House Lannister

House Lannister is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, one of its richest and most powerful families and oldest dynasties.

Members

 * Lord Tywin Lannister, the head of the family.
 * His eldest son, Ser Jaime Lannister, of the Kingsguard.
 * His daughter, Queen Cersei Baratheon, married to King Robert Baratheon.
 * His eldest grandson, Prince Joffrey Baratheon, heir to the Iron Throne.
 * His granddaughter, Princess Myrcella Baratheon.
 * His youngest grandson, Prince Tommen Baratheon.
 * His youngest son and legal heir, Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf.


 * Kevan Lannister, Tywin's younger brother.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Lannister was established many thousands of years prior to the books' opening by a trickster-hero called Lann the Clever, who tricked the powerful Casterly family into abandoning their stronghold of Casterly Rock, which the Lannisters took for their own. The Lannisters have ruled the region known as the Westerlands ever since, getting rich of the many gold and silver mines in the western hills and mountains.

During Robert's Rebellion, the Lannisters sat out most of the war, refusing to heed the calls of King Aerys II Targaryen to aid him in crushing the rebellion. After the rebel victory at the Battle of the Trident, the Lannister army marched to the relief of King's Landing but, instead of helping defend the city, instead brutally sacked it, killing King Aerys and his grandchildren. Robert Baratheon publicly forgave the Lannisters their actions and accepted their allegiance, marrying Cersei Lannister in thanks for Tywin's assistance. However, Eddard Stark saw the Lannister action as betrayal and murder, and has not trusted them ever since.