Post by Gandalf on Apr 22, 2021 11:49:02 GMT -5
314 AL.
The Long Night is over. Westeros has survived decades of war and strife, and the land is scarred permanently. The Iron Throne is no more, and many of the great houses have been extinguished. Those smallfolk that survive are superstitious and fanatical, and in the absence of any central authority have looked to their own protection. Many go North, seeking a new life in those lands left empty by the dead. In the south, warlords and robber barons infest the ruined castles of broken lineages, whilst Free Companies sell their swords to those squabbling lords that survived armageddon. No kingdom escaped the long arm of death; the North is empty, the Riverlands broken and lawless, the Reach decapitated with those left battling for the sundered seat of the Gardener kings. The Mountain Clans rule much of the Vale of Arryn as they did in millennia past, while Dorne, The Westerlands, and the Stormlands are rife with sectarian conflict and civil war. Only the Iron Islands stands strong, Asha Greyjoy forging a New Way for her people in this broken world. New and old faiths vie for supremacy over the hearts and minds of the masses, and the towns and cities of Westeros have began establishing their independence over their former feudal lords.
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The state of the world relies on player choice: only a few named characters thus far perished in the Long Night and subsequent War for Dawn. Players can choose the fate of their old characters and their roles within the surviving world. They also have the opportunity to pursue new characters, either as a surviving house or a totally new creation.
NEW: Due to limited playerbase, this game is now solely focused on the political crisis in the Reach, and the current war for Highgarden.
Post the houses you are claiming below, including those from the old game. It will take some time for me to draw up a political map to explain the situation, but at the very least a timeline is linked to the post to help you guys make sense of it. Players will also have the opportunity to play faith leaders, prominent merchants and mercenary captains, if they so desire.
The Long Night is over. Westeros has survived decades of war and strife, and the land is scarred permanently. The Iron Throne is no more, and many of the great houses have been extinguished. Those smallfolk that survive are superstitious and fanatical, and in the absence of any central authority have looked to their own protection. Many go North, seeking a new life in those lands left empty by the dead. In the south, warlords and robber barons infest the ruined castles of broken lineages, whilst Free Companies sell their swords to those squabbling lords that survived armageddon. No kingdom escaped the long arm of death; the North is empty, the Riverlands broken and lawless, the Reach decapitated with those left battling for the sundered seat of the Gardener kings. The Mountain Clans rule much of the Vale of Arryn as they did in millennia past, while Dorne, The Westerlands, and the Stormlands are rife with sectarian conflict and civil war. Only the Iron Islands stands strong, Asha Greyjoy forging a New Way for her people in this broken world. New and old faiths vie for supremacy over the hearts and minds of the masses, and the towns and cities of Westeros have began establishing their independence over their former feudal lords.
--
The state of the world relies on player choice: only a few named characters thus far perished in the Long Night and subsequent War for Dawn. Players can choose the fate of their old characters and their roles within the surviving world. They also have the opportunity to pursue new characters, either as a surviving house or a totally new creation.
NEW: Due to limited playerbase, this game is now solely focused on the political crisis in the Reach, and the current war for Highgarden.
Post the houses you are claiming below, including those from the old game. It will take some time for me to draw up a political map to explain the situation, but at the very least a timeline is linked to the post to help you guys make sense of it. Players will also have the opportunity to play faith leaders, prominent merchants and mercenary captains, if they so desire.
{The Kingdoms}The Reach: Ruled by Catheryne Tyrell de jure, de facto vacant. Warlords vie for Highgarden whilst the Swords and Stars dominate the south. Bands of fanatical peasants are gathering into an army to push upon their agenda by force. Edric Storm has taken the young Lady Tyrell captive and holds her hostage in Brightwater Keep with an army of mercenaries; he intends to marry her and claim the Reach for himself. Lords Tarly and Redwyne advance their own claims to Highgarden, the latter currently occupying the ruined fortress with his army while the former has rallied many of the Reach-lords to his banner in opposition to the peasant rebellion. Led by firebrand populists and subtly backed by the High Septon, groups of peasants have taken up arms to wage war on their lords and break the bonds of serfdom. In the meantime, the Faith extends its claws into the Reach, having won dominance of Oldtown over the prideful and vengeful Hightowers, who must decide whether to accept the new order or battle against the High Septon's idea of a theocracy.
The Riverlands: Ruled by Edmure Tully from Riverrun. Filled with bandits, vagabonds, and all manner of wild creatures. Many towns and villages are de facto independent, such as the Saltpans and Lord Harroway's Town.
The Crownlands: King's Landing is in ruin. Aurane Velaryon rules the Narrow Sea on behalf of the last Targaryens, whilst the Red Faith controls much of the Blackwater Bay. Duskendale is the only settlement of note. The Stormlands has claimed the Kingswood as its own.
The Westerlands: Tyrion Lannister rules the Westerlands, though Lannisport all but governs itself. Many of his Bannermen openly plot to overthrow him.
The North: Jon's legitimised son Eddard rules de jure, but the Lady Val rules de facto. Sparse and empty, a tenuous peace exists between the Northmen and the new Wildling houses that have settled in the vacant lands. White Harbour and Barrowton are being slowly rebuilt. Ironborn have begun settling the western coast and logging for Timber.
The Stormlands: Ruled by Shireen Baratheon from Storm's End. The Marchers are all but independent, and regularly war against either the Reachmen or the Dornish. The rightful Queen wishes to reclaim her primacy over the other realms, but for now is too weak to do so.
The Vale: Ruled by Sansa Arryn on behalf of her young daughter Catelyn. Much of the Vale is ruled by Timmett, Lord of the Clans, who has settled his people in the fertile valleys beneath the Mountains of the Moon. Though they cannot take the Eyrie, neither can they be forced out by strength of arms. A tenuous peace exists for now.
The Iron Islands: Ruled by Asha Greyjoy, the widow of Pyke. The Iron Isles have prospered under Lady Asha's New Way; trade blossoms with the mainland as they use the gold mines of Harlaw and timber from the empty Wolfswood to finance this new age. Many conservative voices grumble, but more stand in support of the lady that guided them through the Long Night and into the dawn. Thralldom is outlawed, and laws are passed promoting marriage and childbearing. The Ironborn population begins to rapidly increase.
Dorne: Ruled by Arianne Martell. The Principality is bloodied and bruised, the Princess having lost all but her natural son to conspiracy and fanaticism. Sunspear is weak, and the marchers are strong - Arianne must do much to ensure her house survives the Spring.
The Riverlands: Ruled by Edmure Tully from Riverrun. Filled with bandits, vagabonds, and all manner of wild creatures. Many towns and villages are de facto independent, such as the Saltpans and Lord Harroway's Town.
The Crownlands: King's Landing is in ruin. Aurane Velaryon rules the Narrow Sea on behalf of the last Targaryens, whilst the Red Faith controls much of the Blackwater Bay. Duskendale is the only settlement of note. The Stormlands has claimed the Kingswood as its own.
The Westerlands: Tyrion Lannister rules the Westerlands, though Lannisport all but governs itself. Many of his Bannermen openly plot to overthrow him.
The North: Jon's legitimised son Eddard rules de jure, but the Lady Val rules de facto. Sparse and empty, a tenuous peace exists between the Northmen and the new Wildling houses that have settled in the vacant lands. White Harbour and Barrowton are being slowly rebuilt. Ironborn have begun settling the western coast and logging for Timber.
The Stormlands: Ruled by Shireen Baratheon from Storm's End. The Marchers are all but independent, and regularly war against either the Reachmen or the Dornish. The rightful Queen wishes to reclaim her primacy over the other realms, but for now is too weak to do so.
The Vale: Ruled by Sansa Arryn on behalf of her young daughter Catelyn. Much of the Vale is ruled by Timmett, Lord of the Clans, who has settled his people in the fertile valleys beneath the Mountains of the Moon. Though they cannot take the Eyrie, neither can they be forced out by strength of arms. A tenuous peace exists for now.
The Iron Islands: Ruled by Asha Greyjoy, the widow of Pyke. The Iron Isles have prospered under Lady Asha's New Way; trade blossoms with the mainland as they use the gold mines of Harlaw and timber from the empty Wolfswood to finance this new age. Many conservative voices grumble, but more stand in support of the lady that guided them through the Long Night and into the dawn. Thralldom is outlawed, and laws are passed promoting marriage and childbearing. The Ironborn population begins to rapidly increase.
Dorne: Ruled by Arianne Martell. The Principality is bloodied and bruised, the Princess having lost all but her natural son to conspiracy and fanaticism. Sunspear is weak, and the marchers are strong - Arianne must do much to ensure her house survives the Spring.
{The East}
The Free Cities were purged of slavery in fire and blood, with only Pentos, Braavos, Lorath, Qohor and Norvos escaping without punishment. Braavos establishes hegemony over Myr, enforcing the anti-slavery decrees of Danaerys with their mighty navy. They easily fill the vacuum of power left by the Dragon Queen’s westward invasion. Tyrosh and Lys unite to preserve their slaving and war constantly with the Braavosi.
Dragon’s Bay, as it is now known, is devastated. It has become a breeding ground for warlords and sellsword conquerors, but slavery is never reinstituted. New Ghis and Qarth likewise are shadows of themselves.
Dothraki Khals scrap over the remains of the east. Many of them turn to worshipping the Dragons of their fondly remembered Queen. Those Dothraki that went west serve as mercenaries to the surviving powers.
The Free Cities were purged of slavery in fire and blood, with only Pentos, Braavos, Lorath, Qohor and Norvos escaping without punishment. Braavos establishes hegemony over Myr, enforcing the anti-slavery decrees of Danaerys with their mighty navy. They easily fill the vacuum of power left by the Dragon Queen’s westward invasion. Tyrosh and Lys unite to preserve their slaving and war constantly with the Braavosi.
Dragon’s Bay, as it is now known, is devastated. It has become a breeding ground for warlords and sellsword conquerors, but slavery is never reinstituted. New Ghis and Qarth likewise are shadows of themselves.
Dothraki Khals scrap over the remains of the east. Many of them turn to worshipping the Dragons of their fondly remembered Queen. Those Dothraki that went west serve as mercenaries to the surviving powers.
{Timeline}304 AC:
-King Stannis embarks north with a mighty army and fleet to make war upon the dead. Lord Davos is left in control of King’s Landing and the kingdom itself.
In the King’s absence, tensions escalate to breaking point as the food supplies run short and temperatures drop. Religious fervour turns into violence, and the followers of the Seven and the Red God fight in the streets, accusing each other of hoarding food.
- The Smith’s day massacre ends with several thousand citizens dead from both denominations. The Goldcloaks brutally restore order as vengeful commoners target Essosi in vicious pogroms.
-The Second Great Ranging ends with the Night’s Watch retreating behind their fortifications, having suffered severe casualties. The siege of The Wall begins, with the dead throwing themselves at the ice every day and night. Brandon Stark enters the Wall through the Black Gate at the Nightfort.
-Danaerys Targaryen sacks the cities of Ghis, Qarth, Volantis, and Myr, purging them of slavery in ruthless conquest, growing her army of sellswords and freedmen. Tyrosh and Lys agree to terms, buying amnesty with partial emancipation and a hefty fleet of warships.
-After several weeks of endless battle, the dead begin their inexorable climb over the wall of ice. The Horn of Winter rings out: Eastwatch shatters and the dead pour into the realm. Jon Snow and the Lord Commander lead a fighting retreat to Winterfell, with many casualties.
305 AC:
-Danaerys Targaryen’s fleet arrives in Blackwater Bay to capture the island of Dragonstone. Lord Davos sends the royal fleet out to engage the Dragon Queen, only for her and Victarion Greyjoy to decimate the ships with Dragonfire. Dragonstone is captured after a bloodless surrender. Her fleet blockades the capital, causing the food problem to exacerbate; riots and starvation kill hundreds each day.
-Shireen and Devan Seaworth are wed at Storm’s End.
- King‘s Landing is besieged by Danaerys, and against the counsel of more level heads she attempts to seize the city by force. What follows is a disaster: dragonfire ignites the remaining Wildfire her father hid under the city, the blaze scorching much of the lower districts and killing almost half of the city’s remaining population. Baelor’s Sept lies in ruins, with only the Red Temple and the Red Keep surviving the worst of the blaze. The event distances her from the Lords of the Realm, who see her as Aerys come again; they rally around the young and pliable Princess Shireen, who occupies her seat at Storm’s End.
- Stannis leads a combined coalition of the Vale, Riverlands, Westerlands and the Crownlands to Winterfell, where Jon Snow has rallied the northern refugees from the Stark vassals. Soon the Others march on Winterfell itself, where the Battle for Winterfell begins.
Despite the numbers brought to the field by the King and the safety of Winterfell’s walls, the dead greatly outnumber them and after a few days of battle there is no end in sight. Seeing the hopelessness of their cause, King Stannis leads a sally from the walls with the most devout of his followers, buying time for the rest of them to flee to White Harbour and take the royal fleet southwards. After a last stand within the halls of Winterfell itself, the King falls to the blades of the dead.
306 AC:
- Jon and the survivors flee to the Vale, where his ‘half-sister’ Sansa rules in lieu of her departed husband. As the dead shamble towards the Neck, a stream of refugees crosses the frozen Trident. Danaerys, seeking retribution for her mistake, marches her host northwards to meet with Jon’s survivors.
-Night’s King takes his rightful seat at Winterfell, unleashing his power across Westeros. Soon the dead begin rising from their graves, from Dorne to the Wolfswood. The Wights even begin to float across the sea, washing up on the shores of Pyke and Great Wyk. In many places, the social order breaks down, and bands of armed peasants storm the castles of their former masters in search of food and shelter. Lord Fossoway and his kin are massacred in the brutal sack of Cider Hall in one such incident of desperation.
- Jon, Dany and whomever remain create an alliance of convenience, much to the chagrin of all. Jon is able to take Rhaegal as his mount, though few know how, and together they march to the Trident. The War for Dawn begins in earnest.
Using the dragons, the living are able to hold back the dead on the frozen banks of the river. One of the great wyrms falls and is risen to serve the enemy. Dragons dance in the sky once again, but when the days of battle are done the living still stand.
307 AC:
- Winter grows colder and darker, and the dead roam the land in great numbers. The survivors flock to the castles and fortresses of those lords who are still living or whatever robber baron has taken their place. Jon and Dany use their respite to build and fortify several castles on the Trident, solidifying the river against further incursion.
For the remaining year, the dead throw themselves against the walls of the living, dragonfire staving off the worst of the enemy as the living recoup their losses and restore their strength.
- In the West, Tyrion Lannister is installed as Lord of the Rock, marrying the young sister of Martyn Lannister. An uneasy compromise, his accession is largely backed by the swords of the Second Sons and the fire of the Queen’s dragons.
- In the south, the social order breaks down even further. Militant bands of peasant zealots roam the countryside, burning the dead wherever they can be found. Crops can no longer be harvested, not even from the Reach: food supplies run dangerously scarce. Cannibalism runs rife, and human sacrifices are offered to both the Old Gods and the Red God. Among the more fanciful tails detail a giant pack of wolves ruling the rural riverlands, allegedly led by a young girl.
- The coalition built around Shireen begins to crumble as war breaks out between the Reach Lords and the Dornish over food stores; Ashford is sacked and all but destroyed by Lord Yronwood and Lord Fowler; the ruins are quickly inhabited by scavengers.
Entire houses are extinguished by the dead and living alike, peasant rebellions and roving hordes of Wights claiming the lives and castles of house Spicer, Merryweather, and Rykker, among many others.
As rebels besiege Highgarden, Garlan Tyrell rides out to negotiate; heated words and bared steel lead to the Hero of Oldtown being torn from his saddle and beaten to death. Lord Willas, already sick with a chill, dies some weeks later, leaving Highgarden in the hands of a young girl.
- Riots break out in Lannisport over the Lord’s tax on grain; Lord Lannister of Lannisport is forcibly deposed in the commotion. The city falls into the hands of the self proclaimed League of Lannisport, with Lord Tyrion forced to accept their demands to ensure the continued flow of grain into the battered kingdom.
As Oldtown descends into chaos, religious zealotry grips the populace. A group of preachers calling themselves the Swords and Stars storm the Starry Sept and violently depose the Most Devout. They lead violent pogroms of any that do not prescribe to their fanatical interpretation of the Seven Pointed Star. Pilgrims cross the border into Dorne in their name, the ideology infecting the starving Dornishmen like a plague. The Hightower itself is besieged several times, as control of the city is wrested from the hands of the nobility.
Night’s King is content to wait, allowing starvation and cold to fight the battle for them.
308 AC:
- Following Bran’s counsel, Jon and Dany decide to act. The War for Dawn moves north, where Night’s King is strongest. Why this gambit was undertaken is known only to those three; but whatever the reason, it motivated the allies for a final throw of the dice.
Numerous battles are fought and much blood is spilt, but the remaining dragons scorch the foe to ash. The greatest battle yet unfolds beneath the walls of Winterfell, where king Stannis made his final stand. Night’s King finally shows himself, and slays the Dragon Queen to raise her as his corpse bride. Drogon, enraged, takes the field himself (under the warg control of Bran) and scorches the dead in a storm of dragonfire.
With the death of Dany, all seems lost. Jon leads a suicidal charge on the Night’s King, Melisandre giving the last of her life force to keep him in the land of the living after grievous wounds - with some stating that she brought him back once more from death.
Divine providence rescues the living as Brandon Stark calls upon the long-forgotten powers of the Greenseers, the Godswood of Winterfell itself awoken by the fresh spilling of royal blood on hallowed ground. The earth itself shakes and moves, the old magic of the children breaking the land itself. Night’s King, distracted by the magics of the Three Eyed Raven, is slain by the Valyrian Steel blade of Lord Snow.
Winter ends, spring comes, and the dead lie still. But Westeros remains a land gripped by strife and lawlessness. A bleak future lies ahead, with the end averted at the final hour. With the Dragon Queen dead, her surviving draconid sons fly eastward, likely to the ruins of Old Valyria. They leave a clutch of eggs on Dragonstone before leaving.
309 AC:
- Religious zealots ransack the Water Gardens after the Martells refuse to share what meagre supplies they have with the populace. Dozens of young nobles die, including the Princess’ son Baelor and brother Trystane. Myrcella Lannister is gruesomely killed and paraded through Sunspear, the ‘spawn of incest’ the natural target of popular outrage.
- Timmett son of Timmett leads the clans from the Mountains of the Moon into the largely defenceless Vale of Arryn, sacking the domains of Lord Belmore and capturing the castle of Lord Hunter before putting his family to the sword. Though a siege of the Gates of the Moon is repulsed, the clansmen are in control of much of the Vale
- An abortive attempt to depose Tyrion is halted after Martyn Lannister dies in a skirmish near Castamere; the Imp is naturally implicated in his death.
- Aurane Velaryon attempts to seize custody of Danaerys Targaryen’s twin sons and proclaims the eldest of them king on Dragonstone; their overzealous Dothraki bloodriders nearly kill him (removing his nose in the chaos) until he manages to convince them of his usefulness. His pirate kingdom of Dragonstone and Driftmark severely disrupts trade in the Narrow Sea.
- Jon Snow disappears to parts unknown; his son Eddard is raised up as Lord of Winterfell by his fanatical followers, with Val the Wildling ruling in the young lord’s stead. The re-settlement of the north is led by the Free Folk tribes and what few Northmen survived the winter. Settlers from the south migrate northwards away from the constant strife and fanaticism that has gripped the Reach and Riverlands.
310 AC:
- Sansa Arryn and Albar Royce wed at the Eyrie in a marriage of political expediency, ensuring the loyalty of what remains of the Vale aristocracy.
- On the Iron Isles, Asha Greyjoy’s reforms have produced a strong and centralised kingdom that profited greatly from the selling of fish and iron to the beleaguered Greenlanders. She sells Ironborn swords to Tyrion Lannister in return for access to the gold mines of the West; Ironborn now mint their own currency, and have opened trade routes from Lordsport to the Free Cities and beyond. Newport is founded on Harlaw, largest and most populous of the islands.
A traditionalist rebellion on Great Wyk is ruthlessly crushed, with several houses submitting hostages to Lady Asha’s rule. Despite dozens of suitors, the widowed lady remains unmarried. Thralldom is all but abolished on the isles, with the former Thralls freed and settled in the more sparsely populated islands.
- In Dorne, Arriane launches a bloody retribution through a purge of those that follow the Sun and Stars. Martell’s credibility is further damaged by the massacre as the Princess wages war on her own people for much of the year.
311 AC:
- As the dust settles in the Reach, several lords lay claim to Highgarden’s vacant seat by virtue of their descent either from House Tyrell or the old Gardener kings. With war once again in demand, bands of freed-men and landless peasants join together as companies of soldiers for hire, soon finding employment in the struggle to claim lordship over the Reach.
Queen Shireen asserts her claim to Brightwater Keep as the last of the Florents; this being only in name rather than practice as the castle of her forefathers currently serves as the home of a particularly vicious warlord; her cousin, Edric Storm, freshly returned from the Disputed Lands with an army of hardened mercenaries at his back.
- The first ‘Common Council’ is assembled in Oldtown, made up of septons, town aldermen, and prominent community leaders from throughout the Reach. Clandestinely sponsored and encouraged by the new High Septon, it asserts itself as a legislative body acting on behalf of the legitimate monarch (whoever that might be). They enact the Seven Ordinances, a series of laws that limit serfdom and the power of the nobility over their respective domains, as well as enshrining the right for the King’s subjects to hold assembly. They also revoke Stannis Baratheon’s Edict of Tolerance and assert the Seven as the One True Faith.
- Tyrion Lannister establishes a permanent force of Ironborn mercenaries at Casterly Rock. Their steel prevents him from being deposed on more occasions than he can count.
- The Marchers War breaks out between Lord Tarly, Lord Yronwood and Lord Swann, as all three squabble to take ownership of the lands of their devastated neighbours in the Reach. It soon develops into a wider struggle as the Swords and Stars and the Red Faith attempt to involve themselves in the conflict, especially as the arch-conservative Lord Tarly begins to emerge as a natural candidate for the seat of Highgarden.
312 AC:
- House Hightower and the High Septon begrudgingly conclude the Oldtown Concordat, recognising the right for the people of the city to hold assembly as well as the pre-eminence of the Faith over much of the city. No longer the dominant power of Oldtown, the agreement nonetheless marks the end of the undeclared war that has waged between the Faith and the Hightowers since 307 AC, and places the much depleted City Watch back under their control.
- As Lord Tarly emerges as a popular successor to Tyrell, Lord Fossoway of New Barrel and Lord Caswell join together to advance their own claims to Highgarden; Lord Redwyne musters his ships and his banners to join the conflict. Lord Willas’ young daughter is seized by Edric Storm, who intends to wed her and claim the Reach for himself. The contenders swiftly join forces to unseat this upstart.
- Emboldened by the success of the Commons Council, preachers and radicals from Oldtown stir the peasants of the Reach up into rebellion as their lords fall back into the feudal cycle of conflict at their expense. Jon Manderwynd, a cleric from Oldtown, musters a vast army of peasants with the intention to enforce the Seven Ordinances by strength of arms. Thus marks the beginning of the Peasants War, pitting the ultra-conservative nobility of the northern Reach against the radical peasant reformists, supported implicitly by the High Septon.
- The Maidenpool Rebellion marks the failure of Lord Piper to enforce religious toleration among R’hllor converts and his own Seven-worshipping subjects. The subsequent massacre provokes the Red Faith’s zealots to scourge the southern Riverlands, a war between the common folk that escalates beyond the control of the feudal lords. A man claiming to be the prophet of Azor Ahai rules from Harrenhal.
Despite the anarchy, the Blackwood and Bracken feud continues unabated, the two families contributing to the ongoing conflict through stoking tensions in the lands of their rival. The surviving riverlords similarly continue their cycle of petty squabbles, while Lord Edmure does his best to provide for the struggling peasantry.
- Queen Shireen leads a campaign north into the Kingswood, establishing a settlement at the mouth of the Wendwater to mark the extension of her authority into the Crownlands. Waterford, as it becomes known, is settled with peasants fleeing the wars in the Reach and Riverlands.
313 AC:
- Lord Tyrell’s young daughter remains hostage in Brightwater Keep, in the hands of Robert Baratheon’s bastard son. After several battles, the wider War for Highgarden remains inconclusive, as the nobles focus their energies on exterminating the threat of the rising peasantry. In the chaos, Lord Redwyne sails up the Mander and wrests Highgarden from the hands of Lord Tarly.
- Factions form in the North; the ‘Old Nobility’ led by the lords Ryswell and Glover coalesce in opposition to the large grants of land being offered to the Wildling clans and southron settlers. They also oppose the influence of the League of Lannisport, and fear similar ideas spreading to Barrowton and White Harbour. As more refugees trickle from the south, dozens of new houses are established in the empty lands of the Gift.
These nobles are further unsatisfied when their old enemies, the Ironborn, begin logging timber on Bear Island and the Wolfswood. Given the weakness of the northmen, they have no choice but to allow the incursion.
- Lord Edmure accepts many of the provisions of the Seven Ordinances, which endears him to the radical peasantry but distances him from his over-mighty bannermen. The Freeholding towns of Maidenpool, Darry, and Lord Harroway’s Town pledge their fealty directly to Riverrun as a result. Suddenly, Lord Tully finds himself as the champion of the Seven in the Riverlands, positioned against the incursion from the Red God’s crusaders that have entrenched themselves around Harrenhal.
314 AC;
GAME START: A summit is called between the factions by the High Septon at the neutral ground of Oldtown, to be attended by Storm, Tarly, Redwyne, and the peasant leaders, as well as all the prominent nobles.
-King Stannis embarks north with a mighty army and fleet to make war upon the dead. Lord Davos is left in control of King’s Landing and the kingdom itself.
In the King’s absence, tensions escalate to breaking point as the food supplies run short and temperatures drop. Religious fervour turns into violence, and the followers of the Seven and the Red God fight in the streets, accusing each other of hoarding food.
- The Smith’s day massacre ends with several thousand citizens dead from both denominations. The Goldcloaks brutally restore order as vengeful commoners target Essosi in vicious pogroms.
-The Second Great Ranging ends with the Night’s Watch retreating behind their fortifications, having suffered severe casualties. The siege of The Wall begins, with the dead throwing themselves at the ice every day and night. Brandon Stark enters the Wall through the Black Gate at the Nightfort.
-Danaerys Targaryen sacks the cities of Ghis, Qarth, Volantis, and Myr, purging them of slavery in ruthless conquest, growing her army of sellswords and freedmen. Tyrosh and Lys agree to terms, buying amnesty with partial emancipation and a hefty fleet of warships.
-After several weeks of endless battle, the dead begin their inexorable climb over the wall of ice. The Horn of Winter rings out: Eastwatch shatters and the dead pour into the realm. Jon Snow and the Lord Commander lead a fighting retreat to Winterfell, with many casualties.
305 AC:
-Danaerys Targaryen’s fleet arrives in Blackwater Bay to capture the island of Dragonstone. Lord Davos sends the royal fleet out to engage the Dragon Queen, only for her and Victarion Greyjoy to decimate the ships with Dragonfire. Dragonstone is captured after a bloodless surrender. Her fleet blockades the capital, causing the food problem to exacerbate; riots and starvation kill hundreds each day.
-Shireen and Devan Seaworth are wed at Storm’s End.
- King‘s Landing is besieged by Danaerys, and against the counsel of more level heads she attempts to seize the city by force. What follows is a disaster: dragonfire ignites the remaining Wildfire her father hid under the city, the blaze scorching much of the lower districts and killing almost half of the city’s remaining population. Baelor’s Sept lies in ruins, with only the Red Temple and the Red Keep surviving the worst of the blaze. The event distances her from the Lords of the Realm, who see her as Aerys come again; they rally around the young and pliable Princess Shireen, who occupies her seat at Storm’s End.
- Stannis leads a combined coalition of the Vale, Riverlands, Westerlands and the Crownlands to Winterfell, where Jon Snow has rallied the northern refugees from the Stark vassals. Soon the Others march on Winterfell itself, where the Battle for Winterfell begins.
Despite the numbers brought to the field by the King and the safety of Winterfell’s walls, the dead greatly outnumber them and after a few days of battle there is no end in sight. Seeing the hopelessness of their cause, King Stannis leads a sally from the walls with the most devout of his followers, buying time for the rest of them to flee to White Harbour and take the royal fleet southwards. After a last stand within the halls of Winterfell itself, the King falls to the blades of the dead.
306 AC:
- Jon and the survivors flee to the Vale, where his ‘half-sister’ Sansa rules in lieu of her departed husband. As the dead shamble towards the Neck, a stream of refugees crosses the frozen Trident. Danaerys, seeking retribution for her mistake, marches her host northwards to meet with Jon’s survivors.
-Night’s King takes his rightful seat at Winterfell, unleashing his power across Westeros. Soon the dead begin rising from their graves, from Dorne to the Wolfswood. The Wights even begin to float across the sea, washing up on the shores of Pyke and Great Wyk. In many places, the social order breaks down, and bands of armed peasants storm the castles of their former masters in search of food and shelter. Lord Fossoway and his kin are massacred in the brutal sack of Cider Hall in one such incident of desperation.
- Jon, Dany and whomever remain create an alliance of convenience, much to the chagrin of all. Jon is able to take Rhaegal as his mount, though few know how, and together they march to the Trident. The War for Dawn begins in earnest.
Using the dragons, the living are able to hold back the dead on the frozen banks of the river. One of the great wyrms falls and is risen to serve the enemy. Dragons dance in the sky once again, but when the days of battle are done the living still stand.
307 AC:
- Winter grows colder and darker, and the dead roam the land in great numbers. The survivors flock to the castles and fortresses of those lords who are still living or whatever robber baron has taken their place. Jon and Dany use their respite to build and fortify several castles on the Trident, solidifying the river against further incursion.
For the remaining year, the dead throw themselves against the walls of the living, dragonfire staving off the worst of the enemy as the living recoup their losses and restore their strength.
- In the West, Tyrion Lannister is installed as Lord of the Rock, marrying the young sister of Martyn Lannister. An uneasy compromise, his accession is largely backed by the swords of the Second Sons and the fire of the Queen’s dragons.
- In the south, the social order breaks down even further. Militant bands of peasant zealots roam the countryside, burning the dead wherever they can be found. Crops can no longer be harvested, not even from the Reach: food supplies run dangerously scarce. Cannibalism runs rife, and human sacrifices are offered to both the Old Gods and the Red God. Among the more fanciful tails detail a giant pack of wolves ruling the rural riverlands, allegedly led by a young girl.
- The coalition built around Shireen begins to crumble as war breaks out between the Reach Lords and the Dornish over food stores; Ashford is sacked and all but destroyed by Lord Yronwood and Lord Fowler; the ruins are quickly inhabited by scavengers.
Entire houses are extinguished by the dead and living alike, peasant rebellions and roving hordes of Wights claiming the lives and castles of house Spicer, Merryweather, and Rykker, among many others.
As rebels besiege Highgarden, Garlan Tyrell rides out to negotiate; heated words and bared steel lead to the Hero of Oldtown being torn from his saddle and beaten to death. Lord Willas, already sick with a chill, dies some weeks later, leaving Highgarden in the hands of a young girl.
- Riots break out in Lannisport over the Lord’s tax on grain; Lord Lannister of Lannisport is forcibly deposed in the commotion. The city falls into the hands of the self proclaimed League of Lannisport, with Lord Tyrion forced to accept their demands to ensure the continued flow of grain into the battered kingdom.
As Oldtown descends into chaos, religious zealotry grips the populace. A group of preachers calling themselves the Swords and Stars storm the Starry Sept and violently depose the Most Devout. They lead violent pogroms of any that do not prescribe to their fanatical interpretation of the Seven Pointed Star. Pilgrims cross the border into Dorne in their name, the ideology infecting the starving Dornishmen like a plague. The Hightower itself is besieged several times, as control of the city is wrested from the hands of the nobility.
Night’s King is content to wait, allowing starvation and cold to fight the battle for them.
308 AC:
- Following Bran’s counsel, Jon and Dany decide to act. The War for Dawn moves north, where Night’s King is strongest. Why this gambit was undertaken is known only to those three; but whatever the reason, it motivated the allies for a final throw of the dice.
Numerous battles are fought and much blood is spilt, but the remaining dragons scorch the foe to ash. The greatest battle yet unfolds beneath the walls of Winterfell, where king Stannis made his final stand. Night’s King finally shows himself, and slays the Dragon Queen to raise her as his corpse bride. Drogon, enraged, takes the field himself (under the warg control of Bran) and scorches the dead in a storm of dragonfire.
With the death of Dany, all seems lost. Jon leads a suicidal charge on the Night’s King, Melisandre giving the last of her life force to keep him in the land of the living after grievous wounds - with some stating that she brought him back once more from death.
Divine providence rescues the living as Brandon Stark calls upon the long-forgotten powers of the Greenseers, the Godswood of Winterfell itself awoken by the fresh spilling of royal blood on hallowed ground. The earth itself shakes and moves, the old magic of the children breaking the land itself. Night’s King, distracted by the magics of the Three Eyed Raven, is slain by the Valyrian Steel blade of Lord Snow.
Winter ends, spring comes, and the dead lie still. But Westeros remains a land gripped by strife and lawlessness. A bleak future lies ahead, with the end averted at the final hour. With the Dragon Queen dead, her surviving draconid sons fly eastward, likely to the ruins of Old Valyria. They leave a clutch of eggs on Dragonstone before leaving.
309 AC:
- Religious zealots ransack the Water Gardens after the Martells refuse to share what meagre supplies they have with the populace. Dozens of young nobles die, including the Princess’ son Baelor and brother Trystane. Myrcella Lannister is gruesomely killed and paraded through Sunspear, the ‘spawn of incest’ the natural target of popular outrage.
- Timmett son of Timmett leads the clans from the Mountains of the Moon into the largely defenceless Vale of Arryn, sacking the domains of Lord Belmore and capturing the castle of Lord Hunter before putting his family to the sword. Though a siege of the Gates of the Moon is repulsed, the clansmen are in control of much of the Vale
- An abortive attempt to depose Tyrion is halted after Martyn Lannister dies in a skirmish near Castamere; the Imp is naturally implicated in his death.
- Aurane Velaryon attempts to seize custody of Danaerys Targaryen’s twin sons and proclaims the eldest of them king on Dragonstone; their overzealous Dothraki bloodriders nearly kill him (removing his nose in the chaos) until he manages to convince them of his usefulness. His pirate kingdom of Dragonstone and Driftmark severely disrupts trade in the Narrow Sea.
- Jon Snow disappears to parts unknown; his son Eddard is raised up as Lord of Winterfell by his fanatical followers, with Val the Wildling ruling in the young lord’s stead. The re-settlement of the north is led by the Free Folk tribes and what few Northmen survived the winter. Settlers from the south migrate northwards away from the constant strife and fanaticism that has gripped the Reach and Riverlands.
310 AC:
- Sansa Arryn and Albar Royce wed at the Eyrie in a marriage of political expediency, ensuring the loyalty of what remains of the Vale aristocracy.
- On the Iron Isles, Asha Greyjoy’s reforms have produced a strong and centralised kingdom that profited greatly from the selling of fish and iron to the beleaguered Greenlanders. She sells Ironborn swords to Tyrion Lannister in return for access to the gold mines of the West; Ironborn now mint their own currency, and have opened trade routes from Lordsport to the Free Cities and beyond. Newport is founded on Harlaw, largest and most populous of the islands.
A traditionalist rebellion on Great Wyk is ruthlessly crushed, with several houses submitting hostages to Lady Asha’s rule. Despite dozens of suitors, the widowed lady remains unmarried. Thralldom is all but abolished on the isles, with the former Thralls freed and settled in the more sparsely populated islands.
- In Dorne, Arriane launches a bloody retribution through a purge of those that follow the Sun and Stars. Martell’s credibility is further damaged by the massacre as the Princess wages war on her own people for much of the year.
311 AC:
- As the dust settles in the Reach, several lords lay claim to Highgarden’s vacant seat by virtue of their descent either from House Tyrell or the old Gardener kings. With war once again in demand, bands of freed-men and landless peasants join together as companies of soldiers for hire, soon finding employment in the struggle to claim lordship over the Reach.
Queen Shireen asserts her claim to Brightwater Keep as the last of the Florents; this being only in name rather than practice as the castle of her forefathers currently serves as the home of a particularly vicious warlord; her cousin, Edric Storm, freshly returned from the Disputed Lands with an army of hardened mercenaries at his back.
- The first ‘Common Council’ is assembled in Oldtown, made up of septons, town aldermen, and prominent community leaders from throughout the Reach. Clandestinely sponsored and encouraged by the new High Septon, it asserts itself as a legislative body acting on behalf of the legitimate monarch (whoever that might be). They enact the Seven Ordinances, a series of laws that limit serfdom and the power of the nobility over their respective domains, as well as enshrining the right for the King’s subjects to hold assembly. They also revoke Stannis Baratheon’s Edict of Tolerance and assert the Seven as the One True Faith.
- Tyrion Lannister establishes a permanent force of Ironborn mercenaries at Casterly Rock. Their steel prevents him from being deposed on more occasions than he can count.
- The Marchers War breaks out between Lord Tarly, Lord Yronwood and Lord Swann, as all three squabble to take ownership of the lands of their devastated neighbours in the Reach. It soon develops into a wider struggle as the Swords and Stars and the Red Faith attempt to involve themselves in the conflict, especially as the arch-conservative Lord Tarly begins to emerge as a natural candidate for the seat of Highgarden.
312 AC:
- House Hightower and the High Septon begrudgingly conclude the Oldtown Concordat, recognising the right for the people of the city to hold assembly as well as the pre-eminence of the Faith over much of the city. No longer the dominant power of Oldtown, the agreement nonetheless marks the end of the undeclared war that has waged between the Faith and the Hightowers since 307 AC, and places the much depleted City Watch back under their control.
- As Lord Tarly emerges as a popular successor to Tyrell, Lord Fossoway of New Barrel and Lord Caswell join together to advance their own claims to Highgarden; Lord Redwyne musters his ships and his banners to join the conflict. Lord Willas’ young daughter is seized by Edric Storm, who intends to wed her and claim the Reach for himself. The contenders swiftly join forces to unseat this upstart.
- Emboldened by the success of the Commons Council, preachers and radicals from Oldtown stir the peasants of the Reach up into rebellion as their lords fall back into the feudal cycle of conflict at their expense. Jon Manderwynd, a cleric from Oldtown, musters a vast army of peasants with the intention to enforce the Seven Ordinances by strength of arms. Thus marks the beginning of the Peasants War, pitting the ultra-conservative nobility of the northern Reach against the radical peasant reformists, supported implicitly by the High Septon.
- The Maidenpool Rebellion marks the failure of Lord Piper to enforce religious toleration among R’hllor converts and his own Seven-worshipping subjects. The subsequent massacre provokes the Red Faith’s zealots to scourge the southern Riverlands, a war between the common folk that escalates beyond the control of the feudal lords. A man claiming to be the prophet of Azor Ahai rules from Harrenhal.
Despite the anarchy, the Blackwood and Bracken feud continues unabated, the two families contributing to the ongoing conflict through stoking tensions in the lands of their rival. The surviving riverlords similarly continue their cycle of petty squabbles, while Lord Edmure does his best to provide for the struggling peasantry.
- Queen Shireen leads a campaign north into the Kingswood, establishing a settlement at the mouth of the Wendwater to mark the extension of her authority into the Crownlands. Waterford, as it becomes known, is settled with peasants fleeing the wars in the Reach and Riverlands.
313 AC:
- Lord Tyrell’s young daughter remains hostage in Brightwater Keep, in the hands of Robert Baratheon’s bastard son. After several battles, the wider War for Highgarden remains inconclusive, as the nobles focus their energies on exterminating the threat of the rising peasantry. In the chaos, Lord Redwyne sails up the Mander and wrests Highgarden from the hands of Lord Tarly.
- Factions form in the North; the ‘Old Nobility’ led by the lords Ryswell and Glover coalesce in opposition to the large grants of land being offered to the Wildling clans and southron settlers. They also oppose the influence of the League of Lannisport, and fear similar ideas spreading to Barrowton and White Harbour. As more refugees trickle from the south, dozens of new houses are established in the empty lands of the Gift.
These nobles are further unsatisfied when their old enemies, the Ironborn, begin logging timber on Bear Island and the Wolfswood. Given the weakness of the northmen, they have no choice but to allow the incursion.
- Lord Edmure accepts many of the provisions of the Seven Ordinances, which endears him to the radical peasantry but distances him from his over-mighty bannermen. The Freeholding towns of Maidenpool, Darry, and Lord Harroway’s Town pledge their fealty directly to Riverrun as a result. Suddenly, Lord Tully finds himself as the champion of the Seven in the Riverlands, positioned against the incursion from the Red God’s crusaders that have entrenched themselves around Harrenhal.
314 AC;
GAME START: A summit is called between the factions by the High Septon at the neutral ground of Oldtown, to be attended by Storm, Tarly, Redwyne, and the peasant leaders, as well as all the prominent nobles.
{Houses of the Reach}Surviving:
House Hightower of Oldtown
House Bulwer of Blackcrown
House Beesbury of Honeyholt
House Roxton of the Ring
House Costayne of Three Towers
House Cuy of Sunhouse
House Cockshaw of Bradshome
House Ball of Manderford
House Westbrook of Westbrook
House Willum of Smallwood
House Storm of Brightwater Keep
House Tarly of Horn Hill
House Middlebury of Middlebury
House Inchfield of Inchfield
House Sloane of Fawn Crag
House Hunt of Hunt Hills
House Oldflowers of Sommerset
House Oakheart of Old Oak
House Peake of Starpike
House Redwyne of The Arbor
House Stonecrab of Stonecrab Bay
House Goldwyne of Mermaid's Palace
House Grimm of Greyshield
House Chester of Greenshield
House Hewett of Oakenshield
House Fossoway of New Barrel
House Kidwell of Ivy Hall
House Shermer of Smithyton
House Stackhouse of Derring Downs
House Graceford of Holyhall
House Yelshire of Yelshire
House Ambrose of Torrentpeak
House Wythers of Wythers
House Bushy of Alden Keep
House Vyrwel of Darkdell
House Appleton of Appleton
House Hastwyck of Hastwyck
House Varner of Roseford
House Caswell of Bitterbridge
House Leygood of Leygood Keep
House Footly of Tumbleton
House Orme of Harpshire
House Cordwayner of Hammerhal
House Meadows of Grassy Vale
Contested:
House Tyrell of Highgarden (de jure, de facto occupied by Redwyne)
House Rowan of Goldengrove (divided between claimants)
Extinct:
House Florent of Brightwater (occupied by Storm)
House Blackbar of Bandalon (occupied by peasants)
House Mullendore of Uplands (occupied by peasants)
House Stackhouse of Catswold (occupied by peasants)
House Durwell of Dosk (occupied by peasants)
House Norcross of Norcross (occupied by Storm)
House Dunn of Dunnsbridge (occupied by a warlord)
House Ashford of Ashford (occupied by a warlord)
House Crane of Red Lake (occupied by a warlord)
House Serry of Southshield (occupied by Redwyne)
House Osgrey of Standfast and Coldmoat (occupied by a warlord)
House Fossoway of Cider Hall (occupied by a warlord)
House Risley of Risley Glade (occupied by peasants)
House Merryweather of Longtable (occupied by a warlord)
Surviving High Lords include their vassals
Tarly's Conservatives:
Tarly of Horn Hill
Peake of Starpike
Oakheart of Old Oak
Oldflowers of Sommerset
Cockshaw of Bradshome
Westbrook of Westbrook
Willum of Smallwood
Footly of Tumbleton
Orme of Harpshire
Cordwayner of Hammerhal
Redwyne's Faction:
Redwyne of the Arbor
Lord X of Southshield
Grimm of Greyshield
Chester of Greenshield
Hewett of Oakenshield
Caswell of Bitterbridge
House Ball of Manderford
Storm's Faction:
Edric Storm of Brightwater Keep
Lord X of Norcross
The Faith:
House Hightower
House Bulwer of Blackcrown
House Beesbury of Honeyholt
House Cuy of Sunhouse
House Costayne of Three Towers
House Ambrose of Torrentpeak
Peasant's Revolt:
Bandalon
Uplands
Catswold
Dosk
Risley Glade
Neutral:
House Fossoway of New Barrel
House Roxton of the Ring
House Kidwell of Ivy Hall
House Shermer of Smithyton
House Stackhouse of Derring Downs
House Graceford of Holyhall
House Yelshire of Yelshire
House Wythers of Wythers
House Bushy of Alden Keep
House Vyrwel of Darkdell
House Appleton of Appleton
House Hastwyck of Hastwyck
House Varner of Roseford
Warlord X of Dunnsbridge
Warlord X of Ashford
Warlord X of Red Lake
Warlord X of Standfast and Coldmoat
Warlord X of Cider Hall
Warlord X of Longtable
House Meadows of Grassy Vale
House Hightower of Oldtown
House Bulwer of Blackcrown
House Beesbury of Honeyholt
House Roxton of the Ring
House Costayne of Three Towers
House Cuy of Sunhouse
House Cockshaw of Bradshome
House Ball of Manderford
House Westbrook of Westbrook
House Willum of Smallwood
House Storm of Brightwater Keep
House Tarly of Horn Hill
House Middlebury of Middlebury
House Inchfield of Inchfield
House Sloane of Fawn Crag
House Hunt of Hunt Hills
House Oldflowers of Sommerset
House Oakheart of Old Oak
House Peake of Starpike
House Redwyne of The Arbor
House Stonecrab of Stonecrab Bay
House Goldwyne of Mermaid's Palace
House Grimm of Greyshield
House Chester of Greenshield
House Hewett of Oakenshield
House Fossoway of New Barrel
House Kidwell of Ivy Hall
House Shermer of Smithyton
House Stackhouse of Derring Downs
House Graceford of Holyhall
House Yelshire of Yelshire
House Ambrose of Torrentpeak
House Wythers of Wythers
House Bushy of Alden Keep
House Vyrwel of Darkdell
House Appleton of Appleton
House Hastwyck of Hastwyck
House Varner of Roseford
House Caswell of Bitterbridge
House Leygood of Leygood Keep
House Footly of Tumbleton
House Orme of Harpshire
House Cordwayner of Hammerhal
House Meadows of Grassy Vale
Contested:
House Tyrell of Highgarden (de jure, de facto occupied by Redwyne)
House Rowan of Goldengrove (divided between claimants)
Extinct:
House Florent of Brightwater (occupied by Storm)
House Blackbar of Bandalon (occupied by peasants)
House Mullendore of Uplands (occupied by peasants)
House Stackhouse of Catswold (occupied by peasants)
House Durwell of Dosk (occupied by peasants)
House Norcross of Norcross (occupied by Storm)
House Dunn of Dunnsbridge (occupied by a warlord)
House Ashford of Ashford (occupied by a warlord)
House Crane of Red Lake (occupied by a warlord)
House Serry of Southshield (occupied by Redwyne)
House Osgrey of Standfast and Coldmoat (occupied by a warlord)
House Fossoway of Cider Hall (occupied by a warlord)
House Risley of Risley Glade (occupied by peasants)
House Merryweather of Longtable (occupied by a warlord)
Surviving High Lords include their vassals
Tarly's Conservatives:
Tarly of Horn Hill
Peake of Starpike
Oakheart of Old Oak
Oldflowers of Sommerset
Cockshaw of Bradshome
Westbrook of Westbrook
Willum of Smallwood
Footly of Tumbleton
Orme of Harpshire
Cordwayner of Hammerhal
Redwyne's Faction:
Redwyne of the Arbor
Lord X of Southshield
Grimm of Greyshield
Chester of Greenshield
Hewett of Oakenshield
Caswell of Bitterbridge
House Ball of Manderford
Storm's Faction:
Edric Storm of Brightwater Keep
Lord X of Norcross
The Faith:
House Hightower
House Bulwer of Blackcrown
House Beesbury of Honeyholt
House Cuy of Sunhouse
House Costayne of Three Towers
House Ambrose of Torrentpeak
Peasant's Revolt:
Bandalon
Uplands
Catswold
Dosk
Risley Glade
Neutral:
House Fossoway of New Barrel
House Roxton of the Ring
House Kidwell of Ivy Hall
House Shermer of Smithyton
House Stackhouse of Derring Downs
House Graceford of Holyhall
House Yelshire of Yelshire
House Wythers of Wythers
House Bushy of Alden Keep
House Vyrwel of Darkdell
House Appleton of Appleton
House Hastwyck of Hastwyck
House Varner of Roseford
Warlord X of Dunnsbridge
Warlord X of Ashford
Warlord X of Red Lake
Warlord X of Standfast and Coldmoat
Warlord X of Cider Hall
Warlord X of Longtable
House Meadows of Grassy Vale
