HOUSE NYMEROS MARTELL
“Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" [ ⚔ ] S Y N O P S I S
House Nymeros Martell, known commonly throughout the Seven Kingdoms as House Martell, is the principal household of Dorne. For over hundred years, Dorne was independent from the rule of the Iron Throne. In the year 187AC, however, the two realms were united through the marriage of the current Prince of Dorne, Maron Martell, to the younger sister of the late King Daeron II, Princess Daenerys Targaryen.
[ ⚔ ] M I L I T A R Y S T R E N G T H
The region of Dorne is said to be able to field a number of men from forty-thousand up to some fifty-thousand, though the precise number remains unknown to most of the Seven Kingdoms. More than likely, the number itself is closer to forty-thousand. This force is composed largely of spearmen who wear lighter armour and leathers to account for the conditions of Dorne, but also as a result of the strong Rhoynar heritage found among the peoples of Dorne. The archers of Dorne craft their bows from Dornish yew.
The Dornish soldiers are famous for their guerrilla tactics, which successfully denied Aegon and his sisters their seventh kingdom during his attempted conquest of the land. To this end the Dornish are famous for their sand steeds, beautiful and slim warhorses that are said to be among some of the fastest in Westeros. The people of Dorne say with pride that their sand steeds can run for a day, a night, and another day without tiring. There is a good horse-to-foot ratio in Dorne that plays to this strength, with the Dornish armies utilising their mounted archers and spears to great effect. Undoubtedly, while this army would be a considerable force across most of Westeros, the soldiers of Dorne come second-to-none when utilising these hit-and-run tactics across their mountainous borders or vast deserts.
Since the burning of Nymeria's fleet of ten thousand ships hundreds of years ago, Dorne has been without a sizeable military fleet.
[ ⚔ ] M E M B E R S
The Prince of Dorne ☀ Maron Martell ☀ 47
Wife of Maron, Princess ☀ Daenerys Targaryen ☀ 39
Heir Apparent, Prince ☀ Olyvar Martell ☀ 21
Princess ☀ Aliandra Martell ☀ 19
Prince ☀ Willam Martell ☀ 18
Alester Sand ☀ 27
Cassana Sand ☀ 25
Master of Laws ☀ Tremond Martell ☀ 63
Princess ☀ Elyana Martell ☀ 38
Prince ☀ Alleras Martell ☀ 36Family Tree [ ⚔ ] R E C E N T H I S T O R Y
It was the death of King Daeron I, the 'Young Dragon', that brought an end to the four year war between Dorne and the Iron Throne. Being conquered, before rebelling and repulsing the troops stationed in Dorne, the young king had agreed to meet the Dornish under the illusion he was attending a peace meeting to discuss terms for the regions renewed fealty.
Instead, he attended what was to become his murder. This act, however questionable in its honor, did effectively bring an end to the war.
The successor to the young dragon, King Baelor (who would go on to be famously known as 'Baelor the Blessed') decided to seek a quick peace with Dorne, desiring an end to the bloodshed. His first as King, against all advice given to him, was to pardon the fourteen hostages that had been taken by the Iron Throne instead of executing them in retribution. The king in fact went a step further, publicly forgiving those who had murdered his elder brother. He would go on to personally escort the hostages back to Dorne, and famously walked the boneway on foot with the hostages behind him on horseback. His arrival at Sunspear after travelling so far by foot was, by many, considered to be a miracle in its own right.
Upon his arrival at Sunspear, King Baelor was greeted by the Prince of Dorne, Nymor Martell. What was said between the two is unclear, but between them they managed to forge an unexpected peace. In this arrangement, King Baelor was to marry the young Prince Daeron Targaryen to the Princess Mariah Martell when both came of age. Prince Nymor, satisfied with the agreement, offered a galley back to King's Landing for King Baelor, but was refused. Instead, the King decided to make the walk back on foot. Another famous act of the King's ten year reign came when he walked through a pit of vipers in an effort to free Prince Aemon Targaryen, who was imprisoned in a cage above the vipers. Given a key, the King was told if he made it through to the Prince and the pair managed to escape the pit, Prince Aemon would be freed. Many bards still sing tales of the good and pious King Baelor walking through the pit unscathed, the snakes not striking a man so blessed and noble.
The peace made by Prince Nymor and King Baelor would eventually secure Dorne as another realm under the Iron Throne. Three more Targaryen kings would rule during the lifetime of Prince Nymor Martell before he eventually passed in the year 185AC. His 21 year old son, Prince Maron, succeeded him.
Good King Daeron, who was now married to Mariah Martell (the elder sister of Prince Maron) and with children by her, sought to complete the work of Baelor the Blessed. Prince Maron was open to negotiations, and with many dornishmen having already made themselves comfortable some time ago in King's Landing after the marriage of Princess Mariah Martell and King Daeron, the two parties were not as traditionally at odds with one another. Two years of negotiations seeking to unify Dorne with the Iron Throne followed after talks first began between the two men early in both their respective reigns.
Fianlly reaching an agreement after these two years, Prince Maron was married to the Princess Daenerys Targaryen in 188AC. Almost exactly one year later, Prince Maron swore fealty and, finally, bent the knee to the Iron Throne. As part of this agreement, those of House Martell were granted permission to continue styling themselves as 'Princes' and 'Princesses', and there were many other privileges afforded to the house, such as their right to collect taxes for the Iron Throne with less scrutiny. There were many across Westeros who resented the special rights afforded to this House which had not only orchestrated the murder of a Targaryen King, but frequently been enemies of those in the Seven Kingdoms.
In celebration of the new peace, King Daeron founded the palace of Summerhall in the Dornish marches. It was deliberately constructed without much protection to highlight the new peace with Dorne. A tourney of King's Landing was also held to celebrate the marriage between Prince Maron and Princess Daenerys. During this tourny, Prince Tremond of House Martell (younger brother of the late Prince Nymor) was offered a seat on the small council as an advisor, an effort to solidify the Martell's participation as a realm of the Seven Kingdoms and further encourage a long-lasting peace.
The water gardens were built by Prince Maron in 188AC for his wife, so that she may find shelter from the heat of Dorne.
Peace was not to last under King Daeron's reign, with the Blackfyre rebellion beginning in 195AC. Questions over the legitimacy of King Daeron, and the act of his father King Aegon IV to legitimise all of his bastards on his deathbed, had left a conflict simmering within Westeros for years. Undoubtedly, the newfound Dornish influence at court and their special privileges did little to aid King Daeron in winning over those who would support the Blackfyre pretenders, particularly those lords of the Dornish marches. Some of the more romantic singers and poets across the kingdoms have told stories of a lost love between Daemon I Blackfyre and the Princess Daenerys, though there is little to prove these are anything more than stories.
Loyal to King Daeron, Prince Maron and House Martell declared for the red dragon. The forces of House Martell saw little action outside of Dorne itself, however, when House Yronwood allied itself with the Blackfyre pretenders. Being the most powerful house sworn to House Martell, much of their time throughout the short war was focused on defeating the Yronwoods and their allies. When the war ended with victory for King Daeron II at the battle of Redgrass Fields, Prince Maron pardoned the Yronwoods in an effort to secure stability within his own realm. Maron was aware of others in the Dornish nobility who also resented his close ties with the Targaryen dynasty, and he was careful not to provoke them through harsh punishments towards those who opposed Targaryen rule.
During the Great Spring Sickness of 209AC, Prince Maron ordered that the borders and ports of Dorne be sealed after hearing of the speed with which it spread. Some correspondence continued throughout the sickness between Prince Tremond, who had by now earned his place as Master of Laws on the small council, and Prince Maron. Through their correspondence, Prince Maron learned of the terrible fate which fell upon his brother-in-law, King Daeron, and his immediate heirs. Even his beloved elder sister, Mariah, was not spared the plague.
Two years have passed since that dreaded spring, and House Martell now swears loyalty to the new Targaryen on the Iron Throne, King Aerys I. With his ascension to the throne has come a renewed period of uncertainty, with the perceptions of the king being that he is a weak ruler with far more time dedicated to his books than ruling the seven kingdoms.
Loyal to the Targaryen dynasty through marriage ties and for the privileges afforded to them in the unification of Dorne and the Seven Kingdoms, Prince Maron keeps a watchful eye on the situation from Sunspear with regular correspondence from his uncle in the capital.
[ ⚔ ] P O V s
Maron Martell
Olyvar Martell
Tremond Martell
Alleras Martell