Westerlands

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The westerlands with the major strongholds

The westerlands[1] is a region in the west of the continent of Westeros.Before the Targaryen conquest, it was known as the Kingdom of the Rock. People from the westerlands are known as westermen.[2][3] The customary surname of noble bastards born in the westerlands is Hill.

The westerlands is ruled from Casterly Rock by House Lannister. Notable bannermen have included Banefort, Brax, Broom, Clegane, Crakehall, Farman, Lefford, Lydden, Marbrand, Payne, Prester, Reyne, Serrett, Swyft, Tarbeck, and Westerling.[4][5]

Geography

The westerlands lies along the coast of the Sunset Sea, with Ironman's Bay and the Iron Islands to the north.[6] Settlements on the western coast include Banefort, the Crag, Faircastle on Fair Isle, Kayce, Feastfires, Casterly Rock with Lannisport, and Crakehall. Hills and mountain ranges are spread throughout the westerlands, with inland castles near the Rock including Ashemark and Sarsfield.[7]

The headwaters of the Tumblestone and the Red Fork flow east into the riverlands. The main pass through the eastern mountains is guarded by the Golden Tooth, a castle which controls access to the river road leading to Riverrun. Further south is the Goldroad, which runs east to King's Landing. Deep Den watches the Goldroad, with Hornvale to the north and Silverhill to the south.[7]

The southern westerlands, which borders the Reach, contains more flatland than the rest of the country and includes Cornfield and the forest by Crakehall. The Ocean Road leads south from the Rock past Crakehall to Old Oak and Highgarden in the Reach.[7]

Because of the numerous hills and mountains, the westerlands' eastward border with the riverlands is easily defensible. However, the westerlands is potentially vulnerable to attack from the Sunset Sea or the south as the coast is quite flat and can be more easily invaded.

Notable locations

People and Economy

Western Fiefdoms - Illustrated by Andrew Hall. © Fantasy Flight Games.

The westerlands are not the largest, most populous, or most fertile part of the realm, but they are the richest. Full of hills and crags, the land is dotted with mines from which pour gold and silver in astonishing quantities. There are gold mines at Casterly Rock, the Golden Tooth, Castamere, Nunn's Deep, and the Pendric Hills. According to semi-canon sources, there are settlements which become ghost towns once nearby mines stop producing ore.[8] Besides farming, there is also some fishery in Lannisport and on Fair Isle.

According to a semi-canon source from 2005,[9] the westermen could raise up to fifty thousand troops. The Lannister fleet at Lannisport consists of twenty or thirty cogs, carracks, galleys, and dromonds, while lesser lords have two or three ships for patrolling. In total, the westerman float fifty or sixty larger ships, while longships are used for coastal defense.

History

Before the Andals

Little is known of the time before the coming of the First Men. Like the rest of Westeros, the children of the forest and giants lived in the westerlands and fought with the First Men when they came. After the Pact at the Isle of Faces, the children only kept the forests.[10]

First Men lords, some of whom were petty kings, included the Baneforts, Brooms, Crakehalls, Farmans, Footes, Greenfields, Hawthornes, Morelands, Plumms, Reynes, Westerlings, and Yews.[10]

During the Age of Heroes, the legendary hero and trickster Lann the Clever acquired Casterly Rock in some manner from House Casterly. According to legend he is the ancestor of the Lannisters, who became the Kings of the Rock with Casterly Rock as their seat.

Kingdom of the Rock

The Lannister Kings of the Rock gradually conquered or acquired neighboring territory, including the lands of the Reynes and the Baneforts. They initially resisted the Andal invasion, but later Lannister kings allowed the Andals to marry into the westermen nobility. New houses formed by the intermarriages included Houses Brax, Drox, Jast, Kyndall, Lefford, Marbrand, Parren, Sarsfield, and Serrett. In contrast to most kings of First Men origin, the support of the Andals allowed the Kings of the Rock to expand their power. When King Gerold III Lannister died without male issue, a council crowned his daughter's husband, Ser Joffrey Lydden, who became the first Andal King of the Rock, Joffrey Lannister.

With Andal support the Lannisters extended their rule to the Golden Tooth and Fair Isle and engaged in border wars with the Kings of the Trident and Kings of the Reach.[10] Some of the eastern hills of what is now the westerlands were historically ruled by Kings of the Rivers and the Hills, such as the Mudds and the Teagues.[11]

Ser Eustace Osgrey mentioned that a famous relative of his defeated an attack by the Kingdom of the Rock by killing a Lannister king, Lancel V. The westermen also fought with the ironborn of the Iron Islands.[12]

Targaryen Era

During the invasion of Aegon Targaryen, Loren I Lannister, King of the Rock, mustered his armies to fight the invaders. Allied with Mern IX Gardener, King of the Reach, they assembled an enormous host, remembered as the Host of the Two Kings. However, they were no match for Targaryen dragons. King Loren escaped the so-called Field of Fire and submitted to Aegon. His primacy in the westerlands was confirmed by the Targaryens. Since this time the westerlands have been part of the Seven Kingdoms controlled by the Iron Throne.

During the First Blackfyre Rebellion, some westerland houses kept a foot in both camps. It is mentioned that some nobles supported Daemon Blackfyre, but no westerland supporters of Daeron II are mentioned. It is unknown if this means the westerlands only supported Daemon Blackfyre.

During the Great Spring Sickness the coast of the westerlands suffered under the attacks of raiders of Dagon Greyjoy.

Tytos Lannister

During the rule of Lord Tytos Lannister, the power of House Lannister was nominal. Tytos was held in low esteem and was largely ignored by his vassals. House Tarbeck and House Reyne eventually revolted against his rule. Tytos's son, Tywin, led the campaign against the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion. Houses Tarbeck and Reyne were extinguished; their respective seats at Tarbeck Hall and Castamere were razed. Since this time no house dares oppose House Lannister in the westerlands. Because of this unity, the westerlands are a force to be reckoned with. Tywin's own prestige was so great and his capabilities so well demonstrated that he became Hand of the King for King Aerys II Targaryen, although he later resigned from the position.

Robert's Rebellion

After the apparent abduction of Lyanna Stark, who was betrothed to Lord Robert Baratheon, by Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and the execution of her father and brother by King Aerys II, a rebellion of House Stark, House Arryn, House Baratheon, and House Tully against House Targaryen began.

For the better part of the War of the Usurper the westerlands remained neutral. After the Battle of the Trident and the death of Rhaeger, however, Tywin chose the side of the rebels. The westermen army sacked King's Landing, and killed the Targaryen heirs to prove their support. After being crowned king, Robert Baratheon married Cersei Lannister to bind the Lannisters to his cause.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

After the abduction of Tyrion Lannister by Catelyn Tully, Lord Tywin Lannister sends Ser Gregor Clegane to raid the riverlands and then retreat back to the westerlands.[13] After the death of King Robert Baratheon, Lord Tywin Lannister and Ser Jaime Lannister lead armies into the riverlands, the start of what becomes the War of the Five Kings.[14] Jaime crushes the rivermen in the Battle of the Golden Tooth, but he is eventually captured at the Battle of the Whispering Wood and his army is dispersed in the Battle of the Camps. Tywin sends hundreds of cavalry, including Gregor and Ser Amory Lorch, to set the riverlands ablaze.[15] In response to the actions of the westermen and King Joffrey Baratheon, the rivermen proclaim Robb Stark to be king at Riverrun.[16]

A Clash of Kings

In retaliation[17] and to draw Tywin from Harrenhal,[18] Robb leads forces from the north and House Frey in an invasion of the westerlands.[19] After bypassing the Golden Tooth, Robb wins a crushing victory over Stafford Lannister in the Battle of Oxcross. They then pillage the eastern and northern areas of the westerlands, capturing Ashemark, the Crag, and the gold mines at Castamere, Nunn's Deep and the Pendric Hills.[20][17] Other areas of the westerlands remain relatively unscathed. Robb marries Jeyne Westerling at the Crag.

Tywin is stopped at the Red Fork during the Battle of the Fords, after which he and the Tyrells defeat Stannis Baratheon in the Battle of the Blackwater.

A Storm of Swords

Robb abandons the captured castles in the westerlands and returns to Riverrun.[21] Robb claims to Ser Edmure Tully that he and Ser Brynden Tully had planned to ambush Tywin on the Goldroad or trap him in the west, but was prevented from doing so by Edmure defeating Tywin in the Battle of the Fords.[22]

Lord Tywin is murdered by his son, Tyrion Lannister, in the Tower of the Hand.[23]

A Feast for Crows

Queen Cersei Lannister, the Lady of Casterly Rock, succeeds Tywin as the liege lord of the westerlands.[24] The lords of the west lead a procession of hundreds of soldiers which accompanies Tywin's corpse on its return to the Rock.[25]

When King Euron and Lord Captain Victarion Greyjoy set out to attack mainland Westeros, the westerlands escapes their wrath, as the Iron Fleet sails past and attacks the Shield Islands and the Reach instead.[26]

Jaime joins Ser Daven Lannister, the new Warden of the West, and other westermen at the Siege of Riverrun.[27]

Houses

Algood.png House Algood.
Banefort.png House Banefort of Banefort.
Bettley.png House Bettley.
House Brax.PNG House Brax of Hornvale.
House Broom.png House Broom.
Arms unknown House Casterly of Casterly Rock.
House Clegane.png House Clegane of Clegane's Keep.
Arms unknown House Clifton.
House Crakehall.PNG House Crakehall of Crakehall.
House Doggett.PNG House Doggett.
Drox.png House Drox.
House Estren.PNG House Estren of Wyndhall.
Falwell.png House Falwell.
Farman.png House Farman of Faircastle.
Ferren.png House Ferren.
House Foote.PNG House Foote.
House Garner.PNG House Garner.
House Greenfield.PNG House Greenfield of Greenfield.
Hamell.PNG House Hamell.
Hawthorne.jpg House Hawthorne.
Hetherspoon.PNG House Hetherspoon.
House Jast.PNG House Jast.
House Kenning.PNG House Kenning of Kayce.
House Lannister.png House Lannister of Casterly Rock.
Arms unknown House Lannister of Lannisport.
Arms unknown House Lannett.
Arms unknown House Lanny.
Arms unknown House Lantell.
House Lefford.PNG House Lefford of the Golden Tooth.
House Lorch.png House Lorch.
House Lydden.PNG House Lydden of Deep Den.
Marbrand.png House Marbrand of Ashemark.
House Moreland.PNG House Moreland.
House Myatt.PNG House Myatt.
House Parren.PNG House Parren.
House Payne.png House Payne.
House Peckledon.PNG House Peckledon.
House Plumm.PNG House Plumm.
House Prester.PNG House Prester of Feastfires.
House Reyne.PNG House Reyne of Castamere.
House Ruttiger.PNG House Ruttiger.
House Sarsfield.PNG House Sarsfield of Sarsfield.
Arms unknown House Sarwyck of Riverspring.
House Serrett.PNG House Serrett of Silverhill.
House Spicer.PNG House Spicer of Castamere.
House Stackspear.PNG House Stackspear.
House Swyft.PNG House Swyft of Cornfield.
House Tarbeck.PNG House Tarbeck of Tarbeck Hall.
Turnberry.png House Turnberry.
House Vikary.PNG House Vikary.
House Westerling.PNG House Westerling of the Crag.
Arms unknown House Westford.
Yarwyck.png House Yarwyck.
Yew.PNG House Yew.

References and Sources