Golden Company

The Golden Company is a sellsword company active in Essos. They are one of the largest and most skilled sellsword companies in the Free Cities, consisting of 10,000 infantry, cavalry, and war elephants. They have the reputation of never breaking a contract, which is quite uncommon among mercenary organizations.

Their current Captain-General is Addam Thistle.

History
The Golden Company was founded by Aegor Rivers, called "Bittersteel", a legitimized bastard of King Aegon IV Targaryen, after he fled Westeros with the younger sons of Daemon I Blackfyre at the end of the First Blackfyre Rebellion. When Aegor saw all the exiled lords and knights signing on with other sellsword companies, such as the Ragged Standard or the Maiden's Men, and saw the support of House Blackfyre ebbing away, he created his own sellsword company 212 AC. Since then they have fought mainly in the Disputed Lands.

The Golden Company's reputation was quickly established when Qohor refused to honor the contract it had made. The sellswords of the Golden Company sacked Qohor as an answer to Qohor's refusal.

The Golden Company is said to be made up of exiles and the sons of exiles. The Golden Company were once headed by Maelys the Monstrous, believed to be the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders. Daemon Blackfyre, a cousin to Maelys, fought him over command of the Golden Company. Maelys killed Daemon by twisting his head until it was torn from his shoulders. During the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Ser Barristan Selmy cut a bloody path though the Golden Company's ranks to slay Maelys in single combat.

In more recent days, command of the Company has been taken up by Addam Thistle, a young and well-liked exile from the Reach. For the most part in fact, the leadership of the Company is comprised of younger men. Some have taken this to mean that the Golden Company lacks the experience and gusto that it once had, but anyone who has actually crossed paths with the sellsword army has come to realize that this is not so. The commanders of the Company have proven themselves in several campaigns to be both exceptional and popular leaders. Some magisters have even theorized that the Company is the strongest it has been in decades.

Commanders

 * Captain General Addam Thistle
 * Pay Master Tristifer Mandrake
 * Spy Master Addam Bulwer
 * Captain Balon Hightower
 * Captain Vogarro Rall
 * Siege Master Jaxar Massy

Enlisted

 * Ser Quentyn Terrace
 * Ser Tymeon Farring
 * Ser Dorian Storm
 * Ser Eldon Swygert
 * Ser Lyn Longleaf
 * Ser Michael Windpass
 * Ser Alaric the Andal
 * Ser Eon Ruthermont
 * Ser Bors Blanetree
 * Ser Raemond Celtigar
 * Ser Gillam of Little Dosk
 * Ser Rowan Tyde
 * Ser Franklyn Mandrake
 * Ser Jon 'Old Jon' Mudd
 * Ser Harry 'Homeless Harry' Strickland
 * Ser Fredrik Grimm
 * Ser Maekar Storm
 * Ser Brendel Byrne
 * Ser Luthor Morganthar
 * Wylis Whiteshield
 * Torgold Pyke
 * Willum Slate
 * Bear
 * Percival Mandrake
 * Falia Mandrake
 * Errio Featherfoot
 * Mor the Waterman
 * Thick Altan
 * Quincy Morganthar
 * Hector Morganthar
 * Shang
 * Hugo
 * Bollos the Bard
 * Grimley

Squires and Young Folk

 * Laswell Peake
 * Malo Jayn
 * Young Jon Mudd
 * Torman Peake
 * Pykewood Peake
 * Jeremy Grimm
 * Elijah Grimm
 * Haerys Celtigar
 * Marq Mandrake
 * Leo Longleaf

Previous Members

 * Arthur Yronwood, former Spy Master for the Golden Company, executed for secretly providing information to House Targaryen.
 * Ser Lyman Blanetree, knight of the Company, killed in a storm off the Dornish coast
 * Orden Noose, serjeant of the Company, killed in a storm off the Dornish coast