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This is a listing of members of House Hightower in A Song of Ice and Fire.

For the main character index, see here

For the main Reach entry, see here

House Hightower of the Hightower

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"We Light the Way"

—Hightower house words

An ancient noble house dating back to the time of the First Men (or even before according to Essos), House Hightower is one of the most powerful vassals of House Tyrell, having a large army, navy, and nearly as much wealth as House Lannister, which makes them the most powerful vassal house in the Seven Kingdoms. Despite this power, they have a reputation for staying out of conflicts unless absolutely necessary, having been devastated in previous wars like the Dance of the Dragons. Before becoming bannermen to House Gardener, the Hightowers ruled as kings, taking the title King of the High Tower.

They control the large port city of Oldtown, and played a key role in the establishment of the Citadel, the headquarters of the Maesters, which they continue to support. Their keep is the Hightower, a massive castle and lighthouse said to be taller than the Wall, located in the middle of the city on Battle Isle. The foundation of the tower is built on an ancient black stone structure, the origins of which are unknown. They have several minor houses sworn to them, including Houses Beesbury, Bulwer, Costayne, Cuy, and Mullendore. Their sigil is a stone white watchtower with a fire burning on the top.

According to ancestral records, the Hightowers are one of the oldest, if not the oldest noble house in Westeros, as there are records in Essos of trade with what would become the port of Oldtown before the arrival of the First Men. Archeological evidence suggest that the core of the Hightower, the Seastone Chair of the Iron Islands and the Mazes of Lorath had common builders, before the First Men.

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Tropes Related to House Hightower

Always Second Best:
- Hundreds of years of being vassals to the lords and kings of the Reach, these being the Gardeners and later the Tyrells ^note, have led to the Hightowers to seek other ways to climb out of this rut. The last time they tried to do it led to the Dance of the Dragons. Being bound by prophecy to not take arms against Aegon the Conqueror and his descendants for fear of having Oldtown destroyed doesn't help their plight, making them reluctant to participate in anything war-related, even when Targaryens aren't overtly on the field. You can never be too sure, after all.
- Had Aegon the Conqueror not decided on laying the foundations for what later became the city of King's Landing, Oldtown would have certainly been the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. They did crown him there after all, so the possibility wasn't that far off.
Ambiguous Syntax: The prophecy of the High Septon on the Starry Sept led to the Hightowers to surrender Oldtown to Aegon the Conqueror lest he would destroy it. Because of the exact language of the prophecy, it extends by proxy to the rest of the Targaryen kings henceforth, making the Hightowers highly reluctant to field troops on most battlefields in the Seven Kingdoms. Except for fighting the Ironborn: not much chance of surprise, strings-pulling Targaryen blood, there; and, plenty of bad blood between the Reach and the Iron Isles.
Ambition Is Evil: Downplayed as it's more "Highly Destructive". Many Hightowers seem to have a healthy dose of ambition. Or, at least, a strong opinion of what they are worth and a wish to prove it. The problem is, when they go overboard, it can hurt them and those around them thanks to their very background of being highly cultured individuals. Sometimes, in a "write it into the history books" way: the Dance of the Dragons springs to mind. When they don't manage to blow up that prominently, it's along the lines of Lynesse's inadvertent pushing of her husband down the route that can lead to bloody history being written in a more subtle case of Disaster Dominoes for when they are trying to start something. Or, a case of Unwitting Instigator of Doom when they might not be.
Ancestral Weapon: The Valyrian steel sword Vigilance. The last recorded wielder was Lord Ormund Hightower during the Dance of the Dragons.
Arch-Enemies:
- To the Velaryons during the Dance of the Dragons.
- To the Ironborn throughout history.
Awakening the Sleeping Giant: They are one of the wealthiest and most martially-prepared houses in the Reach, but have largely kept out of the War of the Five Kings beyond offering token support to the Tyrells first by declaring for Renly and then for Joffrey. However, the Ironborn attacks on Oldtown have set them to shipbuilding and mustering forces like nobody's business.
Big Fancy Castle/Lighthouse Point/The Tower: The Hightower is all of these rolled up into one. It's large, it's an architect or modeller's dream, it's ominous (particularly the blackstone foundations), it acts as the primary beacon for shipping on the Sunset Sea — and, it's been rebuilt several times following disasters.
Can't Get Away with Nuthin':
- The ambition of house Hightower has come to them at a great price; whereas they have tried numerous times to get away with more than they can chew, they have been very successful in covering their tracks.
- Even though the Hightowers have enormous influence over the Maesters and the Faith of Seven, the City Watch of Oldtown belongs to the Tyrells, the lordly house of the Reach.
Evil Tower of Ominousness: The aforementioned Hightower which serves as seat to the noble house. It is the distinguishing landmark of the city of Oldtown, which also features the Citadel and the Starry Sept (former center of the Faith of Seven in Westeros), both which have close-knit ties with the Hightowers.
Famous Ancestor: Being one of the oldest houses in the Seven Kingdoms has given them several.
- King Otho II Hightower spent all of his house's wealth on building great walls for Oldtown after it was sacked three times in less than a century. All it took the city three generations to recover its wealth, the walls of Oldtown stopped many an attack and prevented it from being sacked ever again.
- Lord Jeremy Hightower remarked that "Highgarden defends our backs, so we are free to gaze outward to the sea and the lands beyond." He managed to double the wealth of the city, while his son Jason did the same and built the Hightower a hundred feet taller.
- Lord Dorian Hightower married a Andal princess after setting aside his wife in order to prevent a war with the invading Andals.
- Dorian's grandson Lord Damon the Devout was the first Hightower to convert to the Faith of the Seven and built the first septs in Oldtown and its domains.
- Damon's son Triston was raised by the first High Septon after his father passed, and built the Starry Sept to honor the High Septon's passing.
- Norman Hightower, the younger brother of Eustace Hightower who accompanied Elissa Farman in her voyage westwards. According to Eustace his ship, the Autumn's Moon was sunk by a kraken.
- Garmund Hightower, the second husband of Princess Rhaena Targaryen and father of their six daughters.
- Lord Jon Hightower who served as Hand of the King for Aegon IV and the one who brought Serenei of Lys to Aegon's court.
Family Theme Naming: For some reason the Hightower lords tend to have "o" in their names. Even the heir, Baelor, fits the bill. Uthor, Peremore, Dorian, Damon, Triston, Leyton, Lyonel, Lymond, Ormund, Quenton, Donnel.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
- Of the Medicis, who were historically enormous patrons and contributors to the arts, the pursuit of knowledge and the Catholic Church.
- Oldtown itself has very obvious similarities with the Egyptian city of Alexandria, with all the talk about lighthouses and the largest libraries of their respective times.
Heroic Lineage: From Uthor of the High Tower and Maris the Maid.
In-Series Nickname: Lord Leyton's fourth child, Garth, is called Greysteel.
Lighthouse Point: The Hightower serves as this to ships coming from the Sunset Sea.
The Man Behind the Man: House Hightower were the creators and continue to be the greatest benefactors and patrons of the Order of the Maesters and great contributors to the Faith of Seven. What degree of influence they have at the Citadel and the Starry Sept is a matter of speculation.
Massive Numbered Siblings: Lord Leyton Hightower has had ten children with four wives: Baelor, Malora, Alerie, Garth "Greysteel", Denyse (married to Ser Desmond Redwyne with son Denys), Leyla (married to Ser Jon Cupps), Alysanne (married to Arthur Ambrose), Lynesse, Gunthor (married to Jeyne Fossoway), and Humfrey.
Minor Major Characters and Small Role, Big Impact: The Hightowers sit in Oldtown, major hub of the Order of Maesters and the Faith of the Seven; though the mentions of the Hightowers in the books are sporadic at best, they have ties everywhere (including and primordially those two organizations). As such, the Hightowers are certainly the most important vassal house in the Seven Kingdoms in history, influence and military force. Had Aegon the Conqueror not chosen his seat at the newly minted city of King's Landing, Oldtown would have been the place where the Iron Throne would sit bar none other.
Properly Paranoid: Played with. As per the prophecy preventing them from raising arms against the Targaryen kings (see Ambiguous Syntax), they still won't take arms even when such kings were almost annihilated and exiled years before. It takes an Ironborn invasion for them to wake up from their laurels. They happen to be very much aware of what a civil war can cost everyone involved.
The Quisling: When the Andals invaded Westeros, the Hightowers, who ruled Oldtown as petty-kings, sided with the invaders to keep their domains.
Redundancy Department of Redundancy: House Hightower of the Hightower.
Shrouded in Myth/Mysterious Past: Hightowers are heavily implied not to descend from the First Men, but from some previous settlers as Oldtown seems to have been founded as a trading post in which Summer Islanders, Ghiscari, and Valyrians stopped to fix their ships and even trade with the 'elder races' (Giants and Children of the Forest). The fact that Uthor of the High Tower is not mentioned as a descendant of Garth Greenhand, just showing up and marrying one of his daughters, supports this theory.
Town with a Dark Secret: The aforementioned city of Oldtown contains both the Maesters (the primary conveyors of education and communication in the Seven Kingdoms) and the Faith of Seven (the main religion in the Seven Kingdoms), both of which are linked tightly with the Hightowers; throughout history, there are hints that the two organizations have done the bidding of the Hightowers repeatedly. And, visa versa. It's... probably a political dynamo, reciprocal, cyclic kind of thing that powers not just Oldtown, but often the Reaches (the most populous part of the Seven Kingdoms) and beyond. Nobody outside the three blocs themselves know what arrangements or agreements may be in place, if there are any (likely). Or when/if the clauses change.
- The Hightowers are older than the Seven Kingdoms, the Andals and the First Men. There is no discernible record of where they came from or when they set foot in Westeros, though records in Essos show that they had trade routes in place before the First Men. As far as their settlement is concerned, they were not considered invaders by the Children of the Forest and they coexisted for an unknown number of years.
- The ancient black structure at the core of the Hightower is implied to have some sort of connection with the makers of the Seastone Chair and the ancient mazes of Lorath.
The Unfettered: The Hightowers have a reputation of stopping at nothing to achieve their goals, even to the point of sacrificing themselves, others (including their families) and the city of Oldtown if needs be. If they feel that something needs to be done, they don't beat around the bush; their degree of commitment is unparalleled, yet not particularly admirable.

Lord Leyton Hightower

The Old Man of Oldtown

Head of House Hightower, Voice of Oldtown, Lord of the Port, Lord of the Hightower, Defender of the Citadel, and Beacon of the South. Currently married to Rhea Florent, his fourth wife. He is nephew to Ser Gerold Hightower.

The Chessmaster: While we don't know much about him, it's telling that he has 3 of his children marry into some of the most powerful houses in the Reach. His daughter Alerie is married to Mace Tyrell. His heir Baelor is married to Rhonda Rowan and his daughter Denyse is married to a Redwyne. Should anybody attack Oldtown, they will deal with the wrath of 4 of the strongest houses in the Reach.
The Ghost: Has been mentioned several times, but has yet to be seen. He is this In-Universe as well, having not stepped foot outside of Hightower in ten years.
In-Series Nickname: The Old Man of Oldtown.
The Shut-In: He has not descended from the Hightower in over a decade.
Try to Fit That on a Business Card: He has more titles than Tywin Lannister and as many as Robert Baratheon before he gave Renly the Stormlands.

Ser Baelor Hightower

Brightsmile, Breakwind

First child of Lord Leyton and heir to House Hightower. Married to Rhonda Rowan.

The Ace: Good-looking, rich, and an excellent knight. The worst Oberyn could say about him was that he had an unfortunate moment of flatulence.
Embarrassing Nickname: He was dubbed Baelor Breakwind by Prince Oberyn Martell after he farted in front of Princess Elia Martell. Since after that unfortunate incident, Elia couldn't look at the poor boy without laughing at him, this effectively ended any chances of Baelor and Elia having an Arranged Marriage. Oberyn and Tyrion after hearing the story both wonder that if he had not dubbed Baelor with that nickname, would Elia still be alive, married to Baelor and with many children in Oldtown.
Tyrion wondered how many lives had been snuffed out by that fart.
The Ghost: Not seen yet.
In-Series Nickname: Baelor Brightsmile, due to his good looks and chivalry.
Named After Somebody Famous: Most likely named after Baelor the Blessed. And probably after Baelor Breakspear as well.

Malora Hightower

The Mad Maid

Second child of Lord Leyton and his first daughter.

The Ghost: Not seen yet.
In-Series Nickname: "The Mad Maid". She is supposedly obsessed with spells.
Old Maid: Judging by her nickname, lack of husband, and age of her siblings, she definitely qualifies in this world.

Lady Alerie Hightower

Lady Alerie Tyrell (nee Hightower)

See the House Tyrell character page.

Lynesse Hightower

"Garth is training new recruits and Humfrey's gone to Lys to hire sellsails. If he can wrinkle a proper fleet out of his whore of a sister, we can start paying back the ironmen with some of their own coin."

— The captain of the ship Huntress, referring to Lynesse.

The eight child and youngest daughter of Lord Leyton, second wife of Jorah Mormont and now the chief concubine of merchant Tregar Ormollen of Lys.

For the House Mormont entry, see here.

0% Approval Rating: Invoked. She is not a popular lady in-universe and almost everyone who mentions her has a rather low opinion of her and her perceived gold-digging. Still, the bulk of the Mormonts (her unintended victims) would prefer not to speak about her rather than speaking ill of her; this is about as high an opinion anyone expresses of Lynesse. The only consistently good thing that is said of Lynesse and her actions is that she is, indeed, very pretty.
Ambiguous Situation: Lynesse's relationship with her family is left murky at best. It's not revealed why Leyton Hightower agreed to give Jorah Mormont, the then head of one of the smallest and poorest houses in the North, his daughter's hand in marriage instead of saving her for better prospects. It's also not explained why House Hightower couldn't just send Jorah the money and resources needed to keep Lynesse happy (or even if they might have expected Jorah to come to them so they could exert influence on an island most deem pretty pointless, but which does have strategic value when either hoping to influence the Iron Isles, the North — or, even, over the Wall; but, stubborn git that he can be, Jorah probably never did see fit to come cap in hand to his in-laws). What's more, after Lynesse ruined Jorah and left him to become the concubine of a merchant prince, House Hightower should have cut off all ties with her out of embarrassment. And yet, they still have a good enough relationship that they hope Lynesse can give them support against the invading Ironborn.
Ambition Is Evil: Wanting far more than Bear Island and Jorah could possibly give her has lead to a string of questionable outcomes. She might think she's ahead of the game in her personal set-up of the moment, but the effects have been more far-reaching than she probably realises.
Disaster Dominoes: Her decision to leave Jorah for her own gain in Lys, which left him penniless and without prospects, is what has directly led him to be free to be an influential figure in one of Essos' greatest periods of upheaval of recent history.
Everyone Is Related: She is the aunt of Margaery, Loras, Willas and Garlan Tyrell, who are the offspring of her sister Alerie with Mace Tyrell. This means that Jorah Mormont is their uncle too, since their marriage hasn't been annulled.
Everyone Loves Blondes: Daenerys reminds Jorah strongly of her and she does have a wider reputation for beauty than just his bias. If that's any indication.
The Exile: From Oldtown to Lys in Essos via Bear Island and a big mistake. Yes, she counts.
Fish out of Water: As Catelyn reminisces from a banquet held in Winterfell, Lynesse was desperately bored of the North to the point of ennui. In spite of this, she never lacked courtesy or demure.
The Ghost: For all she has had quite the impact, she hasn't even been seen once.
Gold Digger: Lynesse had no second thoughts about marrying Jorah because she didn't know how relatively poor he was. She eventually abandoned him for a wealthy merchant so she could regain her extravagant lifestyle.
Hidden Depths:
- The Mormont ladies are not particularly fond of Lynesse, yet refrain from outright speaking ill of her; and, Jeor Mormont rarely if ever refers to her. Jorah speaks heartbrokenly of her as a lost opportunity he squandered with any residual anger aimed mainly at himself (and Ned Stark), not her. To put this in perspective, the character quote shown above could not have possibly come from a Mormont.
- She might be a concubine to Tregar Ormollen, but it's mentioned that she's influential enough to rival Ormollen's actual wife, leading credence that she's not simply shallow and materialistic. The fact that her in-laws are hopeful they can get her to convince her patron to supply them with sell-sails to deal with the Ironborn adds credence to this.
The Lady's Favor: Ser Jorah wore her favor in a tourney and defeated all his opponents, and even got Lynesse's hand in marriage.
Lady Macbeth: Downplayed. Jorah tries to sell poachers into slavery for money because Lynesse kept demanding expensive luxuries, but the extent of her actual involvement in this crime isn't known.
Love at First Sight: Deconstructed; their marriage began to fall apart because Lynesse couldn't get used to the harsh North, Jorah then bankrupted House Mormont to try keeping her happy and even engaged in slave trading when all else fails. After fleeing to Lys, she cheats on him and abandons him for Tregan Ormollen.
The Mistress: To Tregan Ormollen, with even his wife living in fear of her.
The One That Got Away: To Jorah Mormont. It's heavily implied that Jorah is still very much in love with her, and his attraction to Daenerys is based on the fact that she reminds him of Lynesse. Whether this affection is mutual is still a matter of debate (as she did follow him to the North and eloped with him to Essos before she left him).
Proper Lady: Subverted. She has all the expensive tastes, demeanour and the cultural polish, for sure. But, proper ladies don't ditch their husbands to become mistresses/concubines of rich merchant princes, generally speaking.
Uptown Girl: A deconstruction of. Lynesse was accustomed to luxury due to her upbringing in one of the wealthiest families in Westeros and her relationship with Jorah deteriorated as soon as she realized how comparatively poor he was. When Jorah indulged her expensive tastes, he quickly fell into debt and turned to slave-trading. After getting caught, Jorah and Lynesse went into exile.
Winter Royal Lady: Subverted and invoked. Lynesse is as distantly removed from the trope as it's feasible to be, for someone who is actually associated with it. She was Lady Mormont and the Lady of (the very Northern) Bear Island for, like, five minutes. Her whole problem is presented as being that she was overwhelmingly unable to get used to the dreary, cold North because she is a lady from the bountiful, sunny South.

Ser Gunthor Hightower

Ninth child of Lord Leyton and his third son. Married to Jeyne Fossoway. Ser Gunthor is in command of the harbor of Oldtown.

Badass Cape: Wears a cloth-of-silver cloak.
Bling of War: His armor is a suit of grey enameled scales.
Omniglot: He spent several years studying at the Citadel and learned to speak a few foreign languages, including the Summer Tongue of the Summer Islands. This comes in handy for him, since he is in charge of inspecting ships coming into Oldtown's harbor, and many of the crews don't speak the Common Tongue.
Properly Paranoid: Insists on inspecting every ship that enters Oldtown. Justified, given an attempt by the Ironborn to attack Oldtown in disguise was only narrowly thwarted.

Ser Gerold Hightower

Lord Commander Gerold Hightower

See Aerys II's Kingsguard page.

Historical Hightowers

Pre-Conquest

Prince Peremore Hightower

Peremore the Twisted

Second son of King Uthor of the High Tower, Peremore was a sickly and crippled child, but had a great love of learning and hosted dozens of scholars, wizards, teachers, singers, etc. during his life. After his death, his brother King Urrigon granted land to "Peremore's pets", which may have been the founding of the Citadel.

Bookworm: Due to being bedridden his entire life, he had few other ways to spend his time aside from reading or meeting with great minds. His favorite pastime was watching two scholars argue over something.
Genius Cripple: Definitely. His weaknesses caused him to have a great love of knowledge.
In-Series Nickname: Known as Peremore the Twisted due to having a withered arm and twisted back.
Our Founder: His love of learning and knowledge is credited with helping found the Citadel and making Oldtown a center of learning and knowledge.

Lord Lymond Hightower

The Sea Lion

The last Hightower King, Lymond married his daughter to King Garland II Gardener and married Garland's daughter as well, making House Hightower the last of the Reach kings to swear loyalty to House Gardener.

All There in the Manual: So far his only mention is in The World of Ice & Fire.
In-Series Nickname: Known as The Sea Lion for building a massive navy, making House Hightower the greatest sea power in Westeros at the time.
Laser-Guided Karma: After the Ironborn attempted to attack Oldtown and Lymond defeated them, he reinstituted the practice of taking thralldom in Oldtown very briefly and forced the captured reavers to strengthen the city walls.
Our Founder: A statue of Lymond overlooks Oldtown's harbor, staring down Whispering Sound, as a tribute to his creation of the Hightower's navy and military victories.

Runcel Hightower

Runcel Hightower was Lord Commander of the Night's Watch who precipitated a Succession Crisis when he appointed his illegitimate son to replace him after he died.

See the Night's Watch Lord Commanders page.

War of Conquest to just Before the Dance of the Dragons; 2 BC-104 AC

Lord Manfred Hightower

Lord of Hightown during Aegon I's conquest of Westeros. He surrendered Oldtown to Aegon without a fight at the advice of the High Septon.

Famous Ancestor: His wisdom spared Oldtown and House Hightower the wrath of the Targaryens, enabling them to continue to be a center of learning and power. Many followers of the Seven, including the High Sparrow, look upon Manfred as a wise and religious man centuries after his death.
Know When to Fold 'Em: By the point Aegon arrived at Oldtown, he had spent the last two years kicking the ass of everybody in Westeros, even eliminating the ruling House of the Reach. Even without the High Septon's advice, Manfred knew there would be no stopping Aegon, so he wisely surrendered.
Long-Lived: He must have been since he was alive when his great-granddaughter Ceryse was born.
Outliving One's Offspring: His son Garmon was killed by Joffrey Dayne during his razing of Oldtown's countryside.

Queen Ceryse Hightower

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ceryse_hightower.jpg

Maegor's first wife, and the niece of the High Septon. Died of unknown causes in 45 AC.

All There in the Manual: Most information on her comes from The World of Ice & Fire.
Altar Diplomacy: She was married to Maegor as a way to keep the Faith of the Seven content with the crown, as she was the (maternal) niece of the High Septon.
Always Murder: She died of unspecified causes after 20 years of marriage. It's implied Maegor had her killed.
Old Maid: By Westerosi standards, as she was 23 when she married the 13 years old Maegor
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Much as her husband Maegor is similar to Henry VIII of England, Ceryse bears some resemblance to Catherine of Aragon. A woman marries a man some years younger than her, and fails to give him an heir (Catherine gave birth several times but only one daughter, Mary, survived infancy, while Ceryse never had any children) and thus is set aside while their husband marries another woman, infuriating both the first wife's powerful relatives and the highest religious authority in their respective lands. However, while Catherine refused to acknowledge her change in status, declaring to the end of her days that she was Henry's one true wife, Ceryse eventually accepted her husband's polygamy and was invited back to court. Both women also died in fairly suspicious circumstances: modern medical experts now believe Catherine died of cancer, but at the time it was heavily rumoured that she had been poisoned; Ceryse died of a 'sudden illness', which was widely believed (though never proven, and most maesters dismiss it as an attempt to further blacken her husband's name) to be a cover for one of the Kingsguard accidentally slitting her throat when Maegor told him to cut her tongue out for offending him.
Unwanted Spouse: Probably due to her failure to produce an heir, though it's implied Maegor was never very fond of her anyway.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Ceryse abandoned King's Landing and returned to Oldtown when she grew tired of Septon Murmison laying his hands on her belly every night in the hope of making her fertile at Aenys request.

Lord Martyn Hightower

Lord of the Hightower during Maegor's reign. Older brother of Ser Morgan Hightower of the Warrior's Sons and Queen Ceryse Hightower.

Everyone Has Standards: He may have betrayed the Faith over to Maegor, but the moment the Tyrant King orders him to murder a defenseless child, he imprisons the rider who brought him the missive, and comes out in full support of Jaehaerys not long after.
Face–Heel Turn: Rather than face off against Maegor and his dragon, he had his brother murder the High Septon so he could freely surrender. Or so some suspect.
Heel–Face Turn: When Maegor demanded he kill Rhaella as punishment for her mother fleeing his captivity, he refused, imprisoned the messanger, and declared for Jaeherys.
Turn Coat: He calls his banners after the High Septon calls upon rebellion. Later he may have sent his brother to assassinate the High Septon. After the High Septon was dead, he quickly dispatched his knights to arrest the Warrior's Sons and opened the gates to Maegor and Visenya.

Ser Morgan Hightower

See the Faith Militant page

Lord Donnel Hightower

The Delayer

Lord of Hightower during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen. He helped promote Jaehaerys and Alysanne's marriage. Died during the Shivers epidemic in 59 AC.

In-Series Nickname: The Delayer because he delayed the Poor Fellows outside Oldtown since he refused to fight them. And when he was ordered to arrest Elissa Farman, who was going by a different name, either the letters didn't arrive on time or deliberately delayed the departure of his 'fastest' ships to go after them until it was too late.
Nepotism: He ensured his brother was chosen as the next High Septon to help promote Jaehaerys's Doctrine of Exceptionalism.
Sleazy Politician: Manfryd Redwyne called him a sulker and a schemer who only cared about himself, his house and Oldtown.

Ser Eustace Hightower

The eldest grandson of Lord Donnel Hightower, who accompanied Elissa Farman in her unsanctioned voyage westward. He and his ship the Lady Meredith returned to Oldtown after ending up in Sothoryos after a Leviathan damaged his ship. While he survived the Shivers epidemic, his grandfather, wife and children did not

Bold Explorer: Not many would try to sail west of whatever is beyond, although unlike Elissa, he at least returned to tell the tale.
The Captain: Of the Lady Meredith.
Dwindling Party: His crew was decimated by disease while making repairs at Sothoryos, forcing him to hire Summer Islanders with high wages.
Know When to Fold Them: After losing his brother to a storm (or a kraken), he chose not to sail further westwards, although a leviathan forced him to make repairs, where his ship ended in Sothoryos.

Historical Hightowers - The Dance of the Dragons; 105 AC-131 AC

Ser Otto Hightower

Hand of the King to Jaehaerys I, Viserys I and Aegon II. He was the father to Viserys' second wife Alicent Hightower, and to multiple sons as well (including Ser Gwayne Hightower), and the uncle to Lord Ormund Hightower. He conspired with his daughter to ensure that his grandson was crowned Aegon II over Viserys' wishes that his daughter from his first marriage, Rhaenyra, be crowned queen after his death. This led to the civil war that became known as the Dance of the Dragons.

Ambition Is Evil: Deconstructed. His wish to be rather more than just the father to a queen... turned out to be rather an overreach. Not to mention a nasty example of "how to screw a large number of people over, get almost your entire family killed, and end up with nothing". Not only that, but the consequences of his ambitions would overshadow whatever merits he would have made as Hand, being a go-to example of someone who prioritised his ambitions over the well-being of the realm.
Arch-Enemy: Of Daemon Targaryen.
Blood Oath: Swore one with the other members of the Small Council who supported Aegon II's claim to the Iron Throne.
Didn't Think This Through: He is the one who encouraged Viserys to name Rhaenyra his heir in order to prevent Prince Daemon from inheriting. This, needless to say, caused a lot of trouble for him after his daughter married Viserys and had children by him, and Rhaenyra eventually married Daemon … and had children by him.
Even Evil Has Standards: He berated his grandson Aemond for the cold-blooded murder of Lucerys Velaryon, since Aemond killing one of her children ensured Rhaenyra would never accept a peaceful resolution.
Otto Hightower: You only lost one eye. How could you be so blind?
Famous Ancestor: Albeit, one who brought ruin and a fair amount of shame onto House Hightower. While he is still considered a man of great learning, Ser Otto's tenure as Hand of the King is remembered as one of the worst due to his actions leading to the Dance of the Dragons. He is regarded by subsequent Hands as one of the foremost examples of how not to act as Hand of the King.
Foil: He made a special effort to undermine his son-in-law's brother Daemon Targaryen in all of the latter's endeavors, including his marriage to Rhaenyra. Daemon in turn reciprocated in equal manner.
Jerkass: He started as proud, haughty and brusque, and only got more so the longer he was Hand.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Ser Otto first convinced King Viserys to name Rhaenyra as his heir to prevent his archenemy Daemon from sitting on the Iron Throne. This came back to bite him later when Daemon ended up marrying Rhaenyra.
- In-universe, he is the textbook example on how not to be a Hand of the King.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Otto did everything in his power to shore up Aegon II's relatively weak powerbase at the start of the Dance by trying to make alliances with the Free Cities and sent multiple ravens convincing noble houses on the fence to back the young king. Aegon's idea of gratitude was continually berating his grandfather for his seeming cowardice in not taking the field against Rhaenyra, before firing Otto as Hand and giving the post to Criston Cole.
Number Two: Served as Hand of the King to three kings: Jaehaerys I, Viserys I, and his grandson Aegon II. He was dismissed from the post twice. The first time happened during Viserys' reign, for demanding that Aegon be made the heir instead of Rhaenyra (he was eventually brought back after his successor to the office, Lord Lyonel Strong, died). He was dismissed from Handship again by Aegon due to concerns he was moving too slowly to gather support for the Greens, while Rhaenyra's diplomatic efforts were swelling the ranks of the Blacks, and was only reinstated after Cole died at the Butcher's Ball. This, of course, was short-lived once Rhaenyra captured King's Landing and put Otto's head on the chopping block for his treachery.
- He essentially ruled the realm during the last two years of Jaehaerys' reign, since the king had not only become quite old and had been left grief-stricken by the loss of both his wife and his son, to the point he could no longer carry out his duties as king.
Off with His Head!: He was beheaded as a traitor after being captured when Rhaenyra took King's Landing.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Had he not pushed so hard for Rhaenyra to be named heir in the first place, Viserys may have named one of his children with Alicent as his heir instead, which would have prevented the Dance of the Dragons.

Lord Ormund Hightower

Head of House Hightower during the Dance of the Dragons, nephew to Ser Otto Hightower and cousin to Dowager Queen Alicent. Slain by Lord Roderick Dustin during the Battle of Tumbleton.

Cool Sword: He wielded the Valyrian steel sword, Vigilance.
Frontline General: He fought in the frontline.
General Failure: Lord Hightower's host was nearly wiped out at the very onset of his campaign, and survived solely due to Prince Daeron the Daring's individual heroic sortie atop a dragon. Then again at Tumbleton, the northmen managed to break through his formation with barely a tenth of his number and killed him.
Maester Gyldayn: Flying Tessarion ahead of the main column, Prince Daeron had proved invaluable as a scout, warning Lord Ormund of enemy movements and entrenchments. Oft as not, the queen's men would melt away at the first glimpse of the Blue Queen's wings rather than face dragonflame in battle.
Pet the Dog: At Lady Caswell's last request before she committed suicide, Ormund spared her children and sent them to Oldtown as wards of his house (though he ordered the rest of the castle's garrison executed).
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Early in the Dance of the Dragons, he burned the town of Bitterbridge as revenge for the death of his uncle Otto's grandson Maelor (who had been on his way to safety in Oldtown under the care of Ser Rickard Thorne of the Kingsguard, but was caught and torn apart by a mob when passing through the town).

Queen Alicent Hightower

Queen Alicent Targaryen (nee Hightower)

See the Aegon II's page

Ser Gwayne Hightower

One of the sons of Ser Otto Hightower, younger brother of Alicent Hightower and second in command of the City Watch of King's Landing during the Dance of the Dragons.

In the Back: Killed by his commander Ser Luthor Largent when King's Landing was conquered by Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Hypocrite: Called out Luthor Largent as a traitor, despite the fact that he and his family were equally traitorous by Rhaenyra's standards.
The Mole: He was placed as second in-command largely to keep an eye on Luthor, not that it helped him when the betrayal did happen.
Number Two: To Ser Luthor.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Tried to flee King's Landing to raise the alarm when the Blacks attacked, only to be arrested by his own men and dragged before Luthor Largent, who promptly killed Gwayne.
What the Hell, Hero?: Calls out Ser Luthor and the rest of the goldcloaks for being turn cloaks, but Ser Luthor simply counters that Prince Daemon gave them their cloaks, and were gold no matter how they were turned before executing Ser Gwayne.

Ser Hobert Hightower

"History has little good to say about Ser Hobert Hightower, but no man can question the manner of his death. Rather than betray his fellow Caltrops, he let the squire fill his cup, drank deep, and asked for more."

—Archmaester Gyldayn

A knight of House Hightower and cousin of Lord Ormund Hightower. During the Dance of the Dragons, he joined the Caltrops, a conspiracy to kill the Two Betrayers, dragonseeds who had defected to the Greens but were plotting to take the Iron Throne themselves.

Alliterative Name: Hobert Hightower.
Everyone Has Standards: Unwin Peake casually stabbing Lord Bourney through the eye left both him and Prince Daeron disgusted.
Face Death with Dignity: He may have fluffed his generalship, but he aced the "die like a boss" final exam.
General Failure: He had little skill commanding armies, and was only in charge of Lord Ormund's baggage train. His one battle after having to take command after Ormund's death resulted in a crushing defeat. Only in his end does he manage to achieve anything resembling victory—though even then, Mushroom implies that his poisoned wine killed more people than his sword ever did.
Heroic Suicide: As Gyldayn recounted, Hobert willingly drank a cup of poisoned wine and asked for a refill in order to convince Ulf the White that it was safe to do so.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: What did for him; Ulf the White got suspicious of his upbeat manner during a meeting to discuss strategy for the assault on King's Landing and insisted Hobert drink from the same (poisoned) cask of wine.
Self-Poisoning Gambit: He acted as part of a conspiracy to kill Ulf the White via poisoned wine. However, when Ulf became suspicious of Hobert's intentions, Hobert allayed Ulf's fears by drinking quite a bit of the poisoned wine to "prove" it was safe. Afterward Ulf happily drank the wine, and both men died.
The Leader: Of the Caltrops, alongside Lord Unwin Peake.
Taking You with Me: When invited to drink with Ulf the White from the wine he and his fellow Caltrops had poisoned, Hobert willingly drank from it to avoid giving away the plot and his fellow conspirators and to ensure the last of the Two Betrayers died.

Ser Bryndon Hightower

The foremost knight of House Hightower during the Dance of the Dragons, and a cousin of Lord Ormund Hightower.

Long-Dead Badass: He died in the Dance of the Dragons.
Mutual Kill: He took off Roderick's shield arm, but was slain in return before Roderick died of his wounds.

Historical Hightowers - Contemporary Era

Lord Lyonel Hightower

The eldest son and heir of Ormund Hightower. He became infatuated with his step-mother Samantha Tarly since he first saw her and tried to marry her when his father was killed. Despite the High Septon forbidding the marriage, their relationship continued until a new High Septon allowed the union.

I Have Your Wife: One of the reasons he accepted the peace letters from Corlys Velaryon was because House Tyrell informed him that his younger brother Garmund, a ward of Highgarden at the time, would be executed if Lyonel tried to make war without their leave.
Love at First Sight: Became infatuated with his step-mother since the moment he laid eyes on her.
Marry for Love: Despite the Faith forbidding the union, he was finally allowed to marry the woman he love.
Not Blood Siblings: Married his step-mother who was only two years older than him.
Odd Friendship: He became friends with Alyn Velaryon, which helped mend the rift between the former Blacks and Greens.
You Are in Command Now: After his father was killed at Tumbleton, he became Lord of the Hightower.
You Killed My Father: He initially refused the peace offer Corlys Velaryon made him, vowing to write his reply in the Sea Snake's blood. He only relented when Samantha Tarly offered to marry him if he agreed to put an end to the fighting, and House Tyrell threatened to execute his younger brother if he tried to prolong the Dance any further.

Lord Quenton Hightower

Lord Quenton Hightower was Lord of Hightower around eighty years before the series, and is remembered for his brutal actions when the grey plague hit the city.

I Did What I Had to Do: Grand Maester Pycelle, who was a boy at the Citadel when this occurred, thinks that Lord Quenton was justified in his actions and had no choice but to do what he did.
Necessarily Evil: He ordered all the ships burned, closed the city gates, and had his guards kill anyone who attempted to leave the city in order to prevent the plague from spreading. These actions worked.
Quarantine with Extreme Prejudice: When the grey plague ravaged Oldtown, he closed the city gates, burned every ship in port, and commanded the guards to kill everyone who tried to flee.
Slashed Throat: He and his son were ambushed by an angry mob of plague survivors and killed this way.
Pyrrhic Victory: Quenton saved Oldtown, but more than half the city had died and the survivors murdered him and his son.
Would Hurt a Child: To halt the spread of the grey plague, he ordered the execution of anyone who tried to flee, "be they man, woman, or babes in arms."
0% Approval Rating: The citizens of Oldtown still curse his name.

Maester Walys

Walys Flowers

A Maester of the Citadel in service to House Stark at Winterfell before Robert's Rebellion. A bastard of House Hightower who instigated alliances between the North and the Riverlands, Stormlands and the Vale.

See the House Stark Household character page.

Characters / A Song of Ice and Fire - House Hightower

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