❝ Our blood is salt and sea. Remember that as you sink to your grave in the deep. ❞

HOUSE MANTARYS

SIGIL:
a sting-ray poised for the strike with a barbed tail, emerging a pale violet sun on a midnight grey sea.
—history:
The sting-ray, a hawk-like creature of the sea is said to be chosen to recall the Harpy of the Ghiscar Empire and its chosen city of Astapor.

WORDS:
From the East

SEAT:
Driftwood Hall of the Iron Islands
—history:
Driftwood Hall, an ancient seat off the Southern coast of Great Wyk, and marks the passage into the iron islands from the Westerlands. Ithas a history far beyond the Mantarys themselves. Before a castle was built, the site was home to a remarkable driftwood structure, said to be a mysterious place of ritual and worship of the Drowned God.

The original structure, which remains at the heart of today's Driftwood Hall, is a remarkable maze-like circle of driftwood with a heart at the inner. It is considered a holy place, and those who lie within this structure will have protection from the drowned god.

ALLEGIANCE:
House Greyjoy, current holders of the Driftwood Crown and rulers of the Iron Islands.

RELIGION:
The Drowned God

ANCESTRAL WEAPON:
Sea-sting, a fine steel sword that has seen many years of combat. Historically it was laced with the poison of a stingray, which has been a signature of the more gruesome days of the house and a favourite poison when necessary

CURRENT MEMBERS:

— Tymor Mantarys, Lord of Driftmark Hall and The Passage. 48
— status: at sea, fighting at the Stepstones     and across the Narrow Sea. A custom of the Ironborn to travel at Sea. 48 years of age

— Jaslin Mantarys (née Wyl), Lady of Driftmark Hall.
— status: living in Driftmark Hall with her sons, awaiting her husband's return. 40 years of age.

— Othgar Mantarys † younger brother of Lord Mantarys.
— status: died at sea on a fierce raid, infamous even after his passing. 25 at death

— Marco 'Rainier' Mantarys, firstborn son Heir to Driftmark Hall.
— status: ruling Driftwood Hall in his Father's stead. Expected to marry soon. 23 years of age.

— Navarr Mantarys, second son of Tymor
— status: sailing the iron islands, supporting his brother. Also legitimate for marriage. 19 years of age.

— Euron 'Darkhand' Pyke, bastard son of Othgar, raised as a brother to Navarr and Marco
— status: has taken the iron way, raising coastlines. A fierce warrior with a reputation around the Iron Islands. 22 years of age.

{open house for sisters etc}

HISTORY:
House Mantarys have always been outsiders amongst the iron born. Though one of the wealthier houses in the Iron Islands (famed for its poverty), they trace their blood to the East, to Astapori Sealords who fought their way into the isles and took their seat of Driftwood Hall, earning respect from the Ironborn who had never been defeated in such a way by a single ship and its men. Though many years of marriage have saturated their foreign blood, and the Mantarys are as ironborn as any - with Regnar Mantarys the Red Reaper, or Hakon Mantarys the Wife Wrangler - to name a few, many  still carry the mark of slightly darker skin and making them rare beauties amongst the brutish features of the isles.

Many seem to retain some higher taste - they are literate (unusual in the iron islands even today) - seen as a strange and useless skill amongst most ironborn. They may choose to dress like their land-seated cousins - rather than live, sleep and die in the salt-rags known to most ironborn. Most learn to ride and fight the knightly way, as well as how to reap with an axe.

The Mantarys are rumoured to have magic running through their veins. Yet unlike most fear mongering of witchery, this gossip has more truth than most. The secret past to this bloodline runs not only through Astapor, but to the nefarious city of Mantarys itself. Little is known in the West of this city, apart from a sinister repute and association with monsters and mutations. Although never recognised by any Mantarys themselves, this bloodline connects them to magic of old. Occasionally, a Mantarys is born with a rare gift that he or she may use in secret. Though without teachers, or books, most of the time these gifts never made a mark on this world.

Marco is what some would call a greenseer. He lives half in a world of dreams, visions, of skinchangers and in the sleep of others. These powers are of course secret, because magic is heavily persecuted under Maegor's reign.

The Mantarys are one of the wealthier Houses in the Iron Islands. Their dominion over 'The Passage' through a mix of taxation and raiding - both the iron and the gold price - has allowed them to amass more wealth than some of their ironborn brethren. Because of their somewhat outsider status, and their wealth which angers some with jealousy, they are somewhat sneered at by other Ironborn Houses. But they should not be underestimated nor dismissed in the politics of the Islands and beyond.

PHYSICAL TRAITS:

The Mantarys have Ghiscari blood in them which is a dominant gene across generations, even with intermarriage into Andal and First Men descendants.

They have warm brown skin the colour of burnt sand, and thick dark hair. They are known to be elegant in build with sharp features, and some with striking eyes of green or grey.

❝ What is dead may never die. ❞

— OCs below —