House Hightower is on the heart of the Dance of Dragons. They are one of many oldest households of Westeros and the unique patrons of the Faith of the Seven.

The Hightower household’s historical past reaches again to no less than the First Men. Maester Yandel (alive throughout the time of Robert I Baratheon) thought they have been even older, coming over with the merchants that settled merchants the Whispering Sound. They doubtless based the unique Oldtown, one of many largest and oldest cities of Westeros. Their coat of arms incorporates a white tower topped with flames.

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Early Days & the High Tower Kings

The household resided in a black stone fortress earlier than constructing the High Tower that offers them their identify. The Kings of the High Tower erected stone partitions, towers, and fortifications to guard Oldtown from invaders. They defended the town from ironborn raiders, Dornishmen, and the armies of the Kings of the Reach, House Gardener of Highgarden. The metropolis was introduced into the realm of Highgarden by marriage reasonably than conquest as a result of the town was so effectively defended.

The Hightowers and Gardeners allied with the Andals (one of many three main ethnic teams the Weterosi descend from) within the Andal invasion from North Essos (round 2,000 years earlier than the conquest). Due to their defenses and allegiance with Highgarden, the lords of Oldtown turned wealthy in commerce and commerce over the centuries. They have been one of many richest and noblest households in Westeros. During the centuries of the Kingdom of the Reach, different homes boasted of marrying into the Hightower household.

artwork by Doug Wheatley from “Before the Dragons: An Illustrated History”

They have been additionally one of many first to just accept the Faith of the Seven, giving their patronage to constructing the Starry Cept (constructed by Lord Triston Hightower) and establishing the workplace of the High Septon. King Urrigon Hightower constructed the Citadel that homes the archmeasters and their college.

During Aegon’s Conquest & Targaryen Rule

The home, at this level, was identified extra for commerce than battles (they held a big military). The High Septon of the time had a imaginative and prescient from the Crone of Oldtown burning. Unlike King Mern IX, Lord Manfred Hightower heeded the High Septon and didn’t take arms towards Aegon Conquerer. He was rewarded by having the town spared from the Targareyn’s Field of Fire. They have been the final to bend the knee. Aegon was anointed by the High Septon within the Starry Sept.

Oldtown highlighted, by way of Imgur

House Hightower’s subsequent entry in Westerosi historical past was a wedding between Prince Maegor Targaryen (Aegon I’s son with sister spouse Visenya) and Ceryse Hightower (Lord Manfred’s daughter). This was after the High Septon (who was a Hightower) put the kibosh on Meagor’s plan to marry his niece. The match was not a great one. Prince Maegor claims Ceryse is infertile after eight years of marriage and sends her again to Oldtown. Her father objects when Meagor marries a second spouse.

Not lengthy after the Faith Militant rebellion begins when Maegor’s half-brother, King Aenys (Aegon I’s son with sister spouse Rhaenys), marries his sister. The marriage was regular to the descendants of Aegon Conquerer, however not so acceptable to the Sept and the religion. There’s a bunch of Targaryen infighting, which incorporates Maegor stealing the Iron Throne from his grandnephew. He turned often known as Maegor the Cruel.

Ceryse Hightower and Maegor Targaryen, artwork by Magali Villeneuve

During all of this, Lord Martyn Hightower turned Lord Hightower. Martyn’s brother was the one knight sworn to the Faith of the Seven that Maegor pardoned after his struggle with the devoted and the suspicious dying of High Septon. He yielded Oldtown to the Targaryens, Ceryse was returned to King’s Landing the place she lived to outdated age.

Lord Martyn Hightower gave assist to Jaehaerys Targaryen after King Meagor died. Toward the top of his fifty-five-year reign Jaehaerys appointed Otto Hightower his Hand. As nobody was obtainable to look after the king in his outdated age, Otto requested his daughter Lady Alicent Hightower to look after him. Embedding himself within the household. The lord remained by means of the remainder of the King’s life and continued as Hand for his alternative, his grandson Viserys Targaryen.

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The Dance of Dragons – Book and TV Collide

In Fire and Blood: Ser Otto was seen as an informed man – in addition to smug, blunt, and domineering. As Hand, he principally ran the seven realms over the past two years of King Jaehaerys’ life and saved his place when Viserys took the throne. He and the king’s brother, Prince Daemon Targaryen, have been consistently at odds. No matter the place King Viserys positioned his brother Otto satisfied him to pressure Daemon out. When Daemon was given command of the City Watch, Otto nervous that the prince would turn into one other Maegor the Cruel if he took the throne.

At first, Otto wished for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen to succeed her father – anybody was higher than Daemon. When Otto’s daughter, Alicent, turned King Viserys’ second spouse (with a little bit of his encouragement on his half) and had a son his thoughts modified. And he started to plot a coup.

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And when the king died House Hightower acted, placing their blood on the Iron Throne and beginning a civil struggle for the crown that might pull in all of Westeros. A struggle we’ll be seeing in season two of the present. 

Highlight the following a number of traces to the way it ends for these two Hightowers: it doesn’t go effectively for Otto, who’s beheaded by Rhaenyra. Alicent is confined to her chambers at Maegor’s Holdfast, goes mad, and dies of Winter Fever at age 45.

House Hightower In Game of ThronesThe Hightowers made it to 297 AC when A Song of Ice and Fire takes place. While they nonetheless rule Oldtown, they’ve taken allegiance to Tyrells of Highgarden. They are a lot farther from the crown than they as soon as have been. The household caught by King Aerys throughout Robert’s riot and stayed aligned with the Tyrells so far as George R.R. Martin has written.

The most seen member of the present is Ser Gerold Hightower. He was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard for Aerys II Targaryen (who was born 267 years after Viserys I Targaryen).

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Pop tradition employees author that has been on the BoLS crew since 2010. Contributor on the One of Us podcast. Marvel, Vertigo, and dystopian sci-fi fan. Enjoys dangerous motion pictures, superb stunt performances, and the web. Hates rom-coms. (she/they)

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