Golden Company

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Template:Sellsword Company

The Golden Company is a company of sellswords founded by the Great Bastard, Aegor Rivers. They are considered the largest, most famous, and most expensive sellsword or mercenary company in the Free Cities. Despite the notorious unreliability of sellswords, the Golden Company is reputed to have never broken a contract. Their motto is "Our word is good as gold." [1]

History

The Golden Company was founded by Aegor Rivers, called "Bittersteel", a legitimized bastard of King Aegon IV Targaryen, after he fled Westeros with the younger sons of Daemon I Blackfyre at the end of the First Blackfyre Rebellion. When Aegor saw all the exiled lords and knights signing on with other sellsword companies, such as the Ragged Standard or the Maiden's Men, and saw the support of House Blackfyre ebbing away, he created his own sellsword company. Since then they have fought mainly in the Disputed Lands.

The Golden Company's reputation was quickly established when Qohor refused to honor the contract it had made. The sellswords of the Golden Company sacked Qohor as an answer to Qohor's refusal.[2]

The Golden Company is said to be made up of exiles and the sons of exiles. The Golden Company were once headed by Maelys the Monstrous, the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders.[3][4] Daemon Blackfyre, a cousin to Maelys, fought him over command of the Golden Company. Maelys killed Daemon's by twisting his head until it was torn from his shoulders. During the War of the Ninepenny Kings Ser Barristan Selmy cut a bloody path though the Golden Company's ranks to slay Maelys the Monstrous in single combat.

Their war cry, "Beneath the gold, the bitter steel" pays homage to their founder.

Daenerys recalls that when she was a girl her brother Viserys Targaryen once feasted the captains of the Golden Company in the hopes they might take up his cause. They ate his food and heard his pleas and laughed at him. [5]

Culture

The Golden Company - by Urukki Saki ©

As the heirs of Bittersteel, discipline is like mother's milk to the men of the Golden Company. They are able to march quickly after a haphazard and disorganized landing without the chaos that would have inevitably delayed a hastily assembled host of household knights and local levies.

The high officers display a rude splendour. Like many in their trade they keep their worldly wealth upon their person: jewelled swords, inlaid armour, heavy torcs, and fine silks are very much in evidence. During the high officers meeting with Griff in Volon Therys, Griff notes that every man wears a lord’s ransom in golden arm rings. Each ring signifies one year’s service with the Golden Company. [6]

The captain-general’s tent is made of cloth-of-gold and surrounded by a ring of pikes topped with gilded skulls.

Recent Events

A Feast for Crows

Most recently, the Golden Company broke its contract with the city of Myr, despite the looming war with neighboring Lys and Tyrosh. According to sailors in King's Landing, they are making for Volantis.[7] No one can say why they have broken their contract.

Before the Golden Company broke their contract, the Yunkish attempted to contract the Golden Company for their campaign on Slaver's Bay. An envoy offered twice what Myr was paying them, plus a slave for every man in the company, ten for every officer, and a hundred choice maidens for the commander Harry Strickland. Harry told the envoy he would think on his proposal; he thought a blunt refusal might have been unwise as his men would think he had taken leave of his wits.[6]

In Westeros Arianne Martell tells Ser Arys Oakheart that the Golden Company has broken its contract with Myr. She uses this information in her attempt to convince him to help with her scheme to make Myrcella Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. [1]

During Cersei Lannister’s small council meeting Aurane Waters reveals that the Golden Company has broken its contract with Myr. He has heard many men say that Stannis Baratheon has hired them and is bringing them across the sea. Cersei then tells the council that Qyburn heard from a Myrish galley that the Golden Company are making their way to Volantis, so if they mean to cross to Westeros they are marching the wrong way. [7]

A Dance with Dragons

While traveling on Valyrian roads with Illyrio Mopatis, on the way to meet Griff and company, Tyrion Lannister questions Illyrio as to how he managed to get the Golden Company to break their contract with Myr. Illyrio wriggles his fat fingers and says:

Some contracts are writ in ink, and some in blood. I say no more.[3]

Tyrion then points out to Illyrio that the Golden Company have spent so much of their history fighting against the Targaryens. He asks how Illyrio managed to convince the Golden Company to take up Queen Daenerys Targeryen’s cause, Illyrio brushes away the objection as if it were a fly, replying:

Black or red, a dragon is still a dragon.[3]

It is revealed that the Golden Company initially abandoned the contract because they expected to meet and join Daenerys when she sails from Meereen to Volantis. Once at Volon Therys the men of the company finally become fed up with Illyrio’s constantly changing plans when they learn that Daenerys has stayed in Meereen. In a meeting about their next move Tristan Rivers states,

Which plan? ... The fat man’s plan? The one that changes every time the moon turns? First Viserys Targaryen was to join us with fifty thousand Dothraki screamers at his back. Then the Beggar King was dead, and it was to be his sister, a pliable young child queen who was on her way to Pentos with three new-hatched dragons. Instead the girl turns up on Slaver's Bay and leaves a string of burning cities in her wake, and the fat man decides we should meet her by Volantis. Now that plan is in ruins as well. I have had enough of Illyrio’s plans. Robert Baratheon won the Iron Throne without the benefit of dragons. We can do the same.[6]

They decide to swear allegiance to Aegon Targaryen and join him in an invasion of Westeros.[6] Soon thereafter the company sails with Jon Connington and Aegon from Volon Therys for Westeros via Lys. After the landing of the Golden Company in the Stormlands and the Stepstones, the sellswords quickly take the castles of Griffin's Roost, Rain House, Crow's Nest, and Greenstone. Their next plan is to take Storm's End.[8]

Composition

Discipline is like mother's milk to the men of the Golden Company. ©FFG
The Golden Company encamped - © Marc Fishman

The Golden Company consist of 10,000 men, several thousands horses and a number of elephants.

A partial breakdown:

  • 500 knights, each having three horses.
  • 500 squires, each having one horse.
  • 1,000 archers, a third of these archers are listed as crossbowmen while another third are said to be using double-curved horn-and-sinew bows of the east. The final part of the archers consist of men with Westerosi blood who use big yew long bows, and fifty summer islanders using great bows of goldenheart. [8]

Notable Members

Captain-generals

Members

Quotes

A brotherhood of exiles and the sons of exiles, united by the dream of Bittersteel. It’s home they want, as much as gold.[1]

Arianne Martell


How did you convince the Golden Company to take up the cause of our sweet queen when they have spent so much of their history fighting against the Targaryens?[3]

Tyrion Lannister, to Illyrio Mopatis


Daenerys will give the exiles what Bittersteel and the Blackfyres never could. She will take them home.[3]

Illyrio Mopatis, to Tyrion Lannister


Ghosts and liars…Revenants from forgotten wars, lost causes, failed rebellions, a brotherhood of the failed and the fallen, the disgraced and the disinherited. This is my army. This is our best hope.[6]

Jon Connington's thoughts

See also

References and Notes