House Lannister and the Westerlands

Spoilers up to Season Three             

        House Lannister               

               

                            

Current Leader: Tywin Lannister

Their Title: Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, Hand of the King

House Seat: Casterly Rock (core family is currently in Kings Landing)

Current Family Members: Cersei Lannister (Daughter), Jaime Lannister (Son), Tyrion Lannister (Son), Joffrey Baratheon (Grandson), Myrcella Baratheon (Granddaughter), Tommen Baratheon (Grandson), Genna Lannister Frey (Sister), Kevan Lannister (Brother), with nephews and nieces.
Family Traits: Golden hair and green eyes

House Words: Hear Me Roar!
Region: The Westerlands
Bastard Surname: Hill
Geography: In the western part of Westeros, south of the Riverlands. Most of the land is covered with mountains and hills. Has a large amount of gold mines which contributes to the wealth of this region.
History/Notable Events:
 -Lann the Clever (an ancestor) took Casterly Rock from the Casterlys to make the Lannisters the new Kings of the Rock
-Revolt of Houses Tarbeck and Reynes during the rule of Tytos Lannister (Father of Tywin) lead to the extinction of both houses
       -inspiration for the song "The Rains of Castamere"
-remained neutral during Robert's Rebellion until victory was guaranteed. Tywin then proceeded to kill the rest of the Targaryens to prove his loyalty during the Sack of King's Landing.
Notable People from Region:
-Lord Reyne and Lord Tarbeck: rebelled against House Lannister
-Gregor Clegane "The Mountain that Rides": known for the murder of Elia Martell at the bidding of Tywin.
-Sandor Clegane "The Hound": served Prince/King Joffrey as bodyguard until he went AWOL during the the Battle of the Blackwater.

My Thoughts: House Lannister has become the family that I love to hate (and vice-versa). They are incredibly power hungry ad obsessed with their wealth and prestige. Between Tyrion's whoring and the incest between Jaime and Cersei, there are plenty of things to find not to like about this family. At the same time there are things which make you want to sympathize with them (Tyrions's difficulties as a dwarf, Cersei's dreams of a better life and Jaime losing his hand-also his identity as a warrior)  At the core of this family is Tywin, a shrewd man who appeared to lose the joy in his life after the death of his wife from childbirth. He is very cold and calculating but holds his family in high regard and expects them to do the same. They currently are the number one power players in the Game of Thrones after destroying the Starks. With their wealth and influence they seem to be unstoppable.

What's Next: They are at the top of their game and with the coming alliance with House Tyrell (with the marriage of Joffrey to Margaery), they look to gain even more power. As of now Jaime is back with his family, which should be interesting due to losing his hand and his complicated relationships he has with his family. We will see what effect that has had on him and if he is a changed man from his time with Brienne. Cersei is an currently in a difficult place as her father is currently forcing her into a marriage with Loras. She believes that she can get out of it, which will be interesting to see how she does it since she's always full of schemes. Plus she is currently passively-aggressively feuding with the Tyrells, so the power struggle between her and Margaery will be a sight to see. Tyrion is currently trying to figure out his place in his family and his current (unwilling) marriage to Sansa Stark. Of course seeing how Joffrey as a husband will likely be horrific but I have hopes that Margaery can take care of herself and manipulate Joffrey to her will.With all of these issues, there are also the looming after-effects of the Red Wedding and potential consquences from that. The number one thing everyone wants to see is if the Lannisters (specifically Joffrey) will finally get what's coming to them and I for one, can't wait to see if that ever happens. With the changing tides, we'll see how the Lannisters deal with being at the top and trying to stay there amidst the chaos.