House Tarly

House Tarly of Horn Hill
First in Battle
Coat of arms	A striding red huntsman on green (Vert, a huntsman striding gules)
Seat	Horn Hill
Head	Lord Randyll Tarly
Region	Reach
Title	Lord of Horn Hill
Heir	Dickon Tarly
Overlord	House Tyrell
Vassal	House Hunt
Ancestral weapon	Heartsbane
Founder	Herndon of the Horn and Harlon the Hunter
Founded	Age of Heroes

House Tarly of Horn Hill is a noble house of the Reach, one of the strongest sworn to House Tyrell. Horn Hill is located in the foothills of the Red Mountains. Their sigil is the striding huntsman on green. Their motto is not revealed in the books, but according to semi-canon sources it is "First in Battle".

Marcher lords of the Dornish Marches, the Tarlys are a family old in honor with rich lands and a strong keep. They are also the keepers of a Valyrian greatsword called Heartsbane.

History

Savage Sam Tarly from Game of Thrones History and Lore

House Tarly is an old noble house of First Men origin from the Age of Heroes. The Tarlys claim descent from twin sons of Garth Greenhand, Herndon of the Horn and Harlon the Hunter. They built their castle atop Horn Hill and took to wife the beautiful woods witch who dwelled there, sharing her favors for a hundred years. The brothers did not age so long as they had intercourse with her whenever the moon was full.

In the Age of the Hundred Kingdoms, before the Reach was united under the Kings of the Reach, House Tarly was part of the kingdom of the western marches, which extended from Horn Hill to Nightsong.

During the reign of Aenys I Targaryen, Savage Sam Tarly was among the marcher lords who participated in the Vulture Hunt.

The son of Lord Tarly unsuccessfully courted Rhaenyra Targaryen before she wed Laenor Velaryon. Lord Alan Tarly declared for Rhaenyra and the blacks during the Dance of the Dragons.

The Tarly huntsman was spotted by Ser Duncan the Tall among the heraldry on display at the tourney at Ashford Meadow. Ser Samwyle Tarly is listed as having competed at the tourney.

Randyll Tarly's father was unhorsed by Ser Denys Mallister in a tourney.

During Robert's Rebellion, Lord Randyll commanded the vanguard of the Reach at the Battle of Ashford, where he killed Lord Cafferen and forced Robert Baratheon to retreat. Randyll's liege, Lord Mace Tyrell, took credit for the victory, however.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Samwell Tarly by Arden Beckwith © Fantasy Flight Games

Samwell Tarly joins the Night's Watch as a steward and befriends Jon Snow. Sam has been removed from the Tarly line of succession by Lord Randyll Tarly in favor of Dickon Tarly.

A Clash of Kings

Lord Randyll is among the lords that join their forces to Renly Baratheon's beneath Bitterbridge. Renly was at Horn Hill with Lord Tarly when he received Stannis Baratheon's letter concerning the illegitimacy of Queen Cersei Lannister's children.

Randyll is among the lords who do not go over to Stannis after Renly's death at Storm's End. He captures Renly's stores at Bitterbridge and puts many men to death, mainly Florent men-at-arms, lest they go over to Stannis along with their lords.

Randyll is presented to the Iron Throne after the Battle of the Blackwater, where he had commanded the center of the Tyrell and Lannister host.

A Storm of Swords

Samwell is part of the great ranging in search of Mance Rayder and Benjen Stark beyond the Wall. After the fight at the Fist, Sam slays an Other. He escapes the mutiny at Craster's Keep with Gilly and her child, and they are among the few survivors to reach the Wall. After the battle beneath the Wall, Sam arranges for the election of Jon Snow as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.

Lord Randyll defeats a northern army in a battle at Duskendale. He then captures Maidenpool.

A Feast for Crows

Randyll Tarly with Heartsbane, by Patrick McEvoy © Fantasy Flight Games

Jon orders Samwell to attend the Citadel in Oldtown to gather lore about the Others. Sam intends to send Gilly and the wildling prince to live with his mother Melessa at Horn Hill.

Ser Kevan Lannister names Lord Randyll as a good candidate to fill the vacant position as Hand of the King during his meeting with Queen Cersei Lannister.

Brienne of Tarth spots the badge of House Tarly among those that had been collected from the dead around Duskendale. As he is meting out justice in Maidenpool, Randyll meets Brienne. He dismisses her mission and tells her never to set foot within his sight again. Dickon Tarly is betrothed to Eleanor Mooton, the daughter of Lord William Mooton of Maidenpool.

A Dance with Dragons

Dickon has married Eleanor Mooton.

Randyll returns to King's Landing upon receiving news of the arrest of Margaery Tyrell. He receives custody of her and her cousins after swearing a holy oath to return them for trial. As part of Lord Regent Kevan Lannister's efforts to assuage the men of the Reach, Lord Tarly is named justiciar on the small council of King Tommen I Baratheon.

House Tarly at the end of the third century

The known Tarlys during the timespan of the events described in A Song of Ice and Fire are:

• Lord Randyll Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill. Now master of laws and justiciar in Tommen I Baratheon's small council.
  • Lady Melessa Florent, his wife.
    • Samwell Tarly, his eldest son. Steward of the Night's Watch.
    • Talla Tarly and two other daughters.
    • Dickon Tarly, his younger son and heir. Heir to Horn Hill.
      • Eleanor Mooton, Dickon's wife, heir to Maidenpool.

Randyll

Melessa Florent

Samwell

Talla

Two daughters

Dickon

Eleanor Mooton

Household

• Ser Hyle Hunt, a household knight. Hanged by the brotherhood without banners under Lady Stoneheart's order.

Historical Members

• Herndon of the Horn and Harlon the Hunter, legendary twins sons of Garth Greenhand and founders of House Tarly.
• Lord Samwell Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill in the reign of King Aenys I Targaryen. Known as "Savage Sam" for his prowess in battle during the Vulture Hunt.
• Unnamed Lord Tarly, present at the Golden Wedding.
• When Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen toured the south in 112 AC, the son of Lord Tarly courted her.
• Lord Donald Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill, husband of Lady Jeyne Rowan.
  • Samantha Tarly, his daughter, who married Lord Ormund Hightower and Lord Lyonel Hightower.
  • Sansara Tarly, his daughter.
• Lord Alan Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill during the Dance of the Dragons. Supported Rhaenyra and the blacks. Possibly the same Tarly who courted Rhaenyra in 112.
• Unnamed Tarly, one of the 33 maidens proposed by Samantha Tarly as a suitable wife for King Aegon III Targaryen, alongside Sansara Tarly.
• Ser Samwyle Tarly, heir to Horn Hill at the time of the tourney at Ashford Meadow of 209 AC.
• Unnamed Tarly, father of Lord Randyll Tarly. He was unhorsed by Ser Denys Mallister in a tourney.

Sworn Houses

• House Hunt

Quotes

The Tarlys were a family old in honor, bannermen to Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the South. The eldest son of Lord Randyll Tarly, Samwell was born heir to rich lands, a strong keep, and a storied two-handed greatsword named Heartsbane, forged of Valyrian steel and passed down from father to son near five hundred years.

—thoughts of Jon Snow

Jeor: Does House Tarly keep the old gods too?
Samwell: No, my lord. I was named in the light of the Seven at the sept on Horn Hill, as my father was, and his father, and all the Tarlys for a thousand years.

—Jeor Mormont and Samwell Tarly

My lord, my f-f-f-father, Lord Randyll, he, he, he, he, he ... the life of a maester is a life of servitude. No son of House Tarly will ever wear a chain. The men of Horn Hill do not bow and scrape to petty lords. Jon, I cannot disobey my father.

—Samwell Tarly to Jon Snow