Riverrun
Seat of House Tully, Lords of Riverrun and Lords Paramount of the Trident
- House
- House Tully
- Region
- The Riverlands
- Raised by
- Raised by the Tullys where two rivers meet
- Age
- Of the age of the river kings and lords
The stones themselves
Riverrun is a triangle of red sandstone and pale grey walls set at the point where the Tumblestone flows into the Red Fork of the Trident, so that two of its three sides are guarded by fast water. The third faces a broad man-made ditch, and here lies the castle's cleverest device: sluice gates that, when a great wheel is turned, loose the rivers into the ditch and drown the whole southern approach, turning Riverrun into an island moated on every side. It is not the largest of seats, but few are better sited to defy a siege.
Famous halls and features
The Water Gate
A gate opening directly onto the river, through which boats may come and go — a lifeline that lets Riverrun be supplied even when ringed by foes on land.
The sluice gates
The mechanism, worked by a great wheel, that floods the moat with river water and transforms the castle into an island at need.
The godswood
A quiet wood within the walls where the Tullys keep the old gods, and where their dead are given to the river rather than to stone.
A legend of Riverrun
The Tullys were never kings, only lords raised over the quarrelsome rivermen by the Andal and dragon conquests — and so Riverrun keeps few grand legends of its own, save one small custom: its lords are not buried but set adrift on the river in a funeral boat and loosed with a fire arrow, given back to the waters that made the seat. A humble sort of legend, the maesters allow, but an honest one.
Beyond the chronicle's edge
The siege that came to Riverrun after a certain wedding is a sorrow for those who have read that far.
Estas bifurcaciones nombran muertes, finales y sendas que los libros aún no han recorrido. Desvélalas solo si conoces ambos caminos, o si no temes saber.
Common questions
How can Riverrun become an island?
Riverrun sits where the Tumblestone meets the Red Fork, guarding two sides. On the third, sluice gates worked by a great wheel flood a wide ditch with river water, surrounding the castle entirely and making it an island proof against land assault.
Who holds Riverrun?
Riverrun is the seat of House Tully, Lords of Riverrun and Lords Paramount of the Trident, who rule the Riverlands. Their words are 'Family, Duty, Honour.'
Why are Tully dead set adrift on the river?
House Tully gives its dead to the water rather than to a crypt: the body is placed in a funeral boat, floated out onto the river, and set alight by an archer's fire arrow from the shore, returning the lord to the rivers of his home.
What is the Water Gate of Riverrun?
The Water Gate is a river-facing gate that allows boats to enter and leave the castle directly. It lets Riverrun receive supplies and messengers by water even while besieged on land.