House Celtigar

House Celtigar rules Claw Isle, an island in the narrow sea off the coast of Crackclaw Point. The Celtigars are historically sworn to Dragonstone within the Crownlands.

Their arms depict red crabs strewn on white.

Their words are All in Our Grasp.

Ancient History
House Celtigar is an ancient and proud house, with the blood of old Valyria in its veins. Crispian Celtigar served as master of coin to Aegon I Targaryen. The Celtigars claim dominion over Crackclaw Point, but the inhabitants do not acknowledge their claim. When they surrendered peacefully to Visenya Targaryen during the War of Conquest, the people of Crackclaw were officially freed from pledging fealty to anyone but the Iron Throne. The Celtigars occasionally send men there to collect taxes. If Lord Celtigar sends enough collectors, a few come back to him.

During the Dance of the Dragons, Lord Bartimos Celtigar sat on the black council to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.

The Celtigars' castle is rumored to hold fabulous treasures that bear witness to their wealth. In the time before The Second War of Conquest, it was rumoured that among Lord Ardrian Celtigar's property there were Myrish carpets, Volantene glass, gold and silver plate, jeweled cups, magnificent hawks, a trained sea eagle, an axe of Valyrian steel, chests of rubies, a horn said to summon krakens from under the sea, and many fine wines.

The Second War of Conquest
Upon hearing of the Golden Company's landing in the Stormlands, the then sour Lord Ardrian brushed it off as a sailors tale. When word reached him that a boy claiming to be Prince Rhaegar's trueborn son, Aegon, was leading the Golden Company's invasion, an interest was piqued. However, only a year earlier, Lord Ardrian had bent the knee to King Joffrey and then to King Tommen and did not seek to break that vow just yet. As many lords, Ardrian waited for further confirmation, or even a selfish glance at the boy himself.

When the Lord of Horn Hill turned cloak to Aegon, Ardrian began humming and hawing over what to do. On one hand, the vicious Queen Cersei had his grandson Aeryn as a page in her service and would undoubtedly have him executed without a second thought. But on the other hand, the chance for glory and riches from the siege of King's Landing could surely buy his son's eventual grief and, after all, there were other Celtigars to inherit. But Ardrian staved off the impulse to turn cloak. Instead, the Lord of Claw Isle retreated to his island and closed it off while the Golden Company set siege of King's Landing.

When word came of the highest tower of Maegor's Holdfasts destruction and melting, and Aegon's mounting of a dragon with Daenerys, Ardrian was overheard saying "At last, at last the blood of Valyria will rule these Kingdoms once more". The gates of Claw Isle were opened, and Lord Ardrian declared for Aegon and Daenerys.

Lord Ardrian passed away in his sleep, content with his new overlords, in 301 AC at the age of two-and-seventy.

The Interim Years
After the Second War of Conquest, Claw Isle saw nearly three decades of peace. In 315 AC, a handful of cocky Cracklaw Point lordlings attempted exploit the ongoing crisis and rose up. The then Lord Damon Celtigar, son of the late Lord Ardrian, sought to further House Celtigar's grasp over Cracklaw Point. He sent a retinue of men to put down what rebellious thoughts sought to linger in such close proximity to House Celtigar.

Though Westeros saw war, Claw Isle saw little of it. In those three years, the wealth Lord Ardrian had amassed served to bolster Claw Isle's fleet and ports and outfitted their men with better gear.

In 331 AC, however, peace came to an end as the dark clouds of war sat low on the horizon. It was that year did Lord Damon succumb to Summer Sickness, and his son Aeryn took his place as Lord of Claw Isle.

The War in the Narrows
The war, although started in earnest in 331 AC, did not make it to Westeros until 333 AC with the burning of House Estermont and Greenstone. When King Rhaegar called for his forces, Lord Aeryn, seeking to make a name for himself, immediately answered the call to arms and insisted he and his ships be placed in the foremost section. Though he was denied, Aeryn was sure King Rhaegar would remember his valiant attempt. The initial battle for Greenstone was lackluster; only a token force was left by Baelon to hold Estermont. The ensuing battle that took place soon after the retaking of Greenstone was what Lord Aeryn wanted.

Lord Aeryn, though not gaining the chestful of prestige he wanted, watched as Leviathan fell out of the sky. He heard the powerful thrum of the massive scorpion on the royal flagship and watched the bolt hit the great beast.

With the death of the dragon, morale increased, and saw to the swift defeat of Baelon's forces.

The Summer Sickness
The same disease that claimed the life of Lord Damon eight years earlier came back, but in full force. Originating in Oldtown, the Summer Sickness swept across the land with swift ferocity. Lord Aeryn closed the gates of Claw Isle, but it was too late. Seven members of House Celtigar succumbed to the illness. Aeryn's uncle and his uncles wife, his cousin and his cousin's wife, his cousins son, and his cousin's son's wife a year later. Unfortunately, it also saw the death of Aeryn's sons, Crispian Celtigar, first wife Helene Harte. Aeryn's grandchild, Haegon, came down with a mild case of the sickness, but recovered later that year.

Crispian, after the death of his first wife, took to teaching arms and swordplay to his children and the other children on Claw Isle. In 350 AC, his prowess was noticed by a visitor who had the ear of the King, and he was summoned to King's Landing where he would tutor Prince Aenys. As mentor for the heir, Crispian enjoyed a lavish lifestyle for the next decade.

The Rise of Lord Crispian
In 355 AC, during the Mead Summer, Lord Aeryn and his eldest son Crispian attended the Tourney at Harrenhal to commemorate the life of Peremore Vance. There, Crispian assisted Prince Aenys and Lenore Blackwood to keep their meets private, away from the view of the other attendees. While there, Lord Aeryn purchased a rather hearty amount of mead. A year later, Aeryn passed away after a raucous night that involved a crab, a donkey, a ship and a prostitute.

Lord Crispian immediately took up an agenda to further House Celtigar's glory. Over the next eight years, he built his reputation even further as Lord, and bolstered the already tight bond between himself and Prince Aenys. During the royal tour, and their stop at Riverrun, Crispian spoke with the Lord Blackwood, convincing him to allow Lenore and Prince Aenys to meet again. In the same conversation, Lord Blackwood also arranged for his son and heir Belthasar Blackwood to be taught the way of arms by Crispian.

[DISINHERITANCE OF HAEGON - WIP]

Upon the return to King's Landing, and the wedding of Aenys and Lenore, and a few more political maneuverings, Lord Crispian Celtigar was named Hand of the King in 364 AC.

Crispian Celtigar, Hand of the King
Crispian was named Hand at the behest of Prince Aenys and Lenore Blackwood, and served from 364 AC to 367 AC. In that time, he oversaw the response to The Half-Blood Incursion in which [pending lore release].

During those three years, however, life was not easy for Crispian. When Aenys and Lenore left for Dragonstone in 365 AC, that left Crispian alone to fend for himself against the forces of Queen Patrice and Prince Viserys. Over the years, many heads were butt in the council, especially between Crispian and Prince Viserys. When rumors began to rise against Lenore Blackwood, Crispian attempted to defend her, which garnered only more disdain from the royal family, moreso Queen Patrice. Soon, far more dangerous rumors began to circulate.

When some whispered that Prince Aenys' son Maegor looked more like the Hand than he did Aenys, Crispian began to vehemently deny any rumors. Some say today that this only lent more credence to the vicious whispers. Still, Crispian went on, even so far as to nearly inciting violence within the council chambers when one meeting got heated. When Prince Viserys, his most vocal opponent, came down with illness and was claimed to be caused by poison, Crispian immediately called the claim of poison false.

Soon, an investigation began, which began to unwind the tight knit web Crispian had wove around his own position. Not only did he have his position stripped from him, but he was also kept on house arrest. After a series of trials of smallfolk and courtiers that knew Lenore, Crispian was dragged into the fray. It was then did he realize he had vastly underestimated the pull Prince Viserys and Queen Patrice had. Not soon after, an ally of Prince Viserys was named Master of Laws and was placed in charge of the trial alongside the Grand Maester and the new Hand of the King, Criston Connington.

Though a veteran of the Court, he was not quite ready for what came to him. Like Lenore he, too, had underestimated the ability of Prince Viserys and Queen Patrice. There were a bevy of servants, one a maid who had long served Lenore, who claimed to have seen more than one nightly tryst between Lord Crispian and their mistress. He vehemently denied the accusations, but the 'evidence' was against him.

Soon after Lenore was executed, Crispian was executed as well. The reign of Crispian Celtigar as Hand came to a swift and unjust end, thanks in no little part to Prince Viserys. However, Crispian's son and heir Ardrian Celtigar, held no animosity against the crown. Ardrian was summoned to the capital to swear fealty, and that he did.

The Rule of Ardrian Celtigar
[WIP]