Sweetsister

Sweetsister is one of the Three Sisters, a cluster of islands in the Bite, off the eastern coast of Westeros. It is a small, poor, and windswept land, its people known for their insularity and a long history of piracy and wrecking. The island is ruled by House Borrell from Breakwater Castle, a damp and leaky fortress that groans under the constant assault of the sea. The island's only real town is Sisterton, a squalid, muddy settlement of daub-and-wattle hovels, infamous as a den of smugglers and pirates for centuries. The town's Gallows Gate is a grim landmark, where hanged men are left to rot as a warning.

Geography and Economy

Sweetsister is the most significant of the Three Sisters, but its land is poor and its people are hardy. The island's economy has historically relied on fishing, smuggling, and wrecking—luring ships onto the rocks with false lights to plunder their cargoes. Lord Godric Borrell, the Lord of Sweetsister, Shield of Sisterton, and Master of Breakwater Castle, is a blunt and pragmatic ruler. He openly admits to profiting from wrecks, boasting of a cargo of pepper and saffron taken from a ship that smashed against his rocks. The island's poverty and isolation have made its lords fiercely independent and wary of outside powers, a trait that has defined their political survival for centuries.

Political History and Allegiance

The Three Sisters were once a free kingdom, but were conquered by the northmen two thousand years ago, an event the Sistermen have not forgotten. Afterward, the islands were forced to bend the knee to the Eyrie to drive out the northmen, leaving them caught between the wolf and the falcon for a thousand years. This history has left the Sistermen with a deep distrust of both northern and southern lords. They are nominally sworn to House Arryn of the Vale, but the Eyrie's grip on the islands is tenuous. The Sunderlands, the Lords of the Three Sisters, hold fealty from the Borrells of Sweetsister, the Longthorpes of Longsister, and the Torrents of Littlesister. However, this allegiance is often a matter of convenience, and the lords of the Sisters are known to act in their own self-interest, as demonstrated during Robert's Rebellion when Lord Eddard Stark sought passage through the islands.

The Night Lamp and Wrecking

Breakwater Castle is home to the Night Lamp, a beacon meant to warn ships of the treacherous shoals and reefs surrounding the islands. However, the Sistermen have a dark reputation for using false lights to lure unwary captains to their doom on stormy nights, a practice known as wrecking. Lord Godric Borrell, the Keeper of the Night Lamp, is a man who has personally benefited from this treachery. He once threatened to let the lamp go black if Stannis Baratheon, then Master of Ships, did not cease his harassment of the island's smugglers. This history of defiance and self-preservation defines the island's relationship with the wider realm.

Narrative Significance

Sweetsister serves as a crucial waypoint for Davos Seaworth on his mission to White Harbor. After being betrayed by Salladhor Saan and scattered by storms, Davos washes ashore on Sweetsister, where he is captured by Lord Godric Borrell. The Lord of Sweetsister, a shrewd and cynical man, provides Davos with vital intelligence about the political situation in the north, including the alliance between the Manderlys and the Freys. Borrell's decision to help Davos, despite his personal grudge against Stannis, is a calculated risk, echoing his father's choice to aid Eddard Stark during Robert's Rebellion. He ultimately provides Davos with passage to White Harbor, a decision that proves pivotal to the northern conspiracy against the Boltons. The island's role as a place of refuge and information for a key player in the northern plot underscores its strategic importance despite its small size and poverty.