Poll: Which Westerosi House do you Swear Fealty To?

[ejrocksthisworld]

Game of Thrones Season 5 is out in less than a month. Book 6 should be out within a year or so (by the old gods and new I hope so). This post is for both. Which major house of Westeros do you swear fealty to? Select, provide your reason, and as always, provide Spoiler Warnings for content both in Show and in Book. Winter is Coming, my friends. P.S. Targaryen loyalists will not be tolerated, and sentenced to death. Really though, the poll doesn't let me put in enough houses, and since the Targaryen household was expelled from Westeros, I figured I would leave them out of the poll, but simply note that you swear fealty to the Targaryens in the comment section.

 

[Teoes]

It'd have to be Baratheon. I've actually been spending my mind-wandering time at work today mulling over ASOIAF's best baddasses and Stannis the Mannis is right up there.

Legit claim to the throne, totes about justice and fairness, only one doing something about the real problem.. and this quote.

Spoiler: TWOW spoilers for up-to-date book readers

"I defeated your uncle Victarion and his Iron Fleet off Fair Isle, the first time your father crowned himself. I held Storm's End against the power of the Reach for a year, and took Dragonstone from the Targaryens. I smashed Mance Rayder at the Wall, though he had twenty times my numbers. Tell me, turncloak, what battles has the Bastard of Bolton ever won that I should fear him?"

Oh yeah.

(Edit: this is of course book Stannis and not show Stannis, who's a completely different beast.)

 

[Davroth]

House Martell, definitely.

Out of all the places you could be in Westeros, Dorne seems like the place to be.

 

[Phasmal]

I'm quite keen on House Tyrell, to be honest.
Though I feel I've not really seen enough of them, but I've enjoyed their involvement in the books/show so far.
Especially Olenna in the show.

 

[Fractral]

Martell, probably. Dorne is about the safest place to be in Westeros (politically stable and a loooong way from the North), as well as being nice and warm and inhabited by one of the cooler ethnic groups.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I think this one of the mistakes in F&I. Martell seems to be all chill good guys if a little spicy and the realm is all sandy beaches and kickass food. Pretty much vacation/party central.

I think it's less a question of them being "good guys" as them being the most progressive or liberal of the seven Kingdoms, and thus a bit closer to modern values than the rest of them. Simply by virtue of promoting absolute primogeniture over cognatic primogeniture, they enjoy the support of the vast majority of female viewers/readers. It's hard to get excited about "swearing fealty" to a faction if the best you can hope for is that you get married off and pumped full of children.

Having read the recently released World of Ice and Fire, I'd PROBABLY lean towards Tyrell, upjumped stewards or no. The Reach is probably the least war-torn of the seven kingdoms, and has had the least tumultuous history. Second place would likely be the Lannisters, or the Arryns.

Dorne has enjoyed a particularly bloody last 200-300 years, most prominently in their resistance to Targaryen rule, and some of the methods employed in that resistance definitely calls into question their status as "good guys". The North is very grim, hard and martial, and has spent a great swath of its history fighting wars (many of which they were the instigators of). The Stormlands took 95% of the brunt of the seemingly endless Dornish insurgency, and if not for Storm's End would probably have changed hands even more times then they already have. The Riverlands get invaded semi-annually and spent a distressing amount of time under Ironborn rule. And speaking of the Ironborn, they're probably the only people in Westeros even less cheerful than the Northmen. They're in a perpetual state of conflict, either reaving or getting crushed under some larger nation's boot.

Curious why OP did not include Targaryen in the poll. That'd be an interesting selection as well. Some of the realm's most openhanded and progressive rulers were Targaryens. There's a reason for all the speculation that a landed Daenerys might actually gain some measure of popular support were she to attempt a coup.

 

[freaper]

Fealty shmealty. I'll back whoever doesn't get me killed/sent to the wall.

 

[Breakdown]

I'd have to say Baratheon for Stannis. That guy just doesn't know when to quit. And if you support him you get to travel around a bit, see the Seven Kingdoms. The cold, wet parts of the Seven Kingdoms, admittedly.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Despite how much of a crub stomp House Stark been getting, I would swear fealty to them! Of out of the houses (I'm not including Martel until I see any more of them in the new season), they were the noblest out of the lots in terms of morality (they didn't craves powers and fight for what was right in Westeros).

Also as an alternative, I would pledge lotality to House Tyrell due to not being somewhat crazy as the other houses (Lannister is fucked up, Baratheon is under a zealot, Targaryen is pretty much under construction, Tully is too safe in a bad way). Ok sure they are scheming for the throne but still not as crazies as the others.

 

[Colour Scientist]

My common sense is telling me to pick Tyrell. It definitely seems like the "safe" option.


If I were to pick Targaryan, how likely is it that I will be able to hang out with dragons without dying?

Not likely?

Yeah, though so.

 

[Colour Scientist]

That said, House Stark has it's perks.

Spoiler

 

[Teoes]

That said, House Stark has it's perks.

Spoiler

I think I must've missed the chapter/episode where House Stark had a party and wore silly paper hats?

Winter Is Coming (and with it comes Christmas Hat Parties, yay!)

 

[ZiggyE]

Baratheon. There is no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man.

ONE GOD, ONE REALM, ONE KING.

 

[mrdeclandeadly]

I'm surprised you didn't put the Night's Watch in the poll. But so far two evil bastards picked the Lannisters.

My common sense is telling me to pick Tyrell. It definitely seems like the "safe" option.


If I were to pick Targaryan, how likely is it that I will be able to hang out with dragons without dying?

Not likely?

Yeah, though so.

There's still two books to go, I don't think any house is a safe option in A Song of Ice and Fire.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Martell, no question.

Safe, warm, less dickish and more laid back then the rest of Westeros.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

I'd swear fealty to the one true king of Westeros, Stannis Baratheon! He has the best claim, Dany may feel she has rights to it, but just as her ancestor Aegon the conquerer, Robert Baratheon became king by right of conquest, and a bastard of incest sits the upon the iron throne. Making their claim by birth right illegitimate, Stannis is the rightful heir!

 

[Hades]

In season's past I would go with House Lanister. Hear me roar!

Tywin may be a dick but he's an extremely competent dick who already ran the whole kingdom when all those other lords were still in diapers. Stannis isn't a bad pick either.