Clash of Kings, an ASOIAF Game (The End)

[Lumine]

300 AL (3), or "The Black Dragon"

General View:

Daemon Blackfyre has landed on Dorne and he seems the new favourite to take the Iron Throne with Renly's weaknesses and dependance on the Lannisters, and with the threat of greyscale averted many hope the war will soon come to an end. Winter keeps worsening and some people are already dying of starvation, and thus many wonder if the battles can go on for much longer. What will happen with Westeros now that so many Kings are dead and so many new Kings have arised?

Quotes:

"Lord Stark, the tribes of Skagos are currently in a bitter war against invaders, hence our request for assistance. These invaders come from beyond the wall, so called wildlings that are trying to take over our island, and we need further help if we want to hold them back.
(A Chieftain from Skagos)

Info:

Renly Baratheon:
-Prestige: 6/10
-Gold: 450.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 6/10

-Margaery has returned home with Steffon after the disaster on the Reach and she is now with her brother in King's Landing, which means that you have secured your wife. Sadly, your forces are weak and your crown depends now on the help Tyrion Lannister will provide with his hold and his own troops. Daemon Blackfyre is now in Dorne and he is likely to invade the Stormlands, so you need to act quickly.

Robb Stark:
-Prestige: 6/10
-Gold: 300.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 9/10

-Skagos has asked for help against the wildlings (who are not connected to Mance Rayder, it seems), and while the North does not face an immediate military threat the situation is not to positive. The North and parts of the Riverlands are covered in snow in the beginning of a very harsh winter and the wildlings are still there. On the bright side you have Sansa on your side once again, but the arrest of Walton Steelshanks and Lothor Brune's accusations make for a dangerous situation.

Roose Bolton:
-Prestige: 4/10
-Gold: 20.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 8/10

-The Dreadfort stands secure and the men are fully fed, so it might be said that from all the Northern Lords you are the one who is not really suffering the full effects of winter. And despite those advantages and efficient attempts to restore your prestige across the North, the recent blunder with Lord Baelish creates a very complicated situation. Be careful, Lord Bolton.

Doran Martell:
-Prestige: 7/10
-Gold: 350.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 9/10

-The Blackfyres are now in Sunspear and the Dornish nobility seems willing to give Daemon the support he wants, although many of them are also pushing for Arianne to become his Queen in order to give Dorne the standing it deserves on the capital. Beyond that, greyscale is not a threat to Dorne anymore, which means commerce will finally be resumed once again.

Yohn Royce:
-Prestige: 9/10
-Gold: 500.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 7/10

-The Vale is now covered in snow and while the army is back the issues are pressing on, which means that you have to step in to truly rule the Vale. The mountain clansmen continue to strike across the region, the Lords are getting a bit impatient and the economic situation needs to be taken care of rather quickly, and there's also the issue of Houses Grafton and Corbray in need of punishment or mercy.

Mance Rayder:
-Prestige: 7
-Gold: 40.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 9

-The training of your army is going fine so far, although they are still not a match for veteran Westerosi armies in an open field. The Wall is manned and there are no reports of the others from beyond the Wall, but some tribesmen believe the army should go deeper south instead of relying on the Wall to contain the threat from the North.

Petyr Baelish:
-Prestige: 6
-Gold: 1.300.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 4

-Harrenhal is now under your control, Lord Baelish, and some fellow Riverlanders have suggested an attempt to rebuild it using your large fortune. It seems your standing has improved after recovering Sansa Stark from King's Landing, although the less Lady Catelyn has to see you the better. Now that Lord Royce is having trouble with his leadership of the Vale, perhaps it might an interesting idea to cause some chaos down there...

Daemon Blackfyre:
-Prestige: 4
-Gold: 250.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 3

-You are already enjoying the pleasures of Sunspear and it seems your adventure in Westeros is going fine so far. King Renly is still standing but he is weak without the support of the other houses, which has led Tristan Rivers (who has grown to become your right hand man along with the Tattered Prince) to suggest an immediate invasion of the Stormlands and, perhaps, a march on King's Landing to put a quick end to the war and avoid further bloodshed. The choice is yours, your grace.

[Lumine]

Apologies, I got writer's block on one of the chapters, so the update had to wait until today's afternoon. As a preview, the POVs are Tyrion Lannister and Davos Seaworth in King's Landing and Jon Snow in Winterfell.

[Lumine]

Well, this was a b*tch to write, honestly:

POV Update, Part I:

JON:

What had the seven in store for him? He honestly wanted to know the answer to the question, since the past two years had been disaster after disaster. He had joined the Night’s Watch and the Wall only to see it fall to Mance Rayder, and now he didn’t even knew if he was a sworn brother or not. Samwell believed they still were men of the Night’s Watch, but Pyp, Grenn and Edd were not so sure. What was the point of a Night’s Watch without the Old Bear, without Maester Aemon, without even the unlikable Ser Alliser? Someday they would sort that out, but the Wall was now firmly on the hands of the King Beyond the Wall and Jon had lived to tell the tale of the horrible Castle of Castle Black. On a certain way, the loss of the Wall brought a sense of relief once he was able to return to Winterfell and see Bran and Rickon again, and when the wildlings stopped their march South his sense of relief only increased. That said, he still was a miserable man. He did not know what he was, and many of those who cared for (Mormont, Aemon, Benjen and his father) were dead, or in Ygritte’s case, out of reach. He wanted to think he wasn’t just Ned Stark’s bastard, but without his father to protect him he didn’t expect Lady Catelyn to be kind enough to allow him to stay in Winterfell. No, he would eventually have to go somewhere. And most painful of all, he had lost any chance he had of knowing about his mother with his father dead. The gods really hated Jon Snow, or so he thought.

“Jon!” Samwell called, sweating as the tired to climb the stairs to Jon’s old room. “Jon! Maester Luwin needs you!”
“I’m coming, Sam, no need to scream.” Jon took Longclaw and he descended the stairs as quick as he could, meeting his friend almost at the end. “Did he tell you what is going on?”
“No, but he seemed a bit worried.”
“Alright, thanks Sam.”

Samwell Tarly also had a horrible time after returning to Winterfell, Jon thought. He had to hear how the Mad Rose had his father killed and his keep sieged, although there was some relief to Sam once he heard Dickon was safe and the Tyrells deposed for their crimes. Randyll Tarly had been a horrible father to Sam, and nonetheless the boy had dutifully mourned his death in a way that had surprised the rest, even forcing Edd not to jest on the misfortune of the fallen Lord. He did took the time to jest on making Jon Lord Commander of a new Night’s Watch, but nobody really took him seriously, as always. Jon finally reached Maester Luwin, who had a worried look on his face as he approached him.

“Jon.”
“Maester Luwin, what can I do for you?”
“Bran and Rickon wanted to take a trip through the woods, so Ser Rodrik and an armed escort took them for a few hours. I fear they have not returned yet, and I am a bit weary.”
“You think there could be wildlings around?”
“I’m not sure, could you and your friends ride to see if everything’s okay?”

Jon could not refuse considering it was Bran and Rickon, so he gathered his group of friends and they all rode South, quickly approaching the forest near Winterfell. All of them were quite animated that day, so they japed and laughed all the way through the forest, except Jon of course. If there was something he had inherited from his father it was the silence, even a sense of melancholy that enabled him to be serious a good part of the time. That had saved him at Castle Black when he had managed to gather a group to retreat without panicking, and he certainly was not going to get rid to that skill of his. And yet, when he heard the scream he could not help but to became instantly pale and lose his breath. It was something monstrous, something that sounded from another world.

“What was that?” Grenn asked.
“Hopefully not those frozen bastards.” Edd tried to find the source of the scream.

And it sounded once again, chilling Jon to the bone. Whatever that thing was, it was something he had never heard before. Just as he was going to ask the group to turn away something flew over his head and Jon and his friends fell from their horses, with the animals running away scared as if the stranger was behind them. And when Jon dared to look up to the sky to see what was before him, he understood something that no Northerner had for the past two centuries. He understood exactly why Aegon Targaryen had conquered the Seven Kingdoms in such a short time, for Jon Snow had a huge dragon in front of him, looking as if he curious about the young man. Everybody was silent as a tomb and the dragon gave no signs of wanting to burn or eat Jon, approaching him without even harming him. Jon knew Daenerys Targaryen had lost her dragons, but he didn’t expect one of them to be in the North, but less one looking at him without burning him. And then he recalled what Bran had told him about the direwolves, and he knew.

“Bran?” Jon asked the dragon.

And somehow, the dragon smiled at him.

[Lumine]

POV Update, Part II:

TYRION:

“How and when?” He asked, curious about the chance he now had.
“A day ago, my Lord.” Ser Addam Marbrand was as surprised as he was. “King Renly was preparing his army to battle when he was ambushed. He and Brienne of Tarth were killed, his army is now scattered and it seems Lord Rosby and the remaining Crownlanders surrendered while Robar Royce, Bryce Caron and the loyalists were taken prisoners.”
“Incredible. Any other news from the Stormlands, Ser Addam?”
“No, my Lord. We don’t know what happened with Storm’s End, yet.”
“Very well, it seems the hard part is over.”
“Should we start now, nephew?” Uncle Kevan asked with curiosity.
“We will enact the plot now and we will proceed as planned. Ser Addam, you will strike the Stormlords to capture them, but I don’t want a repeat of what my father did to the Targaryens. Uncle Kevan, you will disarm the remaining men and Ser Loras’s personal guard, I believe he is with Olyvar today. And have Bronn and Shagga come as well, please. Off you go.”

Ser Addam and Ser Kevan left the room and started shouting orders right away, leaving Tyrion with a satisfied grin on his face. He had planned to have Renly killed a while ago, but someone had forced his hand a few weeks before it was time. Well, it didn’t matter now, he had made his plans is case some got nervous and he would not waste a time. His father had taken King’s Landing by drowning the city in blood, but he would do the opposite, he would put an end to the Baratheon regime once and for all, and he would enact the final insult to his Lord father. What Tywin had created he would destroy and rebuild, and House Lannister would triumph in the end. Shagga and Bronn entered the room with a face that suggested that they were more than ready to do battle, and Tyrion commanded Shae to adjust his armor as he briefed both men. While the wiser thing was for Tyrion to remain in the mansion that he had been assigned he was going to oversee the operation personally, and he would storm the Red Keep himself. He was not going to allow a repeat of the gruesome deaths of Aegon and Rhaneys Targaryen and their mother Elia, even if the Baratheons and the Tyrells were for all purposes finished. After his armor was set he took command of the mountain clans and the elite of the Lannister guards (in turn commanded by his smug cousin Lancel) and he waited a few moments until they all rode to the Red Keep. With most of the Baratheon soldiers camped outside and Jacelyn Bywater and the Gold Cloaks bribed beforehand with Lannister gold it was a matter of time before they reached the Red Keep. Bywater and his men turned their cloaks to join Tyrion and the Lannister men charged inside the keep, easily overrunning the Baratheon/Tyrell guards with numbers and the ferocity of Shagga’s men. The dungeons were also attacked in order to free the Lannister loyalists, and Ser Preston Greenfield and Ser Arys Oakheart were finally freed and given weapons to fight. Tyrion left Shagga to deal with the most dangerous knights and Bywater to coordinate the city watch as he, Lancel, Bronn and the guards stormed the upper levels where the royal family was installed. But before he took any of them prisoners there was someone he had to save.

“Uncle Tyrion!” Myrcella jumped from her bed and gave his uncle a hug. She had been a “guest” in the Red Keep for quite a while, and it was imperative for Tyrion to save Jaime’s daughter.
“Myrcella, it’s so good to see you safe.”
“What is going on, uncle?”
“King Renly is dead.” Myrcella’s face turned white. “No worries, my dear, we’re taking control now. We will go home soon, I promise.”
“You mean to declare for…”
“Yes, dear. I don’t want to leave you like this, but there is work to be done. I will leave some guards with you, so you will be safe.”
“Please don’t die, uncle.”
“Don’t worry, Myrcella. I like living.”

Lord Tyrion and his men left Ser Arys and some men to guard Myrcella and they continued to search the rooms and the passages of the Red Keep to take prisoners, and while most of the surprised guards surrendered, others weren’t wise enough. Emmon the Yellow and Guyard the Green, the Kingsguards who were set to protect Renly’s family decided to fight, and they went down after cutting down a dozen of Lannister guards and after wounding Lancel in the arm and almost killing Bronn. Tyrion regretted to waste the lives of such useful knights, but he had no time to waste, this had to be ended right there. Mya and Edric Baratheon were captured as they were eating breakfast together, and both of them were confined to Mya’s chambers. Shireen was also put under heavy guard along with Maester Pylos, and after an exhausting ride and many death bodies sprayed through the Keep Tyrion and his men had reached the final chamber. The chambers of the Queen. They stormed the door to find Margaery Tyrell near the window with little Steffon in her arms, ready to use a dagger she held in her hand.

“My lady, don´t!” Shouted Tyrion.
“Give a good reason, my lord.” She said, defiant. “My brothers and my father are dead, and you storming this castle means that my husband must be dead as well. I won’t have you turning me into another Elia of Dorne, Lannister.”
“Not at all, Lady Margaery. I have no intention of harming you or your son, and your fate depends on King Daemon, not my men.”
“King Daemon already? You’re just like your father, Lannister.”
“Mayhaps, mayhaps not.” Tyrion grinned. “At least I don’t plan to sack the city.”
“I will jump, Lord Tyrion. You can’t stop me.”
“Please, Lady Margaery! There’s no need for this!”
“I’ve lost. House Tyrell lost, utterly. And your King can’t allow my son to live. Perhaps Mya, Shireen and Edric will live, but he won’t forgive Steffon. And he won’t forget me.”
“Lady Margaery, I give you my word!” Tyrion slowly approached her.
“You will give your word, Lord Tyrion?” She quietly left Steffon in the bed without waking him up and she approached Tyrion, finally jumping to reach him with the dagger.
“Careful!” Tyrion heard Bronn shouting.

A few hours ago, Tyrion Lannister, the Imp, finally had his chance to sit in the Iron Throne once again. He was briefed by his retainers on the events of the day, and the balance was positive for his house. King’s Landing belonged to them, and Renly’s troops were dispersed of captured. The Small Council was in a dungeon now, as Lords Florent, Tarth, Seaworth and Ser Rolland Storm were captured along with the Stormlords still in the capital. Loras Tyrell was caught in a brothel and he joined the Baratheon family in custody, or least what was left of them. Tyrion had won and he was going to deliver King’s Landing to Daemon Blackfyre, but deep down he felt a bit fragile. Margaery Tyrell had stabbed him in the arm and she almost managed to kill him until Bronn and the knights restrained her in the best way he could. And Tyrion knew she was right, there would probably be no mercy for her. But Westeros had abandoned mercy a long time ago, and it was time to adapt to the new world… Thus, Tyrion smiled as Ser Kevan and the victorious men started to applaud him.

[Lumine]

POV Update, Part III:

DAVOS:

The war was finally over. Davos wanted to believe that it was over now that Renly was dead, but until Daemon reached King’s Landing he had no idea of what would come next. He had been at the docks in the fateful day, trying to organize a potential expedition against Driftmark to punish the Velaryons when a troop of Gold Cloaks had captured him and his sons. A couple of weeks had passed since the successful coup and he had spent those weeks in a confined room with guards outside. To be fair, they had treated him nicely and it was no dungeon, and he was notified that his sons were in similar places as well. He couldn’t help to be shocked as he has little value given his status, but eventually he realized that they wanted him alive for something. He didn’t know what it was, but they wanted him alive and that was all that mattered. He never really wanted to serve Renly after Stannis had died, he wanted to go home once and for all and forget the war. But he was not going to leave Princess Shireen alone; he would not dare to betray the memory of Stannis by abandoning the girl who had been his friend. He could only hope the Imp wasn’t like his father, because otherwise Shireen would have suffered Rhaenys Targaryen’s terrible fate. Eventually the guards told him that he would have an appointment in the Red Keep, and he was given fresh clothes for the occasion. Ser Preston Greenfield, former Kingsguard came to escort him to the Throne Room and despite Davos’s attempts to interrogate him Ser Preston refused to answer, explaining that he was commanded not to say a word about what was going on. Eventually they reached the room where Stannis had been nailed to his throne to find it almost empty save for the guards and the Imp himself sitting in the Iron Throne with Ser Kevan at his side and Lady Myrcella standing near, watching with curiosity.

“Ser Davos, pleasure to see you again.”
“My Lord.”
“Have they treated you well, Ser Davos? I’m truly curious.”
“Two meals each day, cold for breakfast and hot for supper, I can’t complain.”
“Hm. What was the last thing you heard about Renly Baratheon?”
“Last time I’ve heard he was going to fight the Blackfyre pretender.”
“Well, Ser Davos, King Renly is dead.”

And the Imp explained to Davos what had ensued near Bronzegate and how Daemon Blackfyre and his Dornishmen had captured Storm’s End and the entire Stormlands in a swift campaign. Without giving too much detail into his own motivations, the Imp explained he had declared for the Blackfyres and he had seized the capital, hence the coup Davos had witnessed. To his relief, the Imp confirmed that Shireen was alive and well, currently a well-treated prisoner in the Red Keep along with the Royal family. To his surprise, Ser Davos heard of how the Queen had almost killed the Imp in cold blood, and she was put under extra vigilance.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I have you brought here, Ser Davos.”
“Yes, my Lord. I can’t really imagine why I am here. One of the Stormlords I might understand, but not me.”
“I understand you were loyal to Stannis Baratheon.”
“I still am. He was a just man, and the rightful King of Westeros until he died.”
“If Renly tried to usurp his crown, why did you serve him as well? Please answer honestly, Ser Davos, I am not my father.”
“I didn’t serve Renly.” Davos was relieved to see that the Imp wasn’t exactly like Tywin Lannister, but he was still distrustful. “I serve Princess Shireen as Stannis’s heir.”
“That is very interesting, Ser Davos. And I am very pleased to hear that.”
“Why is that, my Lord?”
“A mindless slave to Renly won’t do.” He bluntly said. “You are a man of integrity, Ser Davos, and your word can be trusted. I was unsure of how to proceed here, but I believe in your loyalty to Lady Shireen and that makes things easier.”
“My Lord?”
“King Daemon means to make Shireen Baratheon the Lady of the Stormlands, as it is her right.”
“Do you speak the truth?”
“Of course I do, Ser Davos. King Daemon wants to end the war and he has no real qualm against the Stags like Daenerys did. As Stannis’s heir Lady Shireen will be given the Stormlands as long as he deposes any royal claim and swears loyalty to the King. And, furthermore, I mean to make you Lord Regent of the Stormlands as well.”

Lord Davos almost gasped in surprise and shock. It did made sense given that he was too weak to represent a threat but reliable enough to keep his word, and loyal enough not to try to depose Princess Shireen given that she was just a little girl. And still, Ser Davos took a very long pause to consider what that would mean. He feared for the rest of the Baratheons, that was true, but his vow was to Stannis and her daughter, and this was the only chance he would ever have for that. It was an incredibly generous offer as well, perhaps too generous to believe.

“If I were to accept, my Lord, what would happen?”
“King Daemon will arrive soon to the capital and he will make the arrangements himself. In the meantime you and your sons would be released and you would be granted custody of Lady Shireen… provided that my men keep an eye on her to prevent incidents.”
“Does that mean I will be able to see her soon?”
“You can see her now if you accept, Ser Davos.” The Imp smiled, and Ser Davos found some new respect for the dwarf.
“I accept, Lord Tyrion. For Stannis and Shireen’s sake, I accept this offer.”
“Splendid!” Tyrion then left the Throne and looked at the sellsword besides him. “Bronn, come with me, we are going to see Lady Shireen.”

While most of the guard and Ser Kevan stayed, the rest left the room to reach the tower in which Shireen Baratheon was confined most of the time. Myrcella was assaulting her uncle with endless questions and Ser Davos could not help but to wonder about her. She had lost her father, her mother and her own name in the war, and yet there she was, alive and doing her best. Lord Tyrion seemed very keen in teaching her about some aspects of the court, and he wondered if the girl would eventually leave the stain of bastardy behind her. Most likely, he couldn’t see Daemon Blackfyre not returning her the Lannister name after all the Imp had done for him. They finally reached the chamber and Ser Davos felt very nervous as Lord Tyrion opened the door. Shireen was sitting and reading a book as usual, and her eyes were suddenly enlightened as soon as she saw him. She forgot the education she had received as a Lady and ran straight into the arms of Ser Davos.

“Onion Knight!”

Ser Davos wept.

[Lumine]

Believe it or not, the POV updates of the game already represent 30 pages and 17,000 words, xD, I might as well turn it into a novel at this stage...

[Lumine]

Proclaim of the Allied Kings

We, the rightful sovereigns of Westeros, in Order to establish lasting Peace throughout the continent, restore Law and Justice, provide for the common defence, and promote the General Welfare of our Realms, do hereby agree to join our forces and wisdom in a Commonwealth of the Free Kingdoms, whose setting principles shall be laid out in the following Charter.

Section I - Scope and Extent of the Commonwealth

Article 1 The Commonwealth shall be formed by the North, Riverlands, Vale, Dorne, Westerlands, Stormlands, Dragonlands (formerly known as Crownlands), and all other realms of Westeros which shall wish to join it at any time.

Article 2 The Purpose of this Commonwealth shall be to organize and maintain stable and peaceful relations between separate realms, or to deal with matters involving the common safety of all. This document shall in no way be construed to deny each of the aforementioned realms their absolute freedom and independence in resolving internal matters.

Article 3 Each realm must provide one twentieth (1/20) of their soldiers to form a Commonwealth Army. Said Army may only be used to fight a foreign force, and may not, under any circumstance, be directed against a member of the Commonwealth.

Article 5 The Commonwealth shall negotiate with foreign entities in the name of all its members on military and commercial matters that involve the interests of several realms. Single realms may still conduct separate negotiations with foreign entities, as long as those do not contradict the entanglements contracted by the Commonwealth as a whole.

Article 6 The Commonwealth shall settle any disputes arising between two or more realms in matters of trade or justice, which could not be resolved through direct negotiations. If petitioned by one of its members to act as a mediator in such dispute, the Commonwealth shall have the power to set appropriate trade barriers, and to order a realm to return an individual which is facing trial in another realm.

Article 7 A common currency shall be minted in all member realms. The individual realms shall remain responsible for its minting. However, if disputes shall arise between realms regarding the amount of coins produced by each, the Commonwealth may be petitioned under Article 6 to set reasonable minting limits.

Article 8 In the case that one member of the Commonwealth failed to honor the obligations subscribed under this document, the Commonwealth may call upon other realms to ensure, though military means if necessary, that the agreement is respected.

Section II - Structure of the Commonwealth

Article 9 All power recognized to the Commonwealth under this document shall be vested into a Lord Protector of the Commonwealth and into a High Council. The Lord Protector shall initiate all decisions, which may then be ratified or rejected by the High Council.

Article 10 The office of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth shall befall upon Daemon Blackfyre, and to his rightful heirs as identified under the common laws of succession. The Lord Protector shall rule as King of the Dragonlands.

Article 11 The High Council shall be formed by one member appointed by each of the rightful sovereigns of the realms that form the Commonwealth (including the Dragonlands). A High Councilor may at any time be removed from office by the sovereign who appointed them, and replaced by another.

Article 12 The High Council shall deliberate and vote on any Commonwealth action taken by the Lord Protector, with the exception specified under Article 13. A Commonwealth action shall become effective if and only if more than half of the High Councillors vote to ratify it. High Councilors must keep their deliberations secret to anyone aside from the respective sovereign who appointed them, to whom they must provide a complete and truthful account of their actions.

Article 13 If, upon request of the Lord Protector, at least two thirds of the High Councilors vote to acknowledge a state of war against a foreign entity, the Lord Protector shall assume full command of the Commonwealth Army in its struggle against said force. The High Council may, at any time, by a vote of two thirds of its members, revoke a declaration of war.

Article 14 The terms of this Charter may at any time be subject to revision if, upon request of the Lord Protector, more than three quarters of the High Councilors shall consent to the revision.

Appendix - Financial organization

The Seven Kingdoms being hereby dissolved, the now independent realms that once composed it shall assume full faith and credit for debts contracted by its Crown. Each of the formerly united Kingdom shall take up a share of this burden, to be determined in due course after the war's end, which shall be proportional to a realm's wealth and economic resources.

The Commonwealth Administration hereby established shall not contract any debt, nor levy any amount of money from its constituent realms, whether directly or indirectly. Each realm shall be responsible to provide for the expenses of its respective High Councillor, and the Dragonlands shall be responsible to provide for all additional expenses.

X Tyrion of the House Lannister, First of his Name, King of the Rock.

X Davos of the House Seaworth, Lord of the Rainwood and Lord Protector of the Kingdom of the Stormlands.

X Edmure Tully, First of his Name, King of the Trident.

X Baelor Hightower, First of his Name, King of the Reach.

[Lumine]

Alright, as it stands the turn will end with Daemon Blackfyre's authority recognized through most of Westeros, which means the civil war will be almost over. The only loose ends at this point are Asha Greyjoy, Mance Rayder and a potential threat from the North, so we are at the end game and next turn might very well be the last one.

I really enjoyed this game and I must say the players gave excellent performances, so hopefully we will be able to have more games like this in the future. Now, we have a series of options for the game:

-End the game at the next turn (unless we have something unexpected).
-The same, then take a rest and consider the possibility of another one (like one set in Robert's Rebellion or in ten or twenty more years in this timeline of events).
-Finally, extend the game. I decided not to have the Others strike as of now because I have no way of simulating their invasion, but if all the players agree I might extend the game a few turns to deal with the Night's King.

Opinions?

[Lumine]

Since there are no more opinions for the time being (although I really like SJoyce's suggestions), I'll start preparing the update and turn Eight without an others invasion, which means the end is near. Best of luck to survive the End Game, gentlemen, because people will keep on dying!

[Lumine]

Military and Political Update:

The North: With the snows getting worse and worse, King Robb commanded several of his men to finally go home, although a sizable garrison was still kept in Winterfell. Most of the North is very excited about Brandon Stark controlling a dragon, and the Northerners were quick to believe the war was finally going to end for them. Sadly, it did not, as King Robb sent troops to guard the Dreadfort while Roose Bolton's men launched a strike on White Harbor, trying to force the gates and capture or kill Lord Manderly. Several Valemen were killed while they tried to open the gates from within, and the castle managed to stand the first assault. Lord Manderly has sent several ravens to King Robb denouncing Lord Bolton as a traitor and begging for reinforcements to come to his aid before it's too late, with most of the Northernlords denouncing Bolton as well and asking King Robb to support Manderly (with a few Houses like the Dustins, Mormonts and Ryswells remaining neutral on the conflict or slightly supportive of the Boltons). King Mance is still organizing his forces, and it seems he will have the Wall for himself for a long time. Finally, the conflict in Skagos keeps getting worse as more and more wildlings invade the island, with spies from the south being captured and killed.

The Riverlands: After several months King Robb has finally authorized his levies to go home, and with the crowning of Edmure Tully as King of the Riverlands House Stark as lost the power to rule in the Riverlands. King Edmure is currently seeking a bride, and it's rumored that Lord Frey is already pressuring him to marry someone from his house. It will take years to rebuild the Riverlands, but so far it seems that the wounds will heal.

The Westerlands: Lord Tyrion pulled a magnificent coup in King's Landing that secured his position and freed Myrcella and the rest of the prisoners, putting an end to the Baratheon rule in Westeros. With all the Lord Paramounts declaring themselves Kings Tyrion Lannister was proclaimed as King of the Rock by his men and his uncle Kevan, and after narrowly surviving an assassination attempt he is expected to leave the capital soon to settle in Casterly Rock. He has also asked the King for a Westerlander seat in the Small Council and for Myrcella to be legitimized as a Lannister.

The Crownlands/Stormlands: King Daemon and his Dornishmen led a strong push to take the Stormlands, but there was no significant battle beyond a few skirmishes as King Renly and some of his loyalists were murdered, forcing the collapse of the Baratheon armies. Once King Daemon and Lord Tyrion confirmed that Shireen could be Queen of the Stormlands most of the Stormlords finally surrendered, but ther are many that are still concerned with the fate of what's left of Renly's family. King Daemon arrived in King's Landing cheered by the masses, and people expect his first commands. The dragons Drogon and Viserion have been seen near the capital.

The Reach: With the remaining Tyrell loyalists being captured or forced out of power thanks to Tyrion's coup, the Hightowers were quick in forcing most of the Houses to bend the knee as they proclaimed themselves Kings of the Reach. Their reign is very uneasy since they just took power, but King Baelor has a lot of potential if he can keep his region out of further wars.

The Vale: Lord Regent Royce was quick to act to solve the current issues and regained some of his prestige, using Houses Grafton and Corbray to deal with the clansmen and securing a trade deal with the North to bring life back into the Vale economy. Several Dornishmen have appeared dead in the Vale lately, opening an interesting mystery.

Dorne: The Dornishmen invaded the Stormlands without many losses for the second time, and true to his nature Prince Doran was able to win without having to bleed his region at all. A huge surprise to Dorne was the arrival by road of King Robb and most of his family after a quick trip, and in Sunspear the wedding of Sansa Stark to Lord Trystane (new heir to Dorne) was held despite the young age of the Lord. Tragedy struck when an assassin (supposedly Northern-looking) killed Prince Doran, forcing a tense situation that was resolved by Prince Oberyn. Prince Trystane now rules Dorne with Oberyn as his Regent, the Starks are feeling rather insecure in the city after the murder and Arianne Martell and the Sand Snakes are in a rage after she was left out of the line of succession.

The Iron Islands: No news here, surprisingly. Asha Greyjoy has worked very hard in training her men and building more ships, preparing for either a new invasion or for a successful defense in case of an invasion of the Iron Islands itself. She still refuses to marry, but she's starting to gain the respect of the Ironborn.

Army Update:

Tyrion Lannister:
Army of Ser Damion Lannister – 12,100 – Casterly Rock
Army of Ser Kevan Lannister - 10,800 – King's Landing
(cannot call more men)

Baelor Hightower
Army of Baelor Hightower - 25,000 – Highgarden
Garrison of Oldtown - 4,000 - Oldtown
Fleet of the Reach - 200 – The Mander
(can call a max. of 10.000 more men)

Shireen Baratheon/Davos Seaworth:
Prisoners in King's Landing – 6,000 – King's Landing
Army of Cortnay Penrose – 5,000 - Storm's End
(cannot call more men, only sellswords)

Robb Stark:
Army of the North – 8,000 – Moat Cailin
Army of Smalljon Umber  - 7,000 – Winterfell
Army of the Dreadfort - 3,000 - The Dreadfort
(can call a max. of 10.000 more men)

Edmure Tully:
Army of Riverrun  - 5,000 – Riverrun
(can call a max. of 3.000 more men)

Daemon Blackfyre:
The Golden Company – 6,000 – King's Landing
Army of King Daemon - 10,000 - King's Landing
Pentoshi Fleet - 50 - Blackwater Bay
Royal Fleet - 100 - Dragonstone (still haven't recognized Daemon)

Trystane Martell:
Army of Dorne - 20,000 – Marching back to Dorne
Army of Franklyn Fowler - 2,000 - Prince's Pass
Navy of Sunspear - 40 – Sunspear
(Cannot call more men)

Asha Greyjoy:
Army of Quenn Asha – 21,000 – Pyke
Garrison of Faircastle – 1,000 (+ 10 ships)
Reaving Fleet - 510 - Pyke

Yohn Royce:
Army of Wallace Waynwood – 21,500 - The Bloody Gate
Fleet of Gulltown - 45 – Gulltown
(can call a max. 10.000 more men)

Mance Rayder:
Army of King Mance – 15,000 – Castle Black
Army of Tormund Giantsbane - 5,000 - Somewhere near Winterfell
Refugees of King Mance – 60,000 – Castle Black and the Gift
Refugees of Tormund - 20,000 - Somewhere near Winterfell

[Lumine]

Right, that ends turn seven. Turn eight starts tomorrow, could be the last depending on how things go...

OOC: Good that I'm in Dorne
The dragons might proof helpful here, especially yours, Antonio!
Anyway Lumine, I'll be absent from August 15 to August 27, I'll be on holiday then... Maybe Daemon or whoever can take over my troops then, or I'll just isolate myself within Dorne?

I'm so sorry for not answering before, Cranberry, but since I had done the dice roll you were a dead man at the time you posted that, hence why I couldn't answer, xD

[Lumine]

No problem.
Anyway, may I continue playing as Trystane/Oberyn?

I find it highly unlikely that the Sandsnakes would oppose Trystane when their father is backing him, yes ruling in his stead. They surely would support him over Arianne...

Sure! Given their friendship with Arianne, it's a tricky subject (specially because of the assassination), but given enough time they should drop the opposition.

Gods, I'm being framed for murder AGAIN?!?

Sadly, yes, there are still many plots around thanks to the players, xD

[Lumine]

300 AL (4), or "A Dream of Spring"

General View:

With King Daemon Blackfyre installed in King's Landing and most of the regions of Westeros under his nominal control despite the domestic independence of the new Kings, it seems the main war in Westeros is now finished, which means it's time for the Lords and Kings to tie up the loose ends. Roose Bolton has charged Wyman Manderly with treason and he sieges White Harbor, Littlefinger has been proscribed from Dorne and he is expected to be charged with the murder of Doran Martell, Asha Greyjoy wonders whether to strike or not, Mance Rayder sits on the Wall meditating his next move and Viserion and Drogon march on King's Landing to confront the last of the Dragonlords. The War of the Ten Kings has lasted two years already, will it finally end?

Quotes:

"I proclaim my innocence to the realm, to the Lords and to my liege. My seal was stolen from White Harbor and spies have attempted to bring down my gates, but I swear by the old and the new gods that I am no traitor to House Stark. We swore an oath of eternal loyalty and we remain bound by it, and if the gods are just they will prove that Roose Bolton the Turncloak is the real traitor to the realm. He already betrayed all of us once, and he will do so again!" (Wyman Manderly, Lord of White Harbor)

"The Citadel hereby declares Grand Maester Pycelle unfit to serve as the Grand Maester of the Realm, and we strip him from his office and his chain. Thus, the Conclave has voted Master Erreck to become the new Grand Maester of Westeros, and he is now on the road to King's Landing." (The Maesters of the Citadel)

"It's time for the Iron fleet to sail, we have a new enemy and new lands to sack, pillage and destroy! I warn the Greenlanders not to come to this islands, for they shall die and leave our waters stained with their cowardly blood. House Greyjoy and the Ironborn themselves are the masters of their own destiny, and we do not recognize these weak and useless "Kings". Come with me, men of the Ironfleet, the drowned god demands that we pay the Iron Price once more!" (Queen Asha of the Iron Islands)

Info:

Robb Stark:
-Prestige: 4/10
-Gold: 250.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 8/10

-Dismissing some of your troops may not have been the best move as new threats have arised, and after giving the Riverlands their independence your power has dimished as well. As it stands, many of your vassals (like the Umbers, the Glovers, the Reeds and the Hornwoods to name a few) have charged Lord Bolton with treason instead of Lord Manderly, but Lord Bolton has his defenders (Tallharts, Cerywns, Ryswells and Dustins) and some Houses are still neutral (Karstarks and others). Mance Rayder is still in a good position to take advantage of the situation to strike, and your own position in Dorne is threatened by the Lords who hold you responsible for Prince Doran's death, so be careful, your grace.

Roose Bolton:
-Prestige: 5/10
-Gold: 15.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 7/10

-Despite the Dreadfort being well defended and guarded with Robb's men, the situation is both good and bad. With several Houses either supporting you or calling you a traitor this crisis won't be defused very easily, so being careful is also a good idea. Walton Steelshanks and Ramsay report that White Harbor is well supplied by sea, hence the need for an assault to win the fight.

Trystane Martell/Oberyn Martell:
-Prestige: 4/10
-Gold: 300.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 5/10

-Dorne is still intact and in a good position after the war, but it can't be said everything is alright after Doran's assassination. Many Dornish lords believe the Starks are responsible and bring the example of Princess Elia and Lady Lyanna to declare that the North can't be trusted. Some even support Arianne for the crown, although with Oberyn as Regent it doesn't seem any of them would be willing to risk anything that resembles a rebellion.

Yohn Royce:
-Prestige: 9/10
-Gold: 500.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 8/10

-Your new measures have proved quite effective as of now, and the Knights of the Vale are engaging the Clansmen in order to clear the Sea routes. Despite losing her mother King Robert is improving in health and mental state, although he is still sickly. Many wonder if you will give Harold Hardyng the Arryn name in order to make him a spare heir, and even more wonder who will King Robert marry. Furthermore, your son Ser Robar has been captured by the Blackfyre army, getting him back safely is a priority.

Mance Rayder:
-Prestige: 7
-Gold: 40.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 9

-Not many new things here, but your men report that the freefolk men that invaded Skagos are making slow progress in the island, making the conflict a very bloody one. It seems the Others have not advanced further South, but getting any further North than the Wall seems like a terrible idea at this point.

Petyr Baelish:
-Prestige: 3
-Gold: 1.250.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 3

-Your fortunes have shifted in quite a considerable way, Lord Baelish, with Oberyn Martell charging you with the murder of Prince Doran and calling for your imprisionment. Many Lords from the Vale and the Riverlands have backed the idea (the North is silent with the Manderly-Bolton crisis), so you must be very careful indeed.

Daemon Blackfyre:
-Prestige: 6
-Gold: 200.000 GD
-Legitimacy: 8

-In a dramatic turn of events you have been granted the power you wanted, even if most Kingdoms are technically independent. Now that you are in King's Landing King Tyrion has decided that he won't serve a Hand and he only asks for the repayment of debts, the legitimization of Myrcella and a Westerlander seat on the Council. The Iron Bank of Braavos also demands their payments, and across the Narrow Sea Magister Illyrio wonders if you will finally give him the office of Master of Coin. Finally, the Royal Fleet formerly loyal to Renly sits at Dragonstone without a leader, so they have to be dealt with as well. Be careful with your choices and your new Council, your Grace, this will make or break your reign depending on what happens in your first months.

[Lumine]

When are we getting the update?

No update this time, X, not enough events and activity. I will calculate some events the players have tried to enact and then rush towards the end of the game. It has been excellent, but with few players and most of the plotlines over there's no need for POV's now, xD

[Lumine]

I hope Lumine isn't going George R. R. Martin on us

In a way, yes, after hosting two games I am still happy to play them, but I don't want to be the GM of something for some time... I will post a final update for the turn, allow for one or two more days for proclaims or comments from the surviving players and then we will get our epilogue. I haven't decided if it will come in the way of POV's or as it were written by an Archmaester (think of "The Princess and the Queen").

Military and Political Update:

The North: Just as Ser Rodrik and Maester Luwin finished the construction of the lair for Bran's dragon (whose name was changed to Torrhen as a homage to the Stark King who had bent the knee to the Targaryens) the Stark family was finally able to gather in Winterfell for the first time in two years. It was an emotional meeting for King Robb and his family, since despite all the dangers only Ned and Theon were dead and all the rest had lived to tell the tale. Yet, despite their newfound happyness it was time to put an end to the Manderly-Bolton feud as both Lords arrived on the castle for the trial. It was in the Great Hall of Winterfell when Robb announced he had ordered a search of the Dreadfort and had found Lord Manderly's seal among Lord Bolton's posessions. King Robb talked at lenght on how Lord Bolton had betrayed his trust for the second time, and right after the sentence the Lord of Dreadfort would be beheaded by Robb himself. Lord Manderly was freed and, while for a few days the mood in Winterfell was still dark it improved considerable when it was discovered that Roslin was pregnant with Robb's heir.

The Riverlands: King Edmure Tully finally announced his match after a lengthy parley with King Tyrion regarding the need for the Westerlands and the Riverlands to reconcile after the horrible war, and King Edmure announced that he would marry Jeyne Westerling, the daugther of one of the Western Lords, having refused to marry Lady Myrcella due to her young age. Ramsay Bolton was to be married at the Twins to Lord Frey's daugther Walda, but once the old Riverlord was informed of Lord Bolton's fall the bastard of the Dreadfort was stabbed to death by the Freys outside the castle.

The Westerlands: King Tyrion and his men returned to the Westerlands and started to work as hard as they could to rebuilt the ravaged lands. The new King has showed his diplomatic skill by forcing a symbolic reconciliation with the Riverlands and by offering Lady Myrcella to marry King Robert of the Vale, a match that would require Lord Regent Royce's approval. King Tyrion is also seeking for a bride.

The Crownlands/Stormlands: King Daemon managed to establish control over the Crownlands with ease after showing a great level of mercy, and Ser Imry Florent and Dragonstone surrendered as soon as the safety of the Tyrells and the Baratheons was secured. Since both families were joined by marriage (Loras and Mya) they decided to stay in court under the watchful eye of Daemon and his supporters, their lives forgiven. The King also cemeted his rule by using the stolen Dragonhorn that Euron Greyjoy had used against Daenerys, securing the dragons Viserion and Drogon for House Blackfyre.

The Reach: King Baelor continues to secure the loyalty of his remaining vassals, but some may still harbor loyalty to the Tyrells. It will take years for the Reach to get used to the idea of the Hightowers as Kings, but King Baelor and Queen Rhonda are expected to have a son/daugther soon, which might help to cement their rule.

The Vale: The region continues to grow, and Lord Regent Royce has recovered his son. A marriage proposal was sent by King Tyrion as well, and with increased trade and an army still in good shape the Vale will be able to survive the Winter without starving or without many issues.

Dorne: The Starks finally left Dorne, but the more rebel nobles weren't satisfied. Since Sansa's safety was ensured by Lord Regent Oberyn they decided to focus on Littlefinger, who was ambushed on his way to the Reach by a squad of Knights led by the so called "Darkstar", who killed Lord Baelish and sent his head to be put on a pike on the streets of Sunspear, thus leaving Harrenhal up for grabs. Princess Arianne shocked the court by asking her brother Trystane to propose a marriage alliance to King Tyrion Lannister or King Daemon Blackfyre.

The Iron Islands: Asha Greyjoy led the Ironborn in a different direction than expected, as she decided that Westeros would not go after her in the middle of the Winter. The Ironborn sailed to strike the cites of Slaver Bay to plunder them, and so far Yunkai has already been sacked by Queen Asha and her men, earning her the respect of many more sailors.

Army Update:

Tyrion Lannister:
Army of Ser Damion Lannister – 22,900 – Casterly Rock
(cannot call more men)

Baelor Hightower
Army of Baelor Hightower - 25,000 – Highgarden
Garrison of Oldtown - 4,000 - Oldtown
Fleet of the Reach - 200 – The Mander
(can call a max. of 10.000 more men)

Shireen Baratheon/Davos Seaworth:
Army of Cortnay Penrose – 11,000 - Storm's End
(cannot call more men, only sellswords)

Robb Stark:
Army of The North - 15,000 – Winterfell
Army of the Dreadfort/White Harbor - 3,000 - The Dreadfort/White Harbor
(can call a max. of 10.000 more men)

Edmure Tully:
Army of Riverrun  - 5,000 – Riverrun
(can call a max. of 3.000 more men)

Daemon Blackfyre:
The Golden Company – 6,000 – King's Landing
Army of King Daemon - 10,000 - King's Landing
Pentoshi Fleet - 50 - Sailing to Pentos
Royal Fleet - 100 - Dragonstone

Trystane Martell:
Army of Dorne - 20,000 – Sunspear
Army of Franklyn Fowler - 2,000 - Prince's Pass
Navy of Sunspear - 40 – Sunspear
(Cannot call more men)

Asha Greyjoy:
Army of Quenn Asha – 20,200 – Yunkai
Garrison of Faircastle – 1,000 (+ 10 ships)
Reaving Fleet - 490 - Yunkai

Yohn Royce:
Army of Wallace Waynwood – 21,500 - The Bloody Gate
Fleet of Gulltown - 45 – Gulltown
(can call a max. 10.000 more men)

Mance Rayder:
Army of King Mance – 15,000 – Castle Black
Army of Tormund Giantsbane - 5,000 - Somewhere near Winterfell
Refugees of King Mance – 60,000 – Castle Black and the Gift
Refugees of Tormund - 20,000 - Somewhere near Winterfell

[Lumine]

While the rest of the players choose who will go to King's Landing and/or prepare the last statements, I have started to write the ending. To make up for those times in which the turns were delayed I plan to make a detailed ending with a couple of POV and a brief resume of the war as written by a maester (I'm tempted to have Samwell Tarly as the writer) twenty years into the future. I'll wait for one or two more days to see who the envoys will be (as we will have a POV of the High Council) and in the meantime I will prepare the ending.

You can start revealing plots if you wish, I will not acknowledge any further assassination orders and nobody else will die, xD

[Lumine]

BTW, Mr. X and I are working on an additional scene portraying the trial, with a slight alteration. We're not changing the outcome, but Roose wants to ask for a trial by combat in the end, so it turns out I killed him in the fight rather than in the usual execution ceremony. Still the practical consequences would be the same. Would that work?

Hmmmm... I originally rejected a similar proposal when X offered it, but if the ending is the same and Bolton dies (considering I don't wish to change the outcome of what already happened) then I guess it would be fine with me. Besides, X does deserve some type of award/prize for his hard work on the game and Antonio deserves one as well for his impressive skill at keeping the Starks alive, xD

[Lumine]

Excellent, Cranberry, First Minister does sound a bit strange, but it would fit nicely if Westeros were to enter the Renaissance (and I think it will considering how the Ending is coming).

So far I have six or seven pages (in Word) with the abridged version of "The War of the Ten Kings", by Archmaester Samwell Tarly. I will add the finishing touches and write the remaining POV's (Oberyn Martell or Tyrion Lannister in King's Landing, Catelyn Stark in Winterfell and Asha Greyjoy in Astapor, with Jon Snow or Bran as an option) and I will post the endgame between Friday and Sunday depending on how long it takes.

Any requests?

PS: I have Galbert Glover and Oberyn Martell as envoys, and NPC's will send Jason Mallister, Tyrion Lannister, Baelor Hightower/Mathis Rowan and Davos Seaworth, so I will need the Vale envoy from Gustaf as well.

[Lumine]

Alright, I still have a lot to write, but here are the first three POV chapters: Tyrion, Oberyn and Asha. "The War of the Ten Kings" still needs a couple more pages and I need to fix some details with the Jon and Bran, but let the grand finale begin!

Grand Finale, Part I:

TYRION:

“I don’t like being back in King’s Landing, uncle.” Myrcella said, with a hint of sadness in her voice.
“Neither do I, I hate this city. But this council of Lords is something Westeros hasn’t seen in decades, and I don’t want to miss the royal wedding after all I’ve done for the Lord Protector.”
“I know that, uncle, but why did you bring me here?”
“It’s about time your reputation is improved, Myrcella. You’re a Lannister now, and I will not tolerate those sanctimonious Lords japing about it. No, I want you to go out there with your smile and impress the court by the time the wedding starts.”
“I wish I could, but Sansa and Arianne, sorry, the Queen, will probably attract all the looks.”
“Could be, but you won’t know unless you try, don’t you think? You should go to bed now.”
“Good night, uncle.”

As Myrcella left the balcony to go to bed Tyrion could not help but to feel a bit melancholic. He had hated Cersei and his father with a passion and he hadn’t mourned their loss as much as he should have, but the loss of Jaime was still hurting him every single time he thought about it. Who had killed him he did not know, but it was hard for him not to blame the northerners. Fair is fair, he also thought, my nephew beheaded Ned Stark and they probably felt in the obligation of avenging his death. But why Jaime? Why not Joffrey himself? He failed his family the day in which the Baratheons stormed the city, and he had failed to protect Tommen from his mother. But not anymore. He would not fail Myrcella, regardless of what would happen. He would train her, teach her how to play the game and only when she was ready he would send her to become the Queen of the Vale. And if Lord Royce failed in turning the Arryn boy into a proper gentleman he would personally burn the whole place to the ground and make the little boy fly. If Lysa Arryn still lived he would have never considered the chance of an alliance with the Vale, but Royce was a reasonable man and the Lannisters would need new allies. That also meant he had to marry soon, but finding the proper lady would also take a lot of time. After all, he was a King, the richest man in Westeros and a friend to the Lord Protector – a strange thing, considering they hadn’t shared that much time together - , so he would have to find someone. Shae now lived in Duskendale as the mistress of the local liege, and he had learnt enough of his family history to know better than to tempt fate by bringing a whore to Casterly Rock. No, he would have to find a proper wife.

“Your Grace.” Ser Addam had returned along with Ser Kevan. “The Lord Protector is ready to start the first session of the Council.”
“Good. Tell Bronn to keep an eye on Myrcella just to be on the safe side. Shall we go, uncle?”
“Yes, it’s best not to keep the Lord Protector waiting.”

Every one of the Kings was supposed to name a representative on the High Council, but several of the Kings had come to the capitol for the wedding, so they would be present in the first meeting along with the appointed Lords. Besides Tyrion – who still had problems to get used to the fact that he was a King – the High Council would welcome King Baelor and King Edmure, and First Minister Oberyn along Lord Regent Davos Seaworth as well. It was going to be an interesting meeting, that was beyond dispute. As the Kings and Lords entered the old Small Council chambers of the Red Keep and took a seat on the massive circular table that the Lord Protector had installed to account for the number of participants, Tyrion counted fourteen people including himself, quite a bit more than he had expected. The new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Tristan Rivers, proceeded to read the names aloud to start the meeting.

 “From the Kingdom of the Reach, King Baelor Hightower and Lord Mathis Rowan. From the Kingdom of the Rock, King Tyrion Lannister and his uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister. From the Principality of Dorne, First Minister Oberyn Martell. From the Kingdom of the Riverlands, King Edmure Tully and Lord Jason Mallister. From the Kingdom of the Vale, Ser Andar Royce. From the Kingdom of the Stormlands, Lord Regent Davos Seaworth and Lord Ronnet Connington. From the Kingdom of the North, Lord Galbert Glover. In representation of King Mance Rayder and the freefolk, Gerrick Kingsblood.  And finally, from the Kingdom of the Dragonlands, Lord Protector Daemon Blackfyre and Grand Maester Erryk.” As Rivers spoke Daemon smiled, looking  incredibly satisfied with himself while the rest of the Kings and Lords just watched.

The meeting went along pretty well, especially considering the dangers involved and the differences in character of those involved. Lord Protector Daemon could be rash at times, but he was also very diplomatic and, ironically, an expert in exploiting the differences amongst the Lords. He wasn’t as good as Littlefinger and Varys were in politicking, which was a good thing, but he was not an innocent King by any measure. The debate was long and it took them several hours before they could close the first meeting, but they managed to cover a lot of ground and vote on several proposals that – Tyrion suspected – would probably shape Westeros for the months to come. It was argued that it wasn’t worth declaring war against Queen Asha and the Ironborn due to the winter and the fact that it was almost impossible to continue having the armies in a war mode, and it was also recognized that due to the freefolk manning the wall it was ludicrous to have the Night’s Watch revived. Most of the Lords distrusted Gerrick Kingsblood despite his almost Southerner look, but he was at least able to win that concession. Discussions over the Faith were left for later, but many were worried over the rhetoric of the new septon, jokingly referred as the “High Sparrow”. And, despite the pleas of King Edmure, it was decided that any aid in money to the Kingdoms would have to wait until the debts were paid, with Tyrion conceding that the Iron Bank of Braavos had the priority over his House. Tired and sleepy, all of them left when the hour came, they had to prepare for the wedding that would come tomorrow.

“I think that went surprisingly well.”
“I think so too.” Ser Kevan replied. “It’s the first time since Aerys’s early reign that Westeros has a competent leader.”
“We have to hope that he won’t become Aerys III…”
“He doesn’t have as nearly as much power, I wouldn’t worry.”
“Perhaps you’re right… I wonder what my father would say right now. I am a King, but I suspect he would still find a way of telling me that I wasn’t his son. I can actually hear him saying it right now.”
“As much as I admired Tywin, I must admit he was wrong.”
“Was he?”
“You’re not only his son, Tyrion. You are better than him.” Ser Kevan gave him a weak smile and then went to his chambers.

Tyrion stood right there for quite a while, not knowing what to say. He dedicated one more thought to Jaime and those he had learned to trust, took a deep breath and left the scene, feeling as if he finally stood as tall as a true King."

[Lumine]

OBERYN:

"As her niece walked through the Sept in order to reach the Lord Protector and the High Sparrow, Oberyn felt a sense of unease. The maesters had told him that history often repeated itself, but it was only now that he could feel the true weight and the implications of that idea. The last time he had been on the capitol was… twenty or thirty years ago, when the last Dragon had married Elia. She looked as bright as the sun, and there were no words to make justice to Rhaegar Targaryen. And it had ended badly, it had ended in a way too horrible to even suspect for those who had attended the wedding of the Targaryen crown prince. He had managed to get his revenge after the Imp had delivered Ser Gregor to him, especially after he had defeating him in a trail by combat, but that wouldn’t bring Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys back. And now, yet another Dornish Princess would marry another of the Dragons, and Oberyn feared for a moment that they could end up in the same way. Arianne looked stronger than Elia, but did she really have the iron will of the only woman capable of challenging the Mad King? And Daemon, while not as beautiful as Rhaegar, looked like a man who knew exactly what he was doing, a point in favor when compared to the Prince whose actions led to the deaths of thousands, including Elia and her children. No, he thought, it won’t end in the same way. I will not allow it. And if the Lord Protector dared to follow Rhaegar’s example there would be no mercy for him, not even the gods could protect him from the wrath of the Dornish Prince.

“But so far, so good.” He spoke aloud.
“What, my love?” Ellaria asked.
“Nothing, I’m just thinking about things…”
“Shhhh… Uncle, the High Septon is about to start!” Trystane hissed, making Sansa smile.

Oberyn had to admit the High Sparrow was an impressive man. He was ugly and dressed like a peasant, but he had the eyes of a lion. That man would stop at nothing to reform the faith, and Oberyn found himself wondering how the Septon would react if he saw the things he did with Ellaria and the boys in the brothels. Not that it mattered, but it was clear that he was not a man to be underestimated. He was not going to be Daemon’s puppet, and only the gods knew what the Lord Protector had to promise him to be crowned and then wed to Arianne. To the surprise of most of the court, the High Sparrow held a very short and simple ceremony, and soon after the Dragon King had cloaked Arianne and put her under his protection… at least in a nominal way, since the Princess was evidently no blushing maid, at least not in the way Sansa appeared to be. Then the feast came, and for the first time in history the Red Keep had to host no less than six Kings, Queens or Princes. Quite a record, or so the Prince thought. King Edmure and Queen Jeyne were not an impressive couple by any means, the Imp was uglier than the High Sparrow, and less said about Queen Shireen the better, which meant that the only ones who looked the part of a King were Daemon and Baelor Hightower.

“If that doesn’t prove the songs wrong, I don’t know what will.” He said to Ellaria and Sansa, looking directly at Tyrion. “I know the Lannisters are facing hardships, but don’t you think having half-a-king is going too far?”
“Don’t be so cruel, Prince Oberyn.” Sansa laughed. “At least he is a bit more decent than the rest of his family.”
“What’s left of it, anyway…” Ellaria pointed out. “Do you really want to stay here during the entire feast, my love?”
“Not really, but I can’t leave Sansa alone, can I?”
“Don’t worry, I plan to ask Ser Loras to a dance.” Sansa said, looking at the miserable and pitiful knight. “He does need some company, and he was the one who saved me after all.”
“I suppose so. But after the Mad Rose I wouldn’t be sure that any of the Tyrells are sane right now…”

Oberyn and Ellaria finally left Sansa so she could ask her favorite knight for a dance, and Oberyn made sure that both Trystane and Arianne looked satisfied before leaving. And since her nephew danced with Myrcella and the new Queen did not left her husband’s side for a moment, he figured both of them would be fine. Not that he trusted that joke of a Lord Commander and his ridiculous knights to keep anybody safe, but somehow he knew that they would be fine. As they were close to reaching their own chambers, Ellaria broke the silence while she watched him with a worried look.

“Is something wrong, my love?”
“I was thinking.”
“Again? About what?”
“We really should have a son.”

And no other words could increase the size of the smile he got as a reply."

ASHA:

“I assume yer satisfied, your Grace.” Tristifer japed, coughing at the smoke.
“Mayhaps, Tristifer. But I still have to burn Meereen.”

Yunkai used to be bright and active city, a port where thousands of ships could meet and thousands of bed slaves would be traded. That is, until Asha Greyjoy and the Iron Fleet had arrived. She knew she needed a campaign in order to earn the respect of her men, but invading another zone of Westeros would most likely end in a bad way now that King Daemon had two of the dragons. On the other hand, it was a very long trip to the Slaver’s Bay, but it was unexpected, daring and she had earned a lot of respect with the sack of the slave city. The original plan called for the sack of Astapor, but since they had the unsullied Asha chose to strike at Yunkai instead, knowing their army was too weak for the Ironborn sailors. And now the city burned as hundreds of slaves were sent to the captured ships, most of them to be sold on the trip back home and a few to serve as the new slaves of the Iron Island. With the Tyrell gold still stored inside Pyke and the money they were going to make with the sack of Slaver’s Bay, Asha would have more than enough to rebuild the Iron Islands. There would be some resistance, but those unable to move forward would learn the price of indiscipline. No, she and her uncle Rodrik would build castles, roads, longer and stronger ships and they would make the Iron Islands far stronger that when Harren the Black had led them. And someday, she would return to Westeros.

“You father would be proud.” Qarl the Maid observed.
“I hope so. It’s not precisely easy to lead the Ironborn all the way to Slaver’s Bay. Especially when many of them still behave like children.”
“And yet we have won.” Tristifer smiled, looking at the bodies currently in the water.
“Aye, but it wasn’t easy.”

Taking over the crown had it’s own challenges, but to Euron’s merit he had killed virtually all the possible claimants and rivals, leaving only her and her uncle to lead the Ironborn. And since her uncle didn’t like the crown, the duty fell to her. Some complained at the beginning, but after she had the Qarth warlocks and Euron’s most loyal men killed in a public display in Pyke most of them had decided to shut up and acknowledge her orders. The problem would come when she was married, since her future husband would probably feel like the Iron King. She knew she had to continue the family line for the sake of House Greyjoy, but she wasn’t thrilled about it, and she was at a loss to choose a husband. Blacktyde could have been a contender, but since his head was on a pike on Braavos that was not an option, and any Greenlander was a non-starter. Qarl the Maid was an interesting choice, but she knew that was impossible. Tristifer bored her, and Ser Harras Harlaw, although a great warrior, was technically her cousin.

“I will need a husband once we return.” She said to no one.
“I am not going to ask you again.” Tristifer replied, almost in a bitter way.
“How many times do I have to tell you we’re not children anymore?”
“A lot more, it seems.” Qarl joked.
“Well, at least I have time to decide. And a city to sack as well.”
“Shall we sail for Meereen then?”
“Aye. We shall.” She smiled. "This campaign is far from over."

After all, it didn’t really matter that she was the last Greyjoy. As the Ironborn fleet started the short trip to Meereen and the men started to gamble on how many enemies they would kill, Asha knew she was there to stay, and knew that the Iron Islands would begin to change from now on.

[Lumine]

OOC: I know the ending for ASOIAF will be bittersweet and in this timeline we have a dark winter with many losses, but I suppose I can't help but to give a "happy ending" to most characters. I toyed with the idea of giving Jon a depressive one or even having him die, but to hell with that!

JON:

Had he made the right choice? Jon found himself wondering about it right after he could not see Winterfell in the horizon, and the hours hadn’t diminished his concerns. He had spent the last months back in his home, helping Samwell to write, training with Pyp, Green and the other survivors, and spending as much time as he could with Bran and Arya. After his time in the Wall he felt a genuine sense of joy by returning to Winterfell, but his mind was not at ease. The Night’s Watch had left a deep impression in him, and somehow he felt that to stay there without doing anything important was disrespectful to the memory of the Old Bear, Maester Aemon and those who had died as Castle Black. He didn’t hate King Mance or the wildlings, he knew why they were running, and he had hoped Ser Alliser could have made a deal with them. Instead, Alliser Thorne had chosen to fight and the Night’s Watch was all but destroyed. The doubt consumed him every single day, the fight in his heart over his real duty, and he was at a loss, even when trying to consider what would his father or uncle Benjen do in his situation. And the looks Lady Catelyn gave him didn’t help, even if the rest of his brothers welcomed him and asked him not to leave. In the end, the answer came via raven, a raven that Samwell Tarly read while trembling to his friends.

“And so, by a decree of the High Council of the Commonwealth of the Free Kingdoms of Westeros, we declare the Night’s Watch dissolved and the remaining members released from their respective oaths. If any sworn brother has no place to go, they will be welcomed in King’s Landing by the Lord Protector. Signed, Daemon Blackfyre…” Samwell was pale. “It seems it’s over.”
“And what, leave the wall to the wildlings?” Green asked.
“Why not?” Jon said. “After all, they are manning the wall, and they are a much larger army. They have decided not to attack and to settle in the Gift, and nobody in his sane mind would march with an army with this winter.”
“It just feels strange. I mean, some of us don’t have anywhere to go…” Pyp was worried.

In the end most of the men left for King’s Landing, trusting the Lord Protector to take them into his service. Grenn, Edd and Pyp chose to stay in Winterfell after Robb made them an offer to save him, and Samwell and Gilly decided to march to Oldtown so Sam could become a Maester. Most of them assumed Jon would stay with them as well, but knowing that he was released of his oath and that he was free to do what he wanted to do with his life was enough to force him to a decision. It had been a long goodbye and it had taken some time to explain it to his friends and his family, but in the end none of them could force him to stay in Winterfell. Arya was the most persistent, but in the end even she had relented, just like Bran and Robb. He waited until Sam and Gilly left for South and then he proceeded to talk all of those he would miss. And with the exception of Lady Stark, they were all quite sorry of his departure. But he had to live his own life, under his own term. Thus, he had started to ride deep into the North.

“All of the sudden this doesn’t seem like such a great idea…” He was talking to the wind. “After all, I could get shot by an arrow and it would be the end.”

He eventually decided that it was worth the risk, so he entered the wildling lands, asking everybody he met about her. He felt a surge of joy when he found out that she lived, and an even bigger one when told she hadn’t taken a man. He rode for days amongst the enormous wildling host, dressed as them and talking as one of them, just as he had learned to do while living for such a long time amongst them. And then he found her. She was sitting near a lake, practicing with the bow and easily bringing down the targets she had improvised. Something told him he was going to meet a gruesome end with an arrow to the chest, but in the end he couldn’t bring himself to leave after such a long journey.

“Ygritte.”

As soon as she saw him she did shoot an arrow that Jon almost saw passing through his head as he threw himself to the ground, but seeing himself as unharmed he felt the relief of knowing she had missed on purpose. And on the ground he was when the wildling reached him, still aiming at him with the long bow.

“You’re back.”
“Aye.”
“You’re alive.”
“Aye.”

The silence was overwhelming, and Jon almost thought he had made the wrong choice, at least until she dropped the bow.

“And still a crow.”
“No more, Ygritte. The Watch was disbanded; I am free now.”
“Free? You really know nothing, Jon Snow.”

He didn’t care anymore about her real mother or about the Watch, and he didn’t care about being a bastard.  Because as they kissed, Jon knew he had made the right choice.

[Lumine]

BRAN:

Another day of flying.

It was hard to believe the dreams could be right, but in the end that was precisely the case. He was a dragon now, free to fly through the skies for a time. Sadly, he would never have the level of mastery of his dragon that the Targaryen riders had achieved, and that was because controlling Torrhen meant that the spirit of the dragon would enter his body, forcing Hodor and Maester Luwin to put him to sleep so he would harm anybody while Bran flied. It was uncomfortable and not very practical, but Bran suspected that Robb was unable to deny him the chance to be free through the skies, even if it meant building a giant lair for the dragon and essentially risking Winterfell. Her mother was opposed to the mere thought, but Robb was the Lord of Winterfell, and not even her could break the will of the Stark brothers.

“Don’t you think we should be going North, Bran?” Jojen asked, looking at the horizon as if sitting on a dragon was a mere formality.
“North, Jojen? I know the raved told you to do so, but it’s filled with the white walkers.” Meera looked at him with a serious look.
“So? Bran is a dragon now, and if he trains hard enough we could fly all the way beyond the wall.”
“With the winter? Sure, it’s not as if a dragon would have problems handling the cold… You now Torrhen is not growing too strong as we speak, do you?”
“We must go North.” He insisted.

Bran had wondered about it for a long time. Something was calling him to go North, that was certain, but he wasn’t willing to do so. If they had been forced to escape when Lord Bolton had sieged the castle he might have been willing to do so, but now that he had the dragon and his family he was quite unwilling to risk his life to march across a land filled with the others. What could the raven offer him now, given that he could fly? To walk again would have convinced him, but he knew that, somehow, that was impossible to achieve. No. He would train, he would bond with Torrhen, and someday he would be able to ride the dragon instead of warging him, a perfect union instead of what he had now. Not many knew he was the dragon, but those who did looked at him in a different way. He was pleased when he knew they had previously took pity on him, but the looks he had received from time to time from Maester Luwin and his own mother had hurt him. Jon was the most comprehensive of all of them, and he had left for the Wall quite a while ago… Speaking of which, they had flown for quite a while now, and it was time for dinner in the castle. After leaving Torrhen in his lair as secured and warm as possible, Bran returned to his body.

“So, how was it?” Arya asked, looking at him while she sharpened Needle.
“Great.” He replied, at a loss about what else to say.
“Hodor!” She called the stable boy. “Time for dinner!”

The giant entered the room to carry Bran to the main hall, pushing him back to reality. The main hall of Winterfell was filled with people due to the imminent birth of Robb and Roslin’s son, and many of Robb vassals along with a large contingent of Freys were there. Bran was glad of seeing the ones he liked, like Lord Manderly or the Umbers, although he was a bit unsure about the Freys. They had been loyal to Robb, fought and bled for him, and many of them held prominent positions in the Riverlands and the North, but it was hard to like them for some reason. Robb welcomed all of them with the usual courtesy, although his mind was obviously set on the birth of his son. It was hard for Bran to feel like an uncle knowing how young he still was, but considering Rickon’s age he was fortunate. It was a pity Sansa couldn’t be there since he hadn’t saw her ever since she left for King’s Landing three years ago, but most of the Starks were there after all. They all ate feeling a bit nervous, knowing full well that at any moment Maester Luwin would come to give the news. And when Robb left the room to see his wife the expectation grew, meaning that Lord Manderly was the only one that continued to eat. Finally, Ser Rodrik and his wife, Lady Hornwood, entered the room with a smile on their faces.

“It’s a healthy boy! The North has a Crown Prince!”

The hall erupted in applause and cheers, and it was time for all of them to celebrate.

“Long live Prince Eddard!”

The following morning Bran asked Hodor and Maester Luwin to take care of his body, but he chose not to bring Jojen and Meera along. For some reason, he needed some time along. He warged Torrhen and rode him over the dawn, thriving as he extended his wings and expulsed his breath of fire. The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at a winter that was about to grow colder and harder. It was the first year of Winter, and the eleventh of Bran’s life.

[Lumine]

Grand Finale, Part II:

The War of the Ten Kings,

Being A History of the Causes, Origins, Battles, and Betrayals
of that Most Tragic Carnage Known as the War of the Ten Kings,
as set down by Archmaester Samwell of the Citadel of Oldtown.

(Abridged version, and note that since Samwell doesn’t know everything the public perception of some events is different from reality)

BOOK ONE: 298 AL:

With the limited amount of documents and information we have on the real motivations of most of the players in the later years of Robert Baratheon’s reign it becomes hard to pinpoint the actual causes of the war, or the point of no return. Let us not forget that the entire Small Council that served the late King died during the war or shortly before the actual start, and the constant battles and political intrigue in King’s Landing did not help to ensure that key information would survive. As a result, it is a very hard task to try to learn what really happened, and we maesters can only suppose what may have really happened during the armed conflict. Of course, there is also the fact that many view this conflict as a part of a larger legend, interpretation which is always suited to manipulation. For an increasing number of Northerners (led by Prince Eddard and Lord Rickon among others) it’s the revenge for the Targaryen invasion and Torrhen Stark’s surrender. For the Blackfyre Dynasty is the Sixth War of Reconquest (for the younger maesters: it was custom for the late Targaryen Dynasty refer to the wars involving the Blackfyres as the Blackfyre Rebellions), some of the Baratheon vassals consider it the Great Rebellion and maintain the legality of Robert Baratheon, and it has been rumored that Old King Mance has renamed it the War of the Wall as well. Different motives, different agendas, and moves that make little to no sense. That is, for me, the spirit of the War of the Ten Kings, the moment in which Westeros descended into true madness. For all the progress made over the last years, it can’t be denied that the scars of the war are far too visible, and it’s only now that the realms of the Commonwealth have recovered, just as new events appear on the horizon.

If we accept the view of Jon Arryn’s death as the turning point that made war inevitable (with the forgiveness of those who believe Lord Stark’s coup to be the true cause), we must accept the view that the court of King Robert was bitterly divided among two bands at the start of 298 AL, each one supporting the King or his consort, Queen Cersei. It has been commonly accepted that the Baratheon Brothers and Lord Baelish were the heart of the Kingsmen and Ser Jaime Lannister with most of the Kingsguard, Lord Varys, Commander Slynt and Grand Maester Pycelle were the Queensmen, leaving Lord Commander Selmy as a neutral force of little to no influence. It was in the middle of the struggle to succeed Lord Arryn as hand and the seemingly inevitable naming of Lord Tywin Lannister as the next hand that King Robert shocked the Lannisters at court by choosing to travel all the way to Winterfell, asking Lord Stark to accept the Handship on behalf of the realm.  Thus, Lord Stark’s arrival in King’s Landing would have been the perfect chance for the Kingsmen to retake control of the court and put the balance of power against the Lannisters, especially in light of Sansa Stark’s betrothal to Prince Joffrey. And yet, all of them showed remarkable disunity during the period, with Stannis Baratheon leaving for Dragonstone before the arrival of the Northerners and Lord Stark’s supposedly investigating Lord Arryn’s death, but most likely seeking a way of weakening the Lannister hold on the court.

We have no real way of knowing what did Lord Stark do, but it seems to have been enough to push Ser Jaime Lannister over the edge and then launch the famous assault on Stark’s men, wounding the Hand and forcing a chain of events that would become in the early stages of the actual war. As many know, Lady Catelyn Stark chose to kidnap Tyrion Lannister, thus forcing a major incident in the Vale (which led to the death of Ser Vardis Egen and the all too familiar song: “The Imp and the Stone Giant”), which in turn forced Lord Tywin Lannister to leave his retirement to fight back. The Lannister men rode into the Riverlands led by Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, setting almost the region on fire in an act that would have terrible consequences later on. As it stands, King Robert died in the worst possible moment, suffering a terrible hunting accident that would lead to a couple of days of chaos in King’s Landing.

Whatever really happened during those days it’s impossible to know following the deaths of all the key players besides Sansa and Arya Stark and Ser Sandor Clegane, but it’s safe to assume Lord Stark decided to move once and for all in a political move that might have rivaled with Tywin Lannister’s campaign against House Reyne, the Mad Rose’s Massacre and Tyrion Lannister’s later assault on the Red Keep had it been successful: taking full control of the capitol and the new King itself. The existing records are very confused when it comes to precise dates, but what we know for certain is that the coup failed after Commander Slynt and the Gold Cloaks chose uphold their oath to King Joffrey, forcing Renly Baratheon to withdraw to Highgarden, Lord Baelish to join the Queensmen and Eddard Stark’s imprisonment and then surprising execution just as his son Robb marched on the Riverlands at the head of a fierce army of Northerners. The news of the execution would shock Westeros and anger many noblemen who had fought along Lord Stark during the War of Stags and Dragons, but with many Lords unsure about going to war and the lack of prestige that Robb Stark had then meant that only the Riverlands joined his cause against House Lannister.

On the other hand, the Queensmen held such a tight control over King’s Landing that for all purposes the Westerlands and the Crownlands were the same region, and the battle lines were already drawn for Lannisters and Starks to fight each other while the other bands prepared for war.  As we know, Robb Stark marched on the Riverlands just as Ser Jaime Lannister crushed the Riverlords before Riverrun, and it was then when the Stark Lord showed his military skill by defeating and capturing Ser Jaime while forcing Lord Tywin to withdraw to Harrenhal, a series of military victories that earned him the name “Young Wolf”. It was then that the situation turned ghastly for the Lannisters once the news arrived that Lord Renly Baratheon was crowned King in Highgarden and was now recognized as the King in the Reach and the Stormlands, having married Lady Margaery Tyrell to secure the alliance with Lord Mace. Meanwhile, Stannis Baratheon had also proclaimed himself King in the Narrow Sea while trying to convince all of Westeros that King Joffrey was both a bastard and a usurper, and to complicate things even further Balon Greyjoy led the Ironborn to rebel against the Iron Throne and declare the independence of the Iron Islands. It was only fitting for the Northerners to follow suit and declare Robb Stark the King in the North and the Riverlands by the end of 298 AL, and the stage was set for the real war: a war that would last two complete years.

[Lumine]

BOOK TWO: 299 AL:

Of course, the first to react as 299 AL started was the new acting Hand of the King, Tyrion Lannister (who had been sent to replace Lord Tywin, appointed Hand by his grandson), moving onto King’s Landing to correct the mistakes that Queen Cersei and the Queensmen had committed while serving as regents for King Joffrey. Earning the hate of the population, Lord Tyrion eventually became the symbol of Baratheon/Lannister rule over the capitol, but he proved to be as ruthless and capable as his father was. Janos Slynt was sent to the Wall and stripped of his new holding of Harrenhall and all the defenses were prepared for a potential Baratheon attack. Dorne and the Vale remained as neutral as possible despite their links to some of the claimants and the dissent of many Lords, but Stannis Baratheon had his massive fleet block Blackwater Bay and the Tyrells marched to close the Gold Road, an almost perfect act of coordination (which was interpreted by some as a clue to the Tyrell’s true allegiance). The Lannisters and the Starks were still locked in a stalemate across the Riverlands, which was not solved by the Battle of the Red Fork and forced Robb Stark to send an invading force to enter the Westerlands. Things were not improving for King Robb once the Ironborn decided to raid the West Coast of the North in search for an easy victory, a difficulty that was added to the disastrous sack of the Riverlands by Lannister forces and the complicated issue of having Ser Jaime Lannister and Theon Greyjoy as hostages. To make things worse for the Northerners, both men died in mysterious circumstances (most likely killed by disaffected Stark men that were concerned with King Robb’s excessive kindness).

Yet, the war was known for the famous changes of allegiance that occurred in short periods of time, and instead of trying to burn the entire North in revenge for the death of Prince Theon King Balon decided to withdraw from most of the North and prepare for a different campaign. It was certainly not the most impressive change of the year, since shortly after that Renly and Stannis Baratheon agreed to parley at Storm’s End. To the shock of all the Baratheon vassals and House Tyrell, Renly decided to submit to Stannis and join forces against the Lannisters, thus mortally offending the Tyrells and forcing the pregnant Lady Margaery to relinquish her crown. Once again, it’s impossible for us to know about Renly Baratheon’s true motivations at the moment, but some believe the news of the Lannister sellsword army coming to Westeros may have worried him to a certain degree. It’s not a satisfying explanation, but nonetheless the Baratheons were able to join forces and field the largest army and fleet of the states at war along with their allies in the Reach and the Narrow Sea. In what became of the most crushing blows ever suffered by one of the alliances during the war, most of the Kings moved against Tywin Lannister and Joffrey Baratheon, forcing an impressive number of defeats on their armies. The Tyrells flooded the south of the Westerlands and they tricked Lord Tywin into destroying a substantial part of his army on an ambush in Stokeworth, the Starks retook Harrenhal and captured the Golden Tooth and the Ironborn abandoned the North only to sack and invade the coast of the Westerlands, bringing misery across the land. The Lannister sellswords managed to reach Westeros under the command of Ser Harys Swift, but it seemed as if the end of House Lannister was at hand.

As Tywin Lannister prepared to react with his usual vengeful style, a new claimant appeared on the horizon. Daenerys Targaryen had fought for her live during the past few years, losing her brother Viserys (the last male Targaryen), her husband and her son during her stay with the Dothraki hordes of the Great Grass Sea but winning someone far more valuable: the dragons Viserion/Bittersteel, Rhaegal/Torrhen and Drogon/Blackflame. After a series of trips around the Free Cities, Queen Daenerys arrived in Pentos to receive the backing of the remnants of the Targaryen loyalists, including Magister Illyrio Mopatis, Ser Barristan Selmy, Ser Jorah Mormont and the mighty Golden Company. After a sudden marriage to her first suitor, Prince Quentyn Martell of Dorne, Daenerys Targaryen sent a proclaim to Westeros to raise support for her cause and prepared to sail, forcing the Baratheons to react by increasing their family number by legitimizing the royal bastards Edric and Mya Baratheon. And not only the Stags reacted, Queen Daenerys’s proclaim had the effect of forcing Dorne and the Vale to mobilize and prepare their armies for battle, with the Knights of the Vale leaving for Darry without an announced target after the arrival of Lord Baelish to the Eyrie and the Dornishmen marching under Prince Oberyn to invade the Stormlands and finally join with Queen Daenerys’s army, securing great amounts of land for the Targaryen cause that were increase shortly after that with Ser Jorah Mormont’s surprising invasion of the North. The Tyrells and the Lannisters were at each other’s throats in the push to secure King’s Landing and the Westerlands, engaging in the battles of Rosby and Crakehall and allowing Lord Tywin to march on King’s Landing at the last second. It is said the fall of the Reach from prominence started that very same day with the death of Mace Tyrell at the hands of assassins sent by Lord Tywin (an act later acknowledged by Ser Harys Swift on his unsuccessful Faith Trial).

With the Stormlands filled with Targaryen soldiers and Lord Tywin racing towards King’s Landing it was now or never for the Baratheon Alliance, and so both Baratheon brothers launched an all-out assault to force the victory they needed. The Battle of the Blackwater would be immortalized by the singer Marillion and “The Ballad of the Fire King”), and after a bloody and violent battle involving both naval and land forces and amounts of wildfire not seen before in Westeros, Lord Tyrion Lannister and the capital defenses were beaten before Lord Tywin could arrive. The “Crimson Night” brought the deaths of King Joffrey Baratheon, Queen Dowager Cersei, Prince Tommen and several Lannister loyalists, along with the imprisonment of Lord Tyrion and Princess Myrcella and the disappearance of Sansa Stark and Lord Varys from the city. Stannis and Renly Baratheon were the new rulers of King’s Landing, but their armies were weakened, the Stormlands were under siege by the Targaryens and Tywin Lannister carefully prepared the siege of the city while openly threatening to flay his enemies once they were on sight, knowing full well that the Stags were the ones in trouble now.

Across this whole period there were terrible things happening in the North, although many Lords chose to ignore this situation due to the war. The Night’s Watch, undermanned and poorer every day had lost several men to the wildling forces of Mance Rayder and the growing rumors of the Others having returned, rumors that Lord Commander Mormont did not believe until he was attacked by one of the undead. Recognizing the danger, Lord Mormont took most of the Watch to go North and see the situation for himself, leading to a major disaster in the Fist of the First Men after being attacked by an army made of the Others. Lord Mormont would eventually die in the following weeks, killed by his own men at the Mutiny in Craster’s Keep and turning the Great Ranging into one of the biggest disasters of the history of the Night’s Watch. Very few survivors returned to a Wall now open to an attack by Mance Rayder (including Jon Snow and myself), and it was left to Maester Aemon to send ravens to all of the Lords and Kings of Westeros. Very few replied, and by the time the wildling army reached the Wall only the Stark men leaded by the Glovers had arrived. Mance Rayder took the Wall in the Battle of Castle Black, which ended up with the deaths of Maester Aemon, Janos Slynt and Acting Commander Alliser Thorne. It was the end of the Night’s Watch, after hundreds of years of existence. And thus, the wildlings who were trying to escape the others took over the Wall. King Mance sent a proclaim to the rest of the Kings, stating that they would not march further South, but that the Wall and the Gift belonged to them from now on.

Willas Tyrell, the Mad Rose, was the next player to enter the so called game. By all previous accounts a shy and thoughtful man, it seems the news of his father’s assassination were enough to force the Tyrell Lord to slowly lose his grip on sanity, although this would become apparent until too late. In the meantime, and having her sister safe on Highgarden Lord Willas declared that House Tyrell would not fight for House Baratheon anymore, and he proceeded to declare for Daenerys Targaryen as the legitimate Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.  Before he retreated his army from the Crownlands he offered a feast to his Lords and… he proceeded to have Lord Randyll Tarly and many of his men in the famous “Mad Rose’s Massacre”, one of the most cowardly acts ever enacted on Westeros. Lord Willas blamed Lord Tarly over the death of Lord Willas, but as it was confessed later by Lord Swift during his trial, this deception was probably also the act of Tywin Lannister. My father was not the most famous man to die in that fateful month, though, since King’s Landing had to face another catastrophe. King Stannis had become isolated, weary and paranoid, which meant that only Queen Selyse, Lady Melisandre of Asshai (a Red Priesstess) and the followers of R’hllor could enter the Red Keep, to the anger of the Stormlanders and Lord Renly. It was then that the Lady Melisandre tried to use Lord Pyromance Hallyne and his other to create wildfire for the use of her misguided faith, causing a major accident that would end up burning a good part of the capital, a repetition of the Tragedy of Summerhall. Queen Selyse, Melisandre and Lord Hallyne perished on the fire and as Lord Renly and his men stormed the Red Keep to confront their liege they found that King Stannis Baratheon had been killed and nailed to the Iron Throne. The Fire King was dead after a brief rule of no more than three months, and after the events of that day Renly Baratheon would become the last of the Baratheon Kings, nicknamed “Twice Crowned”.

[Lumine]

BOOK THREE: 299 AL (2)

King Renly applied himself to the task of saving House Baratheon by proclaiming his full support for the Faith and quickly appointing a Small Council formed by the most important Stormlanders and his most loyal follower, the new Hand of the King Loras Tyrell, who was married to Princess Mya Baratheon while the Stormlands were made a part of the Crownlands and House Florent declared for his cause. Alas, he was not the only one receiving more allies, as Queen Daenerys managed to win the support of Lord Velaryon and the Lords of the Narrow Sea while she left Prince Oberyn to conquer the Stormlands to march on King’s Landing. She lost her fleet in the process thanks to the strength of the Baratheon Royal Fleet, but she managed to win the support of Lord Roose Bolton. House Bolton proceeded to betray the Stark forces of the North and join forces with Ser Jorah Mormont to hold White Harbor while proceeding to siege Winterfell, an act with the potential of delivering a crippling blow to House Stark. Knowing he had to act quickly, King Robb moved with the support of the Vale Army of Lyn Corbray to ignore King’s Landing and march on the Tyrell Army of the Mad Rose, fighting a battle that looked winnable until the Knights of the Vale were given the order to attack the Starks. The disaster of Tumbleton would be a Targaryen victory and a crushing blow to the cause of the North, but the Vale would react in anger to the orders of Lysa Arryn. To make things more confusing across the Kingdoms, the Ironborn left most of the captured land on the Westerlands to attack the undefended Reach, with Lord Victarion Greyjoy smashing through the Southern Fleet in the Mander to sack Highgarden and force the Tyrells and the newborn Prince Steffon Baratheon to leave the city, humiliating the Mad Rose despite his earlier success in the field.

Lord Tywin Lannister finally decided that it was time to destroy the Baratheons, and he staged a massive assault on the city with the help of his massive army of sellswords. The battle would end up as a costly stalemate and it would end just after the news of Daenerys Targaryen’s arrival and the defeat of the Starks arrived to both commanders. We will never know which messages were sent among the camps of the former allies in the War of Stags and Dragons, but we do know for certain that King Renly, King Robb and Lord Tywin recognized that Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons were a much greater threat to them, and thus formed the most unlikely alliance just to use their last chance of defeating the Queen before she reached the capital. Of course, they were not the only ones to change sides, as the Houses of the North quickly reacted against Lord Bolton and declared their loyalty to King Robb while Ser Jorah Mormont was murdered by a Stark loyalist, and Lord Yohn Royce led the remaining Lords of the Vale to march against Lysa Arryn and siege the Eyrie. It has been reported that Lady Arryn was quite unstable at the time, and the news of the revolt may have been enough to push her over the edge. Either way, she fell to her death by jumping off the castle walls, following her father Lord Hoster in death by a few weeks, and leaving Lord Royce as the new regent of the Vale to rule until Lord Robert came of age.

Yet another player entered the scene with the sudden return of Lord Euron Greyjoy, who had been exiled by his brother a few years ago. Crafting a clever and risky plan to take the power he wanted, Lord Greyjoy kidnapped a good number of warlocks from the eastern city of Qarth, murdered his rival Lord Blacktyde in Braavos to take over his fleet, and managed to win an interview with Queen Daenerys before she marched on King’s Landing. In what came to be known as the key blow to the destruction of the remnants of House Targaryen, Euron used a magic horn to bind the dragons to him, successfully stealing them and forcing the humiliation of Queen Daenerys. It was shortly after that when the unlikely alliance of Stags, Wolves and Lions charged at the forces of the Queen, forcing the largest and greatest battle ever seen in Westeros, dwarfing the Battle of the Trident when it came to the commanders and the troops involved. The arrival of Tyrell reinforcements under the command of the Mad Rose and Lord Hightower could have saved the day, but the Vale Army changed sides again after killing Ser Lyn Corbray, marching through the rearguard of the Targaryen loyalists and winning the day after the death of Ser Barristan Selmy. Queen Daenerys, broken and reduced to a shell of her former self, retreated to Summerhall along with King Quentyn, where both lovers would kill themselves in the Second Tragedy of Summerhall. After a couple of months of being the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Daenerys Targaryen was dead. While the Targaryen loyalists scrambled and tried to disengage from the Stormlands and Lord Bolton and the Golden Company tried to fought back the new sellsword Lannister army that had arrived in the North, Lord Euron took full advantage of his dragons to murder his brothers Victarion and Balon, forcing the Iron Islands to crown him Iron King under the threat of his dragons. The year of 299 AL was finished, but the war was far from over.