House Drumm of Old Wyk is a noble house from the Iron Islands, tracing their history back for at least eight hundred years. They are the Lords of Old Wyk, the island considered holiest by the ironmen and the first one colonized by the First Men.
The Drumms blazon their shield with a bone hand, white on red. Their words are said to be "By our hand."
Culture
Traits
As Iron Born First Men, the Drumms have a distinct look about them with hair in browns and blacks, eyes in blues and grays and lean but strong physiques. The Drumms having control of one of the more resourceful islands are a bit heartier than some other ironborn and grow a touch taller, though this is compared only to the ironborn, they are average compared to mainlanders but what they lack in gigantism they make up for in pure grit.
Customs
The ironborn, house Drumm especially, follow the 'old way,' considering it a pact with their god. The old way calls lays out a relatively strict way to live life. Only women can buy ornaments (fine clothes and jewelry.) Men can only wear ornaments if they have paid the iron price for it, which is to acquire it from the corpse of an enemy they have slain themselves.
Drumm
A bone hand, white on red
By our hand
Seat
Old Wyk
Head
Lord Roryn Drumm
Titles
Lord of Old Wyk
Rock King(historical)
High King of the Iron Islands(historical)
The Drumm
The Bone Hand
Heir(s)
Overlord(s)
Tully of Riverrun
Vassal(s)
Stonehouse
Goodbrother of Shatterstone
The Sword and Axe are the only way to fight, a siege intended to starve out a castle or a catapult meant to break down a wall is not a path to glory. By the old way captives are to be given to the Drowned God, and drowned in salt water. Nor should the blood of another ironborn be shed on the Iron Islands, drowning however is permitted. This is typically taken as meaning ironborn should not kill other ironborn except in the salt waters. A bloody nose or split lip in a fist fight is rarely criticized. While Maesters are not uncommon on the Iron Islands, the only method of healing wounds permitted by the Old Way is fire and seawater.
Farming and mining is the work of thralls, but a free man can fish to sustain his people. By the Old Way an ironborn can bring men or women they capture back to the islands to serve them. The thralls can be put to work as farmers or miners. Women typically serve as scullions, cooks, seamstresses, weavers and midwives and the prettier and younger women may be used as serving girls, whores, household servants or wives to other thralls.
While thralls perform labor on the Iron Islands for those who captured them, they are not considered slaves who are bought and sold. Taking slaves is not considered to be the Old Way. Though the gifting of thralls has been permitted.
The fairest, strongest, and most desireable captured women became salt wives, marrying ironmen in a ceremony preformed by a priest of the Drowned God. A man can join himself to multiple salt wives, the number of which speaks to his power, wealth, and virility. The children born from such a marriage are not considered to be bastards, but can inherit should their father have no surviving sons by his true, freeborn rock wife from the Iron Islands.
Family Tree
History
Origins
Some Drumms were rock kings of Old Wyk in antiquity. For instance, the rock king Regnar Drumm, called Raven-feeder, was chosen High King of the Iron Islands by kingsmoot after Erich I Greyiron renounced his crown.
The Drumms later joined with the Greyjoys, Hoares, Orkwoods, and Andals to bring down the hereditary House Greyiron.
Glorious Drumms of old include Dale the Dread and Roryn the Reaver. Dagon Drumm was allegedly a necromancer, while Gormond the Oldfather is claimed to have fathered a hundred sons. Hilmar the Cunning is said to have taken Red Rain, a Valyrian steel sword, from a knight with his wits and a wooden cudgel.
Aegon's Conquest
The Drumms were present for the kingsmoot that crowned Vickon Greyjoy and his subsequent defeat in the attempted assassination of King Aegon I. It is said that Dagon Drumm was one of the handful of Lords who convinced Aegon not to take fire to the Islands once the fighting was done.
The Rebellion against house Tully
When Jonos One Arm rose up against house Tully, house Drumm along with many others of Old Wyk sat out the fighting knowing that Jonos was not likely to succeed, instead focusing on the reaving they were allowed.
Recent Events
Seat and Holdings
Located in Ironman's Bay, Old Wyk is found north and east of Great Wyk and west of Orkmont. Considered the holiest of the isles, Old Wyk is home to the noble houses Drumm, Goodbrother of Shatterstone, and Stonehouse.
Windy hills and black mountains make up much of Old Wyk, and Nagga's hill and the ruins of the Grey King's Hall are located on it near Nagga's Cradle. Shatterstone, the seat of the Goodbrothers of Old Wyk, is located by the island's coast.
There are many mining operations on Old Wyk overseen by Drowned Priests who maintain the holiness of the island and punish any who risk defiling it.
Notes
