The crownlands is one of the regions and the capital of The Kingdom of the Iron Throne. It was never a sovereign nation, instead being contested by river kings, Storm Kings, and local petty kings until Aegon the Conqueror seized control of the area during his Wars of Conquest and made it his primary foothold on the continent. Since then, the crownlands have been ruled directly by the crown on the Iron Throne, first House Targaryen and, after Robert's Rebellion, House Baratheon. They are now ruled by House Baratheon of King's Landing as descended from King Renly and Queen Margaery, as the location of King's Landing, the largest city in Westeros.
Geography[]
The Crownlands are based around Blackwater Bay, with the capital of King's Landing built where the Blackwater Rushmeets the bay. King's Landing, the largest city in Westeros, contains the Great Sept of Baelor and the Red Keep, the home of House Baratheon of King's Landing. Settlements north of King's Landing include Antlers (seat of House Buckwell), Rosby(seat of House Rosby), Stokeworth (seat of House Stokeworth), and Duskendale (seat of House Rykker), the region's secondary port. The Crownlands used to include Cracklaw Point, but that territory was surrendered to the Riverlands under the dominion of the Kingdom of Winter as a result of the Second Reclaimant War.
The kingsroad connects King's Landing with Storm's End to the south and the crossroads to the north, while the capital is connected to Lannisport by the goldroad and to Highgarden by the roseroad. The land is largely flat. Lying in the middle portion of Westeros, the crownlands possess a temperate climate.
History[]
The region of the Crownlands was formed as a true region with the Targaryen conquest, becoming the central power base of the Targaryen dynasty, which the kings ruled directly instead of through a Lord Paramount, and the location of the capitol of King's Landing.
Since the Conquest, the crownlands houses have historically been a strong source of support for House Targaryen, with Crackclaw Point being particularly fierce supporters. The Conqueror's councillors included several crownlands men, including Crispian Celtigar, Daemon Velaryon, and Tristan Massey. Nobles from the region such as Qarlton Chelsted, a Hayford lord, and several Targaryens have served as Hand of the King, and even smallfolk of the region are near enough to catch the royal eye for such service. Nobles and smallfolk alike also provide much of the manpower for the City Watch of King's Landing. The Kingsguard has also included many men of the crownlands.
The Defiance of Duskendale, a rising by the Darklyns during the reign of King Aerys II Targaryen, was a sign that even the normally loyal crownlands were losing respect for the dragonlords. Later, the outlaws of the Kingswood Brotherhood robbed nobles in the forest before being suppressed by the Kingsguard.
King's Landing was sacked by the forces of Lord Tywin Lannister during Robert's Rebellion, also known as the War of the Usurper. After the death of Aerys, the new king, Robert I Baratheon, tasked his younger brother Stannis with building a new royal fleet and leading the assault on Dragonstone. er Willem Darry fled the island with Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen, however. Robert named Stannis the new Lord of Dragonstone, although Stannis felt slighted that that their youngest brother, Renly, received the more prestigious Storm's End. With several Kingsguard having died during the war, Robert named Ser Boros Blount to the White Cloaks.
Wars and Battles[]
The War of the Seven Kings[]
The Crownlands were the other major instigator of the War of the Seven Kings along with the North, as the location of the Iron Throne and the seat of the king. After Renly Baratheon defeated Stannis, he marched for King's Landing, sending the Redwyne fleet ahead to besiege it by sea. Despite harassment by a force of Dornishmen led by Oberyn Martell attacking from the rear, Renly's force eventually reached the capital, only to be forced to retreat to the Parchments by a calvary force led by Kevan Lannister.
The Redwyne Fleet engaged the Royal Fleet off Massey’s Hook. Joffrey heard news of the battle and thought to end Renly. He marched from King’s Landing with a small host to meet with Kevan’s remnants. He marched against his councils wishes and sent orders for Tywin to follow to make up his rearguard. Alarmed by the news, Tywin ordered his forces to split, sending half to King’s Landing and half to follow Joffrey under him. In the confusion Petyr Baelish absconded with Sansa Stark.
Mace Tyrell heard of Joffrey’s march on the Parchments and decides to meet him in the field. On the border of the Crownlands and Stormlands they met. The battle was hard fought but Joffrey lacked command. What’s more, Tywin failed to arrived and the battle was fought without a Rearguard. The boy king died screaming on the field, his sworn sword, Lancel Lannister dying with him.
Tywin and his men dig in but many were disheartened upon seein their King’s head on a spike. Renly’s forces crushed Tywin’s killing the lion. What remained of his host retest to King’s Landing, telling story of Renly’s unstoppable force. In her grief over the death of her first born and daughter, Queen Cersei committed suicide. She would have taken her son Tommen as well had it not been for Tyrion Lannister. He saved the young boy from the poison his mother gave him and fled he capital with the boy, along with the Mountain Clans of the Vale. With them went the last defenders of King’s Landing.
War of the Exiles[]
The opening blow of the War of the Exiles was struck at the Crownlands, as Daenerys took Dragonstone, Claw Isle, and Driftmark all in a single day, surprising and alarming King Renly greatly. Daenerys's fleets landed at and surrounded Massey's Hook, a large force of her men vanishing into the KIngswood and setting the people of King's Landing wholly on edge. Renly, however, was not convinced. All reports made it clear that this force was large and highly mobile. Ambush raids from the Kingswood were not practical, nor could such a group stay hidden for long. More over, this group clearly lacked siege equipment. He ensured his remaining advisors that no attack would come on King’s Landing from this cavalry group, not yet at least. He ordered the Crownlander forces to split up, sending half to retake the Valyrian isles and half to join him in linking with the Stormlander forces.
Soon, the Royal Fleet and Lord Redwyne liberated Claw Isle, forcing Daenerys's forces to retreat to Massey's Hook. After defeating Barristan the Bold, Renly's army marched up the hook, but was flanked by exile forces commanded by Tyrion Lannister, and forced to retreat back to King's Landing. Meanwhile, Lord Redwyne retook Driftmark, only to have himself and his fleet burned by the Dragon Queen.
Ultimately, the dragon queen was defeated in the Battle of Blackwater Rush, her dragon's wings pierced and ruined by bastilla. She escaped back to Meereen, and Renly's rule was assured.
Second War of Reclamation[]
In the aftermath of the Second War of Reclamation, the Crownlands had to cede a significant portion of their land- Cracklaw Point and its lands- to the Riverlands and the Kingdom of the North, losing more than a third of their territory and allowing the northern kingdom's borders to creep ever closer to King's Landing.
Houses Sworn to House Baratheon of King's Landing[]
Lords Paramount[]
- House Baratheon of Storm's End
- House Tyrell of Highgarden
- House Martell of Sunspear
- House Lannister of Casterly Rock
Crownlands Houses[]
- House Baratheon of Dragonstone
- House Sunglass of Sweetport Sound
- House Buckwell of the Antlers
- House Blount of the Needles
- House Chyttering of Chyttering
- House Hayford of Hayford
- House Hogg of Sow's Horn
- House Massey of Stonedance
- House Bar Emmon of Sharp Point
- House Edgerton of Fury Flame
- House Pyle of Great Helm
- House Rosby of Rosby
- House Farring of Crossguard Keep
- House Follard of the Jests
- House Rykker of Duskendale
- House Dargood of Duskendale
- House Darke of Duskendale
- House Darkwood of Duskendale
- House Staunton of Rook's Rest
- House Langward of Longfield
- House Manning of Blackrush
- House Stokeworth of Stokeworth
- House Rollingford of the Fountains
- House Thorne of Thornefield
- House Velaryon of Driftmark
- House Cressey of Crest Ridge
- House Harte of Harte's Crest
- House Longwaters of Hull
- House Wendwater of Wendwater
- House Kettleblack of the Pot
- House Mallery of the Mall
Minor Houses Sworn Directly to King's Landing:
- House Bywater of Greatshore
- House Chelsted of the Sheath
- House Gaunt of Grey Guard