House Greyjoy

The rulers of the Ironmen, the warlike seafaring culture of the Iron Islands. The Greyjoys used to make their living by raiding mainland Westeros and are actually proud of pillaging and reaving to survive. As their house words "We do not sow", they take pride in the fact that they perform no honest labor of their own, preferring to steal from others instead. They do not consider themselves members of the Seven Kingdoms, and will rise up at the first opportunity. Their seat is at Pyke and their sigil a golden kraken.

History

The Grey King and Kingsmoot after Targaryen Conquest

Claiming descent from a son of the Grey King, the first monarch of the Iron Islands, they held as much sway and respect among the ironborn in support and leadership as Houses Greyiron and Goodbrother in the kingsmoot, where only the latter two held more kings from their ranks than the Greyjoys. They would intermarry with the Andal culture after their takeover of Westeros, who assimilated themselves in the ironborn society instead of repressing it.

They would not be the most prestigious family however, until the Targaryens first conquered the Seven Kingdoms, where Aegon the Conqueror purged House Hoare entirely by unleashing Balerion's fiery breath on Harren's creation of Harrenhal and later pacified the squabbling ironborn and commanded them to choose a new monarch, for which they chose Vickon Greyjoy of Pyke.

Current Events

Though defeated, Balon Greyjoy never gave up on his desire to become King of the Iron Islands, at the out break of the War of the Five Kings, an opportunity presented it self. Balon assembled his fleet and ordered all ships which visited the Iron Islands to remain so he would have the element of surprise.

Robb Stark, the King in the North, had offered to ally with Balon against the Lannisters but Balon spurned the offer, which was carried to him by his son Theon.^[1] Instead he declared himself King of the Iron Islands and the North, taking the Neck and cutting off Robb's army campaigning in the Riverlands and the Westerlands. Then the ironborn, led by Asha, Theon, and Dagmer Cleftjaw, went ravaging the western coastline of The North.

His forces were able to conquer a number of castles because most soldiers had left with Robb to fight in the south. Amongst these were: Deepwood Motte, Torrhen's Square and the seat of the Starks: Winterfell.