Editing Vale of Arryn (section)

==History==
===First Men===
During the [[Age of Heroes]], the Vale was thinly populated and was ruled by a score of petty [[First Men]] kings. The [[Winged Knight]] is among the legendary heroes of the [[Valemen]] from thousands of years ago.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Vale: House Arryn}}

===Vale of Arryn===
[[File:Battle of the Seven Stars.jpg|thumb|350px|The [[Battle of the Seven Stars]], by John McCambridge in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]
The Vale was where the [[Andals]] landed when they began their [[coming of the Andals|invasion of Westeros]]. Rather than unite against the newcomers, many of the First Men rulers sought alliances with the Andals, often with disastrous results.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Vale}}

[[House Arryn]] claimed the Vale after defeating the First Men in the [[Battle of the Seven Stars]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Vale}} As such, the Arryns are one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. The Arryns ruled as [[King of Mountain and Vale|Kings of Mountain and Vale]] for approximately six thousand years. Those First Men who did not accept Andal rule fled into the [[Mountains of the Moon]], becoming the [[Vale mountain clans|mountain clans]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Vale}} 

Following the [[Rape of the Three Sisters]] two thousand years ago, the Vale warred with the [[north]] for a thousand years.{{Ref|ADWD|9}} The [[Wolf's Den]] was besieged by [[Osgood Arryn]] and burned by [[Oswin Arryn|the Talon]] during the [[War Across the Water]] between the two kingdoms.{{Ref|ADWD|29}} The [[Three Sisters]] swore fealty to the Arryns, although their loyalty remains tenuous.{{Ref|ADWD|9}}

The [[Bloody Gate]] withstood three attempts by [[Halleck Hoare]], [[King of the Isles and the Rivers]], to conquer the Vale.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Black Blood}}

===Iron Throne===
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek The Eyrie.jpg|thumb|350px|[[House Stark]] men traveling through the Vale, by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The Arryns bent the knee to [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] during [[House Targaryen]]'s [[Wars of Conquest]], bringing the Vale under the control of the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}

During the [[Dance of the Dragons]], [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] gained the Vale for the cause of the [[blacks]].{{Ref|TPATQ}} In {{date|134}}, a [[Arryn succession conflict (134 AC)|war of succession]] arose in the Vale after the death of Lady [[Jeyne Arryn]] between her chosen heir, Ser [[Joffrey Arryn]], a closer cousin, Ser [[Arnold Arryn]], and the head of [[House Arryn of Gulltown]], [[Isembard Arryn]], with the crown ruling Jeyne's testament should be upheld, and sending a force to maintain the [[King's Peace]].{{Ref|FAB|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}

The Arryns remained loyal to the Targaryens during the [[First Blackfyre Rebellion]],{{Ref|TSS}} although there were battles in the Vale during the civil war.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}} The Arryns blocked access to the Vale during the [[Great Spring Sickness]].{{Ref|TSS}}

[[Robert's Rebellion]] began in the Vale, when Lord [[Jon Arryn]], [[Defender of the Vale]], refused to surrender his wards, Lords [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] and [[Eddard Stark]], to King [[Aerys II Targaryen]]. Robert aided Jon in defeating his royalist bannermen at [[taking of Gulltown|Gulltown]], allowing Robert to sail home to the [[stormlands]].{{Ref|ADWD|9}} Meanwhile, Eddard crossed the [[Mountains of the Moon]] to the [[Fingers]], from which he sailed to the [[Bite]] and then returned home to the [[north]].{{Ref|ADWD|9}} Lord Arryn went on to help Robert secure the [[Iron Throne]], and was named his [[Hand of the King|Hand]] after the war.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Glorious Reign}} In Jon's absence, [[Nestor Royce]] has governed as High Steward of the Vale.{{Ref|AGOT|34}}