House Martell is the ruling house of the kingdom of Dorne. Their seat is at Sunspear. Their sigil is a gold spear piercing a red sun, and their words are "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken."
House Martell's founding is unknown, except that they were one of the ruling Lords of Dorne which at the time was a coalition of states and petty kingdoms. Lord Mors Martell married the legendary warrior queen of the Rhoyne, Nymeria; thereafter their full surname was changed to "Nymeros Martell." The two united all of Dorne under their rule and House Martell has reigned for the last thousand years. The House follows several Rhoynar customs, using equal primogeniture to determine inheritance and styling their rulers as 'Prince' rather than 'King.'
After two centuries of fighting off Targaryen occupation, House Martell ultimately submitted Dorne to Targaryen rule through marriage between the two houses; their Martell words evoke this feat. King Daeron II, called Daeron the Good, married Princess Myriah Martell, sister of the ruling Prince of Dorne, Maron Martell. In turn Prince Maron married a yet unnamed Targaryen princess, a sister of Daeron. Since then, the Martells have ruled Dorne in the name of the King on the Iron Throne, while keeping the title Prince of Dorne.
ALLIED HOUSES: None
ENEMY HOUSES: Lannister, Tyrell