House Arryn

House Arryn of the Eyrie is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, and is the principal noble house in the Vale of Arryn. Having supported the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons, the Arryns have enjoyed the many benefits of neutrality since the war and, aside from some interal conflicts, are perhaps the most advantaged House in the realm.

Appearance and Traits
The Arryns claim descent from the oldest and purest lines of the Andal nobility. As such, they are generally a tall and fair haired people. Despite this, they have intermarried with First Men for generations, making modern Arryns a mixed bag of blondes and brunettes and even having members with raven black hair.

Brought up on stories of honorable knights of a distinct lineage has led many Arryns to carry themselves with an air of superiority and purpose.

Origins and Myths
The Arryns trace their lineage back to the legendary Ser Artys Arryn, a warrior who united the Andal petty kings under his banner to beat back the growing First Man kingdom of King Robar II Royce. Artys Arryn defeated Robar Royce in the Battle of the Seven Stars and was named King of Mountain and Vale. From that day forward, the land became known as the Vale of Arryn.

Aegon's Conquest
Despite initial successes in their efforts to stave off the Targaryen invasion, the Arryns were unable to withstand the might of the dragon that landed at the Eyrie. Eventually, House Arryn bent the knee and was named Defender of the Vale by the newly crowned King Aegon I Targaryen. In the years that followed, the Arryns intermarried with their new overlords and faithfully served them for generations

The Dance of Dragons
In 129 AC, House Arryn supported their kinswoman, Princess Rhaenyra and fought for the Blacks. Rhaenyra Targaryen's mother, Aemma, was an Arryn which no doubt made the decision to support her quite simple.

Recent Events
During the many revolts during the reign of King Maelor, House Arryn was raided by the always rebellious House Sunderland but those raids were dealt with fairly easily. Years later, during the rebellion of Houses Frey and Manderly, House Arryn was asked by the Crown to intervene in the conflict as a neutral third party but were unable to do so due to the rebellion of Qarl Hunter, known as Bloody Hunter. Following the death of his sister in child birth, which came on the heels of her affair with King Monterys, Hunter rallied the mountain clans in a guerilla war against House Arryn. Though ultimately a failure, Bloody Hunter left a scar in the Vale that has yet to fully heal. In 195, the Vale was fractured in Lord Darklyn's Rebellion. While House Arryn supported the Crown, many Houses in the Vale backed Lord Darklyn, making the Vale of Arryn a moshpit of internal conflict and score settling. The intense internal strife kept House Arryn from taking a meaningful part in the conflict outside of the Vale.