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Contents

AxolotlKnight

Second Lieutenant
Mar 16, 2019
189
223
A History of the Iron Throne - A AGOT History Book AAR


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Hi there everyone and welcome to my first ever AAR, A History of the Iron Throne. As the name suggests it takes place in GRRM's World of Ice and Fire and will be following the history of the Seven Kingdoms. I have been a longtime lurker on these forums for a while now and have been slowly psyching myself up to finally begin writing an AAR of my own. This will be my first time writing in this style so any feedback on how to improve the AAR from readers would be appreciated.





Chapters

Prologue

The Reign of King Aegon I

The War of Conquest - Part 1


The War of Conquest - Part 2

The War of Conquest - Part 3

The War of Conquest - Part 4

The War of Conquest - Part 5

After the Conquest - A Quest for a Capital

King Aegon the Conqueror - The Early Years

King Aegon the Conqueror - Rebellions, Dragons, and Children

King Aegon the Conqueror - The Dragon's Summer


The Reign of King Viserys I

King Viserys - A Young King for a Young Realm

King Viserys - The Winter of 20 AC


King Viserys - Trouble in the Vale

King Viserys - The Falcon Rebellion Part I

King Viserys - The Falcon Rebellion Part II


King Viserys - Peace and...Quiet?

Intermission - The State of Westeros 22 AC

King Viserys - The Arrival of Spring

King Viserys - Trouble in the Faith

King Viserys - A Crisis of Faith Part I

King Viserys - A Crisis of Faith Part II

King Viserys - A Crisis of Faith Part III

King Viserys - Princely Affairs

King Viserys - The Winter Ball

King Viserys - Three Dragons, Three Problems

King Viserys - A Time of Passing

King Viserys - The Lion and the Dragon









 
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Welcome to the AAR world! Always like a good history book AAR, so this is going to be a joy to read.
 
Prologue
Prologue

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“Just like the Seven that rule over us, it is destined that Westeros is to be ruled over by seven kings. Such is the will of the gods.” - Septon Carlton of Ravenwood c.10BC.


Though slightly incorrect Septon Carlton words sum up the basic truth of the political landscape before the arrival of Aegon Targaryen and his dragons. For thousands of years, Westeros had remained divided between rival kingdoms, all of which warred with each other in endless wars of pride and greed. It was said there was no honour among kings, with alliances switching almost daily and assassinations rampant. Tyrants were as common as flies, and the common folk often chafed and suffered under the rule of their cruel overlords. Even as what would become known as the Seven Kingdoms took shape, lords would often take the law into their own hands when in came to ruling their holdings than go to their King for justice. This was the land of chaos and barbarity that the Lord of Dragonstone saw when he toured the Seven Kingdoms, and it both sickened and motivated him.


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By 5BC the age of petty kings was coming to an end, with power being centralised around seven different kingdoms. They were the Reach ruled by Mern IX Gardener, the Stormlands ruled by Argilac I Durrandon, the Rock ruled by Loren I Lannister, the Iron Islands and the Trident ruled by Harren I Hoare, the Vale of Arryn ruled by Ronnel II Arryn, the North ruled by Torrhen I Stark, and Dorne ruled by Meria I Martell. Aegon Targaryen's involvement would begin not as an ambitious invader, but as a potential husband. Storm King Argilac Durrandon, known to history as the 'Arrogant', was in a precarious position in 2BC. Despite halting the decline of his kingdom he was growing old, and with no male heir, it seemed that his line would die out and his kingdom falls into anarchy. His daughter, Argella, did not lack for spirit but it was clear that none of the ambitious Stormlords would ever follow a woman, and eventually, civil war would begin between them. It was unlikely that Argilac's main rivals, Harren Hoare and Mern Gardener, would allow such a good opportunity to go to waste as well. Argilac needed not just an ally, but a husband for his daughter who would be powerful enough to quell both the Stormlords and the other rival kings. For Argilac, Aegon was that man. The offer from the Storm King to Aegon was a generous one, marry his daughter and gain all the lands between the Blackwater Rush and the Gods Eye as your dowry.


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When the offer of marriage between Argella Durrandon and Aegon arrived at Dragonstone the dragonlord politely declined, stating that he already had two wives and that he did not need another. However, Aegon did suggest a different suitor for the Princess, his best friend and reputed half-brother, Orys Baratheon. In return, he would take up Argilac's offer of alliance against Harren the Black. The response from Storm's End was terrible and mighty. The Storm King took Aegon's refusal of marriage as a personal insult against him and his daughter, and the offer to marry her to a rumoured bastard only soured things further. In response, Argilac cut off the hands of Aegon's envoys and sent them back to him with a letter saying “these are the only hands you will receive.”

Argilac's rage did not seem to intimidate Aegon, instead, it seemed to rouse something within him, something that only a few men of legend seem to possess. Almost as soon as the Storm King's reply arrived, Aegon called his banners and summoned his vassal lords to Dragonstone for an emergency council. There, with the support of his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, Aegon announced that the Seven Kingdoms will be separate no longer. By the end of the night, ravens flew across Westeros, announcing that from now on Westeros was considered to be one land and ruled by one king.

The reply from the other monarchs was as expected, with all of them refusing to bend the knee even with the threat of the sword and dragonflame. Dragons were rightfully feared in Westeros, but for many, they had become a novelty, an old relic from an empire that had been destroyed over a century before. Aegon knew that he would have to prove both the worth of his dragons in battle and so on a sunny morning in 2BC he and his meagre force of one-thousand two-hundred landed at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. When they had disembarked, Visenya unveiled a large banner with a scarlet dragon with three heads, the new sigil of House Targaryen.


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Welcome to the AAR world! Always like a good history book AAR, so this is going to be a joy to read.

Thank you for the warm welcome!
 
Welcome to the forum and AAR community! Consider me subbed on this :)
 
Welcome to AAR writing. I hope you enjoy yourself.
 
The War of Conquest - Part I

The War of Conquest- Part I

The land which Aegon and his army made their landing was dominated by three hills, the largest of which looked across Blackwater Bay and the surrounding area. Even with three dragons, Aegon knew that his small force was vulnerable to attack and would not last long against a large enemy host. To protect them he ordered a small motte-and-bailey castle be built on the highest hill, naming it the Aegonfort when it was completed. When news arrived that Bywater, Dalston Keep, and Stonedance had all raised their banners against the Targaryens, Aegon quickly sallied forth from the fort and advanced south before Argilac could meet up with Lords Massey, Gaunt, and Bywater.

It was near the castle of Attadale, deep in the Kingswood, that the first battle of the Conquest took place. The united forces of Bywater, Dalston Keep, Haystack Hall, and Stonedance stood against the paltry one-thousand two-hundred men sworn to House Targaryen. Lords Massey and Gaunt were both so confident of victory that they charged their forces headlong into Orys Baratheon's small host without informing their allies, Lady Bywater and Lord Errol. When the Targaryen force resisted the first charge, Lord Errol sallied forth and joined the forces of Lords Massey and Gaunt in the hopes of not losing out on the war loot. Lady Bywater, however, did not join them and instead held back her forces as she watched the battle unfold. It would turn out she was right to, for only moments after Lord Errol's men arrived did the Targaryen's play their hand. Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya descended onto the battlefield with their dragons, letting their mounts spew dragonflame on their enemies, burning man, horse, and trees alike. Within seconds the enemy force was routed, with Lords Massey, Gaunt, and Errol escaping by the skin of their teeth. Having seen the rapid destruction of her former allies, Lady Arianne Bywater promptly sent an envoy with a message of submission to Aegon.


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Bolstered by the forces of House Bywater, Aegon quickly marched on Stonedance with the hopes of subduing Lord Triston Massey and securing his northern flank. When he arrived at Stonedance Aegon did not receive submission, but instead defiance from the proud Lord Triston. It was the belief of Lord Massey that he was safe from dragonflame whilst behind the thick walls of his holdfast, how wrong he was. When Aegon's offer of mercy in return for submission was rejected, both Lady Bywater and Lord Bar-Emmon pleaded with the king that they siege Stonedance out rather than burn it to the ground. That would take time however, time Aegon did not have. On the dawn of the third day of the siege, Aegon mounted Balerion and rode him high above Stonedance, giving the defenders one last look at the beast. Before they knew it, Balerion released his black dragonflame on the castle, sending men tumbling off the battlements as they burned. It took no more than a minute for Stonedance to be completely engulfed by the flames of the Black Dread, yet it would take a week for them to die down to such a point that men could enter the castle. When they finally did all they found were the charred remains of the castle denizens including, presumably, Lord Triston and the entirety of House Massey.



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News of King Argilac and his army crossing the Wendwater reached Aegon a day after he had burnt Stonedance to the ground. Within an hour of hearing the news, the Targaryen army marched towards Bywater, where Argilac had besieged. As Orys Baratheon and the Targaryen army re-entered the Kingswood, Aegon and his sisters hovered above them on their dragons, making sure they were not set upon by armies hiding in the groves of the wood. By the time they reached Bywater, Argilac's forces had swelled to nearly twenty-thousand men, far outnumbering Aegon's meagre force of two-thousand. Like with Lord Massey, Aegon sent a message to Argilac offering mercy if he submitted to House Targaryen. Unsurprisingly Argilac baulked at the suggestion, and instead sent back the messenger's head with the words “Ours is the Fury” etched into the skin.

The battle would commence the following morning, with the confident Argilac moving against the small Targaryen host still encamped in the Kingswood. Despite the pleas of Lord Sunglass and Lord Bar-Emmon to retreat, Orys Baratheon decided to hold his ground in the deep thicket of the Kingswood, confident in both the environment's protection and his king's dragons. It was said that as the Durrandon banners came into view lightning was heard in the distance, a dreadful omen of the slaughter to come. Thrice did the Stormlanders smash into Orys' shield wall and thrice they were beaten back, though with each charge the Targaryen force was being whittled away bit by bit. It was only when the sun began to set that Argilac decided to join the fray himself, his confidence bolstered by the fact that Aegon and his dragons had not been seen for the entire day, and that it was common knowledge that dragons can not fly in the dark. How wrong he was.


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As day turned to night the battle entered a new level of savagery as the neat and orderly battle lines gave way to brutal and chaotic brawling. Argilac, who even in his advanced age thrived in battle, cut a bloody swath through Targaryen forces with the objective of reaching Orys Baratheon himself. It was in the chaos that Baratheon and Durrandon met on the field of battle, both of them caked in mud and blood and other foul fluids. It was said that no man dared to come between the two as they clashed, neither to save or hinder them. As old as he was, Argilac held his ground against Orys, whose own strength and prowess as a fighter were well known. It was said that both Targaryen and Durrandon troops stopped fighting and watched the titanic duel unfold, though this is more likely a fantastical embellishment added years later to make the occasion seem grander than it really was. The fight would come to end when, amongst the shrill song of clashing steel, an ear-piercing roar bellowed across the battlefield. The Targaryen soldiers, who had grown accustomed to the sound of dragons, began to retreat deeper into the woods, leaving the Stormlanders to jeer them. For his part, Orys Baratheon continued his duel with Argilac until one of his men dragged him away.


The Stormlanders did not celebrate for long though, for in the light of the moon appeared three large silhouettes of winged creatures dancing amongst each other. It did not take long for Argilac to realise what they were and with a sudden, panicked shout he ordered all archers and crossbowmen to fire at the drakes. None of the arrows and quarrels damaged either the dragons or their riders, their only effect was to send the drakes into a rage. Streams of red and black dragonflame spewed forth from the maws of Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar as they strafed the Durrandon army. Those who were incinerated in an instant were the luckiest, most were slowly cooked in their armour as the flames spread from man to man like a fire on a dry meadow. The men who survived claimed that the air smelt like boar roasting over a log fire, and some even admitted in shame that it set their bellies rumbling as they saw their compatriots burn to a cinder. As the scale of the devastation became clear, Argilac stood in stunned silence as he realised that all was lost. In an apparent desperate attempt to at least get vengeance for his defeat, Argilac ran towards the dragon Vhagar and threw a spear towards the rider, Visenya. The tip of the spear just skimmed past the Queen's face, leaving a faint scar across her pale cheek and incensed dragon. In an uncontrollable rage, Vhagar charged forth towards the Storm King, taking no notice of the quarrels, arrows, and spears being launched towards it. Before Argilac could react, Vhagar drowned him in flame and then consumed him. With the death of their king, the remaining Stormlander fled, leaving the burning battlefield to the victorious Targaryens.


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A day later the remnants of the Stormlander host, which now numbered only four-thousand men, assembled outside of Bywater once more. Control of the army was not something the remaining lords desired, for it was feared that Aegon would punish them for it. Instead, they forced Lord Gyles Peasbury to the task. A minor marcher lord with poor lands and a small keep, Lord Gyles' first task was to send a letter of submission to Aegon in the hopes of mercy. A few hours after the raven was sent, Aegon and his sisters arrived at Bywater on dragonback, a sight which spread fear amongst the Storm Lords. It was only when Aegon dismounted with a smile and embraced Lord Gyles like a brother that the other, more powerful lords, approached Aegon and gave him their submission.


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The question on every one of the lords' lips was who would now rule the Stormlands, would it be Aegon directly or would he assign someone to oversee the land for him. There was also the matter of Storm's End, which was now under the control of Princess Argella Durrandon. Aegon was quick to answer the Storm Lords, naming his friend Orys Baratheon as the new Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. In order to secure the ancient castle of the Durrandons, Orys was given command of the Argilac's remaining forces and the support of Queen Rhaenys, whose dragon Meraxes was a sure way of sending terror into the castle's defenders.

The news of Argilac's defeat and death had reached Storm's End by the time the Targaryen forces arrived, and now Argella had named herself the rightful Storm Queen. When Orys sent her the same offer of mercy that Aegon had given his enemies, Argella rejected it outright. When Orys mentioned the fate of House Massey and Stonedance, Argella responded that she would rather die a Queen in my own castle than bend the knee to a would-be usurper. However, Argella's willingness to die a martyr was not shared by the castle garrison, who rightfully feared the terrible fate that had befallen Lord Triston Massey barely a week earlier. The next day a rider was sent out of Storm's End with a white flag, announcing that Storm's End would be surrendered to Orys at once. As a peace offering, the castle's garrison brought out Argella, who was naked and in chains. Horrified, Orys ordered her unshackled and gave her his cloak to hide her nakedness. For a whole night, Orys and Argella conversed in the King's solar at Storm's End, discussing the fate of her father and the fate of his lands. The following morning Orys announced that, with the King's blessing, he and Argella were to be wed. When Aegon gave his blessing, as was expected by many, Orys not only wed Argella but also took on the sigil and House words of the Durrandons. On that day, House Baratheon was formed.


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Well that seems like a perfectly reasonable reward. He certainly can't be faulted for his efforts.
 
Always enjoy seeing an AAR from the Conquest start. It's fascinating to see the myriad paths the forging of the Seven Kingdoms into a single Iron Throne can take.

I'll most certainly be following this one :)
 
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The War of Conquest Part II
War of Conquest – Part II
The news of the downfall of House Durrandon and conquest of the Stormlands spread quickly across the Seven Kingdoms, creating a wave of fear in the courts of Westeros. Those who had ignored Aegon Targaryen as an up jumped Essosi pirate were now forced to confront the harsh truth, that sooner or later Aegon and his dragons would have to be confronted. King Loren Lannister of the Rock and King Mern Gardener of the Reach formed an alliance, promising to aid each other against the marauding dragonlord. King Ronnel Arryn's regent and mother, Sharra, called the Knights of the Vale to action and garrisoned the Bloody Gate. Even King Torrhen Stark of the North began to slowly marshal his bannermen at Moat Cailin.

It would be King Harren Hoare of the Islands and the Rivers who would strike first at the Targaryen invaders. Unlike his neighbours, Harren had not sat idle while Aegon fought his war with Argilac Durrandon, instead, he had ordered the Lords of the Iron Isles to sail with their forces around the Arm of Dorne and up the Narrow Sea. Whilst they did that Harren toured the Riverlands with his Ironborn force of eight thousand men, the intent being to pressurise the infamously fickle River Lords into sending men to fight Aegon. For the most part, it worked, though the amount Harren received depended on the strength of the holdfast. For example, Lord Darry gave pledged nearly half of his fighting men to Harren after the King hinted at possibly letting his Ironborn reave his lands. On the other hand, Lord Tully pledged only fifty mounted men-at-arms, for he knew that Riverrun was nigh impregnable.



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After the victory at Bywater, Aegon marched his forces northwards and back across the Blackwater Rush, his sights faced firmly towards the large towns of Rosby and Duskendale. Aegon discovered that Lord Rosby and Lord Darklyn had little stomach to fight dragons, and their surrender was forthcoming. It was while Lord Darklyn hosted Aegon at Duskendale that news arrived of a force, twelve-thousand strong, marching towards the town with great speed. Aegon quickly mustered his forces and advanced towards the army, hoping that Harren Hoare was among them. However, when the Targaryen army arrived they found a flurry of white banners flying above the opposing army. “It seems that even Harren the Black and his fearless Ironborn bow to the might of the dragon” Aegon is reported to have said as he received the messengers from the surrendering army. “No” one of the messengers replied, “he was a fool, and we Riverlanders are tired of following fools.” The second messenger, who revealed himself to be Lord Edmyn Tully of Riverrun, bowed to one knee. “If Harren and his heathen brethren want to march into the dragon's maw then so be it, as for me and my fellow River Lords...well we welcome you as our new king and as a liberator.”

With the allegiance of the River Lords secure, Aegon's attention turned to what happened to Harren. “Someone let him know our intention to side with you” answered Lord Edmyn when asked about Harren's fate “so he escaped in the night with a handful of retainers, leaving the bulk of his Ironborn in the dark when it came to his escape. When morning broke and news of his disappearance spread, we left the leaderless Ironborn and marched south to pledge fealty to you.” The first and most obvious place Harren would try to flee to was his own monstrous creation, Harrenhal, which was reputed to be impossible to siege. However, when Aegon and Visenya descended on the castle the frightened wardens surrendered immediately. No sign of Harren was found after a thorough search, leading many to think he had fled to the Iron Islands. It was only when word arrived from Dragonstone that the fate of Harren was revealed.

It was Lord Aethon Celtigar, the steward of Dragonstone, who has sent the message to Aegon. It was on a hazy summer's morn that sails were spotted to the south of the island, at first there was a couple, then a dozen, then two dozen, three, four, and more until there were hundreds of sails covering the horizon. On the sails were emblazoned the sigils of the Houses of Goodbrother, Greyjoy, Drumm, Harlaw, Farwynd, and Hoare. At the armada's head was a small merchant's carrack with a plain sigil. Little did Aethon know that the Carrack held King Harren, who quickly escaped the Riverlands via Maidenpool and joined up with his remaining forces. In a state of panic, Lord Aethon ordered the island's inhabitants to take refuge in the keep of Dragonstone, hoping the castle would hold out long enough for Aegon to arrive.

Ships from Driftmark, Claw Isle, Duskendale, Rosby, and Bywater were all gathered at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, all of which were of vastly different sizes and uses. Some were dromonds and galleys made for war, but the majority were built for trade and travel. As the Targaryen forces boarded the ships, Aegon and Visenya flew ahead, scouting the sea for any Ironborn longships looking to block the fleet from reaching Dragonstone. The few they found were burnt immediately, but for the most part, the Ironborn fleet stuck together, patrolling the shores of Dragonstone and fishing the nearby waters.

To lead the fleet Aegon put Lord Daemon Velaryon to the task, naming him the first Master of Ships. Like most of his House, Lord Daemon had been sailing since he could walk and was trained in the arts of both maritime trade and warfare. It was with Lord Daemon that Aegon formulated his battle plan, using the larger and slower trade ships as shields while the swifter war and fisher ships would flank around the bulk of the Ironborn fleet and box them in. On the day of the battle, the sea was calm, the sky was blue, and the air was like a cool salve on a hot summer's day. “An auspicious day for battle” Lord Daemon declared to his eldest son, Aethon, who was a fine sailor in his own right “today is the day the world sees what House Velaryon is capable of.”



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Unsurprisingly, the greedy and impulsive Ironborn took the bait that Lord Daemon had lain for them, with the longboats practically racing each other to the thirteen fat and slow cogs that had been at the front of the Targaryen fleet. There were so many longboats that eventually they could no longer move, leaving the Ironborn slow and vulnerable. As the reavers boarded the cogs and carracks they found nothing but stacks of hay, dry wood, and puddles of thick black oil. It was Othor Farwynd, the second son of Lord Farwynd of Lonely Light, who realised what was going on. “Lord Daemon and his dragon king had played us for fools” his said years later “as soon as I saw the oil I knew they meant to burn us.”

He would be proved right as a fire arrow from the bow of Lord Daemon's flagship arced through the sky and landed on the centre cog, bursting the ship into flames. The fire spread first to the other trade ships, and then to Ironborn longships themselves. As chaos spread through the Ironborn ranks, Daemon sprung his trap, sending the smaller ships around the compacted Iron Fleet and boxing them in. The Ironborn were not ones to give up though, and the longships at the back of fleet desperately tried to break out, with some being successful in their endeavour. However, the fate of the battle was sealed when two large winged shadows appeared in the sky, the sight of which sent the infamously savage and stoic Ironborn into a panic. It was said that when Balerion and Vhagar bathed the Iron Fleet with their dragonflame, nearly all of the sailors had already thrown themselves overboard, choosing to either swim to safety or meet their Drowned God in the depths below.



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It is unknown how many Ironborn died that day, only that a fifth of the force returned to the shores of Dragonstone. It was said that Harren hacked the head off the man who had reported the defeat to him and had all his captives drowned as retribution. With the remaining forces, he had left Harren abandoned his siege of Dragonstone and instead headed to the weaker island of Driftmark, where he hoped to avenge his loss at the hands of Daemon Velaryon. When Visenya caught sight of the Ironmen disembarking at the eastern side of Driftmark, the Targaryen fleet headed for the island at full haste.

The two armies would meet half a mile from Castle Driftmark, on a windswept hill that overlooked Blackwater Bay. It was said that the Ironborn fought fiercely, pushing back the Targaryen forces time and time again. This did not last, for like every battle before it, King Aegon and his dragons descended onto the battlefield and unleashed hell on their enemies. When the Ironborn broke and fled, Harren attempted to jump off a nearby cliff to his death, only to be stopped by Lord Vickon Greyjoy and his men, who clapped him in irons and handed him to Aegon as a sign of surrender.



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Like always, Aegon was gracious in victory “You fought hard and well, Lord Harren, but now it is over. Accept my terms and you will be allowed to rule the Iron Islands in my name.” When Harren heard the terms, which included renouncing all claims to the Riverlands and his castle Harrenhal, the old king spat at the valyrian's boots. “Very well” Aegon answered “your sons will retain the island of Orkmont and nothing more. As for you...I think a cell at Harrenhal would suit you.”



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In recognition of his service to the crown, Aegon named Vickon Greyjoy the new Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands, whilst also naming Lord Edmyn as Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. Three of the Seven Kingdoms were now in Targaryen hands, and stories of Aegon's victories were now spreading across Westeros and the Free Cities. The good news for Aegon did not stop there, for a few days later Visenya announced that she was pregnant.




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Welcome to the forum and AAR community! Consider me subbed on this :)

Welcome to AAR writing. I hope you enjoy yourself.

Thank you!

Well that seems like a perfectly reasonable reward. He certainly can't be faulted for his efforts.

Gotta love the Westerosi "I killed ya dad so I am taking his land and your hand in marriage, deal with it!"

Always enjoy seeing an AAR from the Conquest start. It's fascinating to see the myriad paths the forging of the Seven Kingdoms into a single Iron Throne can take.

I'll most certainly be following this one :)

I like that as well, espeically when Houses that are wiped out survive the War and thrive.


Cheers!
 
So Harren lives in his old hold. I am not sure how much improvement that is from being burned alive.
 
I have to give props to Harren for his audacity, if for nothing else. Even if Aegon's victory was in some sense inevitable, losing Dragonstone (however temporarily) would have been quite the blow to his pride and reputation.

Harrenhal remains unburnt, I see. Is Aegon planning on making it his new capital once all's said and done?
 
so... no Harren barbecued? :(
 
So Harren lives in his old hold. I am not sure how much improvement that is from being burned alive.

Being cooked alive in your own castle gives you some sort of fame I suppose :D

I have to give props to Harren for his audacity, if for nothing else. Even if Aegon's victory was in some sense inevitable, losing Dragonstone (however temporarily) would have been quite the blow to his pride and reputation.

Harrenhal remains unburnt, I see. Is Aegon planning on making it his new capital once all's said and done?

Harren tried his best to win (he tried even harder than his canon counterpart) but against the might of the dragons there was not much he could have done. As for Harrenhal, it is currently in the hands of Aegon so we will see where that road takes him. King's Landing maybe expensive to build, but Harrenhal is infamously expensive to maintain, even as a ruin.

so... no Harren barbecued? :(

Hahaha sadly no, though he does get to enjoy the comforts of the cells of his own castle though!
 
The War of Conquest Part III
The War of Conquest Part III
With the defeat of Harren Hoare, Aegon's attention turned to the richest Kingdom in Westeros, the Rock. The Rock, also known at the time colloquially as the Westerlands, was ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock. The Lannister's power was built on both the strength of Casterly Rock as a fortress, which was reputed to be impregnable and the wealth of its mines. It was said that the Rock was home to more gold than every other gold mine in Westeros combined. We will never know the full truth, the Lannisters always kept their quantity of gold a secret, but we do know it was enough to bankroll a Kingdom for thousands of years. In any other war, the Rock would have probably had an easy time defending its lands against an invading army, though this was not any other war. Dragons did not need to care for narrow mountain passages and large, unassailable holdfasts.

In desperation, the King of the Rock, Loren Lannister, begged for assistance from his southern neighbour, King Mern Gardener of the Reach. While Loren was the richest King in Westeros, Mern was the most powerful. The Reach is a land of plenty, with rolling fields, tranquil meadows, and fish-filled rivers and streams. It was said that nearly a half of Westeros' population lived in the Reach at the time of the conquest, with the large population centres of Oldtown, the Arbor, and Tumbleton lying within the Reach's borders. For his part, Mern had been watching Aegon Targaryen since the raven demanding submission had arrived at Highgarden, carefully observing the moves the Dragon King. It was with the death of Mern's longtime rival, the Storm King Argilac Durrandon, that Mern decided to call his banners and march to Loren's aid. According to estimates at the time, the Gardener army swelled to nearly forty thousand men by the time it made it's way north.


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Almost as soon as he had arrived at Dragonstone, Aegon and his army returned to the mainland and began their march on the Westerlands, rendezvousing with his sister Rhaenys and her small forces at Byford. During this campaign, there would be only two dragons, with Visenya remaining at Dragonstone to give birth to the child in her belly. Yet even with two Aegon and his commanders were confident in victory. “You conquer the world with just Balerion,” Lord Darklyn said when the lack of Visenya and Vhagar was mentioned, “even the might of Casterly Rock would wither in the heat of Dragonflame.”

The Targaryen army would begin its march into the Westerlands unopposed, taking the submissions of many of the keeps, castles, and towns they came across. At the Golden Tooth, Lord Lefford's son and heir rode out to submit to King Aegon personally. When asked where his father was, the young man answered that “he has gone where all the fools, romantics, and dispossessed have gone, to join King Loren's army.”

The Lannisters and the Targaryens would meet at the sleepy village of Oxcross. To call it a battle would perhaps be going a bit too far, for it was only after light skirmishes that Balerion and Meraxes appeared in the air and the Lannister host retreated into the hills in terror. Now truly unopposed, Aegon and his forces marched on Casterly Rock with great speed before Mern Gardener's forces could arrive. When the dark wings of the two dragons were sighted flying above Lannisport, the bells of every Sept in the city rang out as the city's denizens fled to cover in panic. There were some who were fearful that Aegon would rain dragon fire down onto the city, or let his army in and subject Lannisport to a sacking. It was the quick thinking of Lannisport's ruler, Lord Tywald Lannister, that spared the city from the horrors of war. When Tywald met Aegon outside the city gates, he begged the King to allow him to try and get his distant cousin to bend the knee. Aegon agreed, but only if he could also enter the castle as well. Tywald and Aegon remained at Casterly Rock for nearly a day as they tried to convince Loren to submit to Aegon and his dragons. When the day was done Aegon walked out with the crown of the Kings of the Rock in his hand, and the submission of the Westerlands and House Lannister.



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The rapid defeat of House Lannister was a shock to King Mern and his lords, who had all assumed that Loren would defend his Kingdom to the death. Many of the prouder lords denounced Loren Lannister as a coward and a turncloak, and vowed to see him pay for his 'betrayal'. Mern wasn't so blustering, his maesters wrote that the King entered an unnerved silence for nearly two days, with sustenance only be provided to him when his sons worried about his health. On the third day, he commanded the giant Gardener army to split, with one retreating to the banks of the Mander River, and the other advancing to Leafy Lake. Mern took personal command of the second force, hoping that he could scare off the advancing Targaryen army.

It was as the Targaryen army marched into the Reach that Aegon received news that Visenya had given birth at Dragonstone, and to everyone's delight it was a healthy son. In recognition of his wife's loyalty, Aegon named his new son and heir Viserys. Witnesses claimed that Aegon promised a victory for his newborn son, and ordered his army to march directly on Leafy Lake. When Rhaenys scouted ahead on the back of Meraxes, she discovered that Mern had been preparing for their arrival. Around the small lake, giant wooden palisades had been erected, with central towers crowned with scorpions, the choice weapon of dragonslayers.

It was dry summers morning when the battle finally joined. Instead of the sounds of the morning birdsong, the fields around Leafy Lake were subjected to the sounds of terrible violence, of men's screams, of steel shrieking, of dragons roaring. It must be mentioned that Mern Gardener and his Reachmen held out longer than any other force the Targaryen's faced up to that point, with neither sword, spear, arrow, or quarrel dislodging them from their lakeside fort. It was when the sun began to set that the Reachmen broke, though only after half a day's worth of fighting and the burning of their fortress with the breath of Balerion and Meraxes together. As with many battles, however, it is only when the front-line breaks that the real slaughter begins. Many were cut down as they fled, while overs drowned in the lake as they tried to swim to the other side. Even the dragons had their fill, descending onto helpless crowds of fleeing men with flame and claw and teeth.



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Seven Lords of the Reach perished that day and another thirteen were captured, including Lords Tarly, Florent, Strickland, and Hightower. The most prestigious prize for Aegon was the capture of King Mern Gardener, who had been found trying to save Lord Roxton's son from drowning in Leafy Lake. Once again Aegon offered the weary King clemency if he bent the knee, and a defeated Mern gladly accepted it. “I was fairly beaten that day” declared Mern years later “my last act as a king was to spare the Reach the fate of so many men at Leafy Lake. The Dragon was meant to rule Westeros, it is known.” For his submission, Aegon named Mern Lord of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach, and Warden of the South.



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great! let-s see what the North does
 
Aegon is proving remarkably merciful.