Template:Noble house
House Baelish is a minor and small vassal house that holds fealty to House Arryn of the Vale. The Baelish seat is a rude and small towerhouse on the smallest of the Fingers, the rocky peninsulas that make up much of the Vale's coast along the Narrow Sea.
The sigil of House Baelish is a grey stone head with firery eyes on a light green field. However, the current lord of the house, Lord Petyr Baelish, called "Littlefinger", prefers to use his personal emblem of a black mockingbird almost exclusively. Since he is the only living member of the house, the mockingbird sigil is more commonly associated with the name.
Members
- Lord Petyr Baelish, popularly called "Littlefinger", the only living member of the House. Currently serving in King's Landing as the Master of Coin on the King's small council. Elevated to Lord of Harrenhal after securing the Lannister-Tyrell alliance.
In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Baelish began with a sellsword - Petyr's great-grandfather - from Braavos who traveled to Westeros and took up service with House Corbray of the Vale. The sellsword's son, also a warrior, won great honor, converted to the Faith of the Seven and was knighted. He took the head of the Titan of Braavos as his sigil.
Petyr is the only living member of House Baelish, though it is so poor that he gained all of his current wealth due to his own career as a treasurer. Petyr's great skills with numbers and banking led him to become the tax and revenue collector for Gulltown, the principal city of the Vale. At Lord Jon Arryn's suggestion, King Robert Baratheon later made Petyr his Master of Coin for the whole realm, a role he continues to serve in to this day.
Petyr's great-grandfather was actually a common sellsword from Braavos who came to the Vale. His son, Petyr's grandfather, founded "House Baelish" when he was knighted, but did not hold any land. Petyr's own father held some land, but only a few stony acres in the Fingers.
The only real benefit Petyr received from being born into House Baelish is that it technically made him a member of the minor nobility, thus allowing his initial entry into court life. Petyr downplays his partial descent from the Free Cities of the east, even abandoning the use of the original sigil of House Baelish, displaying the Titan of Braavos, to his own personal sigil featuring a mockingbird. Thus it is somewhat ironic that he criticizes Varys for being from the Free .Cities
Petyr's father fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, the preemptive assault on the forces of Maelys Blackfyre, the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders, before they could attempt an invasion of Westeros. During the conflict Petyr's father came into contact with Lord Hoster Tully. They became allies through circumstances unknown, and Hoster agreed to foster Petyr at Riverrun, where he befriended Catelyn and Lysa Tully.
Petyr rarely returns home, leaving the keeping of his minor towerhouse to a small staff.
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