Houses of Dorne and the Werata Kon

House Dayne

Many Skills, Many Virtues

Seat: Starfall, Red Mountains; Dorne

Lord: Mykal Dayne

Overlord: Martell

Religion: Old gods

Rivals: Targaryen, Tyrell

Ancestral Weapon: Dawn

House Dayne is one of the most ancient houses in the Seven Kingdoms, claiming First Men ancestry dating back ten thousand years to the Dawn Age. The first Dayne is said to have raised Starfall on an island at the mouth of the Torrentine, having tracked a falling star there and found a stone of magical powers. His descendants became Kings of the Torrentine and Lords of Starfall. Along with the House Fowler and House Yronwood, the Daynes were among the most powerful and prestigious houses of ancient Dorne.

The great sword Dawn was also forged from the heart of the fallen star founded by the first Dayne and has possibly been in the family for 10,000 years. The blade is as pale as milk-glass unlike dark Valarian steel but is similar in strength and sharpness. The Sword of the Morning is a title given to a Dayne Knight who is considered worthy of wielding the legendary great sword; this unlike other houses that have ancestral swords, House Dayne does not pass its sword from Lord to heir. Only a knight of house Dayne who is deemed worthy can wield Dawn.

House Dayne is an old and powerful family rich with alchemy and magic; also founding The One and the Five, a semi-secret ring of maester overseers with interests in elementals, monsters of lore and forgotten magics. They are self-proclaimed inventors of the tanglebomb and bottled lightning.

Members:
Bryce Dayne: Uncle to Talana, he comes hopeful his niece becomes queen to that house Dayne can have majority on the Red Council. He is worried about her safety.

Maester Aldo: a member of the One and the Five and serves as its master of beasts, Aldo comes with five rare beasts for sale and as a side show attraction.

Talana Dayne (F): 12 year old Talana has the purple eyes of the Daynes as well as blonde hair. She possess a palpable calmness and plans on seeing all seven realms. She is House Dayne’s sorghum queen hopeful

Corporal Nigat Rivers: a member of the local Starfall garrison, every season Nigat gathers a few friends for security at the Sorghum Festival and to provide escort for short trips in the area. He also trains individuals; providing excellent survival skills, knowledge of defensive construction, as well as anecdotes regarding the local area.

Emil Dayne: Commander of the Dayne house guard detail.

Force: ten mercenaries, ten house guards, and one commander.

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House Yronwood

We Guard the Way

Seat: Yronwood, Red Mountains; Dorne

Lord: Bloodroyal Longthorpe Yronwood

Overlord: Martell

Religion: Old gods

Rivals: Tyrell, Targaryen

Ancestral Weapon: Knight’s Defender

House Yronwood of Yronwood is the most powerful house in Dorne after the ruling Martells. Their seat, Yronwood, is the last fortress defending the Boneway; this is reflected in their title Warden of the Stone Way. House Yronwood claimed the title High King of Dorne before the arrival of the Rhoynar, and the head of the house continues to be called the Bloodroyal.

An ancient family of First Men origin, the Yronwoods built Yronwood in the forested foothills of the Red Mountains and controlled the Stone Way, one of the two great passes into Dorne. The valuable land allowed the Yronwoods to rule much of northern Dorne. Their domain eventually reached from Wyl to the headwaters of the Greenblood, and, at times, even the Sandship of House Martell. Although rich and powerful, the Yronwoods were unable to conquer the Kings of Stone and Sky from House Fowler, the Kings of the Torrentine from House Dayne.

The land protected by the House Yronwood is fertile and forested, with deposits of iron, tin, and silver. Yronwood has clean and sweet mountain air, and the high meadows north of the castle have crisp air and cool nights, much like High Hermitage.

Members:
Marthew Yronwood: Grizzled and scarred warrior and second brother to Longthorpe and father of twins Lexia and Larris.

Lexia Yronwood (F): 16 years old and current sorghum queen.

Mel Leah of Yronwoods (F): A House Yronwood cleric, seer and druggist. She is the twins caregiver.

Larris Yronwood: always in his sister’s shadow, Larris is a hot-tempered squire with an unmatched charm with the ladies.

Forces: 20 house guards and one commander. 

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House Blackmont

Words Do Not Define Us

Seat: Blackmont, Red Mountains; Dorne

Lord: Cryus Blackmont

Overlord: Martell

Religion: Unknown

Rivals: Dayne, Tyrell, Targaryen

Ancestral Weapon: Black Claw

House Blackmont is a major Dornish noble house. Their seat, Blackmont, is on the banks of the Torentine deep in the Red Mountains of Dorne. The Blackmonts unsuccessfully supported House Yronwood against House Martell during Nymeria's War and was one of the six defeated kings of Dorne who were sent to the Wall by Nymeria over 800 years ago.

More recently the Blackmonts have long fought against the storm lords of the Dornish Marches to the north for atrocities and war crimes committed during Aegon’s Conquest and it is believed that one or more ‘Vulture King’ may have been a Blackmont.

It is also alleged that some of the Blackmonts worship old Dark gods and practice shadowy rituals. It is also known that the Blackmonts, once upon a time, used a clan of gully dwarves as slaves. This lost clan is the subject of many melancholy songs sung by the dwarves.

Because of the poor history between House Blackmont and House Martell, House Dayne has more than once come in conflict this dark house of rogues and warmongers. Even blaming them for why House Dayne of High Hermitage abandoned their home in 25 AC. It was soon after House Blackmont was given a seat on the Red Council that the Cadet House soon departed.

This house gained its wealth and influence from iron mines and the rare mushrooms that grow to prodigious size near their ancestral home.

Members:

Arrei Blackmont (F): Cyrus’ wife and confidant. Arrei appears to be a woman in her 40s, supple skin and long black air without a single grey to be seen. There are those who whisper Arrei is over a century old. She is a seer and often uses psychotropic agents in her rituals. She is here to assure her daughter’s coronation as sorghum queen.

Crestan Blackmont: First born son to Cyrus and Arrei who, no doubt about it, is infatuated with a woman from Sandstone. 

Teena Blackmont (F): youngest of the sorghum queen hopefuls, Teena meets the minimum age requirement at just 10 years old. Spoiled and ungrateful. 

Herrud Blackmont: Overbearing and protective, Herrud is sure danger is around every corner and behind every smile. He is the head of security for the house members. 

Forces: 15 mercenaries and one lieutenant, 10 house guards and one captain.

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House Qorgyle 

Within the Sands We Thrive

Seat: Sandstone, Dorne

Lord: Sethron Qorgyle

Overlord: Martell

Religion: the Faith of the Seven
Rivals: Tyrell, Targaryen
Ancestral Weapon: Sting

House Qorgyle were adventuring Andals who built a holdfast in the deep dunes and sands of Dorne. Settling between two deep desert oases (Godsprings and Shady Sands), it is a perfect inland community that services nomads, caravans and other desert travelers.

They too in their history, like House Blackmont, opposed House Martell by supporting House Yronwood during Nymeria's War during the coming of the Rhoynar but were spared reparations at the Wall.

During Aegon’s Conquest House Qorgyle supplied House Uller of Hellholt with rare timber to make their siege weapon that ultimately aided in bringing down Queen Rhaenys and killing the great dragon Meraxes in 10 AC.

A powerful Dornish family, they have grown quite rich and influential because of their location; one of the top five Houses in Dorne. They are also famed breeders of Landstriders and other beasts fit for desert travels and they export Ablemalle Wood. Ablemalle is a dark brown tree are found at the edges of Godsprings and Shady Sands. They grow tall and have a large canopy. It’s tough but springy wood is used to make bows weapons of every kind. 

Members:

Balon Qorgyle: Second born and the first one of the males Balon is 23 years old and a member of the Sun Guard. He enjoys fighting in duels and tourneys. He is here to protect and guard his sisters.

Samaya Qorgyle (F): First child and heir to Sandstone. She is 25 years old and is as knowledgeable on how to govern as any High Lord in Dorne. She loves the land as she does the sky, and rides a white griffin. Too old to be sorghum queen herself, Samaya hopes Shela’s coronation will give House Qorgyle a much needed voice in the times ahead.  

Shela (F): Sethron's youngest child, Shela is 11 years old. She is an innocent child and full of wonder. She only traveled from Sandstone a few times in her life, and never outside of Dorne. Because of this she longs to explore. She is House Qorgyle’s sorghum queen hopeful.

Forces: 20 mercenaries with a lieutenant, 5 house guards, two caravan captains, one commander.

Starfall (House Dayne), Yronwood (House Yronwood), Sandstone (House Qorgyle), Blackmont (House Blackmont)

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Werata Kon

The Werata Kon is an alliance of Wemic prides, sweeping nomadically from Saltshore to the Greenblood, living off wandering herds, seasonal vegetation and occasionally ransomed travelers. Wemics are a noble race however barbaric and seemingly primitive. They are, however intelligent but highly superstitious.

The symbol for the Werata Kon as a whole is the Lion of Night, however most travelers recognize a Werata pride by its Sand Hunter-hide tents and yurts as well as the faint puffs of smoke that rise from the horizon when a scout or pride send signals. 

Mostly isolated, some small tribes of Werata Kon allow themselves to be hired as mercenaries, making raids on the borderlands, but many would-be patrons shy away from these tribes because both its savagery and geographical uncertainty make them somewhat unreliable. 

The Werata Kon venerates the Lion of Night, one of the old gods from Yi Ti. Almost always a pride’s chieftain is a spiritual leader. Most individuals give a wemic a wide berth when encountered. Nonetheless the wemics of the Kon are a powerful force due to their numbers and ferocity. They are fierce enemies of the Ashatari who they compete with for resources in the Red Sands of Dorne. Once a year, all Werata prides gather in one place for an Althing, were goods are traded, daughters are promised, and alliances between prides are made. Once during a the Long Night, a High Chief was selected among the shaman to make a decision that effected the entire race.