Werthead
Lemming of Discord
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- Jun 4, 2006
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A full report from the Worldcon reading of THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE on Aegon's invasion of the Seven Kingdoms:
(note: very long)
Aenar Targaryen relocated his family from Valyria to Dragonstone 12 years before the Conquest. His daughter Daenys had prophetic visions of the Doom. Dragonstone had been a Valyrian outpost for 200 years by that point. Aenar had five dragons, including Balerion. The other four died during the next century, but Vhagar and Meraxes were hatched in that time. House Celtigar and House Velaryon were Targaryen allies and moved with them to the Narrow Sea.
Only a few Valyrian Houses had dragons. They were known as 'Dragonlords'. The Targaryens were the only Dragonlords to survive the Doom; the rest were wiped out.
The rulers of Dragonstone after Aenar were:
Gaemon the Glorious: son of Aenar, brother-husband of Daenys.
Aegon and Elaena: Gaemon's son and daughter who ruled together as siblings and a married couple.
Maegon: Aegon and Elaena's son.
Aerys: Maegon's younger brother.
Aelix, Baelon and Daemon: Aerys's sons.
Aerion: Daemon's son. Wed to Velena of House Velaryon.
Aegon (the Conqueror) was Aerion's grandson. He was born in 27 BC (Before Conquest). Traditionally, he would have only married his elder sister, but married both. All three were dragon-riders before they were married.
Whilst Aegon seems to have been planning an invasion anyway (he had made the Painted Table and visited parts of the Seven Kingdoms before incognito, gathering intelligence and information), he was moved to act out of vengeance. King Argilac Durrendon of Storm's End offered Aegon the hand of his daughter, Argella, in marriage, but Aegon refused. Aegon offered instead the hand of his ******* half-brother and best friend, Orys Baratheon. Argilac, known as 'The Arrogant', was apopleptic with rage at this insult. He cut off the hands of Aegon's envoy and sent them back to Aegon, telling him these were the only hands that the ******* would have. Aegon, furious, decided to make war upon Argilac and conquer the rest of Westeros whilst he was at it.
Aegon sent ravens to the heads of all the Seven Kingdoms (King Torrhen Stark of the North, King Ronal Arryn of the Vale, King Harren Hoare of the Iron Islands and Riverlands, King Loren Lannister of the Westerlands, King Mern IX Gardener of the Reach, King Argilac Durrendon of the Stormlands and Princess Mariya Martell of Dorne), agreeing to let them keep their lands if they swore fealty to him. Most did not take him seriously. However, the Princess of Dorne and the Regent of the Vale, Queen Shara Arryn, did offer an equal alliance (the latter if he would wed her and declare her son his heir).
Aegon landed his host at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush and built 'Aegon's Fort' on what is now Aegon's High Hill. Aegon declared himself Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and named Orys Baratheon the first King's Hand.
Aegon split his forces, sending some south under Orys and Rhaenys with orders to take Storm's End. The rest went by ship to Gulltown with Visenya. However, the Targaryen fleet was destroyed in battle with the Arryn fleet. Visenya burned many of the Arryn ships with her dragon in revenge but seems to have retreated from further engagements.
Aegon led his main army on Harrenhal. Lord Edmyn Tull of Riverrun led a popular uprising against the ironbon and declared for Aegon. Outnumbered, the ironborn fell back on Harrenhal. Harren parleyed with Aegon, but Aegon would not accept anything less than unconditional surrender. When Harren refused, Aegon told him his line would end at sunset. True to his word, he took Balerion high up over the walls of the castle and burned Harren alive in his tower. The ironborn surrendered or fled, whilst Aegon named Edmyn as Lord Paramount of the Trident.
Argilac led his army to engage Orys in the field. The battle took place in the rain, so became known as the Last Storm. Despite being outnumbered, Orys won the battle conventionally, only using Rhaenys and her dragon to shore up his lines (possibly the weather prevented her from being used more decisively). Argilac was killed by Orys in personal combat. His daughter Argella declared herself the Storm Queen and barred the gates of Storm's End, but was arrested by her own bannermen and handed over naked and in chains to Orys. Orys treated her gently, married her, and took House Durrendon's sigil and words for his own. Aegon named Orys Lord of Storm's End and the founder of House Baratheon.
Hearing of the chaos in the south, King Torrhen Stark called his banners. Waiting for his full strength to assemble (unlike Robb, who had to move fast), he eventually led an army of 30,000 southwards.
Houses Lannister and Gardener made alliance and dispatched an army of 55,000, including 600 lords and 5,500 knights, to intercept Aegon. Aegon's army from the Riverlands was only 10,000 strong, but he was joined by both his sisters as Stoney Sept before marching south. Their armies met on a dry field. Rhaenys and Visenya set fires behind and upwind of the enemy, blinding them with smoke and confusing them (and also limiting the use of archers, the biggest danger to the archers), whilst Balerion directly breathed flame onto the army. 4,000 troops were burned alive and another 1,000 died when Aegon's army engaged them. Aegon lost only 100 men. King Loren bent the knee, whilst King Mern IX and his remaining kin were all killed. His steward, Harlen Tyrell, surrendered Highgarden and Aegon named him Lord of the Reach (to the disquiet of House Florent).
Aegon planned to invade Dorne, but learned of the 30,000 Northerners moving down into the Riverlands. Aegon rushed north with 45,000 troops. Upon seeing Aegon's dragons and numbers, King Torrhen sent his ******* half-brother, Brandon Snow, to treat with Aegon (advised by three maesters). They negotiated an honourable surrender, and Torrhen peacefully swore fealty to Aegon. Brandon was apparently annoyed, as he had offered to sneak into Aegon's camp and kill the three dragons, but Torrhen had refused him.
Meanwhile, the Arryn army had formed up at the Bloody Gate to deny the Targaryens entry into the Vale. Trying a different tack, Aegon sent Visenya to the Eyrie on her dragon. When Queen Regent Shara rushed outside, she found the boy-king Ronal playing with Visenya in the courtyard. Ronal agreed to swear fealty in return for a ride on Visenya's dragon. Queen Shara (reluctantly) agreed and the Vale swore fealty to Aegon.
Aegon went to Oldtown. The High Septon fasted for seven days and seven nights on what to do, and concluded that Aegon was the rightful king of all Westeros. House Hightower bent the knee and Aegon was received into Oldtown in triumph. He dated the start of his reign to that day. However, he chose to make his capital on the site of his fort and named it King's Landing.
Rhaenys went to conquer Dorne, but faced a miserable time. The Dornish did not give open battle, attacking in fierce guerrilla bands and destroying the supply lines of the Targaryen army. Frustrated, Rhaenys flew straight to Sunspear and was confronted by the ruler. Princess Mariya Martell - the 'Yellow Toad of Dorne' - was 80, blind and almost bald. She told Rhaenys, "Dorne has no king. Tell your brother that. This is Dorne, you are not wanted here. Return at your peril." Rhaenys said she would return with "Fire and Blood," but the Yellow Toad simply said, "Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken." Aegon called off the invasion, content with what he had achieved.
(note: very long)
Aenar Targaryen relocated his family from Valyria to Dragonstone 12 years before the Conquest. His daughter Daenys had prophetic visions of the Doom. Dragonstone had been a Valyrian outpost for 200 years by that point. Aenar had five dragons, including Balerion. The other four died during the next century, but Vhagar and Meraxes were hatched in that time. House Celtigar and House Velaryon were Targaryen allies and moved with them to the Narrow Sea.
Only a few Valyrian Houses had dragons. They were known as 'Dragonlords'. The Targaryens were the only Dragonlords to survive the Doom; the rest were wiped out.
The rulers of Dragonstone after Aenar were:
Gaemon the Glorious: son of Aenar, brother-husband of Daenys.
Aegon and Elaena: Gaemon's son and daughter who ruled together as siblings and a married couple.
Maegon: Aegon and Elaena's son.
Aerys: Maegon's younger brother.
Aelix, Baelon and Daemon: Aerys's sons.
Aerion: Daemon's son. Wed to Velena of House Velaryon.
Aegon (the Conqueror) was Aerion's grandson. He was born in 27 BC (Before Conquest). Traditionally, he would have only married his elder sister, but married both. All three were dragon-riders before they were married.
Whilst Aegon seems to have been planning an invasion anyway (he had made the Painted Table and visited parts of the Seven Kingdoms before incognito, gathering intelligence and information), he was moved to act out of vengeance. King Argilac Durrendon of Storm's End offered Aegon the hand of his daughter, Argella, in marriage, but Aegon refused. Aegon offered instead the hand of his ******* half-brother and best friend, Orys Baratheon. Argilac, known as 'The Arrogant', was apopleptic with rage at this insult. He cut off the hands of Aegon's envoy and sent them back to Aegon, telling him these were the only hands that the ******* would have. Aegon, furious, decided to make war upon Argilac and conquer the rest of Westeros whilst he was at it.
Aegon sent ravens to the heads of all the Seven Kingdoms (King Torrhen Stark of the North, King Ronal Arryn of the Vale, King Harren Hoare of the Iron Islands and Riverlands, King Loren Lannister of the Westerlands, King Mern IX Gardener of the Reach, King Argilac Durrendon of the Stormlands and Princess Mariya Martell of Dorne), agreeing to let them keep their lands if they swore fealty to him. Most did not take him seriously. However, the Princess of Dorne and the Regent of the Vale, Queen Shara Arryn, did offer an equal alliance (the latter if he would wed her and declare her son his heir).
Aegon landed his host at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush and built 'Aegon's Fort' on what is now Aegon's High Hill. Aegon declared himself Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and named Orys Baratheon the first King's Hand.
Aegon split his forces, sending some south under Orys and Rhaenys with orders to take Storm's End. The rest went by ship to Gulltown with Visenya. However, the Targaryen fleet was destroyed in battle with the Arryn fleet. Visenya burned many of the Arryn ships with her dragon in revenge but seems to have retreated from further engagements.
Aegon led his main army on Harrenhal. Lord Edmyn Tull of Riverrun led a popular uprising against the ironbon and declared for Aegon. Outnumbered, the ironborn fell back on Harrenhal. Harren parleyed with Aegon, but Aegon would not accept anything less than unconditional surrender. When Harren refused, Aegon told him his line would end at sunset. True to his word, he took Balerion high up over the walls of the castle and burned Harren alive in his tower. The ironborn surrendered or fled, whilst Aegon named Edmyn as Lord Paramount of the Trident.
Argilac led his army to engage Orys in the field. The battle took place in the rain, so became known as the Last Storm. Despite being outnumbered, Orys won the battle conventionally, only using Rhaenys and her dragon to shore up his lines (possibly the weather prevented her from being used more decisively). Argilac was killed by Orys in personal combat. His daughter Argella declared herself the Storm Queen and barred the gates of Storm's End, but was arrested by her own bannermen and handed over naked and in chains to Orys. Orys treated her gently, married her, and took House Durrendon's sigil and words for his own. Aegon named Orys Lord of Storm's End and the founder of House Baratheon.
Hearing of the chaos in the south, King Torrhen Stark called his banners. Waiting for his full strength to assemble (unlike Robb, who had to move fast), he eventually led an army of 30,000 southwards.
Houses Lannister and Gardener made alliance and dispatched an army of 55,000, including 600 lords and 5,500 knights, to intercept Aegon. Aegon's army from the Riverlands was only 10,000 strong, but he was joined by both his sisters as Stoney Sept before marching south. Their armies met on a dry field. Rhaenys and Visenya set fires behind and upwind of the enemy, blinding them with smoke and confusing them (and also limiting the use of archers, the biggest danger to the archers), whilst Balerion directly breathed flame onto the army. 4,000 troops were burned alive and another 1,000 died when Aegon's army engaged them. Aegon lost only 100 men. King Loren bent the knee, whilst King Mern IX and his remaining kin were all killed. His steward, Harlen Tyrell, surrendered Highgarden and Aegon named him Lord of the Reach (to the disquiet of House Florent).
Aegon planned to invade Dorne, but learned of the 30,000 Northerners moving down into the Riverlands. Aegon rushed north with 45,000 troops. Upon seeing Aegon's dragons and numbers, King Torrhen sent his ******* half-brother, Brandon Snow, to treat with Aegon (advised by three maesters). They negotiated an honourable surrender, and Torrhen peacefully swore fealty to Aegon. Brandon was apparently annoyed, as he had offered to sneak into Aegon's camp and kill the three dragons, but Torrhen had refused him.
Meanwhile, the Arryn army had formed up at the Bloody Gate to deny the Targaryens entry into the Vale. Trying a different tack, Aegon sent Visenya to the Eyrie on her dragon. When Queen Regent Shara rushed outside, she found the boy-king Ronal playing with Visenya in the courtyard. Ronal agreed to swear fealty in return for a ride on Visenya's dragon. Queen Shara (reluctantly) agreed and the Vale swore fealty to Aegon.
Aegon went to Oldtown. The High Septon fasted for seven days and seven nights on what to do, and concluded that Aegon was the rightful king of all Westeros. House Hightower bent the knee and Aegon was received into Oldtown in triumph. He dated the start of his reign to that day. However, he chose to make his capital on the site of his fort and named it King's Landing.
Rhaenys went to conquer Dorne, but faced a miserable time. The Dornish did not give open battle, attacking in fierce guerrilla bands and destroying the supply lines of the Targaryen army. Frustrated, Rhaenys flew straight to Sunspear and was confronted by the ruler. Princess Mariya Martell - the 'Yellow Toad of Dorne' - was 80, blind and almost bald. She told Rhaenys, "Dorne has no king. Tell your brother that. This is Dorne, you are not wanted here. Return at your peril." Rhaenys said she would return with "Fire and Blood," but the Yellow Toad simply said, "Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken." Aegon called off the invasion, content with what he had achieved.
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