Battle of the Seven Stars

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Battle of the Seven Stars
Battle of the Seven Stars.jpg
The Battle of the Seven Stars, as depicted by John McCambridge in The World of Ice & Fire
Conflict Andal invasion
Place Giant's Lance in the Vale
Result

Andal victory

Combatants
First Men:

House Royce.svg Kingdom of the Vale, the Fingers, and the Mountains of the Moon/House Royce

Andals:
Commanders
House Royce.svg King Robar II Royce
House Upcliff.svg Ursula Upcliff
House Redfort.svg Lord Redfort
House Arryn.svg Ser Artys Arryn
House Ruthermont.svg Lord Ruthermont
House Templeton.svg Ser Luceon Templeton
House Corbray.svg Ser Jaime Corbray
Strength
Unknown (30 Lords) Unknown
Casualties
King Robar II Royce
Ursula Upcliff
Lord Redfort†
14 First Men Houses extinct
Torgold Tollett
Artys Arryn's decoy

The Battle of the Seven Stars, or Battle of Seven Stars,[1] was a massive battle that took place at the foot of the Giant's Lance during the Andal invasion of the Vale. Septon Mallow wrote an account of the battle. The First Men of the Vale were defeated, and dominion over the Vale was claimed by House Arryn and their Andal supporters.[2]

Prelude

The invading Andals initially conquered much of the Vale, as the native First Men kings were disunited and often collaborated with the Andals against each other. Once most of the Vale was under Andal control, however, they began to fight amongst themselves. The remaining First Men houses then began to unify behind Robar II Royce, crowning him High King of the Vale, the Fingers, and the Mountains of the Moon. After Robar defeated Qyle Corbray, the Graftons, and the Hammer of the Hills, the threatened Andals united behind the young Ser Artys Arryn, an Andal knight born near the Giant's Lance.[2]

Robar's First Men, who were mostly on foot, fortified their position with the Giant's Lance at their back, lining their trenches with sharpened stakes. The Andals arrived at dusk three days later.[2]

Battle

The exact details of the conclusive battle between the First Men and the Andals in the Vale are lost to legend. Andal songs claim the Andals began their attack when they saw seven stars in the dawn sky. The First Men resisted the first six Andal attacks, but the seventh was led by Torgold Tollett, who slew Lord Redfort and Ursula Upcliff. To prevent a rout, King Robar led the First Men's counterattack and slew Torgold the Grim. Hoping to render the Andals leaderless, Robar then dueled with Artys Arryn, slaying the armored knight.[2]

Five hundred Andal knights then attacked the First Men from their rear, as Artys was familiar with a goat track which led around the Giant's Lance. Leading these reinforcements was Artys himself, as one of his retainers had dressed in the Arryn armor as a decoy and been slain by Robar. The Andals routed the First Men, with all thirty of Robar's lords killed. Robar died in the fighting, although it is disputed whether he was vanquished by Artys Arryn, Lord Ruthermont, Luceon Templeton, or Jaime Corbray.[2]

Aftermath

The Battle of the Seven Stars resulted in the extinguishing of fourteen First Men houses and the submission to the Andals of other houses, such as the Belmores, Hunters, Coldwaters, Redforts, and Royces. Ser Artys was crowned Artys I Arryn, King of Mountain and Vale. Those First Men who did not submit to the Andals fled into the Mountains of the Moon, becoming the mountain clans.[2]

References

  1. The Rise of the Dragon, The Conquest: The Seven Kingdoms (The Vale).
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The World of Ice & Fire, The Vale.