to her father. He was a hunter, like her and losing him has turned her into the woman she is by the time she is encountered. It's clear that she is still in mourning over his loss.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: Though she doesn't defrost all that much, she is still notably more friendly and easy-going around Garthon and George towards the end of their journey, giving good-natured advice to the former and having genuinely warmed up to the latter.
  • Disappeared Dad: Her father was hanged by Ironborn for poaching several years ago, an incident that triggered her fierce and unyielding hatred of the Ironborn and the Hoare kings in particular.
  • Fantastic Racism: After all she has been through thanks to them, Dacey has developed a fierce hatred of the Ironborn. All of her companions hate the Ironborn to some degree, but she takes it a step further, by even having some resentment towards more positive Ironborn, such as Garthon.
  • The Heart: Not only is she the only female member of the inner circle of the Sons of the Trident, she also fills this, even if she's still a badass rebel fighter at the same time. She deeply cares for her companions and their well-being and is, in many ways, the one to hold them all together.
  • Hot-Blooded: Dacey is by far the most hot-headed member of the Sons of the Trident that are encountered by George and Garthon. Her first reaction upon learning that Garthon is an Ironborn is to put an arrow into him, though luckily, Jon stops her in time. Even afterwards, she is the most quick to anger by his actions and never truly warms up to him.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Dacey initially is portrayed as a bit of a jerk and with her strongly pronounced Fantastic Racism, she arguably kinda is. She is quick to anger and highly irritable. However, underneath her colder side, she shows an idealistic and heroic spirit and she makes it clear that she would do anything for her homeland.
  • La Résistance: One of the main members of the Sons of the Trident, an infamous rebel group.
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: She embodies this like no other member of the Sons of the Trident, hating the Ironborn with a passion that is concerning and being fully willing to use brutal force to drive them out of the Riverlands again.
  • Ship Tease: George is instantly smitten with her and over the course of their journey, there are signs that Dacey at least somewhat reciprocates these feelings, even if she never acts out on them.
  • The Smurfette Principle: She is the only female member of the inner circle of the Sons of the Trident.
  • They Call Her Sword: Take a lucky guess what kind of a weapon Dacey Longbow prefers.
  • The Un-Smile: When Garthon tells the Sons of the Trident that he has never raped a woman before, she reacts in an almost sarcastic way, giving him a smile that barely looks like one and mostly considers of her showing her teeth.
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: Despite her cynicism, Dacey shows an unusual enthusiasm whenever she speaks about Edric and his plans for the Riverlands, showing that she is the one that believes the most in his vision to drive out the Ironborn.
  • What You Are in the Dark: There has been absolutely no one forcing Dacey to reveal her connection to Garthon Breaker and given her hatred for Ironborn, she could have been excused for keeping it a secret, leaving him to be hanged by Deywn the Fiddler. However, she decides to make their connection public, saving Garthon from being executed, solely on account of actually not being a bad person.

     Jared Hunter 

Jared Hunter

Another member of the Sons of the Trident, who is first introduced alongside Jon the Harper and Dacey Longbow. He is one of the members of the inner circle of the group and known for his mischievous personality.
  • The Big Guy: His role among the three Sons of the Trident Garthon encounters is to be their main muscle and fighter, being proficient with both, the sword and the bow.
  • Deadpan Snarker: He is an easy-going and highly sarcastic man, who barely says anything that isn't snarky in one way or the other. In fact, most of the things he says over his three chapters are somewhat sarcastic.
  • Disappeared Dad: His father died many years ago, being a forcefully conscripted soldier in service of House Hoare, who sent him to his death at the Golden Tooth. His senseless death convinced Jared to join the Sons of the Trident and to fight against the tyranny of the Ironborn.
  • Friendly Sniper: Especially contrasting Dacey Longbow, Jared is an easy-going and friendly guy, who quickly gets over his distrust of Garthon, despite the latter's Ironborn heritage, which leads to him arguably forming a good bond with him.
  • Master of Unlocking: The brief parts in Maidenpool reveal that he has this rather unusual talent, likely coming from his background, which has been hinted to have been that of a criminal. In any way, he quickly manages to unlock a rather complicated lock, playing it off as easy routine work for him.
  • Out of Focus: Out of the three rebels Garthon and George encounter, he is the one that gets the least focus and characterization. He is not a leader, such as Jon and doesn't have Dacey's interesting relationship to both, George and Garthon, leading to him paling a bit in comparison. When the Sons return in Book 2, he is also to date the only one not mentioned or shown.
  • Red Baron: Hunter is not his last name, it's his nickname.
  • La Résistance: Like his entire group, the Sons of the Trident, he fights to free the Riverlands from the tyrannic rule of the Ironborn and House Hoare.
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: Like the rest of his companions, Jared is compeletely willing to use brutal force to achieve his goals. Being The Big Guy for his group, he is absolutely capable of doing so.
  • Tall, Dark, and Handsome: His physical appearance gives off this vibe.

     Deywn the Fiddler 

Deywn the Fiddler

A member of the Sons of the Trident who captures Garthon, Hjalgar and Christian while they're crossing the Riverlands. One of the more violent members of the Sons of the Trident, he is also one of their highest-ranking members.
  • Fantastic Racism: His comments towards Garthon imply a serious hatred for the Ironborn, no matter their individual morality or opinion on the man in charge, Harren Hoare.
  • Freudian Excuse: According to Edric Rivers, he has a good reason for being the Token Evil Teammate of his group.
  • La Résistance: Deywn is a high-ranking officer among the Sons of the Trident, the most powerful and dangerous rebel group in the entire Riverlands.
  • My Nayme Is: Deywn instead of the more common Dewyn.
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: A firm believe in this, given how quick he is to hang his prisoners even without a trial, for the sole crime of being Ironborn.
  • Smug Snake: Once confronted by his leader, Edric Rivers, over his unauthorized execution of prisoners, Deywn's ego quickly deflates. Whereas he previously saw himself as the most important man in the camp, he quickly backs down in shame when Edric confronts him.
  • Token Evil Teammate: To date, Deywn is the only truly villainous member of the Sons of the Trident, being an aggressive man, prone to violence and quick to call for the execution of Garthon and his companions.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Like every member of the Sons of the Trident, Deywn has legitimate reasons to hate the Ironborn and genuinely wants the best for his people. However, his approach involves hanging every Ironborn he and his men tumble upon.

     Gavin the Tall 

Gavin the Tall

The tallest man among the Sons of the Trident, and main executioner for captured Ironborn.
  • The Big Guy: Literally so, but he is also the physically strongest one, which gives him the role of being their main executioner, pulling captured Ironborn up a tree, effectively hanging them.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Gavin might be okay with hanging prisoners, but the moment it becomes clear that these prisoners might actually be innocent of the crimes they are accused of, he lets go of them, refusing to follow Deywn's orders.
  • Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Gavin the Tall also just happens to be the tallest man among the Sons of the Trident.
  • Gentle Giant: Zig-Zagged, but especially compared to Deywn, Gavin is a rather affable man, who is shown to be a bit reluctant to actually go through with orders to execute prisoners, even if he follows them regardless in the end.
  • La Résistance: It comes with being a member of the Sons of the Trident.

     Hobb 

Hobb

The youngest member of the Sons of the Trident, serving as the squire of Edric Rivers.
  • The Quiet One: During his two scenes, Hobb keeps mostly in the background and doesn't say much. He is even completely silent during his second appearance, hinting at a shy or at least reserved personality.
  • The Squire: His role with the Sons, as he is Edric Rivers' squire.
  • Tagalong Kid: Hobb is barely in his teens, yet already considered a fully fledged member of the Sons of the Trident. Since he is the youngest of them though, he is kept from the frontlines, instead serving as Edric Rivers' squire.

     Herman Irons 

Herman Irons

A founding member of the Sons of the Trident and companion of Addam Wode. He was injured in an ambush, but somehow organized an infiltration in Harrenhal, and killed the traitor that sold out Lord Addam.
  • Career-Ending Injury: Once, Herman has been a capable fighter and a close ally of Addam Wode, eventually becoming a founding member of the Sons of the Trident. A traitor in their mid caused his group to be ambushed, with him suffering crippling injuries in the process. Kyra meets him roughly two years after this incident and he is still barely able to walk, let alone fight.
  • Die Laughing: In his final moments, he realizes that while he has been used and is about to die, his quest for revenge will continue, picked up by someone much more important and capable of actually achieving his goal. As such, he not only accepts his execution, but dies with a smile on his face and a chuckle coming out of his throat.
  • Enemy Mine: Kyra suspects the one who allowed him to enter Harrenhal was her brother Damon, who has no love for the king either. Damon himself later on confirms that this is correct.
  • Face Death with Dignity: When confronted by Kyra and Gravven, he's quick to accept his upcoming doom at the hands of the Ironborn, not even bothering to pick up a fight, in order to make sure the farmer who hid him will not be punished.
  • Handicapped Badass: Sure, the men in question had been poisoned and were sleeping, but Herman still managed to kill a dozen Ironborn guards while going through with his revenge, despite his crippling injuries.
  • Off with His Head!: Kyra personally executes him by decapitating him.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Herman is fully aware of how self-destructive his quest to avenge Addamn Wode is, but he nonetheless went through with it, readily accepting even his own death in the process.
  • Undying Loyalty: To Addam Wode, whom he yearned to avenge for years even after the man's death. He eventually willingly gives up on his own life to get a chance at killing the man responsible for the betrayal.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Not entirely, but he was still used by Damon to cause chaos within the ironborn, especially the Hoares. He knew he was being used, but not by whom and the full extent of the true scheme evades him up until the very end.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Herman's death is a foregone conclusion by the time Kyra and Gravven actually meet him. Indeed, he is executed a single part after his introduction.

Top