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House Galehaut of Frostpeak

Contents
1: Basic Information
2: Traits
3: Culture
4: Military 
5: History
6: Frostpeak
7: Famous Members

1: Basic Information
Full Title: House Galehaut of Frostpeak

Status: Bannermen of House Arryn

Sigil: A White Griffin on a Dark Blue Field

Family Words: 'Our Vigil Unending'

Allies/Friends with: House Arryn (Liege), House Royce, House Stark, House Donniger (through marriage), House Waynwood, House Belmore, House Hunter, House Redfort, House Templeton

2: Traits
Like many Houses of Westeros, such as the Lannisters and the Tullys, members of House Galehaut have distinguishing features that run in their bloodline. Galehauts are typically healthy, robust and well-built, often standing above the average height for both men and women. They are also known for having dark brown hair and bright, sky-blue eyes - a feature dubbed 'The Griffin's Gaze.'

Children of House Galehaut also seem to have some strange resistance to cold weather and thin air. Some say this is due to their First Men ancestry, having descended from the Griffin Kings of the Mountains, who ruled over the Vale before the Andals came. However, another explanation, one agreed upon by the Maesters of the Citadel, is the simple fact that growing up in an area called 'Frostpeak' means that Galehauts get accustomed to low temperatures from a young age.

The Galehauts themselves do not endorse either explanation.

3: Culture
House Galehaut follows the Faith of the Seven, much like the other noble houses of the Vale, even though they are descended from ancient kings of the First Men. This makes sense for a House that values knighthood and chivalry so much, as the tradition of the knight came from the Andals and the Seven Gods. It is said that Prince Galeheart, the house's founder, converted the Faith for political reasons following the ascent of House Arryn as Kings of the Mountain and the Vale, but no records remain to confirm this.

However, the Galehauts do not care so much about the purity of their bloodline as other houses in the Vale do, as they believe that a man's deeds are more important than whose blood he was born from. A Galehaut saying is that 'black hearts soil noble blood.' As such, unlike most Vale houses, House Galehaut will wed its sons and daughters to families outside of the Vale.

House Galehaut retains a few traditions from their First Men ancestry. Much like the houses of the North, they consider guest rights and other traditions to be sacred, often invoking them and rarely breaking them. Their members often strive to be honourable, serving their lords and the realm faithfully. Their lack of shame in the First Men ancestry also gives them better relations with the North, and they too believe that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword when it comes to execution. These traditions give the Galehauts a reputation as being open, honourable and just.

The Galehauts have a strong martial culture for both their lords and commoners alike. Since it has been their duty to keep the northern Vale Hill Tribes from being a major threat, House Galehaut maintains a sizeable military force of well-trained professional soldiers, marshalled and drilled by seasoned veterans. These soldiers scout, patrol and defend their lands from marauders, and also keep watch for bandits and highwaymen, meaning that the roads of the Galehaut lands are some of the safest in all of Westeros, despite being located in Hill Tribe territory.

The Galehauts are able to afford this because of the minerals and resources found in the mountains they rule over. Iron, bronze, dragonglass and many precious metals are all mined from their lands and are sold as their primary export. They also provide a lot of quarried stone to other houses, cut from the mountainsides, and this stone is also used to build waycastles and outposts throughout their lands. While not a rich house like the Lannisters or the Tyrells, House Galehaut is able to maintain a steady income, keep its soldiers trained, and avoid becoming impoverished...

This is one of the reasons why the Galehauts so adamantly protect their lands and people. While the main reason is for honour and duty, they are also practical purposes to their actions. If the Hill Tribes ran rampant through their lands, the resources House Galehaut exports would never be collected or transported. And without those, House Galehaut would lose its income, its armies could no longer be paid, and the whole area would descend back into chaos.

But it is also worse than that. People often mock House Galehaut as being 'glorified pest controllers'... but it is only thanks to the Galehauts that the Hill Tribes in the Mountains of the Moon remain a pest. If not for House Galehaut's tireless vigil and constant warring against the Hill Tribes, the Vale would be in mortal danger. The Hill Tribe's numbers would grow exponentially, and they would sweep down from the Mountains, plundering and destroying all that stood in their path. And so, the Galehauts ignore the jeers and japes of their fellow Lords, continuing the thankless task laid upon them for the sake of the Vale and it's people.

As ever, a problem left ignored becomes far worse...

4: Military
In times of war, House Galehaut can marshal a military strength of around 3,000 infantrymen, as well as 1,200 cavalry. Galehaut troops are equipped in a uniform fashion with shields, spears, swords and chainmail armour, instead of each man having to pay for his own equipment. They are drilled and trained well, and are proficient at fighting against either hill tribe barbarians or the troops of other houses. They are also very well-disciplined, and rarely run away unless ordered - a tactic used the counter the berserk charges and scare tactics of the hill tribes. Unlike such wildlings, who often flee the moment the battle turns against them, Galehaut troops will stay put and fight until the bitter end.

Galehaut cavalry are even better equipped, given half-plate and heavy lances alongside swords and shields. Their steeds are also armoured to protect them in combat. These two units come together to form the Galehaut war machine that has fought against the hill tribes for thousands of years. In battle, the infantry stand firm and hold back the enemy forces, stawart and braveto the last. Then the cavalry, with the knights of House Galehaut at their head, charge headlong into the fray and trample all in their path.

However, House Galehaut is not as militaristic as houses like House Tarly, as they do not conscript every man into the armed forces from the moment he can hold a spear. There are two reasons for this:

Firstly, in the narrow roads of the Vale, massive armies are often at a disadvantage, for the roads are narrow and flanked by steep slopes. As such, the Galehauts prefer smaller, better-trained and more disciplined forces.

Secondly, the minerals of the Galehaut lands do not mine themselves, and those waycastles do not build themselves. And so the majority of commoners in the lands of House Galehaut are in fact miners, stonemasons and builders instead of soldiers.

As for nobles, all House Galehaut sons are trained how to fight from a young age - they get their first swords the moment they can walk and are schooled in military strategy as soon as they can understand words. It is expected that all Galehaut boys be knighted, and to not be so is considered shameful. Another expectation is that Galehauts do not put themselves above their men, and that they lead from the front, standing amongst infantry formations or leading cavalry charges. Some say that having so many young knights running around is why House Galehaut has two ancestral Valyrian swords instead of one.

The two swords in question, Duty and Sacrifice, are bastard swords, their pommels carved with griffin heads and their blades inscribed with the ancient runes of the First Men. Very rarely will a single member of House Galehaut wield both blades at once, although it has happened, such as with Ser Xander Galehaut, the Great Griffin, who is said to have forged the two blades himself.

Duty - Upper-right sword
Sacrifice - Lower-left sword

An honorary title of House Galehaut is the so-called 'Knight of the Griffin' - a title that carries great weight within their family. It denotes the man who bears it as House Galehaut's greatest warrior, a paragon of chivalry and honour for all others to look up to. To earn it, a son of House Galehaut must prove himself to be a great fighter and commander, and must be honourable and brave beyond measure. The title is not hereditary, instead being granted by the other family members through majority vote, and it can be revoked at any time if the one who bears it grows lazy and rests upon his laurels instead of doing his duty.

5: History
House Galehaut is a house of mixed blood, half from the First Men and half from the Andals. In the Age of Heroes, the First Men ancestors of the Galehauts ruled the Mountains of the Moon as the Griffin Kings. According to legend, it was they who originally built the great fortress of the Eyrie, and they soared through the skies on the backs of mighty griffins, all bred and trained for battle.

During the Coming of the Andals, where the fair-haired warrior people of Andalos invaded the Vale and declared war on its many kings, the Griffin Kings fought back. Even though they found success at first, the First Men could not hold off the invaders forever. But even as the Andals defeated all the other rulers of the Vale, the last Griffin King still thought he could hold off the invaders.

However, his son, the Griffin Prince, disagreed. Even though he was a young man, he stood up to his father, for he would not see their lineage wiped out and their subjects butchered by the invaders because of his father's foolish hubris and stubborn pride. And so this Prince, also known as Prince Galeheart, subsequently left his father's side, taking half his father's forces with him in the process.

Bending the knee to the legendary Andal knight, Ser Artys Arryn, Prince Galeheart swore his fealty to the new leader and aided in bringing about the defeat of his father. Galeheart and Artys soon formed a lasting friendship as they fought side by side, and some say that Galeheart even taught Ser Artys the art of griffin-riding - the ancient secret that had made the Griffin Kings the greatest rulers in the Vale.

The rest is history. Ser Artys slew the Griffin King in single combat atop the tallest mountain in the Vale, and was declared the new king of the region.

Following the war's end, Galeheart was granted land in the Mountains of the Moon, territories rich in iron, silver, dragonglass, and stone that could be quarried for use in building. He was wed to Artys' first daughter, fathered a son of mixed Andal and First Man blood, and then later passed away.

The son he raised, Marder Galeheart, soon learned that the Hill Tribes were raising a force to try and push the Andals out of the Vale. Thus, he used the stone from his lands to construct the castle of Frostpeak, a defensible place atop a great mountain slope that commanded a view of the whole Vale. From this peak, Marder defeated the vast Horde of the Hills and drove them back.

It was then that House Galehaut was truly born, named after the Galehearts who founded their house and built their home.

Ever since, House Galehaut has made it its solemn duty to keep the Hill Tribes in check, defending the people of the Vale from the marauding barbarians and anything else that might threaten them. That is the vigil from which their words are drawn, and they have humbly maintained it for over seven thousand years. Their Valyrian steel swords, Duty and Sacrifice, were named to remind them of the selfless virtues upon which their house was founded. From the Andals, they inherited their chivalry, and from the First Men, their honour.

As such, their sigil, the griffin, suits them well. A union of two beasts as one.

6: Frostpeak
Frostpeak is not a city or a town. Much like Winterfell, it is a castle, its primary focus being defence against attack. After all, it was originally designed to repel the Horde of the Hills, and a castle designed to draw traders or artists would likely have fallen to such a vast army. And so, Frostpeak spares no expense in acting as a defensive bastion - one of many in the Vale of Arryn.

Located north-east of the Eyrie, in the Mountains of the Moon, Frostpeak is accessed by narrow mountain roads and pathways. As the name denotes, this ancient place is extremely cold, and they get snowfall even in the height of summer. The high altitude of the castle and its relative proximity to The Bite, one of the bays of Westeros, are the main causes behind this low temperature, especially the winds and sea mists rolling down from the North.

It is said that a man can see all of the Vale from atop Frostpeak's towers and keep. And, assuming you look around on a clear day, you can see for miles in every direction... perfect for spotting approaching armies.

Frostpeak is a concentric castle, with two high stone walls surrounding a central keep. Several cobblestone bridges, overseen by arrow-slits, towers and battlements, are the only way inside, and these paths can be cut off at any time if the defenders raise the iron-cast drawbridges, forcing would-be attackers to risk jumping and falling to their deaths.

Passing through one of several great gatehouses that loom over your head, you will find yourself in the bailey. Down here, between the outer and inner wall, is where the smallfolk of Frostpeak live - the traders, artisans, soldiers and craftsmen. It is also the location of the Frostpeak Sept, where the Galehaut family and their subjects in the castle go to pray to the Seven.

At the bailey's centre, between all these buildings, is a statue of a knight riding upon the back of a griffin. The identity of this knight is unknown, but his form, immortalised in blue-grey stone, is a landmark within the castle, his sword lifted to the sky. Meanwhile, beneath him, his mount rers up and spreads its wings, its beak open in a silent shriek while its long claws extend from all four of its legs like the blades of scimitars.

It is also in the bailey that the Galehaut barracks are found - the vast structure where the professional soldiers and guardsmen of the House are trained. In the vast and open yards behind the barracks, hundreds of men march and drill in formation, learning how to fight in defence of their homes.

From the bailey, a set of large and ornate stone steps lead up towards the inner wall. Pass through the gates of this wall, and you will see the keep - the home of House Galehaut. Entering the keep will bring you to the central courtyard, an open, circular area of snow-shod ground, surrounded on all sides by doors and passageways that lead throughout the building. There are no flowers or gardens in Frostpeak, which gives the place a very barren and austere appearance. However, none can deny that the keep's grand and towering structure has a sense of majesty to it.

Lastly, below the keep, accessible only through the passageways of the castle, is the Griffinsvault. Carved into the rock of the mountain itself, it extendes deep below the castle. Here are many things, hidden from sight. Supply stockpiles kept hidden in case of a siege, ancient relics of the First Men taken from defeated Hill Tribes, and the buried heroes of House Galehaut, entombed in the ancient catacombs, their names and their deeds inscribed upon the walls so that they might never be forgotten.

It is also said that something ancient is hidden down there. Something that only Galehauts can find amidst its twisting corridors and dark, icy chambers. Something used by a hero of a bygone age to defend the Vale and its people. Something used by the greatest warrior of House Galehaut who ever lived...

7: Famous Members
Prince Galeheart
The son of the last Griffin King of the Vale, Prince Galeheart is considered the founder of House Galehaut. When the Andals came to Westeros thousands of years ago, he willingly sided with them against his father, knowing that the First Men could not win and hoping to secure his bloodline's continued future by being smart instead of stubborn. Prince Galeheart was a skilled warrior, and according to legend, he rode into battle on the back of a griffin named Stormwind.

Lord Marder Galehaut, aka 'Marder the Frostlord'
The eldest son of Prince Galeheart, Marder the Frostlord was the man who built Frostpeak and drove back the Horde of the Hills. The First Men who make up the hill tribes called him 'Marder Traitorson', since his father sided with the Andals. A master of strategy, Marder defeated the Horde, which legends say numbered 200,000 men, and cemented the Galehaut tradition for well-trained, professional soldiers.

Ser Xander Galehaut, aka 'The Great Griffin'
Considered the greatest knight that House Galehaut ever raised, Ser Xander Galehaut lived during the last millennium before Aegon's Conquest. A warrior born, he was knighted at the age of 12, and became legendary amongst the heroes of Westeros. He singlehandedly slew the last of the Vale's Mountain Giants, his skill with a sword so great that he could fight the beasts three-to-one. He also defeated the forces of the Ironborn King Harren the Black multiple times in open battle, keeping them from invading the Vale. It was said that he fought like the Warrior himself, and that he personally forged both Valyrian steel swords of House Galehaut, as well as the Armour of Valour. Undefeated in battle, he died of old age after living for 100 years.

Ser Alistair Galehaut, aka 'Alistair Strongheart'
Another great knight of House Galehaut, Ser Alistair was the first knight of House Galehaut to make for himself under Targaryen rule. He defeated an army of Hill Tribesman who were ransacking the lands of the Vale at the age of 22, and also helped pacify Jonos Arryn's rebellion against the Aenys I Targaryen, famously defeating Jonos' supporters in the field while the usurper himself retreated to the Eyrie. For his deeds, Ser Alistair was named to the King Aenys' Kingsguard. During the uprising of the Faith Militant, Alistair fought against the fanatics, and was named to the Kingsguard of King Maegor I after Aenys' death. He defended the king's rule against the Faith Militant in a Trial by Seven, but over the years, as Maegor's tyranny went too far, Alistair broke his vows in the hopes of saving Westeros from the king's wanton cruelty. He killed Maegor as he sat on the Iron Throne one night, then wrote a letter to his family admitting the deed. Alistair's father never revealed his son's actions, assuring Alistair had he had done the right thing, and had stopped Westeros from plunging even further into destruction at Maegor's hand.

Lord Dinadon Galehaut, aka 'Dinadon the Deadly', later 'Dinadon the Disgraced'
Ser Dinadon Galehaut was born during the early reign of King Aegon IV, also known as Aegon the Unworthy. Becoming Lord of Frostpeak following the King's death, Dinadon became close friends with Daemon Blackfyre, one of Aegon's legitimized Great Bastards, and when the First Blackfyre Rebellion broke out in Westeros, Dinadon sided with the Blackfyres against King Daeron Targaryen. Fighting alongside the Great Bastard Aegor Rivers, the legendary Bittersteel, and so many other knights such as Ser Eustace Osgrey and Ser Quentyn 'Fireball', Ser Dinadon shared in Daemon's defeat at the Battle of the Redgrass Field and was killed after being trampled to death in Baelor Breakspear's cavalry charge, along with his son. As a result of his actions, the Galehauts were punished by King Daeron. The new Lord of Frostpeak, Dinadon's second son Ulric Galehaut, had his sister Pia taken as a hostage, and the Galehauts had some of their lands stripped away. Learning from Dinadon's mistake and seeing the Targaryen rule over Westeros cemented, the Galehauts never fought for the Blackfyres again in any of their following rebellions.

Ser Aeric Galehaut, aka 'The Questing Knight' or 'The Silent Griffin'
Ser Aeric Galehaut was the youngest of seven brothers. As such, he had little chance of becoming Lord of Frostpeak or having any lands of his own. As such, he dedicated his life to becoming a true knight, wandering the lands of Westeros to protect the innocent and slay the wicked wherever he found them. He fought in the War of Ninepenny Kings, killing Liomond Lashare, the so-named Lord of Battles and one of the leaders of the sellsword companies sent to take Westeros for House Blackfyre. In doing this, he redeemed his family after Dinadon the Disgraced had sided with the Blackfyres decades earlier, and King Jahaerys Targaryen rewarded the Galehauts with new lands for his actions. He also defended the Westerlands from rogue Ironborn marauders, killing a son of House Greyjoy in the process while defending a peasant woman and her children from his wrath, and protected the members of a holy pilgrimage as they travelled all the way to King's Landing from Dorne and back again. An incredibly pious man, Aeric famously took a vow of silence, leading to his nickname of 'The Silent Griffin'.

Lord Agravayne Galehaut
Aeric Galehaut's eldest brother, Agravayne Galehaut also fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, taking a chief role in commanding the forces of Frostpeak during the conflict. Also, upon returning home to the Vale and finding that the Hill Tribes had become more aggressive in his absence. In response, Agravayne strengthened and extended Frostpeak's defences, reorganised the Galehaut patrols designed to track the Tribesmen's movements so their raids could be more easily intercepted, and even managed to install spies and informants amongst the mountain-dwellers. He also forged alliances with the houses of Corbray, Belmore and Donniger through marriages, elevating House Galehaut's status within the Vale by giving them more allies to call upon in times of need.

Ser Oren Galehaut, aka 'Oren the Unyielding'
The third son of Lord Agravayne, Ser Oren Galehaut was said to a prodigious knight from the day he took his first breath. Distinguishing himself even as a young squire, he was knighted at the age of 13, and won many battles against the Hill Tribes to keep them away from the people of the Vale. He was considered a champion of the common man and a true knight by all who met him, and during Robert's Rebellion, he fought on the rebel's side with Jon Arryn, Eddard Stark and the future king Robert Baratheon. An exceptional commander and warrior both, he killed Ser Jonothor Darry of the Kingsguard at the Battle of the Trident, and in the later Greyjoy Rebellion he led the conquest of Orkmont, defeating Ironborn armies with far greater numbers than his own. Ser Oren later died in battle against the Hill Tribe chieftain Morg the Mighty, and his death was avenged by his nephew and former squire, Logan Galehaut.

Ser Logan Galehaut, aka 'The Young Griffin', 'Logan Brightclaw' and 'Logan Skybreaker'
The most recent Galehaut knight in Westerosi history, Ser Logan Galehaut was originally disinherited by his family following the death of his uncle Ser Oren. Leaving Frostpeak, he spent many years as a hedge knight, and eventually came to serve as a sworn sword to Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Following Lord Eddard's death and the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings, Logan fought for Stannis Baratheon in the Battle of Blackwater Bay, and years later, aided Jon Snow and Sansa Stark in retaking Winterfell from House Bolton in the Battle of the Bastards by rallying the Knights of the Vale to their cause. He also played an instrumental role in the downfall of Lord Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish, instigating a rebellion within the Vale against him, and became the first and only man ever to take the Eyrie in battle.  

~~~~

'Once, we ruled the mountains as kings. Once, we united the men of the Vale as one beneath our banners. Once, our winged mounts carried us above the clouds, through the peaks and under the heavens.'

'But that was long ago, in an age almost forgotten.'

'No longer do we rule... But has our vigil ended?'

'No.'

'Long have we protected the people of the Vale, and that duty has not been lost. Our pledge to defend the innocent from all who would harm them has remained strong, and will do so forevermore.'

'A realm is nothing without its people. The purpose of a warrior is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. To destroy the wicked, liberate the oppressed, and defend just order.'

'We are the warriors who carry out that purpose. No matter their blood, we shall protect the innocent and bring low the vile. Our swords are the bane of the wicked, our armour the shield of the righteous, and our war cry the oncoming storm that will destroy the enemies of the kingdom and its people.'

'Those we once ruled, we now serve. In peace, we keep our duty. In war, we show our valour. And in death, we sacrifice ourselves so other may live.'

'We are House Galehaut, the griffins of Frostpeak.'

'Our vows will not be broken. And neither will we.'

- Ser Logan Galehaut, the Young Griffin