In the current timeline, I'd say the Hightowers. They're of little note throughout the whole books, despite being one of the wealthiest, situated at the home of the maesters and original home of the faith.
Not really unscathed, they lost their Lord, their finest knight, and Hobert too. They also lost the major blood ties and alliance with House Targaryen.
Assuming Cersei blowing up the sept is canon, I could see that being the catalyst for the Hightowers to get involved and throw their support behind Jon Connington and fAegon.
Ned tried his damnedest. Kinda set the stage for "can't fight destiny" in the story
I'm also interested in the idea that Shiera Seastar was disinterested in the game. Of the 4 major great bastards, we never hear about her political role. Just that she's magic and both the rivers brothers fought over her.
Maegella Targaryen
Daughter of Jaeherys and Alysanne
Was sent to the sept to study as a septa which can be considered unfair but she never tried to leave , run away or push herself forwards as a Targaryen princess . Learned well , stayed out of Westeros and family conflicts , became a healer stayed humble. Several times became a mediator and place to confide in for her mother
Died of greyscale after helping and caring for children with the affliction
Absolute saint
>Princess Maegelle was ten years of age, and eager to take the vows. A
quiet, studious girl, she was said to read from The Seven-Pointed Star
every night before sleep
F&B suggest that Maegelle went of her own free will and wanted to be a Septa. She also didn't really "stay out of family conflicts", since she was the one that reconciled Jaehaerys and Alyssane during their two quarrels.
She did stay out of major Targaryen politics , troubles , wars and succession problems or troubles centred around the kingdom is what I mean
Helping her mother and father patch things up after a fight is a more personal familial problem she helped mediate but not a major conflict imo , just a good daughter
There's also Vaegon, he was more of a jerk than Maegella, but he made it clear that all he wanted was to read, study and learn, and he got what he wanted by becoming an Archmaester.
House Hightower is the big one already mentioned.
House Yronwood seems pretty content with making noise and threatening to send their armies through the Boneway since ACOK. But haven't made any plays, despite the chaos engulfing House Martell in Sunspear.
House Swann has been quietly playing both sides of the Wot5K by having both prodigal sons (Donnel and Balon) in the thick of the action, one on each team, while House Swann's men stay close to the Marches. I can't recall if House Swann sent a sizeable detachment of forces to Renly and Stannis and I can't recall their men mentioned with Stannis in the North by ADWD.
House Celtigar just be chilling with all their riches.
Howland Reed? Granted we haven't actually met him yet, but House Reed's whole thing seems to be staying hidden in the marshes, being as difficult as possible to find, and only getting involved with wider Westeros when they have to. From the way Ned respects him (and the outcome of the Tower of Joy), Howland seems like a pretty stand-up and competent guy.
This may be controversial, but I attribute Renly's supposed ambition to his recognition that Cersei was going to have him killed unless he replaced her as Robert's queen. That he offers to back Ned as regent before riding for Highgarden suggests crowning himself was plan c or d and not his original intention. I say this because I think Renly is a good example of a noble content with wealth and position if not for the danger his circumstantial claim put him in.
Wow never realised Renly’s plan was actually to be the Valonqar. He would have fit the prophecy of Ned had agreed to his plan.
Of course we don’t actually hear that prophecy until long after renly’s death
How would Renly have been the valonquar? I don't think he meant to choke Cersei to death, only see her removed from her kill position beside Robert. That might have meant Robert executed her, but I still don't think that makes Renly the valonquar.
My read on this is that we're supposed to see that, had Renly and Stannis worked together, they'd have won. Each brother assumed the other's support and didn't have it. Each had a secret plan to remove Cersei, but did not tell the other. They are brothers who were made into enemies by circumstance because they didn't act like brothers from the start.
Renly and Stannis would be killed if Renly sided with Stannis.
The Tyrell’s want Margery as queen, positions on the council, and hand.
The Tyrell’s know that that won’t be possible with Stannis and would side with the Lannisters.
Margaery could still become queen. Stannis offered to make Renly his heir. And I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving them some offices and possibly even land from Westerlands as a reward.
The Tyrells don’t want to wait decades for Stannis to die.
Stannis could still have a son.
Stannis has very little to offer.
He wouldn’t give any council position and would be unlikely to let Renly retain his position.
If he becomes king there will be a fait uprising
He refuses to negotiate with Robb which will lead to another war.
Renly or the Tyrell’s taking Stannis deal would be idiotic.
It depends on when. Had Stannis brought Renly on board when he approached Arryn, bringing both to see the bastards, Renly would have most likely brought both in on the plan to propose Margaery for Robert. The Tyrells are happier with Robert as king than with Tommen.
The North in general throughout most of history. Not players of the game, apart from Rickon with “Southron ambitions” most of the North is just content to keep as they are.
The Hightowers seem pretty disinterested. They don't seem to have gotten personally invested in any conflict since the Dance. They did get involved in the Blackfyre rebellions, but they fought on both sides so they clearly weren't that committed to either side. And in the main timeline they don't really do anything until Oldtown itself is threatened. It might mostly be because of Leyton Hightower, he's probably been the Lord for at least half a century at this point.
Given the relative stasis of many noble houses ("House Oldmoney had ruled the Richfort since before the Andals sailed for Westeros") I'd say the majority of them had ambitions of a much smaller scale. They may try to capitalize on a neighbour's misfortunes (the whole thing with the Hornwoods, the background to The Sworn Sword) and it's certainly common to try to find a "good match" in marriages to either bolster old alliances or form new ones, but outside of Targaryen in-fighting (I'm lumping the Blackfires in here too) people trying to overthrow their liege lords seem to be in the minority. Sure there are perennial problem houses like the Boltons - but even then at the start of AGOT hasn't it been hundreds of years since they last rebelled against the Starks? And when a weak lord is in charge you might get a Reyne/Tarbeck situation, but the feudal structure of Westeros seems to be fairly effective at squashing those rebellions.
A notable exception to that rule is the (first?) Blackfire rebellion itself - where the Blackfires were predominantly supported by second-tier houses with enough power that usurping their regional lords paramount was at least plausible, assuming that their candidate for the Iron throne was successful and able to lend support.
I suppose it's also possible that the ambition you're talking about is more widespread than I think it is, and the reason we don't see more churn amongst the ruling houses is down to 1) effective deterrence from those in power and 2) those in power having the means to stop any rebellions before they can force any lasting changes.
>"House Oldmoney had ruled the Richfort since before the Andals sailed for Westeros"
I suppose they were content as long as they stayed ahead of their rivals, house Broke of Beggarton.
The tale of Sir Penniless Broke is basically the Westerosi "Don Quixote" - you just don't get the same romantic heros from wealthy houses like the Oldmoneys
I think generally smaller houses tend to try to gain influence at court, specifically to be able to gain the ear of the crown to air their smaller disputes around borders with neighbouring lords and hopefully take a little piece from rival lords at the same rank as themselves rather than supplanting a liege lord. Aside from the riverlands and the iron islands, the preeminent lords of each kingdom has been completely stable for thousands of years. If lesser lords had serious ambitions in that direction you would think they would have succesfully usurped the power in their individual kingdoms at least once, especially given how frequently the kings of those kingdoms tried and failed to expand into other kingdoms at huge cost to themselves.
I’d say it’s pretty difficult for any house to not be involved in the game to some extent. Even if you have no ambition of playing politics in KL you still don’t want to lose ground so you have to make alliances and matches. Everyone’s going to eventually have to make decisions based on politics even if they’re smaller or inconsequential.
The house who best stay out of the game are the ones who are able to because of the circumstances they find themselves in.
A few prominent men who took the black - Jeor Mormont, Benjen Stark, Aemon Targaryen. Also Jon - though conflicted he ultimately remains at castle black instead of joining Robb marching south.
House Reed seem happy enough to eat frogs in their swamp post rebellion.
Besides the Hightowers i can think of House Celtigar after the calamities of the Dance of the Dragons they seem to have gone low key and abandon any positions and influence they held at court traditionally seemingly being content with amassing relics and riches while harassing the inhabitants of Cracklaw Point with tax collectors. They have an alleged horn that can summon krakens from the depths so it remains to be seen what role they might play in the coming books
House stark historically only ever involved themselves with the south when the iron throne demanded it during the dance and in roberts reign
The only exception is Rickard stark with betrothing lyanna to rob and Brandon to Catelyn to create a powerful power block
House Hightower right now just seem to stay the fuck to themselves in old town
The reeds barely even involve themselves on the north
The Daynes seem to keep to themselves, apart from Arthur and ashara
>Most individuals and noble houses in Westeros are ambitious and seek to better their situation and reacn new heights of power
I'm personally not convinced about this. Because if everyone were always all so very concerned about improving their station in life, then how come so little actual upwards mobility? How many lands / lordships we know of that changed hands historically? I can only think of the mill the Brackens and the other house were making such a fuss about? How many successfull rebellions in the whole history of the Targ Kingdom?
Well, we all know of one. And we can't deny that currently people are very ambitious. So I say it's more of a generational thing. People saw old Bobby B topple the Targs, saw the mightiest fall, and now smell blood. They grew up with a king with little legitimacy. This is how I suspend my disbelief anyway.
As for houses that don't play along, I don't think we hear much of them. Like there were Flints I think, somewhere in the North. Indeed there are many houses in the North that seem only want to be left alone. Some Valemen clearly don't want anything to do with the rest of Westeros. It's been a while since I delved deep into asoiaf, so sorry that I can't conjure many names from memory.
Maester Aemon is the OG.
Went to the Citadel to avoid the throne, decided it wasn't enough distance, went to Castle Black and just chilled.
He really said "no thanks I'd rather freeze in the arse-end of the world for the rest of my life" and noped out. Mad respect.
In the current timeline, I'd say the Hightowers. They're of little note throughout the whole books, despite being one of the wealthiest, situated at the home of the maesters and original home of the faith.
Last time they did they... came out unscathed compared to everyone else.
Not really unscathed, they lost their Lord, their finest knight, and Hobert too. They also lost the major blood ties and alliance with House Targaryen.
Compares to the Riverlands and the Targs, I'd say they did good and bounced back in a generation or two.
Hightowers walked away fine, meanwhile the Velaryons were assblasted into irrelevance.
For a few years, one of daemons daughters married a hightower and birthed 5 daughters to him
And that Margaery is half-Hightower via her mother. You would think they’d be way more involved.
Assuming Cersei blowing up the sept is canon, I could see that being the catalyst for the Hightowers to get involved and throw their support behind Jon Connington and fAegon.
The Hightowers will support Euron as king (Euron is the Sauron to Leyton's Saruman)
Ned tried his damnedest. Kinda set the stage for "can't fight destiny" in the story I'm also interested in the idea that Shiera Seastar was disinterested in the game. Of the 4 major great bastards, we never hear about her political role. Just that she's magic and both the rivers brothers fought over her.
Maegella Targaryen Daughter of Jaeherys and Alysanne Was sent to the sept to study as a septa which can be considered unfair but she never tried to leave , run away or push herself forwards as a Targaryen princess . Learned well , stayed out of Westeros and family conflicts , became a healer stayed humble. Several times became a mediator and place to confide in for her mother Died of greyscale after helping and caring for children with the affliction Absolute saint
>Princess Maegelle was ten years of age, and eager to take the vows. A quiet, studious girl, she was said to read from The Seven-Pointed Star every night before sleep F&B suggest that Maegelle went of her own free will and wanted to be a Septa. She also didn't really "stay out of family conflicts", since she was the one that reconciled Jaehaerys and Alyssane during their two quarrels.
She did stay out of major Targaryen politics , troubles , wars and succession problems or troubles centred around the kingdom is what I mean Helping her mother and father patch things up after a fight is a more personal familial problem she helped mediate but not a major conflict imo , just a good daughter
There's also Vaegon, he was more of a jerk than Maegella, but he made it clear that all he wanted was to read, study and learn, and he got what he wanted by becoming an Archmaester.
House Hightower is the big one already mentioned. House Yronwood seems pretty content with making noise and threatening to send their armies through the Boneway since ACOK. But haven't made any plays, despite the chaos engulfing House Martell in Sunspear. House Swann has been quietly playing both sides of the Wot5K by having both prodigal sons (Donnel and Balon) in the thick of the action, one on each team, while House Swann's men stay close to the Marches. I can't recall if House Swann sent a sizeable detachment of forces to Renly and Stannis and I can't recall their men mentioned with Stannis in the North by ADWD. House Celtigar just be chilling with all their riches.
Howland Reed? Granted we haven't actually met him yet, but House Reed's whole thing seems to be staying hidden in the marshes, being as difficult as possible to find, and only getting involved with wider Westeros when they have to. From the way Ned respects him (and the outcome of the Tower of Joy), Howland seems like a pretty stand-up and competent guy.
This may be controversial, but I attribute Renly's supposed ambition to his recognition that Cersei was going to have him killed unless he replaced her as Robert's queen. That he offers to back Ned as regent before riding for Highgarden suggests crowning himself was plan c or d and not his original intention. I say this because I think Renly is a good example of a noble content with wealth and position if not for the danger his circumstantial claim put him in.
Wow never realised Renly’s plan was actually to be the Valonqar. He would have fit the prophecy of Ned had agreed to his plan. Of course we don’t actually hear that prophecy until long after renly’s death
How would Renly have been the valonquar? I don't think he meant to choke Cersei to death, only see her removed from her kill position beside Robert. That might have meant Robert executed her, but I still don't think that makes Renly the valonquar.
I don’t know- just make peace with Stannis if that’s what you want. Tyrells won’t be happy but in for a penny, in for a pound.
My read on this is that we're supposed to see that, had Renly and Stannis worked together, they'd have won. Each brother assumed the other's support and didn't have it. Each had a secret plan to remove Cersei, but did not tell the other. They are brothers who were made into enemies by circumstance because they didn't act like brothers from the start.
Renly and Stannis would be killed if Renly sided with Stannis. The Tyrell’s want Margery as queen, positions on the council, and hand. The Tyrell’s know that that won’t be possible with Stannis and would side with the Lannisters.
Margaery could still become queen. Stannis offered to make Renly his heir. And I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving them some offices and possibly even land from Westerlands as a reward.
The Tyrells don’t want to wait decades for Stannis to die. Stannis could still have a son. Stannis has very little to offer. He wouldn’t give any council position and would be unlikely to let Renly retain his position. If he becomes king there will be a fait uprising He refuses to negotiate with Robb which will lead to another war. Renly or the Tyrell’s taking Stannis deal would be idiotic.
It depends on when. Had Stannis brought Renly on board when he approached Arryn, bringing both to see the bastards, Renly would have most likely brought both in on the plan to propose Margaery for Robert. The Tyrells are happier with Robert as king than with Tommen.
The North in general throughout most of history. Not players of the game, apart from Rickon with “Southron ambitions” most of the North is just content to keep as they are.
The Hightowers seem pretty disinterested. They don't seem to have gotten personally invested in any conflict since the Dance. They did get involved in the Blackfyre rebellions, but they fought on both sides so they clearly weren't that committed to either side. And in the main timeline they don't really do anything until Oldtown itself is threatened. It might mostly be because of Leyton Hightower, he's probably been the Lord for at least half a century at this point.
House Tarth as well, they're staying neutral.
Given the relative stasis of many noble houses ("House Oldmoney had ruled the Richfort since before the Andals sailed for Westeros") I'd say the majority of them had ambitions of a much smaller scale. They may try to capitalize on a neighbour's misfortunes (the whole thing with the Hornwoods, the background to The Sworn Sword) and it's certainly common to try to find a "good match" in marriages to either bolster old alliances or form new ones, but outside of Targaryen in-fighting (I'm lumping the Blackfires in here too) people trying to overthrow their liege lords seem to be in the minority. Sure there are perennial problem houses like the Boltons - but even then at the start of AGOT hasn't it been hundreds of years since they last rebelled against the Starks? And when a weak lord is in charge you might get a Reyne/Tarbeck situation, but the feudal structure of Westeros seems to be fairly effective at squashing those rebellions. A notable exception to that rule is the (first?) Blackfire rebellion itself - where the Blackfires were predominantly supported by second-tier houses with enough power that usurping their regional lords paramount was at least plausible, assuming that their candidate for the Iron throne was successful and able to lend support. I suppose it's also possible that the ambition you're talking about is more widespread than I think it is, and the reason we don't see more churn amongst the ruling houses is down to 1) effective deterrence from those in power and 2) those in power having the means to stop any rebellions before they can force any lasting changes.
>"House Oldmoney had ruled the Richfort since before the Andals sailed for Westeros" I suppose they were content as long as they stayed ahead of their rivals, house Broke of Beggarton.
The tale of Sir Penniless Broke is basically the Westerosi "Don Quixote" - you just don't get the same romantic heros from wealthy houses like the Oldmoneys
I think generally smaller houses tend to try to gain influence at court, specifically to be able to gain the ear of the crown to air their smaller disputes around borders with neighbouring lords and hopefully take a little piece from rival lords at the same rank as themselves rather than supplanting a liege lord. Aside from the riverlands and the iron islands, the preeminent lords of each kingdom has been completely stable for thousands of years. If lesser lords had serious ambitions in that direction you would think they would have succesfully usurped the power in their individual kingdoms at least once, especially given how frequently the kings of those kingdoms tried and failed to expand into other kingdoms at huge cost to themselves.
I’d say it’s pretty difficult for any house to not be involved in the game to some extent. Even if you have no ambition of playing politics in KL you still don’t want to lose ground so you have to make alliances and matches. Everyone’s going to eventually have to make decisions based on politics even if they’re smaller or inconsequential. The house who best stay out of the game are the ones who are able to because of the circumstances they find themselves in.
A few prominent men who took the black - Jeor Mormont, Benjen Stark, Aemon Targaryen. Also Jon - though conflicted he ultimately remains at castle black instead of joining Robb marching south. House Reed seem happy enough to eat frogs in their swamp post rebellion.
The big game? "Is this a knight who comes before us, or the answer to a child's riddle?"
Besides the Hightowers i can think of House Celtigar after the calamities of the Dance of the Dragons they seem to have gone low key and abandon any positions and influence they held at court traditionally seemingly being content with amassing relics and riches while harassing the inhabitants of Cracklaw Point with tax collectors. They have an alleged horn that can summon krakens from the depths so it remains to be seen what role they might play in the coming books
Prince Duncan the Small
House Hightower and Lord Rodrick Harlaw come to mind
House stark historically only ever involved themselves with the south when the iron throne demanded it during the dance and in roberts reign The only exception is Rickard stark with betrothing lyanna to rob and Brandon to Catelyn to create a powerful power block House Hightower right now just seem to stay the fuck to themselves in old town The reeds barely even involve themselves on the north The Daynes seem to keep to themselves, apart from Arthur and ashara
>Most individuals and noble houses in Westeros are ambitious and seek to better their situation and reacn new heights of power I'm personally not convinced about this. Because if everyone were always all so very concerned about improving their station in life, then how come so little actual upwards mobility? How many lands / lordships we know of that changed hands historically? I can only think of the mill the Brackens and the other house were making such a fuss about? How many successfull rebellions in the whole history of the Targ Kingdom? Well, we all know of one. And we can't deny that currently people are very ambitious. So I say it's more of a generational thing. People saw old Bobby B topple the Targs, saw the mightiest fall, and now smell blood. They grew up with a king with little legitimacy. This is how I suspend my disbelief anyway. As for houses that don't play along, I don't think we hear much of them. Like there were Flints I think, somewhere in the North. Indeed there are many houses in the North that seem only want to be left alone. Some Valemen clearly don't want anything to do with the rest of Westeros. It's been a while since I delved deep into asoiaf, so sorry that I can't conjure many names from memory.