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Battle of the Blackwater

2015-01-05T02:30:45Z

Pavlosbal:

{{Template:Battlebox
| image = [[File:Jedruszek battle of the b.jpg|350px]]
| caption = by Tomasz Jedruszek. © Fantasy Flight Games
| battle_name = Battle of the Blackwater
| conflict = [[War of the Five Kings]]
| date = {{Date|299}}
| place = [[King's Landing]] / mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]]
| result = [[House Baratheon of King's Landing]] victory
| colour_scheme =
| combatant1 = The King in the Narrow Sea 
* Houses sworn to [[Dragonstone]] 
* Most [[Stormlands|Stormlords]] 
* Some houses of [[the Reach]], 
* [[Lys]]ene pirates
* [[Myr]]ish sellsails
| combatant2 = The King on the Iron Throne 
* [[City Watch of King's Landing]] 
* [[Tywin Lannister]]'s host 
* Most houses of [[the Reach]] 
* Some [[Stormlands|Stormlords]]
| commander1 = King [[Stannis Baratheon]] Ser [[Imry Florent]]+ Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]]+ Ser [[Rolland Storm]] Lord [[Salladhor Saan]] Ser [[Davos Seaworth]]
| commander2 = Lord [[Tyrion Lannister]] Lord [[Jacelyn Bywater]]+ Kingsguard [[Sandor Clegane]] Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]] Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] Lord [[Randyll Tarly]]
| strength1 = 21,000
* 16,000 cavalry from Renly's host at Storm's End
* 5,000 men of Stannis' original host
200 ships
* ~50 Royal war galleys
* ~10 War galleys from the lords of the Narrow Sea
* 30 Lysene pirate galleys
* ~40 Myrish sellsails
* ~70 Commandeered sailed ships, including trade carracks and cogs and fishing skiffs.
| strength2 = 7,250 in King's Landing garrison
* 2,000 "seasoned" city watch
* 4,000 newly conscripted city watch (considered unreliable)
* 800 sellswords
* 300 knights, squires and men-at-arms
* 150 mountain clansmen (harassed Stannis' army during the march)
* 50 warships of the Royal Fleet and a "swarm" of ferries and wherries, barges, skiffs, rowboats, and hulks too rotten to float
~70,000 men reinforcements
* ~50,000 Tyrell men south of the Blackwater
* <20,000 Lannister men north of the Blackwater
| casualties1 = [[#Notable Casualties|See below]]
* 130-140 ships burned or wrecked.
* 30-40 war galleys scuttled upriver or harassing the Lannister-Tyrell supply lines, with no ability to link back to Stannis' remaining fleet
* 47 Lesser lordlings
* 619 Knights
* Several thousand men-at-arms
* Half the the army south of the Blackwater (~7,500-8,000) switched sides during the battle{{Ref|aSoS|19}}
* Several thousand men-at-arms were left behind for lack of space on Saan's fleet, and surrendered.
| casualties2 = [[#Notable Casualties|See below]]
* 38 Royal war galleys {{Ref|AFFC|17}}
* 1,600 gold cloaks killed or deserted
* Casualties from the Royal Fleet unknown, but likely heavy.
* Casualties from the Lannister-Tyrell reinforcements unknown, but likely minor.
}}

The '''Battle of the Blackwater''' is the largest battle in the [[War of the Five Kings]]. The battle is fought between forces loyal to [[Stannis Baratheon]] and those loyal to [[Joffrey Baratheon]]. Stannis's army is on the verge of winning a decisive victory by defeating the rather large garrison of [[King's Landing]], but is taken by surprise and all but annihilated by the joint forces of [[Tywin Lannister]] and the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]].

==Prelude==
===Dragonstone===
Stannis is one of the members of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s [[small council]] to harbor suspicions of the parentage of the king's children, and to discover that they were born of incest between Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] and her brother, Ser [[Jaime Lannister]].

Taking his suspicions and what proof he could muster, in the form of Robert's numerous bastard children, to Lord [[Jon Arryn]], Stannis hopes to convince the [[Hand of the King]], one of Robert's oldest and most trusted friends, of the [[House Lannister|Lannisters']] treason. When Jon dies under suspicious circumstances shortly thereafter, Stannis flees to [[Dragonstone]], his seat of power, where Stannis closes the port and its surrounding waters.

After Robert dies, Stannis rallies what strength he could, with but few [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone#Sworn to Dragonstone|Houses sworn to Dragonstone]], and hiring mercenaries and pirates of the [[Free Cities]] to augment his forces. As the lord of an island fiefdom and the former [[Master of Ships]], Stannis's naval power is considerable, but the sparse population of the rocky, volcanic islands surrounding Dragonstone leave him without the strength to risk openly contesting the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}{{Ref|aCoK|10}}

Having failed to rally the storm lords to his cause in secret, Stannis presents his claims through letters distributed throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]], proclaiming [[Joffrey Baratheon]] and his siblings the fruit of incest, and claiming the crown as Robert's eldest surviving brother and rightful heir. With neither proof, nor the support or love of nobles and commons alike, and a rumor spread by the Lannisters that Stannis's own daughter, [[Shireen Baratheon]], is a bastard, Stannis's proclamation ends as little more than tavern gossip.{{Ref|aCoK|10}}

===Battling Renly===
Even before Stannis's [[raven]]s have taken wing with his claim, his younger brother [[Renly Baratheon]] has ridden from King's Landing to [[Highgarden]], where he weds [[Margaery Tyrell]], the daughter of Lord [[Mace Tyrell]], and claims the crown for himself. For Stannis, this is blatant treason. Moreover, Stannis is infuriated with the knowledge that the the [[Stormlands]] have thrown in with Renly, despite the fact that Stannis, as the eldest son of [[House Baratheon]], should have held claim to the loyalty of his House's ancestral seat, [[Storm's End]]. On Dragonstone [[Melisandre]] tells Stannis of two futures she has seen in her flames, one in which Stannis is defeated in King's Landing by his brother Renly, and one in which he sails to Storm's End, where his brother shall die, and his men will flock to Stannis. This leads Stannis to strike for Storm's End.{{Ref|aCoK|42}}

Stannis [[Siege of Storm's End (299)|lays siege]] to the coastal fortress, which is under the command of Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]], but all his might is but a meager thing against all the strength of the Stormlands and [[the Reach]] at his brother Renly's command. When Renly abandons his march on King's Landing, bringing all his knights and mounted forces to lift the siege, Stannis is vastly outnumbered. However, before the battle can begin, Renly is slain by [[shadow assassin|a shadow]] called forth by the shadowbinder Melisandre.{{Ref|aCoK|33}}

With Renly dead, the greater part of the knights and lords who had been sworn to him submit to Stannis, the last Baratheon, chief among them [[House Florent]], relatives of Stannis's wife, [[Selyse Florent]]. About a fifth of the cavalry does not submit, and flee under the command of Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] back to [[Bitterbridge]], where almost 80,000 men of Renly's army wait with his widowed Tyrell queen.{{Ref|aCoK|36}}{{Ref|aCoK|44}} Loras captures the knights Stannis sent to try and recruit the Reach and Stormlands infantry still encamped at Bitterbridge.

==Prelude==
Unaware of the capture of Ser [[Parmen Crane]] and Ser [[Erren Florent]], Stannis's army marches on King's Landing. Reinforced with some of the strength of the Stormlands, King Stannis has almost twenty thousand men at his command, mostly knights and freeriders, against the few thousand gold cloaks of the [[City Watch of King's Landing]]. However, the city is guarded to the south by the [[Blackwater Rush]], and requires an amphibious assault to conquer. Stannis moves his host and fleet upon King's Landing.

Under the direction of the acting Hand, [[Tyrion Lannister]], King's Landing strengthens its defenses, doubling its City Watch, burning the buildings outside the city walls and constructing a chain which would allow the defenders to close off the Blackwater Rush, as well as preparing ships loaded with [[wildfire]]. Tyrion sends out his remaining 150 [[mountain clans]]men to harass Stannis's flanks in the [[kingswood]]. Stannis's vanguard arrives early, and Joffrey's war galleys are dispatched to exchange arrows with his forces. The vanguard is said to have five thousand men, flying the banners of Houses Fossoway, Estermont and Florent, under the command of Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]]. {{Ref|aCoK|52}}

Treacherous waters and inclement weather delay Stannis's fleet on its northward journey from Storm's End. About a dozen ships are lost on the journey to [[Blackwater Bay]] and the troops on land suffer days of harassment from Tyrion's clansmen and skirmishers in the kingswood, despite burning swaths of the forest trying to ferret them out.{{Ref|aCoK|52}} Stannis gives command of the fleet to Ser [[Imry Florent]], who commands from Stannis's [[ships|galley]], the ''[[Fury]]''. Stannis himself is on the south side of the Blackwater with his host, making them create arrows and rafts.{{Ref|aCoK|58}}

==The Battle==
===Battle on the River===
[[File:Battle of the Blackwater.jpg|400px|thumb|The wildfire burns the Blackwater - by Amok ©]]
Stannis's fleet sails up the Blackwater Rush with almost all their strength. Confident of his superior numbers, and knowing that the fleet of King's Landing cannot hope to contest them, Ser Imry does not send scouts ahead, and attacks immediately, leaving only a contingent of 30 [[Lys]]eni mercenary galleys led by [[Salladhor Saan]] as rearguard out in Blackwater Bay. The fleet is organized into ten battle lines composed of twenty ships each. The first three lines, made of war galleys belonging to the royal navy and the lords of the narrow sea, were to smash the enemy fleet. Behind them the smaller [[Myr]]ish contingent was to land troops to attack the city, before joining the first three lines in battle. The smaller and slower sailed ships are to ferry Stannis's host.{{Ref|aCoK|58}}

When Stannis's fleet engages with Joffrey's, they encounter ships loaded to bursting with [[wildfire]], a deadly accelerant, which burns even on water. Spreading downstream it soon engulfs in flames the closely packed ships of both fleets, which find their retreat cut off by the massive chain that has been raised between two winch towers at the mouth of the river.

The wildfire unleashed a tremendous amount of damage, destroying Joffrey's small fleet and a large portion of Stannis's. However, a few of Stannis's ships escape the conflagration: eight ships manage to land troops to the northern bank, and forty or so galleys remain ready to row Stannis's main force across the river. Many of the Myrish galleys also manage to land thier men on the south bank. The congestion of wrecks caught by a pier unwittingly provides a bridge - albeit a burning, unstable one - for the army to cross.{{Ref|aCoK|58}}

===Attack on King's Landing===
[[File:John_Picacio_Tyrion.jpg‎|[[Tyrion]] during the Battle of the Blackwater ‎- © 2012 John Picacio|thumb|250px|right]]
The city itself is defended by some 5,700 gold cloaks (300 having been sent to escort [[Petyr Baelish]] in his attempt to recruit the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]]), leavened with 800 mercenaries and 300 knights, squires, and men-at-arms from the court and the surrounding [[Crownlands]]. As acting Hand of the King, command of the defense is taken by [[Tyrion Lannister]].{{Ref|aCoK|49}}

To avoid being overwhelmed, Tyrion tasks several groups of mounted men-at-arms, along with what few [[knight]]s the city has, to harry Stannis's forces as they come ashore. Under the command of [[Sandor Clegane]] and Ser [[Balon Swann]] of the [[Kingsguard]], they manage to help stem the tide, but as the battle drags on, they suffer grievous casualties. Battering rams are brought to bear on at least two of the city's gates, and when the [[wildfire]] raging across the river finally robs Clegane of his courage, the refusal of the fearsome Hound to lead any more sorties threatens to break the morale of the defenders.

Realizing that they have to drive off the rams and hold the river at all costs, Tyrion makes to lead the next sortie himself. Shamed into action by the dwarf's display of courage, the Kingslanders rally to clear the riverbank one last time; at this point [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]], fearing for her son, has Joffrey withdraw to the [[Red Keep]] from amongst the men.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} As soon as the defenders see the king retire, their morale breaks and they begin throwing down their spears and flee by the hundreds, leaving the walls and killing their officers, including Ser [[Jacelyn Bywater]], in the process. Tyrion manages to disperse the attackers at the [[King's Gate]] and make for the [[Mud Gate]],{{Ref|aCoK|59}} where he takes the fight to the riverfront as they observe a large group of Stannis's soldiers crossing over the bridge of ship wreckage in the river. However, in the fighting amidst the wreckage of the collapsing bridge of boats, Tyrion is severely wounded at the hands of Ser [[Mandon Moore]] of the Kingsguard, who had been Tyrion's sworn shield throughout the battle. {{Ref|aCoK|61}} With the bridge breaking up and their Hand lost in battle, the defenders retreat within the city walls. At this point the battle seems to be lost.{{Ref|aSoS|4}}

===Arrival of Tywin Lannister===
[[File:T Jedruszek DefendersOfKingsLanding.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Lannister soldiers defending King's Landing – by Tomasz Jedruszek. © Fantasy Flight Games]]

Though Stannis's army is still split across the Blackwater, victory is now within his grasp. Just as quickly as the tide had turned in his favor, however, it is turned again by the sudden appearance of foes on his flanks. Unknown to either the attackers or the defenders, the Tyrells have accepted Tyrion's alliance offer, which was sent with Petyr Baelish, and Renly's former army has marched from Bitterbridge, uniting with Lord [[Tywin Lannister]]'s own host in the shadow of the kingswood.{{Ref|aCoK|62}}

Tyrion's wildlings in the kingswood create a blind spot for Stannis by killing his outriders and scouts, and allow the Tyrell vanguard to take Stannis's smaller and partially crossed host unaware from the side. Lord Tywin leads the right, on the north side of the river, Mace Tyrell the left, and [[Randyll Tarly]] the center, but much of the fighting is done by the vanguard, led by Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]].

Garlan is dressed in the ornate and unmistakable armor of the late Renly Baratheon, leading to confusion and disorder amongst Stannis's ranks, and even stories that Renly has risen from the dead and fights as a ghost for Joffrey. "Renly's shade" slays Guyard Morrigen, who leads Stannis's van.

Divided, surprised, and outnumbered, Stannis's host breaks quickly, with most of his lords bannermen switching allegiance mid-battle, proving as fickle to Stannis as they had to the deceased Renly. The [[Rolland Storm|Bastard of Nightsong]] leads a rearguard action that allows some Stannis loyalists, chiefly Florents, to escape, along with Stannis himself on the Lysene galleys which had been left in Blackwater Bay while the rest of the fleet burned.{{Ref|aSoS|54}} However, thousands of troops are left behind.{{ref|ADWD|66}}

==Aftermath==
[[File:Pojypojy Tywin triumphant.jpg‎|The triumphant [[Tywin Lannister]] in [[King's Landing]] - by Pojypojy ©|thumb|350px|right]]
Despite [[Stannis Baratheon]]'s survival, the battle is a major defeat for [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]], as he is able to retreat with only a fraction of his army and a token fleet to [[Dragonstone]].

Most of the captured storm lords and men of the Reach bend the knee to King Joffrey. With the newly forged Tyrell alliance, the Lannisters now control the whole south and west, commanding overwhelming superiority of numbers in the field. The end of the war seems close.

===Honors and Rewards===
King Joffrey and the [[small council]] grant the following honors and rewards to the participants and survivors of the battle:

* Lord [[Tywin Lannister]], proclaimed ''"Savior of the City"''
* Lord [[Mace Tyrell]], a seat on the [[small council]] as [[Master of Ships]].
* Ser [[Loras Tyrell]], a place in the [[Kingsguard]], replacing Ser [[Mandon Moore]].
* Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]], the titles, lands and incomes of [[House Florent]], including lordship of [[Brightwater Keep]]. He also asks King Joffrey to marry his sister [[Margaery Tyrell]].
* Lords [[Mathis Rowan]] and [[Paxter Redwyne]] seats on the small council as advisers
* Ser [[Boros Blount]], re-instated to the [[Kingsguard]] to replace [[Sandor Clegane]].
* Ser [[Philip Foote]], the lands, rights and incomes of [[House Caron]], including Lordship of [[Nightsong]] as Lord Foote, for slaying Lord [[Bryce Caron]].
* [[Lothor Brune]], raised to knighthood and granted land and keep in the [[Riverlands]] for the capture of Ser [[Jon Fossoway]] and the slaying of Ser [[Bryan Fossoway|Bryan]] and Ser [[Edwyd Fossoway]] after fighting past half a hundred Fossoway men-at-arms.
* [[Josmyn Peckledon]], a sword and suit of plate and a warhorse of the royal stables as well as a [[knight]]hood when coming of age, for killing two knights, wounding a third and capturing two more.
* Goodman [[Willit]], a [[House Swyft|Swyft]] man-at-arms who saved his master [[Harys Swyft]] from beneath his dying horse and a dozen attackers. Granted a spear with a silver-banded haft, a hauberk of new-forged ringmail and a full helm with visor. His elder son taken as a squire and his younger one as page at [[Casterly Rock]].
* [[Wisdom]] [[Hallyne]], raised to lordship, credited for the employment of [[wildfire]] in the battle.
* Ser [[Lancel Lannister]], granted the lands, castle and rights of [[House Darry]] as Lord of [[Darry]].
* Lord [[Petyr Baelish]], for his "faithful service to crown and realm", granted the castle of [[Harrenhal]] with all its attendant lands and incomes, and raised to [[Lord Paramount of the Trident]].
* [[Bronn]], captain of the guard of [[Tyrion Lannister]], raised to [[knight]]hood as Ser Bronn of the Blackwater. Credited for the chain.
* [[Osfryd Kettleblack|Osfryd]] and [[Osney Kettleblack]], also raised to [[knight]]hood.
* Surviving captains from Joffrey's warships ''[[River Arrow]]'', ''[[Wildwind]]'' and ''[[Prince Aemon]]'', and under officers from ''[[Godsgrace (ship)|Godsgrace]]'', ''[[Ramshead]]'', ''[[Lance]]'' and ''[[Lady of Silk]]'', honored by the crown.{{ref|ACOK|65}}

===Highborn Hostages===
{{Columns|3|
* Lord [[Ardrian Celtigar]]
* Lord [[Alesander Staedmon]]
* Lord [[Steffon Varner]]
* Lord [[House Willum|Willum]]
* Ser [[Eldon Estermont]]
* Ser [[Mark Mullendore]]
* Ser [[Tanton Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Donnel Swann]]
* Ser [[Ronnet Connington]]
* Ser [[Jon Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Bonifer Hasty]]
* Ser [[Dermot|Dermot of the Rainwood]]
* Ser [[Timon|Timon the Scrapesword]]
* [[Josua Willum]]
* [[Elyas Willum]]
* [[Aurane Waters]]
}}
===Notable Casualties===
====Lannister/Tyrell forces====
{{Columns|3|
* Ser [[Mandon Moore]]
* Ser [[Jacelyn Bywater]]
* Ser [[Ben Bushy]]
* Ser [[Richard Farrow]]
* Ser [[Will (Stork)|Will the Stork]]
}}
====Stannis' forces====
{{Columns|3|
* Ser [[Imry Florent]]
* Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]]
* Lord [[Monford Velaryon]]
* Lord [[Bryce Caron]]
* Lord [[House Chyttering|Chyttering]]
* Ser [[Bryan Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Edwyd Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Herbert Bolling]]
* [[Dale Seaworth]]
* [[Allard Seaworth]]
* [[Maric Seaworth]]
* [[Matthos Seaworth]]
}}

===Ships===  
====King Joffrey====
{{Columns|3|
* ''[[Kingslander]]''
* ''[[Godsgrace (ship)|Godsgrace]]''
* ''[[Prince Aemon]]''
* ''[[Lady of Silk]]''
* ''[[Lady's Shame]]''
* ''[[Wildwind]]''
* ''[[Lance]]''
* ''[[Seaflower]]''
* ''[[White Hart]]''
* ''[[Loyal Man]]''
* ''[[Queen Cersei]]''
* ''[[River Arrow]]''
* ''[[Ramshead]]''
}}
====King Stannis====
{{Columns|3|
*''[[Fury]]'', Ser Imry Florent's flagship
* ''[[Lord Steffon]]''
* ''[[Stag of the Sea]]''
* ''[[Pride of Driftmark]]''
* ''[[Red Claw]]''
* ''[[Swordfish]]''
* ''[[Bold Laughter]]''
* ''[[Harridan]]''
* ''[[Seahorse]]''
* ''[[Piety]]''
* ''[[Prayer]]''
* ''[[Devotion]]''
* ''[[Lady Harra]]''
* ''[[Brightfish]]''
* ''[[Laughing Lord]]''
* ''[[Sea Demon]]''
* ''[[Horned Honor]]''
* ''[[Ragged Jenna]]''
* ''[[Swift Sword]]''
* ''[[Trident Three]]''
* ''[[Princess Rhaenys]]''
* ''[[Queen Alysanne]]''
* ''[[Dog's Nose]]''
* ''[[Faithful]]''
* ''[[Sceptre]]''
* ''[[Red Raven]]''
* ''[[Cat]]''
* ''[[Courageous]]''
* ''[[Dragonsbane]]''
* ''[[Black Betha]]''
* ''[[Lady Marya]]''
* ''[[Wraith]]''
* ''[[Valyrian (ship)|Valyrian]]''
}}

==Quotes==
{{quote|It was '''Lord Renly'''! Lord Renly in his green armor, with the fire shimmering off his golden antlers! Lord Renly with his tall spear in his hand! They say he killed Ser Guyard Morrigen himself in single combat, and a dozen other great knights as well. It was Renly, it was Renly, it was Renly! Oh! the banners, darling Sansa! Oh! to be a knight!{{ref|ACOK|62}}}} – [[Dontos Hollard]], to [[Sansa Stark]]

{{Quote|My hirelings betray me, my friends are scourged and shamed, and I lie here rotting. I thought I won the bloody battle. Is this what triumph tastes like?{{Ref|aSoS|4}}}} – [[Tyrion Lannister]]'s thoughts

{{quote|Too many good men died that day.{{ref|ADWD|66}}}} – [[Tyrion Lannister]], to [[Kem]]

==See also==
:*[[:Category:Images of the Battle of the Blackwater|Images of the Battle of the Blackwater]]

==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}

{{Template:War of the Five Kings}}

[[Category:Battles|Blackwater]]
[[Category:War of the Five Kings|Blackwater]]
[[Category:Crownlands]]
[[Category:King's Landing]]
[[Category:House Baratheon]]
[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:House Tyrell]]

[[es:Batalla del Aguasnegras]]
[[fr:Bataille de la Néra]]
[[ru:Битва на Черноводной]]
[[zh:黑水河之役]]

Battle of the Blackwater

2014-09-24T20:31:46Z

Pavlosbal:

Battle of the Blackwater

2014-08-16T14:34:37Z

Pavlosbal: /* Battling Renly */

{{Template:Battlebox
| image = [[File:Jedruszek battle of the b.jpg|350px]]
| caption = by Tomasz Jedruszek. © Fantasy Flight Games
| battle_name = Battle of the Blackwater
| conflict = [[War of the Five Kings]]
| date = {{Date|299}}
| place = [[King's Landing]] / mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]]
| result = Decisive [[House Baratheon of King's Landing]] victory
| colour_scheme =
| combatant1 = The King in the Narrow Sea 
* Houses sworn to [[Dragonstone]] 
* Most [[Stormlands|storm lords]] 
* Some houses of [[the Reach]], 
* [[Lys]]ene pirates
* [[Myr]]ish sellsails
| combatant2 = The King on the Iron Throne 
* [[City Watch of King's Landing]] 
* [[Tywin Lannister]]'s host 
* Most houses of [[the Reach]] 
* Some [[Stormlands|storm lords]]
| commander1 = King [[Stannis Baratheon]] Ser [[Imry Florent]]+ Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]]+ Ser [[Rolland Storm]] Lord [[Salladhor Saan]] Ser [[Davos Seaworth]]
| commander2 = Lord [[Tyrion Lannister]] Lord [[Jacelyn Bywater]]+ Kingsguard [[Sandor Clegane]] Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]] Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] Lord [[Randyll Tarly]]
| strength1 = 21,000
* 16,000 men-at-arms, knights, light calvary, and free riders
* 5,000 in the landing party
200 warships
* 80 royal war galleys
* 80 other royal ships
* 40 sellsails
| strength2 = 7,250 in King's Landing garrison
* 2,000 "seasoned" city watch
* 4,000 newly conscripted city watch (considered unreliable)
* 800 sellswords
* 300 knights, squires and men-at-arms
* 150 mountain clansmen (harassed Stannis' army during the march)
50 warships
<80,000 Tyrell-Lannister reinforcements
| casualties1 = [[#Notable Casualties|See below]] Most of the fleet, 47 lesser lordlings 619 knights and several thousand men-at-arms, ground army scattered or switched sides{{Ref|aSoS|19}}
| casualties2 = [[#Notable Casualties|See below]] Most of the fleet,{{Ref|AFFC|17}} 1,600 gold cloaks killed or deserted, ground forces casualties unknown 
}}

The '''Battle of the Blackwater''' is the largest battle in the [[War of the Five Kings]]. The battle is fought between forces loyal to [[Stannis Baratheon]] and those loyal to [[Joffrey Baratheon]]. Stannis's army is on the verge of defeating the garrison of [[King's Landing]], but is taken by surprise and all but annihilated by the joint forces of [[Tywin Lannister]] and the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]].

==Prelude==
===Dragonstone===
Stannis is one of the members of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s [[small council]] to harbor suspicions of the parentage of the king's children, and to discover that they were born of incest between Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] and her brother, Ser [[Jaime Lannister]].

Taking his suspicions and what proof he could muster, in the form of Robert's numerous bastard children, to Lord [[Jon Arryn]], Stannis hopes to convince the [[Hand of the King]], one of Robert's oldest and most trusted friends, of the [[House Lannister|Lannisters']] treason. When Jon dies under suspicious circumstances shortly thereafter, Stannis flees to [[Dragonstone]], his seat of power, where Stannis closes the port and its surrounding waters.

After Robert dies, Stannis rallies what strength he could, with but few [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone#Sworn to Dragonstone|Houses sworn to Dragonstone]], and hiring mercenaries and pirates of the [[Free Cities]] to augment his forces. As the lord of an island fiefdom and the former [[Master of Ships]], Stannis's naval power is considerable, but the sparse population of the rocky, volcanic islands surrounding Dragonstone leave him without the strength to risk openly contesting the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}{{Ref|aCoK|10}}

Having failed to rally the storm lords to his cause in secret, Stannis presents his claims through letters distributed throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]], proclaiming [[Joffrey Baratheon]] and his siblings the fruit of incest, and claiming the crown as Robert's eldest surviving brother and rightful heir. With neither proof, nor the support or love of nobles and commons alike, and a rumor spread by the Lannisters that Stannis's own daughter, [[Shireen Baratheon]], is a bastard, Stannis's proclamation ends as little more than tavern gossip.{{Ref|aCoK|10}}

===Battling Renly===
Even before Stannis's [[raven]]s have taken wing with his claim, his younger brother [[Renly Baratheon]] has ridden from King's Landing to [[Highgarden]], where he weds [[Margaery Tyrell]], the daughter of Lord [[Mace Tyrell]], and claims the crown for himself. For Stannis, this is blatant treason. Moreover, Stannis is infuriated with the knowledge that the the [[Stormlands]] have thrown in with Renly, despite the fact that Stannis, as the eldest son of [[House Baratheon]], should have held claim to the loyalty of his House's ancestral seat, [[Storm's End]]. On Dragonstone [[Melisandre]] tells Stannis of two futures she has seen in her flames, one in which Stannis is defeated in King's Landing by his brother Renly, and one in which he sails to Storm's End, where his brother shall die, and his men will flock to Stannis. This leads Stannis to strike for Storm's End.{{Ref|aCoK|42}}

Stannis [[Siege of Storm's End (299)|lays siege]] to the coastal fortress, which is under the command of Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]], but all his might is but a meager thing against all the strength of the Stormlands and [[the Reach]] at his brother Renly's command. When Renly abandons his march on King's Landing, bringing all his knights and mounted forces to lift the siege, Stannis is vastly outnumbered. However, before the battle can begin, Renly is slain by [[shadow assassin|a shadow]] called forth by the shadowbinder Melisandre.{{Ref|aCoK|33}}

With Renly dead, the greater part of the knights and lords who had been sworn to him submit to Stannis, the last Baratheon, chief among them [[House Florent]], relatives of Stannis's wife, [[Selyse Florent]]. About a fifth of the cavalry does not submit, and flee under the command of Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] back to [[Bitterbridge]], where almost 80,000 men of Renly's army wait with his widowed Tyrell queen.{{Ref|aCoK|36}}{{Ref|aCoK|44}} Loras captures the knights Stannis sent to try and recruit the Reach and Stormlands infantry still encamped at Bitterbridge.

==Prelude==
Unaware of the capture of Ser [[Parmen Crane]] and Ser [[Erren Florent]], Stannis's army marches on King's Landing. Reinforced with some of the strength of the Stormlands, King Stannis has almost twenty thousand men at his command, mostly knights and freeriders, against the few thousand gold cloaks of the [[City Watch of King's Landing]]. However, the city is guarded to the south by the [[Blackwater Rush]], and requires an amphibious assault to conquer. Stannis moves his host and fleet upon King's Landing.

Under the direction of the acting Hand, [[Tyrion Lannister]], King's Landing strengthens its defenses, doubling its City Watch, burning the buildings outside the city walls and constructing a chain which would allow the defenders to close off the Blackwater Rush, as well as preparing ships loaded with [[wildfire]]. Tyrion sends out his remaining 150 [[mountain clans]]men to harass Stannis's flanks in the [[kingswood]]. Stannis's vanguard arrives early, and Joffrey's war galleys are dispatched to exchange arrows with his forces. The vanguard is said to have five thousand men, flying the banners of Houses Fossoway, Estermont and Florent, under the command of Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]]. {{Ref|aCoK|52}}

Treacherous waters and inclement weather delay Stannis's fleet on its northward journey from Storm's End. About a dozen ships are lost on the journey to [[Blackwater Bay]] and the troops on land suffer days of harassment from Tyrion's clansmen and skirmishers in the kingswood, despite burning swaths of the forest trying to ferret them out.{{Ref|aCoK|52}} Stannis gives command of the fleet to Ser [[Imry Florent]], who commands from Stannis's [[ships|galley]], the ''[[Fury]]''. Stannis himself is on the south side of the Blackwater with his host, making them create arrows and rafts.{{Ref|aCoK|58}}

==The Battle==
===Battle on the River===
[[File:Battle of the Blackwater.jpg|400px|thumb|The wildfire burns the Blackwater - by Amok ©]]
Stannis's fleet sails up the Blackwater Rush with almost all their strength. Confident of his superior numbers, and knowing that the fleet of King's Landing cannot hope to contest them, Ser Imry does not send scouts ahead, and attacks immediately, leaving only a contingent of 30 [[Lys]]eni mercenary galleys led by [[Salladhor Saan]] as rearguard out in Blackwater Bay. The fleet is organized into ten battle lines composed of twenty ships each. The first two lines, made of war galleys belonging to the royal navy and the lords of the narrow sea, were to smash the enemy fleet. A third line of war galleys, together with the [[Myr]]ish sellsails, are to land troops to attack the city, before joining the first two lines in battle. The smaller and slower ships are to ferry Stannis's host.{{Ref|aCoK|58}}

When Stannis's fleet engages with Joffrey's, they encounter ships loaded to bursting with [[wildfire]], a deadly accelerant, which burns even on water. Spreading downstream it soon engulfs in flames the closely packed ships of both fleets, which find their retreat cut off by the massive chain that has been raised between two winch towers at the mouth of the river.

The wildfire unleashed a tremendous amount of damage, destroying Joffrey's small fleet and a large portion of Stannis's. However, a few of Stannis's ships escape the conflagration: eight ships manage to land troops to the northern bank, and forty or so galleys remain ready to row Stannis's main force across the river. The congestion of wrecks caught by a pier unwittingly provides a bridge - albeit a burning, unstable one - for the army to cross.{{Ref|aCoK|58}}

===Attack on King's Landing===
[[File:John_Picacio_Tyrion.jpg‎|[[Tyrion]] during the Battle of the Blackwater ‎- © 2012 John Picacio|thumb|250px|right]]
The city itself is defended by some 5,700 gold cloaks (300 having been sent to escort [[Petyr Baelish]] in his attempt to recruit the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]]), leavened with 800 mercenaries and 300 knights, squires, and men-at-arms from the court and the surrounding [[Crownlands]]. As acting Hand of the King, command of the defense is taken by [[Tyrion Lannister]].{{Ref|aCoK|49}}

To avoid being overwhelmed, Tyrion tasks several groups of mounted men-at-arms, along with what few [[knight]]s the city has, to harry Stannis's forces as they come ashore. Under the command of [[Sandor Clegane]] and Ser [[Balon Swann]] of the [[Kingsguard]], they manage to help stem the tide, but as the battle drags on, they suffer grievous casualties. Battering rams are brought to bear on at least two of the city's gates, and when the [[wildfire]] raging across the river finally robs Clegane of his courage, the refusal of the fearsome Hound to lead any more sorties threatens to break the morale of the defenders.

Realizing that they have to drive off the rams and hold the river at all costs, Tyrion makes to lead the next sortie himself. Shamed into action by the dwarf's display of courage, the Kingslanders rally to clear the riverbank one last time; at this point [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]], fearing for her son, has Joffrey withdraw to the [[Red Keep]] from amongst the men.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} As soon as the defenders see the king retire, their morale breaks and they begin throwing down their spears and flee by the hundreds, leaving the walls and killing their officers, including Ser [[Jacelyn Bywater]], in the process. Tyrion manages to disperse the attackers at the [[King's Gate]] and make for the [[Mud Gate]],{{Ref|aCoK|59}} where he takes the fight to the riverfront as they observe a large group of Stannis's soldiers crossing over the bridge of ship wreckage in the river. However, in the fighting amidst the wreckage of the collapsing bridge of boats, Tyrion is severely wounded at the hands of Ser [[Mandon Moore]] of the Kingsguard, who had been Tyrion's sworn shield throughout the battle. {{Ref|aCoK|61}} With the bridge breaking up and their Hand lost in battle, the defenders retreat within the city walls. At this point the battle seems to be lost.{{Ref|aSoS|4}}

===Arrival of Tywin Lannister===
[[File:T Jedruszek DefendersOfKingsLanding.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Lannister soldiers defending King's Landing – by Tomasz Jedruszek. © Fantasy Flight Games]]

Though Stannis's army is still split across the Blackwater, victory is now within his grasp. Just as quickly as the tide had turned in his favor, however, it is turned again by the sudden appearance of foes on his flanks. Unknown to either the attackers or the defenders, the Tyrells have accepted Tyrion's alliance offer, which was sent with Petyr Baelish, and Renly's former army has marched from Bitterbridge, uniting with Lord [[Tywin Lannister]]'s own host in the shadow of the kingswood.{{Ref|aCoK|62}}

Tyrion's wildlings in the kingswood create a blind spot for Stannis by killing his outriders and scouts, and allow the Tyrell vanguard to take Stannis's smaller and partially crossed host unaware from the side. Lord Tywin leads the right, on the north side of the river, Mace Tyrell the left, and [[Randyll Tarly]] the center, but much of the fighting is done by the vanguard, led by Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]].

Garlan is dressed in the ornate and unmistakable armor of the late Renly Baratheon, leading to confusion and disorder amongst Stannis's ranks, and even stories that Renly has risen from the dead and fights as a ghost for Joffrey. "Renly's shade" slays Guyard Morrigen, who leads Stannis's van.

Divided, surprised, and outnumbered, Stannis's host breaks quickly, with most of his lords bannermen switching allegiance mid-battle, proving as fickle to Stannis as they had to the deceased Renly. The [[Rolland Storm|Bastard of Nightsong]] leads a rearguard action that allows some Stannis loyalists, chiefly Florents, to escape, along with Stannis himself on the Lysene galleys which had been left in Blackwater Bay while the rest of the fleet burned.{{Ref|aSoS|54}} However, thousands of troops are left behind.{{ref|ADWD|66}}

==Aftermath==
[[File:Pojypojy Tywin triumphant.jpg‎|The triumphant [[Tywin Lannister]] in [[King's Landing]] - by Pojypojy ©|thumb|350px|right]]
Despite [[Stannis Baratheon]]'s survival, the battle is a major defeat for [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]], as he is able to retreat with only a fraction of his army and a token fleet to [[Dragonstone]].

Most of the captured storm lords and men of the Reach bend the knee to King Joffrey. With the newly forged Tyrell alliance, the Lannisters now control the whole south and west, commanding overwhelming superiority of numbers in the field. The end of the war seems close.

===Honors and Rewards===
King Joffrey and the [[small council]] grant the following honors and rewards to the participants and survivors of the battle:

* Lord [[Tywin Lannister]], proclaimed ''"Savior of the City"''
* Lord [[Mace Tyrell]], a seat on the [[small council]] as [[Master of Ships]].
* Ser [[Loras Tyrell]], a place in the [[Kingsguard]], replacing Ser [[Mandon Moore]].
* Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]], the titles, lands and incomes of [[House Florent]], including lordship of [[Brightwater Keep]]. He also asks King Joffrey to marry his sister [[Margaery Tyrell]].
* Lords [[Mathis Rowan]] and [[Paxter Redwyne]] seats on the small council as advisers
* Ser [[Boros Blount]], re-instated to the [[Kingsguard]] to replace [[Sandor Clegane]].
* Ser [[Philip Foote]], the lands, rights and incomes of [[House Caron]], including Lordship of [[Nightsong]] as Lord Foote, for slaying Lord [[Bryce Caron]].
* [[Lothor Brune]], raised to knighthood and granted land and keep in the [[Riverlands]] for the capture of Ser [[Jon Fossoway]] and the slaying of Ser [[Bryan Fossoway|Bryan]] and Ser [[Edwyd Fossoway]] after fighting past half a hundred Fossoway men-at-arms.
* [[Josmyn Peckledon]], a sword and suit of plate and a warhorse of the royal stables as well as a [[knight]]hood when coming of age, for killing two knights, wounding a third and capturing two more.
* Goodman [[Willit]], a [[House Swyft|Swyft]] man-at-arms who saved his master [[Harys Swyft]] from beneath his dying horse and a dozen attackers. Granted a spear with a silver-banded haft, a hauberk of new-forged ringmail and a full helm with visor. His elder son taken as a squire and his younger one as page at [[Casterly Rock]].
* [[Wisdom]] [[Hallyne]], raised to lordship, credited for the employment of [[wildfire]] in the battle.
* Ser [[Lancel Lannister]], granted the lands, castle and rights of [[House Darry]] as Lord of [[Darry]].
* Lord [[Petyr Baelish]], for his "faithful service to crown and realm", granted the castle of [[Harrenhal]] with all its attendant lands and incomes, and raised to [[Lord Paramount of the Trident]].
* [[Bronn]], captain of the guard of [[Tyrion Lannister]], raised to [[knight]]hood as Ser Bronn of the Blackwater. Credited for the chain.
* [[Osfryd Kettleblack|Osfryd]] and [[Osney Kettleblack]], also raised to [[knight]]hood.
* Surviving captains from Joffrey's warships ''[[River Arrow]]'', ''[[Wildwind]]'' and ''[[Prince Aemon]]'', and under officers from ''[[Godsgrace (ship)|Godsgrace]]'', ''[[Ramshead]]'', ''[[Lance]]'' and ''[[Lady of Silk]]'', honored by the crown.{{ref|ACOK|65}}

===Highborn Hostages===
{{Columns|3|
* Lord [[Ardrian Celtigar]]
* Lord [[Alesander Staedmon]]
* Lord [[Steffon Varner]]
* Lord [[House Willum|Willum]]
* Ser [[Eldon Estermont]]
* Ser [[Mark Mullendore]]
* Ser [[Tanton Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Donnel Swann]]
* Ser [[Ronnet Connington]]
* Ser [[Jon Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Bonifer Hasty]]
* Ser [[Dermot|Dermot of the Rainwood]]
* Ser [[Timon|Timon the Scrapesword]]
* [[Josua Willum]]
* [[Elyas Willum]]
* [[Aurane Waters]]
}}
===Notable Casualties===
====Lannister/Tyrell forces====
{{Columns|3|
* Ser [[Mandon Moore]]
* Ser [[Jacelyn Bywater]]
* Ser [[Ben Bushy]]
* Ser [[Richard Farrow]]
* Ser [[Will (Stork)|Will the Stork]]
}}
====Stannis' forces====
{{Columns|3|
* Ser [[Imry Florent]]
* Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]]
* Lord [[Monford Velaryon]]
* Lord [[Bryce Caron]]
* Lord [[House Chyttering|Chyttering]]
* Ser [[Bryan Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Edwyd Fossoway]]
* Ser [[Herbert Bolling]]
* [[Dale Seaworth]]
* [[Allard Seaworth]]
* [[Maric Seaworth]]
* [[Matthos Seaworth]]
}}

===Ships===  
====King Joffrey====
{{Columns|3|
* ''[[Kingslander]]''
* ''[[Godsgrace (ship)|Godsgrace]]''
* ''[[Prince Aemon]]''
* ''[[Lady of Silk]]''
* ''[[Lady's Shame]]''
* ''[[Wildwind]]''
* ''[[Lance]]''
* ''[[Seaflower]]''
* ''[[White Hart]]''
* ''[[Loyal Man]]''
* ''[[Queen Cersei]]''
* ''[[River Arrow]]''
* ''[[Ramshead]]''
}}
====King Stannis====
{{Columns|3|
*''[[Fury]]'', Ser Imry Florent's flagship
* ''[[Lord Steffon]]''
* ''[[Stag of the Sea]]''
* ''[[Pride of Driftmark]]''
* ''[[Red Claw]]''
* ''[[Swordfish]]''
* ''[[Bold Laughter]]''
* ''[[Harridan]]''
* ''[[Seahorse]]''
* ''[[Piety]]''
* ''[[Prayer]]''
* ''[[Devotion]]''
* ''[[Lady Harra]]''
* ''[[Brightfish]]''
* ''[[Laughing Lord]]''
* ''[[Sea Demon]]''
* ''[[Horned Honor]]''
* ''[[Ragged Jenna]]''
* ''[[Swift Sword]]''
* ''[[Trident Three]]''
* ''[[Princess Rhaenys]]''
* ''[[Queen Alysanne]]''
* ''[[Dog's Nose]]''
* ''[[Faithful]]''
* ''[[Sceptre]]''
* ''[[Red Raven]]''
* ''[[Cat]]''
* ''[[Courageous]]''
* ''[[Dragonsbane]]''
* ''[[Black Betha]]''
* ''[[Lady Marya]]''
* ''[[Wraith]]''
* ''[[Valyrian (ship)|Valyrian]]''
}}

==Quotes==
{{quote|It was '''Lord Renly'''! Lord Renly in his green armor, with the fire shimmering off his golden antlers! Lord Renly with his tall spear in his hand! They say he killed Ser Guyard Morrigen himself in single combat, and a dozen other great knights as well. It was Renly, it was Renly, it was Renly! Oh! the banners, darling Sansa! Oh! to be a knight!{{ref|ACOK|62}}}} – [[Dontos Hollard]], to [[Sansa Stark]]

{{Quote|My hirelings betray me, my friends are scourged and shamed, and I lie here rotting. I thought I won the bloody battle. Is this what triumph tastes like?{{Ref|aSoS|4}}}} – [[Tyrion Lannister]]'s thoughts

{{quote|Too many good men died that day.{{ref|ADWD|66}}}} – [[Tyrion Lannister]], to [[Kem]]

==See also==
:*[[:Category:Images of the Battle of the Blackwater|Images of the Battle of the Blackwater]]

==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}

{{Template:War of the Five Kings}}

[[Category:Battles|Blackwater]]
[[Category:War of the Five Kings|Blackwater]]
[[Category:Crownlands]]
[[Category:King's Landing]]
[[Category:House Baratheon]]
[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:House Tyrell]]

[[es:Batalla del Aguasnegras]]
[[fr:Bataille de la Néra]]
[[ru:Битва на Черноводной]]
[[zh:黑水河之役]]

War of the Five Kings

2014-08-16T14:29:19Z

Pavlosbal:

{{Infobox Military Conflict
| conflict_name = War of the Five Kings
| part_of =
| image = [[File:Zippo514 the war of five kings.jpg|300px]]
| caption = The Five Kings - by Zippo514 ©
| date = {{Date|298}}-{{Date|300}}
| battles =
| location = [[Westeros]]
| result = Decisive [[House Baratheon of King's Landing|Baratheon of King's Landing]] ([[House Lannister]] & [[House Tyrell]]) victory

| combatant1 = [[Joffrey Baratheon|The King on the Iron Throne]] †
| commander1 = Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] (was captive) Lord [[Stafford Lannister]] † Lord [[Kevan Lannister]] Ser [[Daven Lannister]] Ser [[Harys Swyft]] Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] Lord [[Andros Brax]] † Ser [[Forley Prester]] Ser [[Addam Marbrand]] Lord [[Leo Lefford]] † Ser [[Amory Lorch]] † Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] (changed side) Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] (changed side) Lord [[Mathis Rowan]] (changed side) Lord [[Roose Bolton]] (changed side) Lord [[Walder Frey]] (changed side)
| strength1 = [[House Baratheon of King's Landing]] & [[House Lannister]]
Houses sworn to [[King's Landing]] and [[Casterly Rock]]
| losses1 =

| combatant2 = [[Robb Stark|The King in the North and the Trident]] †
| commander2 = King [[Robb Stark]] † Lord [[Greatjon Umber]] Ser [[Brynden Tully]] Lord [[Roose Bolton]] Ser [[Edmure Tully]] (was captive) Lord [[Rickard Karstark]] † Lady [[Maege Mormont]] Ser [[Wylis Manderly]] Lord [[Jason Mallister]] Ser [[Stevron Frey]] † Lord [[Tytos Blackwood]] Lord [[Jonos Bracken]] Lord [[Galbart Glover]] Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] † Ser [[Marq Piper]]
| strength2 = [[House Stark]] & [[House Tully]]
Houses sworn to [[Winterfell]] and [[Riverrun]]
| losses2 =

| combatant3 = [[Stannis Baratheon|The King in the Narrow Sea]] (lost his [[Storm's End|seat]])
| commander3 = King [[Stannis Baratheon]] Lord [[Imry Florent]] † Ser [[Axell Florent]] † Ser [[Rolland Storm]] Lord [[Salladhor Saan]] Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]] (changed side) † Lord [[Bryce Caron]] (changed side) †
| strength3 = [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]]
Houses sworn to [[Dragonstone]] Houses sworn to [[Storm's End]] (changed side)
| losses3 =

| combatant4 = [[Renly Baratheon|The King in Highgarden]] †
| commander4 = King [[Renly Baratheon]] † Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] Lord [[Mathis Rowan]] Ser [[Guyard Morrigen]] Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]] † Lord [[Bryce Caron]]
| strength4 = [[House Baratheon]] of Storm's End & [[House Tyrell]]
Houses sworn to [[Storm's End]] and [[Highgarden]]
| losses4 =

| combatant5 = [[Balon Greyjoy|The King of the Iron Islands]] †
| commander5 = King [[Balon Greyjoy]] † Prince [[Theon Greyjoy]] (changed side / become [[Reek|captive]]) Lady [[Asha Greyjoy]] Lord [[Victarion Greyjoy]] Lord [[Euron Greyjoy]] Lord [[Rodrik Harlaw]] Priest [[Aeron Greyjoy]] Ser [[Harras Harlaw]] Captain [[Dagmer|Dagmer Cleftjaw]] Lord [[Dunstan Drumm]]
| strength5 = [[House Greyjoy]]
Houses sworn to [[Pyke]]
| losses5 =
}}

The '''War of the Five Kings''' is a large, multi-theater conflict fought in the [[Seven Kingdoms]] from {{Date|298}} until {{Date|300}}. As the name implies, over the course of the war five men claim the title of king: [[Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Stannis Baratheon]], and [[Renly Baratheon]] all claim the [[Iron Throne]], whilst the separatists [[Robb Stark]] and [[Balon Greyjoy]] attempt to secede their lands from the rule of the Iron Throne, claiming the titles of [[King in the North]] and [[King of the Iron Islands]] respectively.

The War of the Five Kings is the principal military conflict depicted in the first three novels of the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' series, and its aftermath and successor conflicts continue in the latest two novels. According to Archmaester [[Benedict]], the name of the conflict is incorrect because Renly Baratheon is slain before Balon Greyjoy crowns himself, so there are never technically five kings at once.{{ref|aFfC|0}}

==Causes==
Fifteen years prior to the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings, Lord [[Robert Baratheon]] of [[Storm's End]] led a successful popular [[Robert's Rebellion|rebellion]] to overthrow the Mad King, [[Aerys II Targaryen]]. Following the rebellion, Robert reigned as king over all the [[Seven Kingdoms]], securing his power with a loveless political marriage to [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] of [[House Lannister]]. Within a few years the royal succession was also secured by three heirs: [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]].

However, King Robert’s brother, [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]], eventually became suspicious of the legitimacy of Robert’s three children and shared his suspicions with Lord [[Jon Arryn]], the [[Hand of the King]]. They investigated and concluded that the children were not Robert's, but the product of incest between Queen Cersei and her twin brother [[knight|Ser]] [[Jaime Lannister]]. Before their evidence could be presented to King Robert, however, Lord Arryn was fatally poisoned. Stannis, fearing for his family’s safety, immediately fled to his stronghold on the island of [[Dragonstone]].

Oblivious, King Robert travels north to offer the office of Hand to his old friend Lord [[Eddard Stark]] of [[Winterfell]]. While Eddard is considering his answer, his wife Lady [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn]] receives a coded letter from her sister [[Lysa Tully|Lysa Arryn]] implicating the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] in her husband Jon’s death. This leads Catelyn to convince Eddard to accept the office of Hand and use his new power to investigate further.

While climbing Winterfell's walls during the king's visit, the Starks' son [[Bran Stark|Bran]] witnesses Queen Cersei and her brother Jaime having sex. Jaime throws the seven-year-old from the tower in an attempt to hide the secret but Bran survives, lingering in a coma. After the king and his party have left for [[King's Landing]], a [[catspaw|hired assassin]] comes to kill the comatose boy but is killed by Bran’s [[Summer|pet direwolf]]. Now certain that her son’s fall was not an accident, Catelyn elects to go south to personally inform her husband of the attack.

Upon arriving in the capital, Catelyn is met by her childhood friend [[Petyr Baelish]], who informs the Starks that the assassin's dagger belonged to [[Tyrion Lannister]], another brother of the queen. This is a lie, but neither Catelyn nor her husband suspect it. While returning north, Catelyn encounters Tyrion at the [[crossroads inn]] and arrests him for the attack on her son. She takes him to her sister Lysa in the [[House Arryn|Arryn]] stronghold of the [[Eyrie]], where Tyrion faces trial for his alleged crimes. Tyrion soon manages to win his freedom, but his arrest has already inflamed tensions between the Starks and the Lannisters.

Meanwhile, Lord Eddard investigates his predecessor’s death and learns the truth about the royal children. He confronts the queen and offers her the chance to go into exile with her children before he informs King Robert. Instead, Cersei has Robert given unusually potent wine while he is on a hunt in the [[kingswood]], and in his inebriated state Robert is mauled by a boar. The dying king orders that Eddard serve as regent until Joffrey comes of age, but Eddard immediately begins organizing to transfer power to the rightful heir, Stannis Baratheon.

Sensing the power struggle to come, Robert’s youngest brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] offers to help Eddard seize the royal children. Eddard refuses, so Renly flees King’s Landing with Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] for his own safety. Later, reconsidering his need for soldiers, Eddard enlists the aid of Petyr Baelish to ensure the support of the [[City Watch of King's Landing|City Watch]]. However, Baelish betrays Eddard and the City Watch supports the Lannisters. Eddard is imprisoned and Joffrey assumes the throne with his mother, Queen Cersei, as his regent. Learning of his father’s arrest, Eddard’s heir [[Robb Stark]] calls his father's banners together and marches south. With this act, although the newly-crowned King Joffrey is still the only king in the realm, the War of the Five Kings begins.

==Factions==
* '''The King on the [[Iron Throne]]''': [[Joffrey Baratheon]], the ostensible heir of King [[Robert Baratheon]]. Joffrey is initially supported by the [[Westerlands]] under [[House Lannister]] and by the royal [[Crownlands]] sworn directly to the [[Iron Throne]].

* '''The King in [[Highgarden]]''': [[Renly Baratheon]], the youngest brother of King Robert. Despite possessing no rightful claim to the throne, as lord of [[Storm's End]], Renly commands the loyalty of the [[Stormlands]] and earns the support of [[the Reach]] by marrying [[Margaery Tyrell]] of Highgarden.

* '''The King in the [[North]] and the [[Trident]]''': [[Robb Stark]], the heir of Lord [[Eddard Stark]] of [[Winterfell]]. Proclaimed king by his bannermen, Robb is supported by his own northern lords and by the [[Riverlands|river lords]] sworn to his mother [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn's]] family, [[House Tully]].

* '''The King in the [[narrow sea|Narrow Sea]]''': [[Stannis Baratheon]], the elder of King Robert’s younger brothers. Initially supported at [[Dragonstone]] only by the lords of the narrow sea, Stannis gains the loyalty of the majority of the [[Stormlands|storm lords]] as well as [[House Florent]] and briefly both branches of [[House Fossoway]].

* '''The King of the [[Iron Islands]]''': [[Balon Greyjoy]]. Having failed in a [[Greyjoy's Rebellion|previous attempt]] at independence, the war gives Balon another opportunity. He is supported by the lords and captains of the Iron Islands.

==The Course of the War==
===The War in the Riverlands===
[[File:War in the North1.png|thumb|300px|The Lannister's Riverland campaign: 1.[[Battle of the Golden Tooth]], 2.[[Battle at the Mummer's Ford]], 3.[[Battle of Riverrun]], 4.Conquering the Riverlands]]

The War of the Five Kings begins as a local conflict when [[Catelyn Stark]] seizes [[Tyrion Lannister]] for the attempted murder of her son [[Bran Stark|Bran]]. Although he bears no special love for his son, Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] refuses to allow the slight to his family’s honor to go unpunished. In response, he masses two hosts at [[Casterly Rock]] in preparation for an invasion of Catelyn’s homeland, the [[Riverlands]]. One host of 20,000 men is to be commanded by Lord Tywin himself, while the other 15,000 men are to be commanded by his son [[knight|Ser]] [[Jaime Lannister]].

Hostilities begin when Lord Tywin dispatches his bannerman Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] to raid the Riverlands disguised as a common brigand. The raids create chaos and force many river lords to return to their own keeps rather than attend the general muster at [[Riverrun]]. At the same time, Lord Tywin hopes the raids will lure Catelyn’s husband, Lord [[Eddard Stark]], into the Riverlands where he can be captured, bringing a swift conclusion to the conflict. However, Tywin’s plan is unknowingly foiled by his son Jaime, whose ambush of Eddard in the streets of King's Landing results in a broken leg which prevents Eddard from travelling. The wounded [[Hand of the King]] thus sends Lord [[Beric Dondarrion]] to stop Gregor Clegane in his stead.

When Ser [[Edmure Tully]] discovers that the Lannisters are raising a host, he demands that Lord Tywin proclaim his intent. When no response comes, the [[House Tully|Tully]] banners are called to Riverrun but this proves difficult with Tywin's raiders harassing the border. Only 4,000 men under the command of Lords [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance]] and [[Clement Piper|Piper]] can be spared to guard the main pass between the [[Westerlands]] and the Riverlands at the [[Golden Tooth]].

In the midst of this crisis, King [[Robert Baratheon]] dies after a drunken hunting accident, naming Eddard Stark as [[Regent|Lord Regent]] until his supposed son, Prince [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], grows to manhood. Eddard secretly changes the king’s will to read “rightful heir,” intending to offer the throne to Robert’s rightful heir, [[Stannis Baratheon]]. However, when Eddard attempts to take Joffrey into custody as a false claimant he is betrayed by Petyr Baelish and arrested. By this time, King Robert’s youngest brother, [[Renly Baratheon]], has fled the city to gather his own army.

When word of Lord Eddard’s arrest arrives in [[Winterfell]], [[Robb Stark]] calls his father’s bannermen together and marches south with a hastily assembled host of 12,000 men, planning to gather more as he moves south. At the same time, Lord Tywin launches his planned invasion of the Riverlands.

:* '''[[Battle of the Golden Tooth]].''' The Lannister invasion of the Riverlands begins when Ser Jaime Lannister descends on the Riverlands with 15,000 men. Attacking from the west, Jaime is tasked with capturing Riverrun, the seat of House Tully and the capital of the Riverlands. In the opening battle of the war, Jaime easily breaks the 4,000 men under Lords Vance and Piper guarding the border near the Golden Tooth. Lord Vance is slain and Lord Piper is forced to retreat back to Riverrun with the Lannisters on his heels.

:* '''[[Battle at the Mummer's Ford]].''' While crossing the [[Mummer's Ford]], Lord Beric Dondarrion's force of around 100 men, sent to bring Gregor Clegane to justice, is ambushed by Clegane and Lord Tywin. Dondarrion’s force is nearly wiped out; Lord Beric, Lord [[Lothar Mallery]], Ser [[Raymun Darry]], and Ser [[Gladden Wylde]] are all killed, as are most of the Stark guardsmen sent along by Eddard Stark. Victorious, Lord Tywin closes off the [[Goldroad]] and continues his march north into the Riverlands. Meanwhile, [[Thoros of Myr]] and [[Alyn]] of Winterfell rally the survivors and manage to escape. Later, Thoros inadvertently resurrects Beric Dondarrion while performing last rites for him. They continue to lead the remaining men against the Lannisters, harassing Lord Tywin’s supply lines. When they learn King Joffrey has declared them outlaws, Dondarrion’s band forms the core of the outlaw organization called the [[brotherhood without banners]].

:* '''[[Battle of Riverrun]].''' After his victory at the Golden Tooth, Jaime Lannister advances to meet the massed power of House Tully outside the walls of Riverrun. The overwhelming number of Lannisters puts the river lords to rout and Ser Edmure Tully and many others are taken captive. However, Lord [[Tytos Blackwood]] manages to lead some of the survivors back within Riverrun, forcing the Lannisters to lay siege to the castle.

:* Conquering the Riverlands. After defeating Dondarrion, Lord Tywin leads his 20,000 men northeast toward the [[ruby ford]], conquering the Riverlands south of the [[Trident]]. With Lord Blackwood besieged in Riverrun, Tywin takes [[Raventree Hall]]. Lady [[Shella Whent]] surrenders [[Harrenhal]] due to a lack of defenders. Meanwhile, Ser Gregor Clegane burns out the [[House Piper|Pipers]] and [[House Bracken|Brackens]].

With its armies broken and scattered, its capital besieged, and its heir [[Edmure Tully]] captured, the war is essentially lost for House Tully. Although Ser [[Marq Piper]] and Lord [[Karyl Vance]] begin guerrilla raids and Lord [[Jason Mallister]] falls back to his stronghold at [[Seagard]], the only hope for the Tullys lies with the northmen, who are held in check by the [[Green Fork]] and the second Lannister host under Lord Tywin.

===The Wolf and the Lion===
[[File:War in the North3.png|thumb|300px|Robb's Riverland campaign: 1.Camp at [[Moat Cailin]] 2.Advance to [[the Twins]] 3.[[Battle of the Green Fork]] 4.[[Battle of the Whispering Wood]] 5.[[Battle of the Camps]]]]

The [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] meet their first real opposition when [[House Stark]] enters the war on behalf of [[House Tully]]. After assembling his force on the march, [[Robb Stark]] arrives at [[Moat Cailin]], where he is joined by his mother [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn]] and a final 1,750 men from [[White Harbor]], bringing his total to 20,000. Moat Cailin is a formidable defensive position that has defeated countless southron invaders in the past. Here Robb garrisons a small force, consisting mostly of archers, to hold the ruin. Additionally, Robb sends word to [[Howland Reed]] to have the [[crannogmen]] bleed any Lannister attempt to come north. However, Robb knows Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is too smart to try and will stay close to the [[Trident]], taking castles one by one.

Robb has no choice but to move south, but his options are limited. To relieve Riverrun, he must cross the [[Green Fork]] either at [[the Twins]] (where [[House Frey]] has remained decidedly neutral) or at the [[ruby ford]] (which Lord Tywin can easily seal off). Eventually, Robb decides to do both. Splitting his horse and foot, Robb sends the foot with Lord [[Roose Bolton]] down the [[kingsroad]] to engage Lord Tywin, while secretly crossing with his horse at the Twins to race to [[Riverrun]] and surprise the besiegers. In exchange for his crossing and the support of the Freys (who provide 4,000 men), Robb agrees to marry one of Lord [[Walder Frey]]’s daughters.

:* '''[[Battle of the Green Fork]].''' After parting with Robb at the Twins, Roose Bolton marches down the kingsroad with roughly 18,000 men, mostly infantry, to engage Lord Tywin. He plans a night attack to catch the Lannisters off-guard, but Ser [[Addam Marbrand]]’s outriders discover them and rouse Lord Tywin’s army in time for battle. The Lannisters win an easy victory, but Lord Tywin learns from the prisoners that Robb Stark has tricked him and is riding to relieve Riverrun. Rather than pursue the remnants of Bolton’s army, Tywin sets a grueling pace back toward Riverrun. This allows Bolton to reform his army and retreat to the Twins.

:* '''[[Battle of the Whispering Wood]].''' After secretly crossing at the Twins with his cavalry, Robb Stark rides hard for Riverrun in hopes of surprising Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] and lifting the siege before Lord Tywin can reinforce them. Along the way, Robb is bolstered by [[House Mallister|Mallister]] forces from [[Seagard]]. Unaware of the danger and bored with the sedentary siege, Jaime Lannister frequently rides out on sorties against [[Marq Piper]] and [[Karyl Vance]] with only a few hundred men. After eliminating the Lannister outriders, Robb baits Jaime with a small force into a trap in the [[Whispering Wood]], north of Riverrun. The ambush is a complete success for the Starks, who capture Jaime and nearly a hundred other knights and a dozen lords bannermen. However, in a last-ditch attempt to turn the battle, Jaime charges Robb and kills several prominent nobles of his bodyguard, including [[Torrhen Karstark|Torrhen]] and [[Eddard Karstark|Eddard Karstark]], sons of Lord [[Rickard Karstark]].

:* '''[[Battle of the Camps]].''' The night after the Whispering Wood, Robb is able to catch the Lannister forces besieging Riverrun completely off-guard. In order to besiege Riverrun properly the Lannister force has been divided into three camps separated by the rivers, leaving them vulnerable. The attack begins when Ser [[Brynden Tully]] leads the Stark vanguard to overrun the north camp. Lord [[Andros Brax]] attempts to aid the beleaguered camp, but the river carries his rafts into range of Riverrun’s walls. Soon most of the rafts are flipped, killing Lord Brax and many others. The west camp then comes under attack with Robb leading the charge. The Lannisters there form a shieldwall but are taken in the rear by a sortie from Riverrun led by Lord [[Tytos Blackwood]]. Blackwood and his men manage to liberate many prisoners, including Ser [[Edmure Tully]]. The remaining camp, containing roughly 2,000 spearmen and as many bowmen, is left unmolested and retreats in good order back to the [[Golden Tooth]] under the command of Ser [[Forley Prester]].

:* '''The Execution of [[Eddard Stark]].''' [[Cersei Lannister]]’s greatest fear at the outbreak of the war is that [[Stannis Baratheon]] will capture [[King's Landing]] before the Lannisters can consolidate their position. To prevent this, she needs peace with the Starks and is willing to make a deal: if Eddard will confess to treason, order Robb to make peace, and declare [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]] the true heir, he will be allowed to [[Night's Watch|take the black]]. To ensure Eddard’s compliance, the spymaster [[Varys]] points out that Eddard’s daughter [[Sansa Stark|Sansa]] (now a ward of the crown) is also liable to be executed if he refuses. On the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], Eddard Stark publicly makes his false confession. However, instead of honoring the agreement, King Joffrey arbitrarily orders that Eddard be beheaded, destroying any chance of peace between Stark and Lannister.

:* '''Retreat to [[Harrenhal]]'''. News of Eddard Stark’s execution, his son Jaime’s [[Battle of the Whispering Wood|capture]], and Renly Baratheon’s coronation is discussed by Lord Tywin at the [[crossroads inn]] as he is retreating from his victory on the Green Fork. His army is now in a very precarious position: Robb Stark sits to the west across his supply lines, [[Roose Bolton]] has reformed his army to the north, and Renly Baratheon in marching up from the south. Meanwhile, Stannis Baratheon lurks on Dragonstone, within striking distance of the capital. In response, Lord Tywin retreats south to Harrenhal and dispatches three raiding parties under Ser [[Gregor Clegane]], Ser [[Amory Lorch]], and [[Vargo Hoat]] to set the Riverlands afire from [[Gods Eye]] to the [[Red Fork]]. To prevent any more political blunders like the execution of Eddard Stark, Tywin dispatches his son [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] to King’s Landing to serve as [[Hand of the King]] in his place.

:* '''Reclaiming the [[Trident]].''' When news of Eddard Stark’s death reaches Riverrun, his son Robb is proclaimed [[King in the North]] by his northern bannermen as well as the river lords. Following his coronation, King Robb gives his river lords leave to disperse and reclaim their lands individually as the Lannisters retreat toward Harrenhal. [[Tytos Blackwood]] reclaims [[Raventree Hall]] and [[Jonos Bracken]] reclaims [[Stone Hedge]] after a fierce battle that costs the life of his nephew and heir [[Hendry Bracken]]. [[Darry|Castle Darry]] is also reclaimed for young Lord [[Lyman Darry]]. Meanwhile, Lord [[Karyl Vance]] and [[Marq Piper]] take their raiding parties on the offensive against Lord Tywin’s foragers.

:* '''[[Sack of Darry]].''' The recapture of Darry does not last long. Before the castle can be properly repaired, Ser Gregor Clegane attacks the castle with his fierce [[The Mountain's men|company]]. After his victory over the garrison, Clegane has the entire household put to the sword, including the young Lord Lyman, which ends the male line of [[House Darry]].

===The Crowning of the Kings===

With the deaths of King [[Robert Baratheon]] and Lord [[Eddard Stark]], the realm saw the rise of multiple kings trying to fill the void. Robert’s supposed son [[Joffrey Baratheon]] assumes the [[Iron Throne]] in [[King’s Landing]]. Unable or unwilling to accept Joffrey as king, four rival kings soon arise to contest for power in Westeros. In order of proclamation, the kings are:

:*'''King [[Renly Baratheon]]''', the youngest brother of the late King Robert. After failing to convince Eddard Stark to seize power while Robert lies dying, Renly flees to [[Highgarden]]. There, with the help of his lover Ser [[Loras Tyrell]], Renly is able to secure the support of [[House Tyrell]] by wedding Lord [[Mace Tyrell]]’s daughter [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]]. With the strength of both the [[Reach]] and the [[Stormlands]] behind him, Renly declares himself King of the Seven Kingdoms. He assembles a massive army of 100,000 men and begins marching slowly on [[King's Landing]], letting the Lannisters and Starks bleed each other while his new father-in-law Lord Mace Tyrell continues assembling a reserve host at [[Highgarden]].

:*'''King [[Robb Stark]]''', the eldest son of Lord Eddard Stark of [[Winterfell]]. Following the execution of his father, Robb Stark is proclaimed the [[King in the North]] and [[King of the Trident]] by his bannermen. In hopes of gaining further support, Robb sends messages to neutral [[House Arryn]] and dispatches his foster-brother [[Theon Greyjoy]] and his mother [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn]] to negotiate with [[Balon Greyjoy]] and [[Renly Baratheon]] respectively. Meanwhile, Robb takes the initiative and strikes at the Lannister power base in the [[Westerlands]], hoping for [[House Greyjoy|Greyjoy]] support.

:*'''King [[Stannis Baratheon]]''', the eldest living brother of King Robert. Having fled to [[Dragonstone]] following [[Jon Arryn]]’s death, Stannis has been gathering his strength. Knowing the illegitimacy of Robert’s children, Stannis proclaims himself the rightful heir, believing it is his duty to overthrow all usurpers. As [[master of ships]], Stannis's army is too small to be a threat but his fleet is considerable. However, Stannis is counseled by a priestess of [[R'hllor]] named [[Melisandre]], who has prophesied that Renly will die and that his army will flock to join Stannis. Encouraged by this prediction, Stannis sails for his brother Renly’s seat at [[Storm's End]] with his 5,000 men.

:*'''King [[Balon Greyjoy]]''', Lord of the [[Iron Islands]]. As soon as word of unrest within the [[Seven Kingdoms]] reaches Lord Balon, he begins calling his banners and seizing every ship in the Iron Islands in preparation for a second rebellion. When his son Theon arrives bearing an offer of alliance from King Robb, Balon dismisses it, declaring that [[Casterly Rock]] is too strong. In addition, as Lord Reaper of [[Pyke]] and a proponent of the [[Old Way]], Balon will not suffer to be given a crown; he must “pay the [[iron price]]” and take it by force. Balon has his own plan: with the northmen fighting in the south their homelands are poorly garrisoned and vulnerable. With his only surviving son no longer a captive of the Starks, there is now nothing to deter Balon from declaring himself [[King of the Iron Islands]].

===The Rise of the Kraken===

[[File:War in the North2.png|thumb|300px|Ironborn Campaign: In black: the Ironmen forces.In Blue: Stark Loyalists. In Red: Bolton forces. 1.[[Battle of Moat Cailin]]. 2.[[Battle of Deepwood Motte]]. 3.[[Battle of the Stony Shore|Battle of Stony Shore]] 4.[[Battle of Torrhen's Square]] 5.[[Battle of Winterfell]] 6.[[Sack of Winterfell]]]]

Having set his sights on [[the North]], King [[Balon Greyjoy]] plans three main strikes for his initial invasion. He sends his brother [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]] with the [[Iron Fleet]] to seize [[Moat Cailin]], which has protected the North from southern invasion for thousands of years, in order to cut off the northmen from their lands. He sends his daughter and preferred heir [[Asha Greyjoy]] with a dozen ships to take [[Deepwood Motte]]. His recently-returned son [[Theon Greyjoy|Theon]] he sends to raid the [[Stony Shore]] as a distraction for his main strikes. With these moves, Balon believes the whole western coast of the North will fall into [[ironborn]] hands.

:* '''[[Battle of Moat Cailin]].''' Victarion Greyjoy leads the entire Iron Fleet of a hundred ships up the [[Saltspear]] to attack the 400 men King Robb left to defend Moat Cailin. By attacking from the north, Victarion is able to bypass the natural defenses of the fortress and easily defeat the northmen. By capturing Moat Cailin, the Greyjoys control the route home for the Stark host, stranding Robb in the Riverlands and allowing Balon to execute the rest of his plan.

:* '''[[Battle of Deepwood Motte]].''' Asha Greyjoy leads a dozen ships around [[Sea Dragon Point]] to attack the small wooden keep of [[House Glover]] located just off the coast. The keep is easily overrun by the ironmen, making captives of Lady [[Sybelle Glover]], her young children, and [[Galbart Glover]]’s young ward [[Larence Snow]].

:* '''[[Battle of the Stony Shore]].''' Theon Greyjoy, under the supervision of [[Aeron Greyjoy]] and [[Dagmer Cleftjaw]], leads eight ships along the Stony Shore to burn fishing villages and take [[salt wives]]. These raids prompt young [[Benfred Tallhart]] to lead his “[[Wild Hares]]” against them. Theon ambushes this band and kills them all, losing only [[Todric]], whom Theon accidentally kills after the battle. Theon feels these insignificant raids are beneath him and devises a new plan. He gives Aeron six longships to continue the raiding and gives Dagmer most of the remaining men to besiege [[Torrhen's Square]]. Theon knows that this attack will draw the levies from [[Winterfell]] so that he himself can capture the defenseless castle with only a handful of men.

:* '''[[Battle of Torrhen's Square]].''' On Theon’s orders, Dagmer Cleftjaw besieges the small keep of [[Torrhen's Square]] in a ruse to draw out Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] and the household guard of Winterfell. As planned, [[Leobald Tallhart]] requests aid and Ser Rodrik arrives as planned with 600 men, as does [[Cley Cerwyn]] with another 300. Ser Rodrik has the advantage of familiar ground and the ironborn are not disciplined enough to stand a charge by mounted horsemen. Dagmer and his ironmen are easily defeated and driven back to the Stony Shore.

:* '''[[Battle of Winterfell]].''' With the garrison absent, Theon storms Winterfell at night with 20 men, overwhelming the few remaining guards and conquering the mighty castle with ease. After convincing the young Prince [[Bran Stark]] to yield, Theon declares himself the Prince of Winterfell and takes [[Ramsay Snow]], disguised as "[[Reek]],” as a retainer. Bran and [[Rickon Stark]], [[Little Walder Frey|Little Walder]] and [[Big Walder Frey]], [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Jojen Reed]], and [[Beth Cassel]] are all kept as hostages. However, the Starks and the Reeds soon escape. To avoid embarrassment, Ramsay convinces Theon to kill two peasant boys in place of the Starks and announce to the world that they are dead.

:* '''[[Sack of Torrhen's Square]].''' Dagmer Cleftjaw returns to Torrhen’s Square after Rodrik Cassel and Leobald Tallhart depart to retake Winterfell. The sparsely defended keep is easily stormed by the ironmen, who take the [[House Tallhart|Tallhart]] household captive.

:* '''[[Sack of Winterfell]].''' Theon Greyjoy’s occupation of Winterfell hinges on his sister arriving with reinforcements from Deepwood Motte. However, Asha fails to bring the requested men. Instead, she berates Theon for attempting to hold a castle so far from resupply by sea and for killing Bran and Rickon Stark rather than keeping them as hostages. Then she urges him to burn the castle and return to Deepwood with her, but Theon refuses. Ser Rodrik Cassel returns from Torrhen's Square to besiege Winterfell with 2,000 men. Despite having only 17 men, Theon delays the attack by threatening Rodrik’s daughter until Ramsay Snow returns with 400 [[House Bolton|Bolton]] men from [[the Dreadfort]]. Believing them to be allies, Ser Rodrik and his men are taken completely by surprise when they are attacked. Ser Rodrik, Cley Cerwyn, and Leobald Tallhart are killed and their leaderless host is routed by the Bolton men, who lose only 20 men. Believing them to be allies, Theon allows Ramsay's men into Winterfell, where they quickly turn on the ironmen as well, killing them all except Theon. The castle is then put to the torch and many inhabitants are killed, including [[Maester]] [[Luwin]]. Theon, Little Walder, Big Walder, [[Kyra]], [[Old Nan]], and Beth Cassel are all taken back to the Dreadfort as captives.

===The Clash of Kings===

In the [[Riverlands]] there is a short lull in the fighting after the [[Battle of the Camps]]. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] is content to wait at [[Harrenhal]], providing for his forces by pillaging the Riverlands while Ser [[Stafford Lannister]] raises a new army near [[Lannisport]]. [[Robb Stark]] does not have the luxury of waiting. He knows that the longer he sits in [[Riverrun]], the more time his enemies have to gather their forces and surround him. He also knows that he will be perceived as weak and that his army will begin wishing for home the longer he avoids battle. However, Robb also knows that many still misjudge him as an immature boy. To mislead his enemies, Robb sends Ser [[Cleos Frey]] to [[King's Landing]] to offer peace terms, but then immediately invades the [[Westerlands]] with his northmen.

:* '''[[Battle of Oxcross]].''' Marching west with his northmen, Robb bypasses the [[Golden Tooth]] using a secret mountain path discovered by his [[direwolf]] [[Grey Wind]]. He surprises Stafford Lannister’s newly-raised host near Lannisport when they neglect to post enough sentries. The easy victory devastates Lannister power in the region and allows Robb to ride at will through the Westerlands. Ser Stafford is killed by vengeful Lord [[Rickard Karstark]], who lost two sons in the Whispering Wood; [[Rupert Brax]] is also killed and several Lannister bannermen are captured. On the Stark side, Ser [[Stevron Frey]] is wounded and dies three days later. [[Rymund the Rhymer]] commemorates Robb’s victory with the song “[[Wolf in the Night]]”.

:* '''[[Battle of Ashemark|Scouring of the Westerlands]].''' After Oxcross, Robb’s army attacks the nearby castle of [[Ashemark]]. The keep is easily sacked and the castellan is killed. Lacking the strength to capture [[Casterly Rock]] or Lannisport without support from [[House Greyjoy]], Robb and his host continue to scour the Westerlands: [[Galbart Glover]] and Rickard Karstark raid along the coast, [[Maege Mormont]] captures thousands of livestock, and [[Greatjon Umber]] captures the gold mines at [[Castamere]], [[Nunn's Deep]], and [[Pendric Hills]].

:* '''[[Siege of Storm's End (299)|Siege of Storm's End]].''' King [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] arrives in the [[Stormlands]] with his 5,000 men and lays siege to [[Storm's End]], the seat of his brother, King [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]]. When the news reaches his camp at [[Bitterbridge]], Renly splits his forces and rides with his 20,000 cavalry to break the siege. After a failed parlay in which neither brother will yield, the battle is set at dawn. However, that night Renly is killed by a [[shadow assassin]] summoned by the red priestess [[Melisandre]]. With Renly dead, the majority of the [[House Baratheon|Baratheon]] bannermen swear allegiance to Stannis. [[House Florent]] and both branches of [[House Fossoway]] also defect to Stannis, but the majority of the lords of [[the Reach]] flee with Renly’s lover Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] back to Bitterbridge. Additionally, Storm’s End’s castellan, Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]], refuses to yield the castle to Stannis because the safety of King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]’s bastard [[Edric Storm]] cannot be assured. To end the siege quickly, Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] smuggles Melisandre under the castle by boat, where she summons another shadow to assassinate Ser Cortnay. After Ser Cortnay’s death, the castle yields, leaving Stannis free to advance on [[King's Landing]].

:* '''[[Bitterbridge]].''' When news of Renly’s death reaches the remaining 80,000 men still camped at Bitterbridge, fighting breaks out between Stannis supporters and Renly loyalists led by the vengeful Loras Tyrell. [[Parmen Crane]] and [[Erren Florent]]—the two knights sent to retrieve the army for Stannis—are taken prisoner by Loras Tyrell while Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] seizes the supplies and puts many men, mostly Florents, to death. Although many men return to their homes and others flee to join Stannis, Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] brings up his second host of 10,000 men from [[Highgarden]]. Soon after, [[Petyr Baelish]], representing King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], wins the allegiance of [[House Tyrell]]. Riders are sent north to warn Lord Tywin of Stannis's threat to the capital.

:* '''[[Battle of the Fords]].''' Intent on defending his lands from King [[Robb Stark]], Lord Tywin marches west from [[Harrenhal]] with his 20,000 men. This fits perfectly with Robb’s plan to lure Lord Tywin away from [[King's Landing]] while King Stannis attacks the city from the south. Stannis's victory would mean the end of King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], Queen [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]], and acting [[Hand of the King|Hand]] [[Tyrion Lannister]] in one red stroke. Unaware of this plan, Ser [[Edmure Tully]] does not wish the Lannisters to cross the [[Trident]] unbloodied and places an army of 11,000 men at the key fords along the [[Red Fork]]. After several probing attacks, Lord Tywin attempts to force a crossing in a dozen places. The most heated battle is at [[Stone Mill]] where Edmure turns back [[Gregor Clegane]]’s men. Clegane is wounded by a dozen arrows and [[Leo Lefford]] drowns. The other Lannister attacks are also defeated, during which [[Robert Brax]] is killed and [[Lyle Crakehall]] is captured. Unable to cross the river, Tywin is forced to retreat.

:* '''The [[House Lannister|Lannister]]-[[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] Alliance.''' The Battle of the Fords has great influence on the outcome of the war. Edmure Tully’s tactical victory soon proves to be a huge strategic loss. Lord Tywin’s advance is delayed just long enough for riders out of Bitterbridge to reach him with word of Stannis's threat to King’s Landing. Lord Tywin immediately turns his host south to join up with Lords [[Mathis Rowan]] and [[Randyll Tarly]] near the headwaters of the [[Blackwater Rush]]. From there a forced march takes them to [[Tumbler's Falls]], where Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] and his sons wait with their huge host and a fleet of barges. Together, the Lannisters and Tyrells float down the river to disembark half a day’s ride from the capital.

:* '''[[Sack of Harrenhal]].''' Having advanced to the [[crossroads inn]] along with [[Helman Tallhart]]’s garrison from [[the Twins]], [[Roose Bolton]] advances on Harrenhal. With Lord Tywin on the march, Harrenhal is held by only 200 men under Ser [[Amory Lorch]]. At the [[ruby ford]], [[Vargo Hoat]] and his [[Brave Companions]] reportedly battle Bolton’s vanguard and capture [[Robett Glover]], Ser [[Aenys Frey]], and 100 other prisoners. However, when these prisoners reach Harrenhal they are quickly freed by [[Arya Stark]] with the help of the criminals [[Jaqen H'ghar]], [[Rorge]], and [[Biter]]. As they are being freed, Glover mentions Vargo Hoat coming to Bolton’s camp, suggesting that rather than capture the prisoners, Hoat took 100 men disguised as prisoners to help him capture Harrenhal for Roose Bolton. As the prisoners are being freed, the Brave Companions turn on the Lorch’s men and surrender the castle to Bolton. Lorch is killed for sport in a bear pit soon after and Hoat is rewarded with the lordship of Harrenhal for his betrayal.

[[File:Stannis' wars1.png|thumb|300px|In Blue: Stannis and allies. In Red: Lannisters and allies. In green: Renly and allies. 1.[[Siege of Storm's End]]. 2.Battle of [[Bitterbridge]]. 3.[[Battle of the Fords]] 4.[[Battle of the Blackwater]]]]

:* '''[[Battle of the Crag]].''' Back in the Westerlands, Robb assaults the half-ruined castle of [[the Crag]] and conquers it with ease. During the battle, Robb takes a wound in the arm. During his recovery, news arrives of Theon’s supposed murder of his brothers and Robb finds comfort in the arms of [[Jeyne Westerling]], the daughter of Lord [[Gawen Westerling]] of the Crag. Choosing Jeyne’s honor over his own, Robb marries the girl the next day, breaking his betrothal pact with [[House Frey]]. Consequently, the Frey forces abandon Robb and return to the Twins in protest. Having lost his Frey allies, his castle, his brothers, and part of his homeland, Robb abandons his Westerlands campaign and retreats to Riverrun with the intention of returning north to drive out the [[ironmen]].

:* '''[[Battle of the Blackwater]].''' In preparation for the coming siege of King’s Landing, [[Cersei Lannister]] arranges for the production of vast amounts of [[wildfire]] and [[Tyrion Lannister]] commissions a great chain boom across the mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]]. The battle opens when Stannis's admiral, Ser [[Imry Florent]], leads his fleet up the river to engage Joffrey’s. However, Tyrion has ordered several ships to be filled with wildfire. The resultant firestorm sets the river afire and destroys nearly every ship in both fleets, which cannot escape because the great chain has been raised behind them. Despite this, many of Stannis's troops are able to cross the river on the remaining ships or across a bridge of burning wreckage caught on the chain. A desperate sortie commanded by Tyrion fails and Stannis is on the verge of taking the city when his forces are taken from behind and smashed by the combined Lannister-Tyrell army led by Tywin Lannister and Mace Tyrell. To sow confusion and terror amongst Stannis's men, Ser [[Garlan Tyrell]] wears Renly Baratheon’s distinctive green armor and antlered helm, which leads many to mistake him for Renly’s ghost. Although Stannis himself is able to escape to [[Dragonstone]], the majority of his army is destroyed.

In the aftermath of the Battle of the Blackwater, hundreds of new knights are made and several new lords are created to replace those killed in the battle. All those who fought for Stannis and do not repent are attainted and their lands are given to men loyal to the Iron Throne. In this way, the Lannisters and Tyrells take control of the Stormlands with the exception of Storm’s End, which holds out for Stannis.

The Lannister-Tyrell alliance is formalized by the betrothal of King Joffrey to Margaery Tyrell, the widow of King Renly Baratheon. As reward for his part in brokering the alliance, Petyr Baelish is promoted to the lordship of Harrenhal and declared [[Lord Paramount of the Trident]].

===The War Winds Down===

The [[Battle of the Blackwater]] proves to be the deciding battle of the war. King [[Stannis Baratheon]] no longer has the strength to press his claim while King [[Joffrey Baratheon]]’s power is cemented by the new [[House Lannister|Lannister]]-[[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] alliance. In addition, [[Tyrion Lannister]], acting [[Hand of the King]], has bound [[Dorne]] to Joffrey’s cause by betrothing Princess [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] to [[Trystane Martell]]. This brings nearly all Westeros south of the Riverlands under the control of the Lannisters and their allies.

Meanwhile, despite never losing a battle himself, King [[Robb Stark]]’s cause is faltering. A large part of Robb’s homeland and his own castle of [[Winterfell]] have fallen to the [[ironmen]] of King [[Balon Greyjoy]]. In addition, Robb’s ill-advised marriage to [[Jeyne Westerling]] and his mother [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn's]] insubordinate release of [[Jaime Lannister]] lose him the support of Houses [[House Frey|Frey]] and [[House Karstark|Karstark]]. To restore his power, Robb is forced to return north and risk an assault on [[Moat Cailin]] to free his homeland, but once again the cooperation of Lord [[Walder Frey]] is essential to his plan.

:* '''Siege of [[Darry]].''' Ser [[Helman Tallhart]] retakes Darry from the Lannister army, which surrenders after a brief siege. A short time later, Lord [[Roose Bolton]] sends a letter ordering Ser Helman to put all captives to the sword and the castle to the torch by command of the King in the North.

:* '''[[Battle of Duskendale]].''' Roose Bolton sends [[Robett Glover]] and 3,000 men east from [[Harrenhal]] to attack the town of [[Duskendale]]. However, news of Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]]’s great victory at [[King's Landing]] has convinced Bolton to change his allegiance, and the attack is a trap designed to dispose of the staunchest Stark bannermen. Glover’s force arrives at Duskendale to find [[Randyll Tarly]] waiting with a larger army. Following their defeat, Glover’s retreating men are attacked by another force under Ser [[Gregor Clegane]]. Robett Glover and [[Harrion Karstark]] are captured and Ser [[Helman Tallhart]] is killed.

:* '''The Beheading of [[Rickard Karstark]].''' Upon Robb’s return to [[Riverrun]], he pardons his mother Lady Catelyn for releasing Jaime Lannister. Angered and emboldened by this decision, Lord [[Rickard Karstark]] takes his revenge on the Lannisters by murdering the captive squires [[Willem Lannister]] and [[Tion Frey]]. As punishment, Robb orders the perpetrators executed and beheads Lord Rickard himself. This action deprives Robb of even more sorely-needed troops when his Karstark troops abandon him.

:* '''Battle of the Burning Septry.''' The [[brotherhood without banners]] attack a town near Harrenhal held by the [[Brave Companions]]. Most of the [[sellsword]]s are cornered inside a septry, which the brotherhood set on fire. Those who try to escape are killed and those who surrender are given show trials before being hanged. Among them is the child-killing [[Septon]] [[Utt]]. The brotherhood also liberates a group of brown brothers that had been taken captive.

:* '''The Death of [[Balon Greyjoy]].''' During a fierce storm at [[Pyke]], King Balon Greyjoy falls from one of the rope bridges that connect the towers of his castle. His body washes up two days later, bloated and broken. Within hours, Balon’s exiled brother [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron Crow’s Eye]] sails into [[Lordsport]] and seats himself on the [[Seastone Chair]]. When Lord [[Sawane Botley]] protests, Euron has him drowned in a cask of seawater.

:* '''[[Battle of the Ruby Ford]].''' As part of Robb’s plan to retake the north, Roose Bolton abandons Harrenhal and marches his forces slowly north, allowing Gregor Clegane to catch up to him. As the northmen are crossing the [[ruby ford]], Clegane overruns their rearguard, where Bolton has intentionally placed 2,000 loyal northmen under Ser [[Wylis Manderly]]. Clegane wins an easy victory and captures Manderly. Bolton leaves the remaining 600 loyal northmen led by [[Kyle Condon]] and [[Ronnel Stout]] to defend the ford.

:* '''[[Retaking of Harrenhal]].''' After the victory at the ruby ford, Gregor Clegane and his men double back to retake Harrenhal, which Roose Bolton has left in the hands of [[Vargo Hoat]] and the [[Brave Companions]]. However, by the time they arrive, Hoat has been driven mad by an infected wound and nearly all the Brave Companions have abandoned the indefensible ruin and scattered. A cook opens a postern gate for Clegane’s men, who put all but three inhabitants of the castle to the sword. Vargo Hoat is slowly butchered alive and fed to himself and the other prisoners as “roast goat.”

:* '''[[Oldstones]].''' Lord Walder Frey agrees to reconcile with Robb on the condition that Robb apologize in person and that Lord [[Edmure Tully]] marry his daughter [[Roslin Frey|Roslin]] in place of Robb. Robb moves north with the 3,500 men who have followed him since the [[Battle of the Whispering Wood|Whispering Wood]], leaving Ser [[Brynden Tully]] and the river lords to defend the [[Trident]]. When [[Jason Mallister]] meets him at Oldstones with word of King Balon’s death, Robb’s hopes for victory increase. He dispatches Lady [[Maege Mormont]] and [[Galbart Glover]] to find [[Howland Reed]] to aid in the retaking of the North. Knowing the danger he is to face at Moat Cailin, Robb makes out a will that declares his bastard brother [[Jon Snow]] his heir to prevent the Lannisters claiming the North through his sister [[Sansa Stark|Sansa]], who has been forcibly married to [[Tyrion Lannister]].

:* '''The [[Red Wedding]].''' At the Twins, Robb is joined by Roose Bolton and his remaining men. Edmure Tully weds Roslin Frey and all seems to be well, but in the midst of the wedding feast Robb is betrayed by the Freys and Boltons. Robb, his mother Catelyn, his [[direwolf]] [[Grey Wind]], and most of his loyal bannermen are murdered along with most of his army, who are trapped in burning feast tents. Edmure Tully, [[Patrek Mallister]], and [[Greatjon Umber]] are among those taken captive. In mockery of Robb, the Freys sew Grey Wind's head to his decapitated body and nail a crown to it. Catelyn Stark’s mutilated body is stripped naked and tossed into the river in mockery of Tully funeral rituals.

For his part in the Red Wedding, which was orchestrated by Tywin Lannister, Roose Bolton is appointed [[Warden of the North|Warden]] by King Joffrey. To cement his position, Roose's bastard son [[Ramsay Snow]] is legitimized and betrothed to an [[Jeyne Poole|imposter]] forced to pose as [[Arya Stark]]. Walder Frey is rewarded with several satisfying marriage pacts and the castle of Riverrun for his second son [[Emmon Frey|Emmon]] (who is married to Tywin's sister [[Genna Lannister|Genna]]), but the title of [[Lord Paramount of the Trident]] remains with Lord [[Petyr Baelish]] of [[Harrenhal]].

===The Feasting Crows===

With three of the five kings dead and [[Stannis Baratheon]] soundly defeated, nearly all of [[Westeros]] submits to King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]]. Houses [[House Tully|Tully]], [[House Mallister|Mallister]], and [[House Blackwood|Blackwood]] hold out for a time in the [[Riverlands]] but no longer pose a serious threat. Likewise, Stannis remains in possession of [[Dragonstone]] and [[Storm's End]] but lacks the strength for open war.

For a time, the important events of the war move from the battlefields to the [[Red Keep]] itself. The [[House Lannister|Lannister]] victory seems secure, but the crucial relationship between the Lannisters and the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] quickly begins to fray. Several sudden deaths further upset the balance of power. Meanwhile, new conflicts arise from the ashes of the war. Stannis Baratheon and [[Roose Bolton]] both arrive in [[the North]] to carve out new power bases in the vacuum left by the downfall of [[House Stark]], and [[Euron Greyjoy]] embarks upon an even more ambitious conquest than his brother [[Balon Greyjoy|Balon]].

:*'''The [[Purple Wedding]].''' On the first day of the [[300 AC|new century]], King Joffrey Baratheon weds Lady [[Margaery Tyrell]] of [[Highgarden]] in a lavish affair. Following the ceremony there is a great feast in the throne room of the [[Red Keep]] that features a pious seventy-seven courses. Extravagant entertainment is provided throughout, but when Joffrey insists that his uncle [[Tyrion Lannister]] join a folly of jousting dwarfs, an argument breaks out. To punish his uncle, Joffrey makes him his cupbearer. Soon after, the young king drinks poisoned wine and collapses, causing chaos to descend on the feast. After Joffrey’s death is confirmed, [[Cersei Lannister]] orders the arrest of Tyrion and his wife [[Sansa Stark]], though in truth the poison was supplied by [[Petyr Baelish]] via [[Dontos Hollard]] and administered by [[Olenna Tyrell]].

:*'''Trial of [[Tyrion Lannister]].''' The night of Joffrey’s death, Sansa Stark disappears without a trace to join Petyr Baelish in the [[Vale of Arryn]], leaving only Tyrion to stand trial for Joffrey’s murder. A seemingly endless parade of witnesses comes forward to testify against him, including his own mistress, [[Shae]]. Facing sure conviction, Tyrion insists on a [[trial by battle]] with Prince [[Oberyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] as his champion. Prince Oberyn, known as “the Red Viper,” seeks vengeance against the royal champion [[Gregor Clegane]] for the murder of his sister Princess [[Elia of Dorne|Elia]], who was the wife of Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], during the [[Sack of King's Landing]]. The duel is a close one, but in the end Oberyn is killed and Tyrion is condemned to death.

:*'''Death of [[Tywin Lannister]].''' Unwilling to see his brother executed, [[Jaime Lannister]]—who is newly returned to the capital—forces the spymaster [[Varys]] to assist him in freeing Tyrion. Jaime also reveals to Tyrion that his first wife, [[Tysha]], was not a whore as he had been led to believe. In a rage, Tyrion swears vengeance against his family, Jaime included. Before departing, Tyrion pays a final visit to the [[Tower of the Hand]]. There he finds [[Shae]] naked in his father’s bed and murders her. Lord Tywin he finds in the privy. When Tyrion asks for Tysha’s whereabouts, Lord Tywin only replies, “Wherever whores go,” and Tyrion shoots him in the groin with a crossbow.

:*'''The [[Cersei Lannister|Queen Regent]].''' Following the deaths of King Joffrey and Lord Tywin, the young Prince [[Tommen Baratheon]] is crowned king with Cersei as [[regent|Queen Regent]]. However, the very deaths which bring Cersei to power also drive her to paranoia. Her chief apprehension is that young Margaery Tyrell, who soon marries Tommen, is seeking to usurp her authority and seize power. This distrust puts further strain on the crucial Lannister-Tyrell alliance. To ensure her power, Cersei fills the [[small council]] with lickspittles. When she offers her uncle, Ser [[Kevan Lannister]], the position of [[Hand of the King]] she is surprised to find Kevan has serious doubts about her leadership and feels he should be Regent. Out of spite, Cersei appoints two Lannister cousins to positions that Kevan is better suited for; [[Daven Lannister|Daven]] is made [[Warden of the West]] and [[Damion Lannister|Damion]] is named castellan of [[Casterly Rock]].

:*'''Attacks of [[Lady Stoneheart]].''' Several days after being tossed in river, Catelyn Stark’s body is drawn from the river by her daughter [[Arya]]’s [[direwolf]] [[Nymeria (direwolf)|Nymeria]]. There it is discovered by [[Beric Dondarrion]], who sacrifices his own life to resurrect her. The resurrected Catelyn takes control of the [[brotherhood without banners]] as “Lady Stoneheart” and leads them on a merciless vendetta against those responsible for the [[Red Wedding]], particularly [[House Frey]]. Among their victims are [[Petyr Frey]], [[Merrett Frey]], and Lord Walder’s heir [[Ryman Frey]].

:*'''Siege of Seagard.''' After the Red Wedding, [[Black Walder Frey]] leads a host to besiege the defiant forces of [[Jason Mallister]]. The siege is quickly resolved when Black Walder threatens to hang Mallister’s heir [[Patrek Mallister|Patrek]], who was taken prisoner at the Twins. The Mallisters then become prisoners in their own keep.

:*'''[[Battle of Castle Black]].''' After receiving a plea from the [[Night's Watch]], [[Davos Seaworth]] (now [[Hand of the King|Hand]] to King Stannis) convinces his king to concentrate on his duties, rather than his rights. Stannis takes his meager forces north by ship and arrives at [[Castle Black]] just in time to defeat the army of [[Mance Rayder]], the [[King-beyond-the-Wall]]. Having scattered the [[wildlings]], Stannis seeks the support of the northern lords by offering to legitimize [[Eddard Stark]]’s bastard son [[Jon Snow]] as Lord of [[Winterfell]]. However, Jon insists on holding to his vows and is quickly elected [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]]. As Lord Commander, Jon asserts that the Night's Watch will take no part in Stannis's war but does furnish supplies and counsel. He suggests that Stannis could win the support of the [[northern mountain clans]] by appealing to them in person and leading them against the [[ironborn]] at [[Deepwood Motte]].

:*'''[[Kingsmoot]].''' In an attempt to unseat his brother King [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron]] from the [[Seastone Chair]], the prophet [[Aeron Greyjoy]] preaches a kingsmoot election as the proper way to raise the next king. Several [[House Greyjoy|Greyjoys]] put themselves forward as candidates including Euron, [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]], and the late King [[Balon Greyjoy|Balon]]’s daughter [[Asha Greyjoy|Asha]]. Despite strong support for both Victarion and Asha, Euron wins the election with his vast wealth and a promise to conquer all of [[Westeros]] with the aid of [[dragons]]. Victarion, who has been trained for obedience all his life, grudgingly accepts the decision, but Aeron and Asha refuse and manage to slip away.

:*'''The Fall of [[Moat Cailin]].''' While Victarion is absent to attend the kingsmoot, the ironborn-occupied fortress of Moat Cailin is approached from the north by the army of [[Ramsay Snow]] (now legitimized as a [[House Bolton|Bolton]]) and from the south by Roose Bolton. Ramsay sends [[Theon Greyjoy]] (whom he has brainwashed to be his faithful servant) to offer terms of safe passage if the ironborn surrender. When they do surrender, Ramsay has all sixty-three flayed alive and impales their skinless bodies on pikes along the road.

:*'''[[Sack of Saltpans]].''' After the [[retaking of Harrenhal]] and the death of [[Vargo Hoat]], the [[Brave Companions]] disband and scatter into several lesser bands. One such group, led by the psychopath [[Rorge]], sacks the town of [[Saltpans]] while Ser [[Quincy Cox]] cowers inside his castle. A dozen women are raped, including holy women and a twelve-year-old girl. Because Rorge wears the helm of [[Sandor Clegane]], the raid is attributed to Clegane and the [[brotherhood without banners]].

:*'''Rebirth of the [[Faith Militant]].''' In the aftermath of the War of the Five Kings, religious fervor in the Seven Kingdoms sees an increase. Many pilgrims and refugees, who call themselves “[[sparrows]],” congregate at the [[Great Sept of Baelor]] in King's Landing. A sparrow leader is elected as the new High Septon and is called the [[High Sparrow]]. At his urging, [[Cersei Lannister]] allows the [[Faith of the Seven]] to rearm as repayment for the royal debt, leading to the rebirth of the [[Warrior's Sons]] and the [[Poor Fellows]]. Overnight, the militant orders make the Faith a formidable military power in the Seven Kingdoms. The Faith later imprisons Cersei Lannister and Margaery Tyrell for the alleged crimes of treason and adultery.

:*'''[[Retaking of Deepwood Motte]].''' Following the kingsmoot, Asha Greyjoy flees back to [[Deepwood Motte]] to escape her uncle, King Euron. She has not been there long when Stannis Baratheon's forces, bolstered by the mountain clans, attack in the dead of night and return it to [[House Glover]]. Several ironborn including Asha and [[Tristifer Botley]] escape the castle but are apprehended in the forest soon after.

:*'''[[Battle of the Shield Islands]].''' The newly elected King Euron of the [[Iron Islands]] begins a campaign to conquer the Seven Kingdoms by sailing 1,000 ships to attack the [[Shield Islands]] which guard access to the mainland of the [[Reach]]. Sending two ships up the [[Mander]] River to draw away most of the fleet, the remaining defenders find themselves vastly outnumbered as [[Victarion Greyjoy]] leads an attack. Euron storms [[Lord Hewett's castle]] on [[Oakenshield]]. Ser [[Harras Harlaw]] is given [[Grimston]] after defeating seven knights of [[House Grimm]] in single combat on the Isle of [[Greyshield]]. The islands of [[Greenshield]] and [[Southshield]] are also taken. Ser [[Talbert Serry]] is killed by Victarion and Lord [[Moribald Chester]] is also killed. Lord [[Garlan Tyrell]] breaks off his plans to take [[Brightwater Keep]] and marches to [[Highgarden]] to defend the Reach should the ironmen sail upriver.

:*'''Invasion of [[Ryamsport]], [[Vinetown]], and [[Starfish Harbor]].''' Following the conquest of the Shield Islands, the ironborn sack the port town of Ryamsport and invade Vinetown and Starfish Harbor. These are then used as bases to prey on ships bound for [[Oldtown]]. One such ship is the ''[[Cinnamon Wind]]'', which is carrying [[Samwell Tarly]] of the [[Night's Watch]]. [[Kojja Mo]] and her archers are easily able to drive them away, however.

:*'''[[Siege of Storm's End (300)|Second Siege of Storm's End]].''' To remove him from the capital, Cersei Lannister commands Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] to lay siege to the castle of Storm’s End, which remains loyal to Stannis Baratheon. However, shortly after arriving, Lord Tyrell hears that his daughter [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]] has been imprisoned at the [[Great Sept of Baelor]] by the [[High Sparrow]]. Leaving a token force, he marches on King's Landing and orders [[Randyll Tarly]] to return from [[Maidenpool]] and join him there.

[[File:Stannis' wars3.png|thumb|300px|Stannis' northern campaign: In Blue: Stannis and allies. In Red: Boltons and allies. 1.[[Battle of Castle Black]] 2.The fall of [[Moat Cailin]]. 3.Joint march on [[Barrowton]]. 4.[[Retaking of Deepwood Motte]] 5.[[Siege of Winterfell]]]]

:*'''[[Siege of Dragonstone]].''' After hearing of the Battle of the Shields, Cersei Lannister refuses to release the [[House Redwyne|Redwyne]] fleet to defend the Reach until the siege of [[Dragonstone]] is resolved. Desperate to aid his homeland, Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] pledges to take command of the siege in order to speed its conclusion. Upon his arrival, Loras launches an immediate attack. Suffering heavy losses, Loras successfully captures both the castle and the keep. Loras himself is reportedly severely wounded and burned with boiling oil during the battle.

:*'''[[Siege of Riverrun]].''' Ser [[Brynden Tully]] holds the castle of Riverrun in defiance of a large host of Freys, Lannisters, and subjugated river lords. [[Edmure Tully]] is displayed daily on a gibbet by Ser [[Ryman Frey]], but Brynden does not surrender and exposes the display as an empty threat. The besiegers bicker and make no progress until [[Jaime Lannister]] is sent to expedite the fall of the castle. Upon arriving, Jaime dismisses Ryman Frey and releases Edmure. However, Jaime takes the time to threaten that if Edmure does not yield Riverrun the castle with be obliterated and his unborn child killed. Edmure soon surrenders the castle, but not before aiding Ser Brynden in escaping capture. The castle is then left in the care of its new lord, [[Emmon Frey]], with 300 guards.

:*'''[[Siege of Raventree]].''' Having submitted to the [[Iron Throne]], Lord [[Jonos Bracken]] is commanded to besiege the castle of his nemesis, Lord [[Tytos Blackwood]], who remains defiant. Fighting is fierce at [[Raventree Hall]] and the Brackens are unable to capture it. Tytos Blackwood steadfastly refuses to surrender to Bracken, but agrees to surrender to Jaime Lannister. Jaime offers reasonable terms: Blackwood forfeits several lands to Bracken and gives up his son [[Hoster Blackwood|Hoster]] as a hostage. However, Jaime also takes a hostage from House Bracken. The surrender of Raventree marks the end of open war in the Riverlands.

:*'''[[Siege of Winterfell]].''' After retaking [[Deepwood Motte]], the northmen who have joined Stannis Baratheon insist that they retake [[Winterfell]] and rescue "[[Eddard Stark|the Ned]]'s [[Arya Stark|girl]]", who they do not know is actually [[Jeyne Poole]]. Unfortunately, Stannis's mismatched army of southron knights and northern clansmen suffers badly from snowstorms on the 100 league march through the [[wolfswood]] from Deepwood Motte to Winterfell. Meanwhile, the forces of [[Roose Bolton]], who have occupied the ruin, suffer from divided loyalties, infighting, and a series of mysterious murders. Among the victims is [[Little Walder Frey]]. Finally the situation becomes untenable and Roose Bolton orders the [[House Frey|Freys]] and [[House Manderly|Manderlys]] out to bring the battle to Stannis. According to a [[Bastard Letter|letter]] send to [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch|Lord Commander]] [[Jon Snow]] at [[Castle Black]], Stannis's army was defeated and Stannis killed. However, the veracity of the letter remains unconfirmed.

===Aftermath===

The War of the Five Kings results in vast devastation and death. The burning of crops and food supplies by rival armies means that with winter now engulfing [[Westeros]] as of {{Date|300}}, many more will starve and die. The [[Riverlands]] have borne the brunt of the fighting but [[the North]], the [[Westerlands]], and the [[Stormlands]] have been hit hard by the war as well. While the [[Reach]] did not suffer land hostilities, its resources have been used to supply the armies supported by [[House Tyrell]] and it is now suffering raiding and invasions by the [[ironborn]]. The only two regions to so far to stay out of the war and keep their armies and food supplies intact are the [[Vale]] and [[Dorne]].

==New hostilities==

[[File:Aegon's wars1.png|thumb|300px|In Yellow: Forces of the [[Golden Company]]. 1.Arrival from [[Volantis]] and the [[Stepstones]]. 2.Invasion and conquest of several castles, inculding [[Griffin's Roost]]. 3. March on [[Storm's End]]]]

:*'''[[Landing of the Golden Company]].''' The long-secret exiles [[Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Jon Connington]] cross the [[narrow sea]] with the [[Golden Company]], a [[sellsword]] company of 10,000 men with a tradition of loyalty to [[House Blackfyre]], a cadet branch of [[House Targaryen]]. The company lands in [[Estermont]], [[Crow's Nest]], the [[rainwood]], and several other places in the [[Stormlands]] and takes possession of several castles, including Connington's former seat of [[Griffin's Roost]]. Their next plan is to take [[Storm's End]] to use as a base of operations. Their goal is to crown "Aegon VI."

:*'''Assassination of Grand Maester [[Pycelle]] and Regent [[Kevan Lannister]].''' Varys infiltrates the chambers of Grand Maester Pycelle and murders him. Afterward he has one of his "little birds" send for Regent Kevan Lannister and shoots him with a crossbow. Varys admits he seeks to further destabilize the realm after Cersei's poor rule and drive a wedge in the Lannister-Tyrell alliance to prepare the way for Aegon VI to take the Iron Throne.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|[[Renly Baratheon]] is nothing to me, nor [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in [[Highgarden]] or [[Dorne]]? What do they know of [[the Wall]] or the [[wolfswood]] or the [[Barrowlands|barrows]] of the [[First Men]]? Even ''[[Faith of the Seven|their gods]]'' are wrong. The [[Others]] take the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] too. I've had a bellyful of them. Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the [[House Targaryen|dragons]] we married, and the dragons are all dead. ''There'' sits the only king I mean to bend ''my'' knee to, m'lords: The [[King in the North]]!{{Ref|aGoT|71}}}}
- [[Greatjon Umber]] proclaiming [[Robb Stark]] as his king.

{{Quote|All sorts of people are calling themselves kings these days. {{ref|acok|2}}}}
- [[Tyrion Lannister]]

{{Quote|'''Robb:''' I can’t release [[Jaime Lannister|the Kingslayer]], not even if I wanted to. My lords would never abide it. 
'''Catelyn:''' Your lords made you their king. 
'''Robb:''' And can unmake me just as easy.{{ref|acok|7}}}}
- [[Robb Stark]] to [[Catelyn Tully]]

{{Quote|I am [[House Greyjoy|the Greyjoy]], Lord Reaper of [[Pyke]], [[King of the Iron Islands|King of Salt and Rock]], Son of the Sea Wind, and no man gives me a crown. I pay the [[iron price]]. I will take my crown, as [[Urron Redhand]] did five thousand years ago.{{Ref|aCoK|11}}}}
- [[Balon Greyjoy]] to [[Theon Greyjoy]]

{{Quote|Why the [[Stannis Baratheon|oldest son]], and not the best-fitted? The crown will suit me, as it never suited [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and would not suit Stannis.{{Ref|aCoK|31}}}}
- [[Renly Baratheon]] to [[Catelyn Tully]]

{{Quote|Gallant, yes, and charming, and very clean. He knew how to dress and he knew how to smile and he knew how to bathe, and somehow he got the notion that this made him fit to be king.{{Ref|aSoS|6}}}}
- [[Olenna Tyrell]]'s opinion of [[Renly Baratheon]].

{{Quote|It is not a question of wanting. [[Iron Throne|The throne]] is mine, as [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s heir. That is law.{{Ref|aSoS|36}}}}
- [[Stannis Baratheon]] to [[Davos Seaworth]]

{{Quote|Any man who must say ‘I am the king’ is no true king at all.{{ref|aSoS|53}}}}
- [[Tywin Lannister]] to [[Joffrey Baratheon]]

{{Quote|One little [[dragon]] could end this great big war.{{Ref|asos|54}}}}
- [[Salladhor Saan]] to [[Davos Seaworth]]

{{quote|We had one king, then five. Now all I see are crows, squabbling over the corpse of [[Westeros]].{{ref|AFFC|11}}}}
- [[Rodrik Harlaw]] to [[Asha Greyjoy]]

{{Quote|When [[Robb Stark]] took up arms against the bastard [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]]-called-Baratheon, [[White Harbor]] marched with him. Lord Stark has fallen, but his war goes on.{{Ref|adwd|19}}}}
- [[Davos Seaworth]] to [[House Manderly|the Manderlys]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}

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[[Category:Wars]]
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[[Category:Westeros]]

[[es:Guerra de los Cinco Reyes]]
[[fa:جنگ پنج پادشاه]]
[[fr:Guerre des Cinq Rois]]
[[ru:Война Пяти Королей]]
[[zh:五王之战]]

Battle on the Green Fork

2014-08-11T13:56:06Z

Pavlosbal:

{{Template:Battlebox
| image = [[file:Battle of the Green Fork HBO.jpg|265px]]
| caption = Aftermath of the battle in ''[[Game of Thrones]]''
| battle_name = Battle of the Green Fork
| conflict = [[War of the Five Kings]]
| date = {{Date|298}}
| place = Eastern bank of the [[Green Fork]], between [[the Twins]] and the [[inn at the crossroads]]
| result = [[House Lannister|Lannister]] victory
| colour_scheme =
| combatant1 = [[House Lannister]]
| combatant2 = [[House Stark]]
| commander1 = Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] Ser [[Kevan Lannister]] Ser [[Addam Marbrand]]
| commander2 = Lord [[Roose Bolton]] Ser [[Wylis Manderly]] Lord [[Medger Cerwyn]]+ Lord [[Harrion Karstark]] Lord [[Halys Hornwood]]+
| strength1 = ~20,000
* ~7,500 Horse.
* ~12,500 Foot.
* ~300 mounted [[mountain clans]]men.
| strength2 = 18.000
* Entire Stark foot.
* 1/10th of the Stark horse.
| casualties1 = ~500 in the vanguard.
* ~150 [[mountain clans]]men.
| casualties2 = ~4.000 [[Halys Hornwood]]+ [[Medger Cerwyn]]+ [[Harrion Karstark]] (captured) [[Wylis Manderly]] (captured)
}}

The '''Battle of the Green Fork''' is an early battle in the [[War of the Five Kings]] and is the first to involve forces of [[House Stark]]. The battle occurs along the [[Green Fork]] of the river [[Trident]] in the [[Riverlands]].

==Prelude==
With the [[Riverlands]] forces scattered, most of their land under [[House Lannister|Lannister]] control, and [[Riverrun]] besieged by Ser [[Jaime Lannister]]'s host, Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] occupies the [[ruby ford]] over the [[Trident]]. He plans to intercept the Stark host at the only crossing available to them over the Trident, other than [[the Twins]], where Lord [[Walder Frey]] remains neutral in the conflict and is thought unlikely to join them.

However, [[Catelyn Tully]] persuades the [[House Frey|Freys]] to join [[Robb Stark]]'s side, opening the way over the Twins. Robb, who does not wish to stake everything on one battle with Tywin, splits his host in two. The foot and one tenth of the horse under Lord [[Roose Bolton]] march down the [[kingsroad]] east of the Green Fork to engage Tywin, while Robb himself commands the rest of the cavalry and crosses west of the river, in the hope of lifting the siege of [[Riverrun]] by taking Jaime unawares.

==Battle==
The Stark army, commanded by Lord [[Roose Bolton]], marches throughout the night in an effort to take the Lannister army by surprise. They arrive in the early morning and launch their attack. However, the Lannister army arrays itself in time to meet them.

The [[Westerlands|westermen]] order of battle:
* '''The Center''': Ser [[Kevan Lannister]] commands, with Lords [[Leo Lefford|Lefford]], [[Lewys Lydden|Lydden]] and [[House Serrett|Serrett]] at his side with 300 heavy horse. The rest of the center is a mixed infantry force including pikemen, archers, axemen, swordsmen, and spearmen.
* '''The Right''': Ser [[Addam Marbrand]] commands 4,000 knights and other heavy lancers, among them Ser [[Flement Brax]] and members of houses [[House Crakehall|Crakehall]] and [[House Swyft|Swyft]].
* '''The Left/Van''': Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] commanding. The vanguard is entirely mounted, but consists of [[Tyrion Lannister]] and his [[Mountain clans|clansmen]], freeriders, sellswords, and raw recruits.
* '''The Reserve''': Personally commanded by Lord [[Tywin Lannister]]. 5,000 men, half mounted, half afoot.

Tywin places his undisciplined men on the left, to tempt the Stark commander, who Tywin believes is the untested [[Robb Stark]], to overcommit there. Tywin hopes the van will rout and the Starks will plunge into the gap, eager to flank him. Tywin then intends for Kevan and the center to wheel to the left and take the northerners in the flank. However, perhaps owing to the northerners' exhaustion following their night march, the van, led by Gregor, defeats the forces arrayed in front of it. Kevan then brings up the center in support of the left, and pushes the Stark lines against the hills behind them. Tywin leads his reserve behind the van, along the river, to break the remnants of the Stark line. The Stark forces are routed and flee to the mouth of the [[causeway]] where Roose reforms them.{{Ref|aGoT|62}}

==Aftermath==
Although [[Roose Bolton]] is defeated, his march down the Green Fork, prior to the battle, distracts the Lannister army long enough to give [[Robb Stark]] the chance to fall upon Ser [[Jaime Lannister]]'s force unmolested in the [[Battle of the Whispering Wood]].

Roose's host loses several thousand men in the battle; he, [[Robett Glover]], [[Ronnel Stout]], [[Kyle Condon]], Ser [[Aenys Frey]], [[Elmar Frey]] and the remainder of the army are able to escape because Lord [[Tywin Lannister]], on account of his desire to help Jaime, fails to give chase. During the battle, Lord [[Halys Hornwood]] and Ser [[Pate of the Blue Fork]] are killed. Lord [[Medger Cerwyn]] is captured and dies later at [[Harrenhal]] from a wound taken in the fighting. Other captives taken are [[Harrion Karstark]], Ser [[Wylis Manderly]], Ser [[Donnel Locke]], Ser [[Jared Frey]], Ser [[Hosteen Frey]], Ser [[Danwell Frey]] and [[Ronel Rivers]].

==''Game of Thrones''==
The Battle of the Green Fork in the television adaptation ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' is altered, with Robb Stark sending a diversionary force of two thousand bannermen — instead of the larger host commanded by Roose Bolton (who is absent himself) — against the much larger Lannister army of 30,000. The battle is not explicitly shown, though it is shown to be a complete massacre of the northern army. No Stark leaders or nobles are present in the army either. Later in the same episode, "[[Baelor]]", Robb laments his decision to sacrifice two thousand of his men to capture [[Jaime Lannister]] at the [[Battle of the Whispering Wood|Whispering Wood]].

==Quotes==
{{Quote|We fought between a river and a road. When I saw my father's host deploy, I remember thinking how beautiful it was. Like a flower opening its petals to the sun. A crimson rose with iron thorns. And my father, ah, he had never looked so resplendent. He wore crimson armor, with this huge greatcloak made of cloth-of-gold. A pair of golden lions on his shoulders, another on his helm. His stallion was magnificent. His lordship watched the whole battle from atop that horse and never got within a hundred yards of any foe. He never moved, never smiled, never broke a sweat, whilst thousands died below him.{{ref|twow||[[Tyrion II (The Winds of Winter)|Tyrion]]}}}} - [[Tyrion Lannister]], to [[Penny]]

==References and Notes==
{{references}}

{{Template:War of the Five Kings}}

[[Category:Battles|Green Fork]]
[[Category:War of the Five Kings|Green Fork]]
[[Category:Riverlands]]

[[fr:Bataille de la Verfurque]]
[[ru:Битва на Зелёном Зубце]]
[[zh:绿叉河之战]]

Talk:Battle on the Green Fork

2014-08-11T13:55:12Z

2012-05-21T22:57:06Z

Pavlosbal:

'''Magic''' is real and widely believed in the world of ''Song of Ice and Fire''. Yet it is also rare enough for many to doubt its existence or at least its effectiveness, particularly in [[Westeros]] and most of all in the [[Citadel]]. {{Quote|Sorcery is a sword without a hilt. There is no safe way to grasp it.|A Storm of Swords}}

==Background==
Magic is a little understood force in the world. It has been so long since magic was truly potent that most understanding of it only lives on in superstition and rituals of questionable validity. In Westeros and most of the lands west of Valyria, magic is held to be a mythical force only. The [[Maesters]] of the Citadel may apply for a [[Valyrian steel|Valyrian Steel]] link for the study of magic, but they believe has faded away following the [[Doom of Valyria]], since there has been no recorded of its use in Westeros since that time. However, recently the magical Valyrian [[Glass candle]] in the citadel, have ignited a new and it seem that the potentcy of magic in Westeros appears to have increased, and miracles and abilities that were long thought lost now appear to be returning, although this is commonly neither known nor accepted.

Blood, life, and death seem to be keys that can help unlock the secrets of magic. [[Warlocks]] from Qarth bathe Sam Tarly in aurochs’ blood to make him brave. [[Mirri Maz Duur]] sacrifices the horse, and so much more, in her attempt to restore Khal [[Drogo]]. Dany burns the [[maegi]] on Drogo's funeral pyre and wakes [[dragons]].

Additionally, [[Alchemists' Guild|pyromancers]] claim that recently spells required in the creation of [[Wildfire]] have work better and more efficiently, than it has been in many years and dragon sightings are becoming more and more common in [[Essos]]{{Ref|affc|prologue}}

However, Even before that in the lands east of Valyria magic remains a potent force. In [[Qarth]], the enigmatic [[warlocks]] of the [[House of the Undying]], said to posses great powers and in the lands by the Jade Sea and Asshai by the Shadow, where all manner of sorcerers, necromancers, spellsingers, aeromancers, and more are said to gather and practice their arts.

Some of the abilities exhibited by those who practice magic are:
Elemental control: The priests of [[R'hllor]] seem able to control the element of fire in order to engulf their weapons in flames, or to use the fire alone as a means to attack enemies.{{Ref|aSoS|76}}. Also in [[Qarth]] Daenerys saw a firemage creating a ladder of flames that stood up to forty feet high. It is possible that other wizards and sorcerers know ways of using other elements.
Divination: Some people exhibit the ability to see the future either through looking in the fire in the case of the followers and priests of the Lord of Light or through dreams.In the second case this is called [[Greensight]].
Skinchanging: The ability of entering the mind of an animal and controlling its actions.It is a rare ability with only one man in a thousand being born a skinchanger. Having the blood of the first Men usually makes it more likely for someone to be a skinchanger.
Raising the dead: Some priests of R'hllor have been capable of performing this extraordinary feat of raising a man from the dead.However the reborn person may have difficulty remembering parts of his past life such as [[Beric Dondarrion]] or they exhibit a change in personality like [[Catelyn Tully]]. What red priests generally fail to do is to heal a man brought back to life by whatever injuries he may have suffered and as a result their bodies are battered by their wounds.

==Westeros==
:{{See also|Skinchanger{{!}}Skinchanging|Greensight}}

Other than the [[Children of the Forest]], who said to be strong in magic, native magic in Westeros is much rarer. In days past, the [[greenseer]]s of the children possessed incredible powers over nature, [[Skinchanger|Skinchanging]], slipping into the minds of beasts, and [[Greensight]], the power to foretell the future. Though the children of the forest and their greenseers have long passed from [[Westeros]], There are still descendants of the [[First Men]] who still possess those powers and while those powers are not something you can will to occur, it seem that those who hold the [[old gods]] are more susceptible to become one.

The very knowledge of the the existence of skinchangers is exceedingly rare in Westeros, except perhaps among the northern [[wildlings]] that live beyond [[the Wall]].

Members of the Alchemists’ Guild, know some sort of magical ritual involving the making of [[Wildfire]] and possibly smith who re-work [[Valyrian steel]] know something of the arcane as well.

==Valyria==
:{{See also|Valyrian Freehold}}

All [[Valyrian Freehold|Valyrian]] magic was rooted in blood and fire. It said they could set [[Glass candle|dragonglass candles]] to burning with strange, unpleasantly-bright light. With the obsidian candles, they could see across vast distances, look into a man's mind, and speak with one another though they were half the world apart.{{Ref|aFfC|45}} It is often said that the old wizards of Valyria did not cut and chisel stone, but worked it with fire and magic as one might work clay.{{Ref|aSoS|54}}The people of Valyria were very strong in magic, and they would use their powerful wizards and their dragons in conjunction with their armies to conquer most of the eastern continent.

==East==
:{{See also|Maegi|Warlocks}}

In Qarth, the enigmatic [[warlocks]] of the [[House of the Undying]] practice curious rituals. Whilst shadowbinders, spellsingers and aeromancers from Asshai are capable of great and terrible feats.{{Ref|aGoT|23}}

Bloodmages from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai it's said to be the darkest of all magics, and possibly the most powerful{{Ref|aFfC|36}} they have dark spells to save a man from death. Some might say death is cleaner than using such a spell.{{Ref|aGoT|64}}



==See also==
* [[Dreams and prophecies]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}

[[Category:Culture]]