TYWIN: The Westerlands are all bounded by three natural defenses.
Mountain, sea and forest.
Necessary barriers when the land is as rich as ours.
From our mines come the gold and silver that fuel the rest of Westeros.
From Lannisport, our largest city,
come the most skillful gold and silversmiths in the land.
Yet, geography alone is not strength.
The Westerlands would've been sacked and pillaged for thousands of years,
if it hadn't been for the men who ruled it.
My family. House Lannister.
According to legend, we trace our descent to Lann the Clever.
A trickster of the Dawn Age,
who swindled the Casterlys out of Casterly Rock,
their ancient castle.
A childish story, but not without merit.
One, a mind can and should be a weapon in a man's arsenal.
Two, Lann must've been clever enough not to rely solely on his wits.
After all, where today is House Casterly?
Three, by keeping the Casterly name on the castle,
Lann reminded the world of the price of getting in his way.
The Reynes ignored all these lessons.
Not content with being the second richest family,
they sought to challenge the first. Mine.
My father had put up with their insults and disrespect.
When I came of age,
I led our army to teach them what they should've known.
Some people say I was too harsh.
That eradicating every member of their family was not necessary.
But now there are no bannermen as loyal to their lord
as the Westerlands to us.
If any lord bridles at our authority,
I have only to send a singer with a harp
and he falls back into line.
Because I will not have our lords squabble amongst themselves,
like the lords of the Riverlands,
or hide in their castles like the lords of the Vale,
each of our bannermen contributes a unique skill
that furthers the whole of the Westerlands.
House Clegane, because every lord needs a beast from time to time.
So, Gregor strikes terror into the hearts of our enemies
and our friends.
So too, does his disappointing brother, Sandor, the traitor.
House Payne, who provides us loyal servants.
Ser llyn Payne was once captain of my household guard,
until the Mad King heard him boast that I ran the Seven Kingdoms,
which I did.
The Mad King tore out Ser llyn's tongue.
Making him especially well-suited to later become the King's Justice.
Apparently, these days,
a younger Payne also serves my degenerate son, Tyrion.
House Lefford, who guards the Golden Tooth,
the eastern pass through the mountains,
and the all too frequent chaos of the Seven Kingdoms.
Though after Robb Stark's recent incursions, perhaps we need a new gatekeeper.
Fools look at the Westerlands and see gold.
Fools see our wealth and call it strength.
Gold is just another rock.
The Westerlands are strong because of House Lannister.
From strong leadership comes unity.
From unity comes power.