Hoster Tully

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House Tully.PNG
Hoster Tully
House Tully.PNG
Jonathan Standing HosterT.jpg
by Jonathan Standing ©

Title Lord of Riverrun
Allegiance House Tully
Culture Riverlands
Born or between 231 AC and 240 AC[1]
Died 299 AL
Riverrun
Spouse Minisa Whent
Books

Hoster Tully is the head of House Tully, Lord of Riverrun, and liege lord of the Riverlands. With Minisa Whent he fathered Edmure, Catelyn, and Lysa Tully. He is also the brother of the Blackfish, Ser Brynden Tully.

Appearance

See also this collection of images

In his youth Hoster was tall and broad, with blue eyes and brown-red hair. As he grew older, he became portly.[2] When he was younger, Hoster was never one to stay still. He was always traveling somewhere.[3] During the timeline of the books, he is an old man who has been sick for the last two years, and has lost much weight.[3]

History

According to semi-canon sources, Hoster Tully served in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, making friends with Petyr Baelish's father, which led to Peytr being fostered at Riverrun.[4] Some time after the war, Hoster tried to betroth his war hero brother, Brynden, to Bethany Redwyne, but Brynden would have none of it. This began a decades-long feud between the two.

Hoster's wife, Minisa Whent, gave birth to four sons and two daughters, though only Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure survived infancy. Minisa died in childbirth with her fourth son, who also died shortly after. Minisa's death deeply saddened Hoster, who never fully recovered. Marriage continued to be a theme of Riverrun when Hoster forbade his younger daughter, Lysa, from marrying Petyr Baelish, and ordered her to abort Petyr's child.

On the eve of Robert's Rebellion, Hoster's elder daughter, Catelyn, was engaged to Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell. After Brandon was killed in King's Landing by fiat of the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, Hoster joined the rebellion, fighting in the Battle of the Bells where he was wounded by the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Connington.[5] He married Catelyn to Eddard Stark, Brandon’s younger brother, and Lysa to Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie, cementing House Tully to the rebel leadership. Several of his bannermen, such as the Mootons, Goodbrooks, Rygers, and Darrys, remained loyal to the Targaryens, so Hoster Tully attacked them, putting entire villages of House Goodbrook to the sword.

In 295 AL, Lord Tully fell ill.[3]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

With the Lannisters threatening his borders and lands, Hoster keeps his illness a secret, with his son Ser Edmure taking many of his duties. When marauders under Ser Gregor Clegane attack the Riverlands in retribution for Catelyn's capture of Tyrion Lannister, Hoster insists that the matter be brought before the Iron Throne so that Lord Tywin Lannister cannot pretend that a counterattack was unprovoked.

Hoster is bedridden when Riverrun is besieged by the army of Jaime Lannister and Edmure is captured. After Hoster's grandson, Robb Stark, breaks the siege in the Battle of the Camps, Catelyn visits her father, who is still lucid. Brynden the Blackfish, who has joined the Stark army, is also present, and the brothers reconcile their differences.

A Clash of Kings

Hoster's mind continues to slip more and more; he constantly loses track of events and time happening all around him.

A Storm of Swords

During his last weeks, Hoster is only able to mutter a few feverish words and does not recognize his children. By this time his son Edmure has assumed control of Riverrun in his stead. He often speaks in his delirium of Lysa and her aborted pregnancy, initially bewildering Catelyn with his references to "Tansy" and "the blood". Though Catelyn and Edmure write to Lysa asking her to visit her father before his death, she never responds to the ravens.[6] Hoster Tully dies in 299 AL and is succeeded by Edmure.

At his funeral Hoster's body is put in a boat and set down the river by his liege lord, King Robb Stark, and six of his bannermen: Jonos Bracken, Tytos Blackwood, Karyl Vance, Jason Mallister, Marq Piper, and Lothar Frey, who replaced Desmond Grell at the last minute upon Robb’s request. As part of the funeral custom a flaming arrow is fired to light the sails as the boat travels downriver, but Edmure misses three shots in his grief. Brynden, seeing this, takes the bow from his nephew's hands and succeeds in lighting the sail before the boat disappears downriver.[7]

Quotes about Hoster

Catelyn: He says he is too sick to fight. Blackfish: I am too old a soldier to believe that. Hoster will be chiding me about the Redwyne girl even as we light his funeral pyre, damn his bones. [2]


Lord Hoster looked as noble as a king, my lady. [7]

- Jeyne Westerling to Catelyn Tully

Family

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lord Tully
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hoster
 
Minisa
Whent
 
Brynden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Two sons[8]
 
Catelyn
 
Eddard
Stark
 
Jon
Arryn
 
Lysa
 
Petyr
Baelish
 
Edmure
 
Roslin
Frey
 
Son[9]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
House Stark.svg
 
 
 
 
 
House Arryn.svg
 

References and Notes

  1. Hoster was 5 years younger than his brother Brynden, who was at least 15 during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, and Hoster was younger than Olenna Redwyne who has 230 AC as her latest option of year of birth, making Hoster at least one year younger
  2. 2.0 2.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 71, Catelyn XI.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 28, Catelyn V.
  4. US Signing Tour (Half Moon Bay, CA) report So Spake Martin
  5. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 29, Arya V.
  6. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 14, Catelyn II.
  7. 7.0 7.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 35, Catelyn IV.
  8. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 45, Catelyn VI.
  9. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 33, Catelyn IV.