The Vale

The Vale is one of the constituent regions in the Kingdom of Winter . It was formerly a sovereign nation ruled by the Kingdoms of the Mountains and the Vale before Aegon's Conquest. Before the War of the Seven Kings, it was one of the regions of the Seven Kingdoms. The Vale is ruled by House Arryn, who once ruled from the castle known as The Eyrie, but after the destruction of the castle in The War for the Vale House Arryn moved their seat of power to The Bloody Gate. Bastards of this region are given the surname Stone.

The Vale of Arryn
Location	Westeros
Inhabitants	Valemen, Mountain Tribes

Geography

The borders of the Vale are held to be the Bite to the north, the Bay of Crabs to the south, the Mountains of the Moon and then the riverlands to the west, and the narrow sea to the east. The Vale consists of various regions: the Vale of Arryn itself; the Mountains of the Moon; the snakewood; the Fingers; and the islands of the Three Sisters, the Paps, and Pebble.

The Vale is located on the eastern shore of Westeros, a land of fertile soil, rivers, and lakes, protected by its largely impassable Mountains of the Moon. The Vale tends to be slightly isolated from the rest of Westeros. Its harsh winters make travel only possible through the mountains during warmer years, and rebellious mountain clans make travel even more dangerous. The Vale can be reached through the high road, which connects the Vale and the riverlands, and is protected by the Bloody Gate.

The mountainous border of the Vale of Arryn proper appears to include the Bloody Gate in the west and the Eyrie and Longbow Hall to the north. The fertile lands within the valley include Ironoaks, Old Anchor, Redfort, and a peninsula containing the city of Gulltown and Runestone. The town of Wickenden is located along the Bay of Crabs, in the mountains south of the valley. Castles north of the Vale proper in the valleys of the Mountains of the Moon and the snakewood forest include Coldwater, Heart's Home, Snakewood, and Strongsong.

History

During the Age of Heroes, the Vale was thinly populated and was ruled by a score of petty First Men kings. The Winged Knight is among the legendary heroes of the Valemen from thousands of years ago.

The Vale was where the Andals landed when they began their invasion of Westeros. Rather than unite against the newcomers, many of the First Men rulers sought alliances with the Andals, often with disastrous results. House Arryn claimed the Vale after defeating the First Men in the Battle of the Seven Stars. As such, the Arryns are one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility in the Seven Kingdoms. The Arryns ruled as Kings of Mountain and Vale for approximately six thousand years. Those First Men who did not accept Andal rule fled into the Mountains of the Moon, becoming the mountain clans.

Following the Rape of the Three Sisters two thousand years ago, the Vale warred with the North for a thousand years. The Wolf's Den was besieged by Osgood Arryn and burned by the Talon during the War Across the Water between the two kingdoms. The Three Sisters swore fealty to the Arryns, although their loyalty remains tenuous. The Bloody Gatewithstood three attempts by Halleck Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, to conquer the Vale.

The Arryns bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror during House Targaryen's Wars of Conquest, bringing the Vale under the control of the Iron Throne. During the Dance of the Dragons, Jacaerys Velaryon gained the Vale for the cause of the blacks. The Arryns remained loyal to the Targaryens during the First Blackfyre Rebellion, although there were battles in the Vale during the civil war. The Arryns blocked access to the Vale during the Great Spring Sickness.

Robert's Rebellion began in the Vale, when Lord Jon Arryn, Defender of the Vale, refused to surrender his wards, Lords Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark, to King Aerys II Targaryen. Defeating his royalist bannermen at Gulltown, Lord Arryn went on to help Robert secure the Iron Throne, and was named his Hand after the war. In Lord Arryn's absence, Nestor Royce governed as High Steward of the Vale.

The War of the Seven Kings (298 AC-301 AC)

The tensions behind the War of the Seven Kings began when Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon, was found dead. His Wife, Lysa Arryn fled Kings Landing with their son Robert Arryn shortly after, then sending a letter to her sister Catelyn Stark alleging that the Lannisters had killed the Hand and were plotting to kill the King as well.

Later Catelyn Stark would bring Tyrion Lannister as her prisoner to the Vale to stand trial, leading to Tywin Lannister waging war in the Riverlands.

The Vale stayed out of the War until King Robb Stark arrived at the Vale with the intention of treating with his cousin Robert Aryn. However, he found Lord Petyr Baelish ruling the Vale and Lysa Aryn dead, along with his sister Sansa Stark. Sansa confided in Robb all of the crimes that Lord Baelish had committed, including coercing Lysa into murdering her husband. Baelish was arrested by Lord Andar Royce for the Murder of Lysa and Robert Aryn swore fealty to the North.

When the War was ended, the Vale became a territory of the Kingdom of Winter and was granted Crackclaw as a part of its territories.

The Little War (331 AC- 332AC)

The Little War began when the debts of Petyr Baelish were called into question by the Iron Bank of Braavos. While the debts were incurred while Littlefinger was a part of the Small Council of Robert Baratheon as Master of Coin, the Iron Bank determined that the Kingdom of Winter owed them these debts. During this war, the Great Fleet of Lord Ulysses Arryn was destroyed in battle against sellsails serving the Iron Bank.

The First War of Reclamation (340 AC-342AC)

Tensions had been on the rise between the Kingdom of the Iron Throne and the Kingdom of the North. King Loras I Baratheon had caused a war in the North Against Braavos and the Iron Bank. He also began to throttle trade, crippling he Riverlands economy. The final spark to the powder keg came in the form of an Ironborn raiding party. Lead by Lord Aeron Greyjoy, the fleet was returning from conquest and plunder in the Summer Isles. The fleet was scheduled to moor at Gulltown to offload goods before sailing home with timber for fleet production. To do this they would have to pass through the Stepstones. Upon arrival, they were taken as a raiding party and attacked by the Lords of the Stepstone, sworn to House Baratheon. The Iron Fleet took heavy losses and Aeron himself was killed.  His young son Harras rallied the fleet into a retreat and arrived at Gulltown.

Word quickly spread of what had transpired to Lord Arryn and King Stark. Eddard I Stark decided to answer violence with violence and orders the North, Vale, and Iron Fleets to sail for the Stepstones. He ordered the Northern armies amassed at Moat Cailin and ordered Lord Tully to stage at Harrenhal. He wrote King Baratheon and demanded the king answer for his Lord’s crimes.

The War for the Vale/The Second Targaryen Invasion (368AC-370AC)

In 368AC King Targaryen of Meereen swarmed into the Vale. With him landed twenty five thousand swords, Lord Lannister of Astapor and Prince Martell of Yunkai. Sellsails besieged Gulltown and the Sisters.

Lord Arryn was away in the North, serving on the King’s Council. He was alarmed by the news, as was King Stark. Lord Arryn demanded immediate action. King Stark ordered most of his armies to amass at Moat Cailin whilst another portion to get to White Harbor.

Lord Arryn requested to take a portion of The Northern forces as an expeditionary force. King Stark refused the request. Lord Tully, Lord Egen of Harrennehal, Frey of Darry, and Lord Moorton formed a blockade at the border. Lord Tully informed his troops they would not march in without direct orders from King Stark. Lord Egen was enraged, claiming Tully and Stark were condemning the Vale.

King Targaryen landed in the courtyard of The Eyrie with a dragon and two dozen of his best soldiers. They slaughtered the Arryn guard and took the castle by force, only losing three soldiers. To celebrate his victory, King Targaryen threw Lord Arryn’s mother out of the Moon Door.  Across the Vale, more keeps feel. Prince Martell landed and established a foothold at Runestone. Then he moved south and left a siege force at Gulltown before marching on to Iron Oaks and Old Anchor.

The Sisters were swarmed early on morning and taken by Sellswords. The fleet blockading also landing swords who moved to take cold water burn and Snakewoods.

A group of Martell’s forces marched on Redford but found it abandoned. Soon Wickenden was taken, abandoned as well. King Targaryen flew down from the Vale to take Heart’s Home and Longbow Hall. The former was abandoned, infuriating the King.

Lord Karstark lead the Northern Fleet south to attack the Sellsails off the coast of the Sisters. With him sailed Lord Manderly. They broke through the boats and landed troops on Little Sister. However, the Sellswords hads taken the castle. Lord Manderly lay siege whilst Karstark chased the Fleet away.

Stark and Arryn marched south to link up with Lord Tully. Aftyer two moons and gathering more soldiers to Tully’s blockade, Stark ordered his forces to move out. Tully sept south with his soldiers, taking a path between the mountains and the seas and marching on Wickenden.

Stark’s army marched up the High Road. This proved a fatal mistake as Lord Lannister marched from the Bloody Gate. A full battle between the mountains erupted. Kking Targaryen swooped down burning the enemy alive. Stark suffered heavy losses but escaped into the mountains along with other survivors. King Targaryen attempted to search for them from dragonback but found the mountains impossible to navigate. Stark has evaded them.

In his anger, King Targaryen returned to the Eyrie and threw a member of House Arryn outr the door once a day for a fortnight. Soon only Lord Arryn’s son remained, his prized Falcon.

Stark and Arryn regrouped with what remained of their armies. Stark knew a forward attack wouldn’t win them the war. Rumors of a growing resistance from rebellious Lords had spread to Stark and Arryn, who decided to attempt to find the rebels. Lord Glover took command of Stark’s army and marched on north for Strong Song which remained one of the few untaken keeps.

Tully’s men descended upon Wickenden. They fought their way into the keep against the Sellswords and soldiers. Tully’s men took the keep. Tully left Lord Piper to hold it and marched on to Redfort.

Glover arrived to Strong Song and agreed to give two thousand men to House Belmore to retake Snakewoods and Coldwater Burn. Little Sister fell to Manderly, who moved to Long Sister, once again fighting tooth and nail to retake the isle. Karstark’s Fleet was on the defensive now as Sellsails pushed back hard.

Stark and Arryn soon found the hideaway of the rebel lords, who were being assisted by the Mountain Clans. Lords Redfort, Corbray, and Royce lead the Vale forces. The camp held tension as the Lords demanded the Mountain Clans attack with them in a forward assault. The Mountain Clans were skeptical, believing the Lords of The Vale would go back to hunting them once Targaryen was routed. For a moon, Stark and Arryn travelled with the rebel camps throughout the mountains, attacking Targaryen soldiers in light raids.

During this time Tully faced down Prince Martell in the field. Tully was victorious and sent Martell retreating to Old Anchor. Tully blockaded Runestone and Gulltown by land, trapping the Targaryen armies dieting the two keeps.

Lord Belmore took Snakewoods in a daring asssault but failed in his campaign against Coldwater Burn. He returned to Snakewoods to defend. Manderly took Long Sister and finally moved on to Sisterton. Karstark’s Fleet forced the Sellsails out for good. Sending them retreating to Gulltown.

After a little over a year of Guerilla Warfare, Stark and Arryn moved to make peace between the Clans. Stark made the arguement that an alliance with Lords had benefited the Mountain Clans before. The Clans retreated for two days to discuss. When they returned, they agreed to try things Stark’s way.

Tully had, during that year, besieged Runestone and assaulted the army surfing Gulltown, taking back the port city. Karstark’s Fleet moved from the Sisters to Gulltown and had begun a brutal naval conquest against the Sellsails fleets connecting Old Anchor, held by Martell, and the besieged Runestone. Manderly was sieging Sisterton.

Iron Oaks became a war zone as Tully and Martell fought back and forth to claim the Keep. Lannister had taken up The Gates of the Moon for his Keep. Targaryen had written to King Baratheon of the Iron Throne, newly crowned following the passing of King Steffon I. In it he promised the King domain of the Riverlands and Harrenhal as his personal seat if he allied with Targaryen to route the Wolves. Baratheon would not reply. In secret, Targaryen made plans to conquer the Kingdom of the Iron Throne.

News then came that alarmed all in Targaryens camp. Heart’s Home had been retaken in a daring, unprecedented attack lead by Stark and Arryn. Targaryen ordered Lannister to hunt them down and stop them. He flew to Gulltown, but was harassed by siege equipment Tully had built and was turned away without causing much damage.

Lannister soon found the survivors from Heart’s Home, who informed him that Stark and Arryn had allied with the Mountain Clans in a daring assault. Lannister ordered his men to march towards Heart’s Home and attack any groups coming from the Keep. He soon descended upon a large host marching with Stark and Arryn banners. He attacked and won the day, slaughtering the army. But found no sign of the King or Lord Arryn. He was furious, ordering his men to search the mountains. A week later survivors from an assault on Longbow Hall arrived informing Lannister’s camp that Stark and Arryn had taken the Keep as well. Lannister ordered his men to fall back to reinforce Martell in the South whilst he took a small band of men back to the Eyrie.

Lannister’s retreating men arrived to  Old Anchor. Martell decided to split his forces in half. Part of them would sail across the bay to Runestone to launch an assault against Tully. The other half would march on and retake Longbow Hall. A Riverlands raiding party assaulted the Gates of the Moon, destroying them.

Lannister arrived to the Eyrie and urged his king to retreat. Targaryen lamented, ordering the Eyrie ravaged as his men began to escape. Martell sailed across the bay and reinforced Runestone. The Sellsails began a hard offensive against Karstark, forcing the fleet back. Coldwater Burn surrendered to House Belmore.

Manderly lead a frontal assault on Sisterton and took the Keep. After a fortnight Targaryen and Lannister received a letter: Longbow Hall had been retaken, Stark retreated into the Mountains, Lord Arryn had been captured. Lannister urged Targaryen to retreat but his King insisted on waiting for his final prize. The Heir of House Arryn was taken away as the retreat from Runestone began.

Four members of the Company of the Cat arrived to the Eyrie with a bound Lord Arryn. Targaryen told his final followers, ten guards and King Lannister to rest easy, they departed at dawn. Martell retreated from Runestone in the night.

That same night, the four Sellswords slaughtered Targaryen’s men. One man made his way into the courtyard and stabbed at King Targaryen’s dragon. The dragon awoke and screamed in pain, roasting the would be killer alive. This awoke Targaryen to find an assassin in his room. King Targaryen subdued and killed the man before rushing to his courtyard and taming his injured beast. Lord Arryn was locked in a sky cell when this all occurred, awaiting the assassins to free him once the castle had been taken.

King Targaryen, Lord Lannister, and the last surviving Targaryen Guard mounted the dragon. The beast rose high into the air and breathed a great flame onto The Eyrie, lighting the Keep to be seen all over the mountains.

Ten days later, King Stark and his men ascended the burned out Keep. They found a starved and half mad Lord Arryn dying in his cell.

Houses Sworn to House Arryn of The Eryie

The Principle Bannermen to House Arryn of the Eyrie are:

• House Belmore of Strongsong
  • House Breakstone of Breakstone
  • House Pryor of the Pebble
• House Corbray of Heart's Home
  • House Coldwater of Coldwater Burn
  • House Lynderly of Snakewood
  • House Oldstone of the Fingers
• House Egen of Mooncrest
  • House Templeton of Ninestars
• House Grafton of Gulltown
  • House Arryn of Gulltown
  • House Shett of Gulltown
• House Hersy of New Keep
  • House Elesham of the Paps
  • House Upcliffe of Witch Isle
• House Hunter of Longbow Hall
  • House Donniger of Red Dawn Hall
  • House Wydman of Rampart
• House Melcolm of Old Anchor
  • House Moore of Spearrack
  • House Waxley of Wickenden 
• House Redfort of Redfort
  • House Lipps of the Gap
  • House Ruthermont of Seastar Hall 
• House Royce of Runestone
  • House Tollett of Grey Glen
  • House Shett of Gull Tower
• House Waynwood of Ironoaks
  • House Hardyng of the Hardvale
• House Sunderland of Sisterton
  • House Borrel of Sweetsister
  • House Longthorpe of Longsister
  • House Torrent of Littlesister