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{{Noble House  
 
{{Noble House  
 
| House_name = House Gardener of [[Highgarden]]
 
| House_name = House Gardener of [[Highgarden]]
| image        = [[File:House Gardner.PNG|250px]]
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| image        = [[File:House Gardener.svg|250px]]
 
| image_caption =  
 
| image_caption =  
 
| Coat_of_arms = Argent, a hand couped vert
 
| Coat_of_arms = Argent, a hand couped vert
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| Founded = [[Age of Heroes]]
 
| Founded = [[Age of Heroes]]
 
| Founder = [[Garth the Gardener]]
 
| Founder = [[Garth the Gardener]]
| Died_out = {{date|-1}} in the [[War of Conquest]]
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| Died_out = [[Years before Aegon's Conquest|1 BC]] in the [[War of Conquest]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''House Gardener of Highgarden''' is the extinct house of the old and famed [[King of the Reach|Kings]] of the [[Reach]]. Beginning with the mythical first king [[Garth the Gardener]], the Gardeners ruled, through war and peace and the assimilation with the [[Andal]] [[Andal invasion|invaders]], down the generations, until the last Gardener king [[Mern IX Gardener]] and his kin were killed at the [[Field of Fire]] in the [[War of Conquest]].{{ref|twoiaf| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
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'''House Gardener of Highgarden''' is the extinct house of the old and famed [[King of the Reach|Kings]] of the [[Reach]]. Beginning with the mythical first king [[Garth the Gardener]], the Gardeners ruled, through war and peace and the assimilation with the [[Andal]] [[Andal invasion|invaders]], down the generations, until the last Gardener king [[Mern IX Gardener]] and his kin were killed at the [[Field of Fire]] in the [[War of Conquest]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
  
Their seat was [[Highgarden]], where many Gardener kings sat upon a living throne called the [[Oakenseat]] that grew from an oak that the mythical [[Garth Greenhand]] himself was reputedly said to have planted. The Kings of House Gardener wore crowns of vines and flowers when at peace, and crowns of bronze thorns (later iron) when they rode to war.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} Their blazon was a green hand over a white field,{{ref|tss}}<ref>The Citadel. Heraldry: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Houses/7/ Houses in the Reach]</ref> which inspired the chivalric [[Order of the Green Hand]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Highgarden}}
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The kings of House Gardener initially ruled the [[Reach proper]], focused on [[Highgarden]] and the [[Mander]] river,{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach}} but over time they used their claim of descending from Garth the Gardener to claim supremacy over neighboring kings and [[lord]]s.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} Their seat was Highgarden where many Gardener kings (and one queen) sat upon a living throne called the [[Oakenseat]] that grew from an oak that the mythical [[Garth Greenhand]] himself was reputedly said to have planted, until the throne's destruction during the reign of [[Garth X Gardener]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
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The Kings of House Gardener wore crowns of vines and flowers when at peace, and crowns of bronze thorns (later iron) when they rode to war.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} Their blazon was a green hand over a white field,{{ref|tss}}<ref>The Citadel. Heraldry: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Houses/7/ Houses in the Reach]</ref> which inspired the chivalric [[Order of the Green Hand]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Highgarden}}
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===Age of Heroes===
 
===Age of Heroes===
The Gardeners claimed descent from the mythical [[Garth Greenhand]], who, according to legends from the Reach, is said to have been the High King of the [[First Men]] and common ancestor of numerous noble houses from the Reach.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Garth Greenhand}} His firstborn child was [[Garth the Gardener]], the legendary first King of the Reach who reigned in the [[Age of Heroes]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Garth Greenhand}} According to legend, Garth the Gardener made his home on the hill atop the [[Mander]] river that in time would become known as Highgarden, and wore a crown of vines and flowers. From his loins sprang House Gardener, whose kings would rule the Reach for many thousands of years.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Garth Greenhand}}
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The Gardeners claimed descent from the mythical [[Garth Greenhand]], who, according to legends from the Reach, is said to have been the High King of the [[First Men]] and common ancestor of numerous noble houses from the Reach.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Garth Greenhand}} His firstborn child was [[Garth the Gardener]], the legendary first King of the Reach who reigned in the [[Age of Heroes]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Garth Greenhand}} According to legend, Garth the Gardener made his home on the hill atop the [[Mander]] river that in time would become known as Highgarden, and wore a crown of vines and flowers. From his loins sprang House Gardener, whose kings would rule the Reach for many thousands of years.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Garth Greenhand}}
  
The Gardener kings initially ruled the [[Reach proper]], although over time they expanded their territory. The western marches between [[Horn Hill]] and [[Nightsong]] were eventually added to the Gardeners' domain. [[Old Oak]], [[Red Lake]], and [[Goldengrove]] joined the realm with pacts of friendship and mutual defense with [[Garth III Gardener|Garth III]] (the Great).{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} [[Meryn III Gardener|Meryn III]] brought the [[Arbor]] into the kingdom and made [[House Redwyne]] his vassals after his cousin, the last [[King of the Arbor]], was lost at sea.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Oldtown}} Not long after, King [[Garland II Gardener|Garland II]] (the Bridegroom) brought [[House Hightower]] of [[Oldtown]] and their domains into the realm by wedding his daughter to Lord [[Lymond Hightower]] and putting aside his own [[Polygamy|wives]] to marry Lymond's daughter.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Oldtown}} King [[Gwayne III Gardener|Gwayne III]] (the Fat) resolved the quarrel between Lords [[House Manderly|Manderly]] and [[House Peake|Peake]] and accepted fealty for their lands without bloodshed. [[John II Gardener|John II]] (the Tall) received homage from lords and petty kings as he sailed his barge to the headwaters of the Mander.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}
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The Gardener kings initially ruled the [[Reach proper]], although over time they expanded their territory. The western marches between [[Horn Hill]] and [[Nightsong]] were eventually added to the Gardeners' domain. [[Old Oak]], [[Red Lake]], and [[Goldengrove]] joined the realm with pacts of friendship and mutual defense with [[Garth III Gardener|Garth III]] (the Great).{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} [[Meryn III Gardener|Meryn III]] brought the [[Arbor]] into the kingdom and made [[House Redwyne]] his vassals after his cousin, the last [[King of the Arbor]], was lost at sea.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Oldtown}} Not long after, King [[Garland II Gardener|Garland II]] (the Bridegroom) brought [[House Hightower]] of [[Oldtown]] and their domains into the realm by wedding his daughter to Lord [[Lymond Hightower]] and putting aside his own [[Polygamy|wives]] to marry Lymond's daughter.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Oldtown}} King [[Gwayne III Gardener|Gwayne III]] (the Fat) resolved the quarrel between Lords [[House Manderly|Manderly]] and [[House Peake|Peake]] and accepted fealty for their lands without bloodshed. [[John II Gardener|John II]] (the Tall) received homage from lords and petty kings as he sailed his barge to the headwaters of the Mander.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}
  
Legendary Warrior kings from this time include [[Garth V Gardener|Garth V]] (Hammer of the Dornish), [[Gwayne I Gardener|Gwayne I]] (the Gallant), [[Gyles I Gardener|Gyles I]] (the Woe), and [[Gordan I Gardener|Gordan I]] (Grey-Eyes).{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} The Gardener kings often warred with the [[ironborn]], sometimes in alliance with the [[Kings of the Rock]] and the Lords of [[Oldtown]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} At least six Gardener kings died in battle against the ironborn, including [[Gareth II Gardener|Gareth II]] (the Grim), [[Garth VI Gardener|Garth VI]] (the Morningstar), and [[Gyles II Gardener|Gyles II]], the last of whom was tortured to death by [[Joron I Blacktyde]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}{{ref|TWOIAF| The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}
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Legendary Warrior kings from this time include [[Garth V Gardener|Garth V]] (Hammer of the Dornish), [[Gwayne I Gardener|Gwayne I]] (the Gallant), [[Gyles I Gardener|Gyles I]] (the Woe), and [[Gordan I Gardener|Gordan I]] (Grey-Eyes).{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} The Gardener kings often warred with the [[ironborn]], sometimes in alliance with the [[Kings of the Rock]] and the Lords of [[Oldtown]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} At least six Gardener kings died in battle against the ironborn, including [[Gareth II Gardener|Gareth II]] (the Grim), [[Garth VI Gardener|Garth VI]] (the Morningstar), and [[Gyles II Gardener|Gyles II]], the last of whom was tortured to death by [[Joron I Blacktyde]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}
  
 
===The Golden Reign===
 
===The Golden Reign===
The greatest of the Gardeners was King [[Garth VII Gardener]], known as the Goldenhand, for his deeds both in war and in peace.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} Ascending to the Oakenseat at age twelve, Garth ruled for eighty-one years, of which less than ten were spent at war. In the few times Garth Goldenhand did go to war he utterly trounced his adversaries. As a boy he defeated an invasion of [[Dornishmen]] by King [[Ferris Fowler]], then drove the ironborn from the [[Shield Islands]] and fortified them with men from the Reach. Garth VII divided an alliance between the King of the Rock and [[Storm King]], defeating both in the [[Battle of Three Armies]], and dictated the boundaries of their three kingdoms in the aftermath.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}
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The greatest of the Gardeners was King [[Garth VII Gardener]], known as the Goldenhand, for his deeds both in war and in peace.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} Ascending to the Oakenseat at age twelve, Garth ruled for eighty-one years, of which less than ten were spent at war. In the few times Garth Goldenhand did go to war he utterly trounced his adversaries. As a boy he defeated an invasion of [[Dornishmen]] by King [[Ferris Fowler]], then drove the ironborn from the [[Shield Islands]] and fortified them with men from the Reach. Garth VII divided an alliance between the King of the Rock and [[Storm King]], defeating both in the [[Battle of Three Armies]], and dictated the boundaries of their three kingdoms in the aftermath.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}
  
Garth's greatest accomplishment was giving his people three-quarters of a century of golden peace, bringing an unprecedented prosperity. Garth's rule became known as the [[Golden Reign]], and was when the Reach truly flowered.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}
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Garth's greatest accomplishment was giving his people three-quarters of a century of golden peace, bringing an unprecedented prosperity. Garth's rule became known as the [[Golden Reign]], and was when the Reach truly flowered.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}
  
 
===Arrival of the Andals===
 
===Arrival of the Andals===
 
:{{See also|Three Sage Kings}}
 
:{{See also|Three Sage Kings}}
  
The Kings of the Reach observed the [[Andal invasion]] of the [[Vale of Arryn|Vale]], [[stormlands]], and the [[riverlands]] from afar. Instead of allying with the invaders against other [[First Men]], they took precautions against possible Andal invasions. King [[Gwayne IV Gardener|Gwayne IV]] (the Gods-fearing) sought aid from the [[children of the forest]], while [[Mern II Gardener|Mern II]] (the Mason) constructed a new curtain wall around Highgarden and encouraged his bannermen to do the same. [[Mern III Gardener|Mern III]] (the Madling) supported a [[woods witch]] who claimed she could raise armies of the dead. The anticipated Andal attacks never occurred, however. When the disunited Andals eventually reached the realm of the Gardeners generations later, however, they were welcomed by the [[Three Sage Kings]]. {{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
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The Kings of the Reach observed the [[Andal invasion]] of the [[Vale of Arryn|Vale]], [[stormlands]], and the [[riverlands]] from afar. Instead of allying with the invaders against other [[First Men]], they took precautions against possible Andal invasions. King [[Gwayne IV Gardener|Gwayne IV]] (the Gods-fearing) sought aid from the [[children of the forest]], while [[Mern II Gardener|Mern II]] (the Mason) constructed a new curtain wall around Highgarden and encouraged his bannermen to do the same. [[Mern III Gardener|Mern III]] (the Madling) supported a [[woods witch]] who claimed she could raise armies of the dead. The anticipated Andal attacks never occurred, however. When the disunited Andals eventually reached the realm of the Gardeners generations later, however, they were welcomed by the [[Three Sage Kings]]. {{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
  
The Three Sage Kings who followed one another on the Oakenseat — [[Garth IX Gardener|Garth IX]], his son [[Merle I Gardener|Merle I]] (the Meek), and his grandson [[Gwayne V Gardener|Gwayne V]] — were a trio of cunning and wise kings who used a policy of accord and assimilation with the Andals rather than armed resistance. Although he continued to worship the [[old gods]], Garth IX made a [[septon]] part of his councils and the first [[sept]] at Highgarden was built during his reign. Merle I converted to the [[Faith of the Seven]] and become its patron, helping to fund and build septs, septries, and motherhouses across the Reach. Gwayne V was the first Gardener King born into the new Faith, as well as the first to be made a [[knight]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
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The Three Sage Kings who followed one another on the Oakenseat — [[Garth IX Gardener|Garth IX]], his son [[Merle I Gardener|Merle I]] (the Meek), and his grandson [[Gwayne V Gardener|Gwayne V]] — were a trio of cunning and wise kings who used a policy of accord and assimilation with the Andals rather than armed resistance. Although he continued to worship the [[old gods]], Garth IX made a [[septon]] part of his councils and the first [[sept]] at Highgarden was built during his reign. Merle I converted to the [[Faith of the Seven]] and become its patron, helping to fund and build septs, septries, and motherhouses across the Reach. Gwayne V was the first Gardener King born into the new Faith, as well as the first to be made a [[knight]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
  
 
The Three Sage Kings took Andals into their service as knights and retainers. Ser [[Alester Tyrell]], the founder of [[House Tyrell]], was made Gwayne V's champion and sworn shield.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: House Tyrell}} Merle I and Gwayne V married Andal maidens to bind their fathers to the Gardener realm.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}} The three kings also bequeathed lands, wives, and lordships for the more powerful of the Andals descending on the Reach in exchange for pledges of fealty; numerous houses of the Reach trace their ancestry back to these Andal adventurers.
 
The Three Sage Kings took Andals into their service as knights and retainers. Ser [[Alester Tyrell]], the founder of [[House Tyrell]], was made Gwayne V's champion and sworn shield.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: House Tyrell}} Merle I and Gwayne V married Andal maidens to bind their fathers to the Gardener realm.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}} The three kings also bequeathed lands, wives, and lordships for the more powerful of the Andals descending on the Reach in exchange for pledges of fealty; numerous houses of the Reach trace their ancestry back to these Andal adventurers.
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The centuries that followed the assimilation with the Andals were less peaceful, and the Gardener kings (and one queen) varied in wisdom and strength. The Kings of the Reach constantly warred against and allied with the [[Kings of the Rock]], the [[Storm Kings]], the many kings from Dorne, and the [[Kings of the Rivers and the Hills]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
 
The centuries that followed the assimilation with the Andals were less peaceful, and the Gardener kings (and one queen) varied in wisdom and strength. The Kings of the Reach constantly warred against and allied with the [[Kings of the Rock]], the [[Storm Kings]], the many kings from Dorne, and the [[Kings of the Rivers and the Hills]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
  
During the minority of King [[Garland VI Gardener]], a member of House Tyrell ruled the Reach in his name as [[regent]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: House Tyrell}}
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During the minority of King [[Garland VI Gardener]], a member of House Tyrell ruled the Reach in his name as [[regent]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: House Tyrell}}
  
King [[Gyles III Gardener]] conquered from the Storm King all the lands north of the [[rainwood]] save for [[Storm's End]]. While he was away, the Reach was attacked by [[Lancel IV Lannister]], forcing Gyles to deal with the [[westermen]].{{ref|TSS}} A new broader war followed, involving three Dornish kings and two river kings, and ended with Gyles III dead of a [[bloody flux]] and his conquests abandoned.{{ref|twoiaf| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
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King [[Gyles III Gardener]] conquered from the Storm King all the lands north of the [[rainwood]] save for [[Storm's End]]. While he was away, the Reach was attacked by [[Lancel IV Lannister]], forcing Gyles to deal with the [[westermen]].{{ref|TSS}} A new broader war followed, involving three Dornish kings and two river kings, and ended with Gyles III dead of a [[bloody flux]] and his conquests abandoned.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
  
The long reign of King [[Garth X Gardener|Garth X]], known as Garth Greybeard, witnessed the nadir of Gardener power. The elderly and senile Garth had sired only daughters, who were married to the rival Lords [[House Manderly|Manderly]] and [[House Peake|Peake]]. Once the rival lords began warring, the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]], [[House Durrandon|Durrandons]], and Dornish attack the kingdom. A Dornish king sacked Highgarden, killed Garth Greybeard, and destroyed the [[Oakenseat]]. The anarchy that followed lasted almost a decade until Ser [[Osmund Tyrell]], the [[High Steward of Highgarden]], made common cause with the other lords of the Reach and defeated both the Peakes and the Manderlys, reclaimed the ruins of Highgarden, and supported [[Mern VI Gardener]], a second cousin of Garth, as king. Although a man of only modest gifts, Mern VI was able to rebuild Highgarden and restore the power of the Reach and House Gardener, relying on the counsel of his stewards: Osmund Tyrell, Osmund's son Ser [[Robert Tyrell|Robert]] — who was allowed to marry his youngest daughter in gratitude — and Robert's son [[Lorent Tyrell (steward)|Lorent]]. Mern's son [[Garth XI Gardener|Garth XI]] (the Painter) retaliated against the Dornish by invading the [[Red Mountains]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
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The long reign of King [[Garth X Gardener|Garth X]], known as Garth Greybeard, witnessed the nadir of Gardener power. The elderly and senile Garth had sired only daughters, who were married to the rival Lords [[House Manderly|Manderly]] and [[House Peake|Peake]]. Once the rival lords began warring, the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]], [[House Durrandon|Durrandons]], and Dornish attack the kingdom. A Dornish king sacked Highgarden, killed Garth Greybeard, and destroyed the [[Oakenseat]]. The anarchy that followed lasted almost a decade until Ser [[Osmund Tyrell]], the [[High Steward of Highgarden]], made common cause with the other lords of the Reach and defeated both the Peakes and the Manderlys, reclaimed the ruins of Highgarden, and supported [[Mern VI Gardener]], a second cousin of Garth, as king. Although a man of only modest gifts, Mern VI was able to rebuild Highgarden and restore the power of the Reach and House Gardener, relying on the counsel of his stewards: Osmund Tyrell, Osmund's son Ser [[Robert Tyrell|Robert]] — who was allowed to marry his youngest daughter in gratitude — and Robert's son [[Lorent Tyrell (steward)|Lorent]]. Mern's son [[Garth XI Gardener|Garth XI]] (the Painter) retaliated against the Dornish by invading the [[Red Mountains]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}
  
Approximately a thousand years ago Lord [[Lorimar Peake]] drove [[House Manderly]] from the Reach at the behest of King [[Perceon III Gardener]] who feared the Manderlys' growing power in the Reach.{{ref|TWOIAF| The North: The Kings of Winter}} The Manderlys fled from the [[Mander]] for the [[White Knife]] in the [[north]].{{ref|TSS}}{{Ref|ADWD|9}}{{ref|ADWD|19}} King [[Greydon Gardener]] attempted an invasion of Dorne, but was thrown back by [[Nymeria]].{{ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}} King [[Garse VII Gardener|Garse VII]] was slain by the Storm King, [[Argilac Durrandon|Argilac the Arrogant]] at the [[Battle of Summerfield]].{{ref|twoiaf| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
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Approximately a thousand years ago Lord [[Lorimar Peake]] drove [[House Manderly]] from the Reach at the behest of King [[Perceon III Gardener]] who feared the Manderlys' growing power in the Reach.{{ref|TWOIAF| The North: The Kings of Winter}} The Manderlys fled from the [[Mander]] for the [[White Knife]] in the [[north]].{{ref|TSS}}{{Ref|ADWD|9}}{{ref|ADWD|19}} King [[Greydon Gardener]] attempted an invasion of Dorne, but was thrown back by [[Nymeria]].{{ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}} King [[Garse VII Gardener|Garse VII]] was slain by the Storm King, [[Argilac Durrandon|Argilac the Arrogant]] at the [[Battle of Summerfield]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
  
 
===War of Conquest and Extinction===
 
===War of Conquest and Extinction===
 
[[File:Field of Fire.jpg|thumb|300px|End of House Gardener on the [[Field of Fire]]]]
 
[[File:Field of Fire.jpg|thumb|300px|End of House Gardener on the [[Field of Fire]]]]
House Gardener died out in the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] [[War of Conquest]] almost three hundred years before ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. When [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] invaded [[Westeros]], King [[Mern IX Gardener]] joined with [[Loren I Lannister]], [[King of the Rock]], to put an end to [[House Targaryen]] at what would become known as the [[Field of Fire]].{{ref|twoiaf| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
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House Gardener died out in the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] [[War of Conquest]] almost three hundred years before ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. When [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] invaded [[Westeros]], King [[Mern IX Gardener]] joined with [[Loren I Lannister]], [[King of the Rock]], to put an end to [[House Targaryen]] at what would become known as the [[Field of Fire]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
  
Mern commanded the center of the combined army and led the charge against Aegon's forces. The host of [[House Targaryen]] eventually broke, but by then Aegon and his sisters, [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] and [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]], had taken to the air on their [[dragons]]. The dragons killed four thousand men of the combined army, among them Mern and his sons, grandsons, brothers, cousins, and other kin.{{ref|AGOT|13}}  One nephew of King Mern survived, but he died of his burns three days later, ending House Gardener.{{ref|twoiaf| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
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Mern commanded the center of the combined army and led the charge against Aegon's forces. The host of [[House Targaryen]] eventually broke, but by then Aegon and his sisters, [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] and [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]], had taken to the air on their [[dragons]]. The dragons killed four thousand men of the combined army, among them Mern and his sons, grandsons, brothers, cousins, and other kin.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}  One nephew of King Mern survived, but he died of his burns three days later, ending House Gardener.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
  
Mern's High Steward, [[Harlen Tyrell]], surrendered [[Highgarden]] to [[Aegon I Targaryen]], pledging fealty. Aegon named Harlen the [[Lord Paramount of the Mander]] and the Lord of Highgarden, and granted Harlen dominion over the Reach in exchange for his submission to the [[Iron Throne]].{{ref|AGOT|Appendix}}{{ref|twoiaf| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
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Mern's High Steward, [[Harlen Tyrell]], surrendered [[Highgarden]] to [[Aegon I Targaryen]], pledging fealty. Aegon named Harlen the [[Lord Paramount of the Mander]] and the Lord of Highgarden, and granted Harlen dominion over the Reach in exchange for his submission to the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|AGOT|Appendix}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
  
 
===Legacy===
 
===Legacy===
Many of the noble houses from the Reach trace their descent back to [[Garth Greenhand]], a fact that is often used to boast of a better claim than the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] as the rightful rulers of the Reach, as the Tyrells are descendants of the Gardeners only through the female line. Houses with Garth Greenhand as an ancestor are the [[House Florent|Florents]], the [[House Rowan|Rowans]], the [[House Oakheart|Oakhearts]], and many others.{{ref|ASOS|61}}
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Many of the noble houses from the Reach trace their descent back to [[Garth Greenhand]], a fact that is often used to boast of a better claim than the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] as the rightful rulers of the Reach, as the Tyrells are descendants of the Gardeners only through the female line. Houses with Garth Greenhand as an ancestor are the [[House Florent|Florents]], the [[House Rowan|Rowans]], the [[House Oakheart|Oakhearts]], and many others.{{Ref|ASOS|61}}
  
Golden [[currency]] from the time of the Gardeners is still in use, albeit rare.{{Ref|aFfC|7}}{{Ref|aFfC|16}} The coins are named ''hands'', each worth roughly half a gold dragon,{{Ref|aFfC|16}} and feature the hand sigil of House Gardener on one side and the likeness of the current king on the other side. They are known to have been made with [[Garth XII Gardener|Garth XII]]'s effigy.{{Ref|aFfC|7}}
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Golden [[currency]] from the time of the Gardeners is still in use, albeit rare.{{Ref|AFFC|7}}{{Ref|AFFC|16}} The coins are named ''hands'', each worth roughly half a gold dragon,{{Ref|AFFC|16}} and feature the hand sigil of House Gardener on one side and the likeness of the current king on the other side. They are known to have been made with [[Garth XII Gardener|Garth XII]]'s effigy.{{Ref|AFFC|7}}
  
 
==Historical Members==
 
==Historical Members==
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*King [[Greydon Gardener]].
 
*King [[Greydon Gardener]].
 
*King [[Perceon III Gardener]], who had House Manderly exiled from the Reach.
 
*King [[Perceon III Gardener]], who had House Manderly exiled from the Reach.
 +
**[[Gwayne Gardener (son of Perceon III)|Gwayne Gardener]], his son, married to Lord [[Lorimar Peake]]'s daughter.{{ref|fab|Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows}}
 
*King [[Garth XII Gardener]].
 
*King [[Garth XII Gardener]].
 
*King [[Garse VII Gardener]], slain at the [[Battle of Summerfield]].
 
*King [[Garse VII Gardener]], slain at the [[Battle of Summerfield]].
Line 115: Line 118:
 
**two young grandsons.
 
**two young grandsons.
 
**a nephew, last of the Gardeners.
 
**a nephew, last of the Gardeners.
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** Brothers, cousins and other relatives of King Mern
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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{{References|2}}
  
 
{{HousesReach}}
 
{{HousesReach}}

Revision as of 13:08, 14 March 2019

House Gardener of Highgarden
House Gardener.svg
Coat of arms Argent, a hand couped vert
Seat Highgarden
Head Extinct
Region The Reach
Titles
Founder Garth the Gardener
Founded Age of Heroes
Died out 1 BC in the War of Conquest

House Gardener of Highgarden is the extinct house of the old and famed Kings of the Reach. Beginning with the mythical first king Garth the Gardener, the Gardeners ruled, through war and peace and the assimilation with the Andal invaders, down the generations, until the last Gardener king Mern IX Gardener and his kin were killed at the Field of Fire in the War of Conquest.[1]

The kings of House Gardener initially ruled the Reach proper, focused on Highgarden and the Mander river,[2] but over time they used their claim of descending from Garth the Gardener to claim supremacy over neighboring kings and lords.[3] Their seat was Highgarden where many Gardener kings (and one queen) sat upon a living throne called the Oakenseat that grew from an oak that the mythical Garth Greenhand himself was reputedly said to have planted, until the throne's destruction during the reign of Garth X Gardener.[4]

The Kings of House Gardener wore crowns of vines and flowers when at peace, and crowns of bronze thorns (later iron) when they rode to war.[3] Their blazon was a green hand over a white field,[5][6] which inspired the chivalric Order of the Green Hand.[7]

History

Age of Heroes

The Gardeners claimed descent from the mythical Garth Greenhand, who, according to legends from the Reach, is said to have been the High King of the First Men and common ancestor of numerous noble houses from the Reach.[8] His firstborn child was Garth the Gardener, the legendary first King of the Reach who reigned in the Age of Heroes.[8] According to legend, Garth the Gardener made his home on the hill atop the Mander river that in time would become known as Highgarden, and wore a crown of vines and flowers. From his loins sprang House Gardener, whose kings would rule the Reach for many thousands of years.[8]

The Gardener kings initially ruled the Reach proper, although over time they expanded their territory. The western marches between Horn Hill and Nightsong were eventually added to the Gardeners' domain. Old Oak, Red Lake, and Goldengrove joined the realm with pacts of friendship and mutual defense with Garth III (the Great).[3] Meryn III brought the Arbor into the kingdom and made House Redwyne his vassals after his cousin, the last King of the Arbor, was lost at sea.[9] Not long after, King Garland II (the Bridegroom) brought House Hightower of Oldtown and their domains into the realm by wedding his daughter to Lord Lymond Hightower and putting aside his own wives to marry Lymond's daughter.[9] King Gwayne III (the Fat) resolved the quarrel between Lords Manderly and Peake and accepted fealty for their lands without bloodshed. John II (the Tall) received homage from lords and petty kings as he sailed his barge to the headwaters of the Mander.[3]

Legendary Warrior kings from this time include Garth V (Hammer of the Dornish), Gwayne I (the Gallant), Gyles I (the Woe), and Gordan I (Grey-Eyes).[3] The Gardener kings often warred with the ironborn, sometimes in alliance with the Kings of the Rock and the Lords of Oldtown.[3] At least six Gardener kings died in battle against the ironborn, including Gareth II (the Grim), Garth VI (the Morningstar), and Gyles II, the last of whom was tortured to death by Joron I Blacktyde.[3][10]

The Golden Reign

The greatest of the Gardeners was King Garth VII Gardener, known as the Goldenhand, for his deeds both in war and in peace.[3] Ascending to the Oakenseat at age twelve, Garth ruled for eighty-one years, of which less than ten were spent at war. In the few times Garth Goldenhand did go to war he utterly trounced his adversaries. As a boy he defeated an invasion of Dornishmen by King Ferris Fowler, then drove the ironborn from the Shield Islands and fortified them with men from the Reach. Garth VII divided an alliance between the King of the Rock and Storm King, defeating both in the Battle of Three Armies, and dictated the boundaries of their three kingdoms in the aftermath.[3]

Garth's greatest accomplishment was giving his people three-quarters of a century of golden peace, bringing an unprecedented prosperity. Garth's rule became known as the Golden Reign, and was when the Reach truly flowered.[3]

Arrival of the Andals

The Kings of the Reach observed the Andal invasion of the Vale, stormlands, and the riverlands from afar. Instead of allying with the invaders against other First Men, they took precautions against possible Andal invasions. King Gwayne IV (the Gods-fearing) sought aid from the children of the forest, while Mern II (the Mason) constructed a new curtain wall around Highgarden and encouraged his bannermen to do the same. Mern III (the Madling) supported a woods witch who claimed she could raise armies of the dead. The anticipated Andal attacks never occurred, however. When the disunited Andals eventually reached the realm of the Gardeners generations later, however, they were welcomed by the Three Sage Kings. [4]

The Three Sage Kings who followed one another on the Oakenseat — Garth IX, his son Merle I (the Meek), and his grandson Gwayne V — were a trio of cunning and wise kings who used a policy of accord and assimilation with the Andals rather than armed resistance. Although he continued to worship the old gods, Garth IX made a septon part of his councils and the first sept at Highgarden was built during his reign. Merle I converted to the Faith of the Seven and become its patron, helping to fund and build septs, septries, and motherhouses across the Reach. Gwayne V was the first Gardener King born into the new Faith, as well as the first to be made a knight.[4]

The Three Sage Kings took Andals into their service as knights and retainers. Ser Alester Tyrell, the founder of House Tyrell, was made Gwayne V's champion and sworn shield.[11] Merle I and Gwayne V married Andal maidens to bind their fathers to the Gardener realm.[4] The three kings also bequeathed lands, wives, and lordships for the more powerful of the Andals descending on the Reach in exchange for pledges of fealty; numerous houses of the Reach trace their ancestry back to these Andal adventurers.

The Gardeners also encouraged Andal craftsmen, specially blacksmiths and stonemasons, to settle throughout the Reach, supplying them and their bannermen with iron instead of bronze and strengthening their castles with Andal masonry. Most new lords remained loyal and helped the Gardeners against internal and external threats. Maester Yandel writes that seldom had a conquest been achieved with less bloodshed.[4]

Andal Kings

The centuries that followed the assimilation with the Andals were less peaceful, and the Gardener kings (and one queen) varied in wisdom and strength. The Kings of the Reach constantly warred against and allied with the Kings of the Rock, the Storm Kings, the many kings from Dorne, and the Kings of the Rivers and the Hills.[4]

During the minority of King Garland VI Gardener, a member of House Tyrell ruled the Reach in his name as regent.[11]

King Gyles III Gardener conquered from the Storm King all the lands north of the rainwood save for Storm's End. While he was away, the Reach was attacked by Lancel IV Lannister, forcing Gyles to deal with the westermen.[5] A new broader war followed, involving three Dornish kings and two river kings, and ended with Gyles III dead of a bloody flux and his conquests abandoned.[4]

The long reign of King Garth X, known as Garth Greybeard, witnessed the nadir of Gardener power. The elderly and senile Garth had sired only daughters, who were married to the rival Lords Manderly and Peake. Once the rival lords began warring, the Lannisters, Durrandons, and Dornish attack the kingdom. A Dornish king sacked Highgarden, killed Garth Greybeard, and destroyed the Oakenseat. The anarchy that followed lasted almost a decade until Ser Osmund Tyrell, the High Steward of Highgarden, made common cause with the other lords of the Reach and defeated both the Peakes and the Manderlys, reclaimed the ruins of Highgarden, and supported Mern VI Gardener, a second cousin of Garth, as king. Although a man of only modest gifts, Mern VI was able to rebuild Highgarden and restore the power of the Reach and House Gardener, relying on the counsel of his stewards: Osmund Tyrell, Osmund's son Ser Robert — who was allowed to marry his youngest daughter in gratitude — and Robert's son Lorent. Mern's son Garth XI (the Painter) retaliated against the Dornish by invading the Red Mountains.[4]

Approximately a thousand years ago Lord Lorimar Peake drove House Manderly from the Reach at the behest of King Perceon III Gardener who feared the Manderlys' growing power in the Reach.[12] The Manderlys fled from the Mander for the White Knife in the north.[5][13][14] King Greydon Gardener attempted an invasion of Dorne, but was thrown back by Nymeria.[15] King Garse VII was slain by the Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant at the Battle of Summerfield.[1]

War of Conquest and Extinction

End of House Gardener on the Field of Fire

House Gardener died out in the Targaryen War of Conquest almost three hundred years before A Song of Ice and Fire. When Aegon the Conqueror invaded Westeros, King Mern IX Gardener joined with Loren I Lannister, King of the Rock, to put an end to House Targaryen at what would become known as the Field of Fire.[1]

Mern commanded the center of the combined army and led the charge against Aegon's forces. The host of House Targaryen eventually broke, but by then Aegon and his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, had taken to the air on their dragons. The dragons killed four thousand men of the combined army, among them Mern and his sons, grandsons, brothers, cousins, and other kin.[16] One nephew of King Mern survived, but he died of his burns three days later, ending House Gardener.[1]

Mern's High Steward, Harlen Tyrell, surrendered Highgarden to Aegon I Targaryen, pledging fealty. Aegon named Harlen the Lord Paramount of the Mander and the Lord of Highgarden, and granted Harlen dominion over the Reach in exchange for his submission to the Iron Throne.[17][1]

Legacy

Many of the noble houses from the Reach trace their descent back to Garth Greenhand, a fact that is often used to boast of a better claim than the Tyrells as the rightful rulers of the Reach, as the Tyrells are descendants of the Gardeners only through the female line. Houses with Garth Greenhand as an ancestor are the Florents, the Rowans, the Oakhearts, and many others.[18]

Golden currency from the time of the Gardeners is still in use, albeit rare.[19][20] The coins are named hands, each worth roughly half a gold dragon,[20] and feature the hand sigil of House Gardener on one side and the likeness of the current king on the other side. They are known to have been made with Garth XII's effigy.[19]

Historical Members

No precise lineage or chronology of House Gardner is known. Beginning with the mythical first king Garth the Gardener, the Gardeners ruled as Kings of the Reach until the last Gardener king, Mern IX, rode out to meet Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, upon the Field of Fire.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  2. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: The Gardener Kings.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Andals in the Reach.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Sworn Sword.
  6. The Citadel. Heraldry: Houses in the Reach
  7. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Highgarden.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Garth Greenhand.
  9. 9.0 9.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Oldtown.
  10. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns.
  11. 11.0 11.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: House Tyrell.
  12. The World of Ice & Fire, The North: The Kings of Winter.
  13. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 9, Davos I.
  14. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 19, Davos III.
  15. The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships.
  16. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 13, Tyrion II.
  17. A Game of Thrones, Appendix.
  18. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 61, Sansa V.
  19. 19.0 19.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 7, Cersei II.
  20. 20.0 20.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.
  21. Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows.