Editing Sunspear (section)

==History==
===Origin===
[[File:Towerofthesuncbarquet.jpg|thumb|Sunspear by Juan Carlos Barquet © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The [[Sandship]] was the ancient keep of [[House Martell]], minor Dornish lords. When [[Nymeria]] arrived in [[Dorne]] with the [[ten thousand ships]] of the [[Rhoynar]] possibly around {{date|-700}},<ref group="N">The Dornish joined "[...] a thousand years ago [...]" with the Rhoynar (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', Dorne: Queer Customs of the South) following Nymeria's flight after the end of the [[Rhoynish Wars]], which "[...] reached a bloody climax a thousand years ago in the [[Second Spice War]] [...]" (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships). After the Second Spice War, the city of [[Chroyane]] was destroyed ("[...] but for a thousand years this has been the Palace of Sorrow." (''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', [[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 18|Tyrion V]])). It is unknown if this means one thousand years ago (seven hundred years before Aegon's Conquest) or if [[George R. R. Martin]] is being figurative.</ref> she wed Lord [[Mors Martell]], the [[Lord of the Sandship]]. This alliance of the Martells with the Rhoynar led to the unification of Dorne in [[Nymeria's War]].{{ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}

The seat of the ruling [[Prince of Dorne|Princes and Princesses of Dorne]] became Sunspear, the new castle which developed around the Sandship. It was named after the union of the Martell spear with the sun of the Rhoynar. It contains beautiful towers built in the Rhoynish fashion, such as the Spear Tower and the Tower of the Sun of the [[Old Palace]]. The Winding Walls of the castle were built around {{date|-400}}.{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: Sunspear}}<ref name="winding walls" group="N"/>

===Aegon the Conqueror===
Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]] confronted [[Meria Martell]] at Sunspear during [[Aegon's Conquest]] of the [[Seven Kingdoms]], but the [[Princess of Dorne]] refused to surrender and Rhaenys retreated from [[Dorne]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Reign of the Targaryens: The Conquest}}

During the [[First Dornish War]], the [[Dornishmen]] abandoned their castles, allowing [[House Targaryen]] to take them without fighting. Meria vacated Sunspear before the arrival of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]] and Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]], who found the [[shadow city]] half abandoned as well. Within Sunspear's great hall, Aegon declared that Dorne was now part of the realm ruled by the [[Iron Throne]], and he named Lord [[Jon Rosby]] as [[Warden of the Sands]] and Castellan of Sunspear. After Aegon returned to [[King's Landing]], however, Dorne rose in rebellion. Dornishmen swarmed in from the shadow city and Jon was killed in the [[Defenestration of Sunspear]]. Lord [[Harlan Tyrell]] marched east from the [[Hellholt]] to retake Sunspear, but his host disappeared in the red sands of Dorne.{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}

Later in the war, during the two years of the [[Dragon's Wroth]], the Targaryens burned the Dornish castles with [[dragonfire]], with the exception of Sunspear. ''[[Conjectures]]'' by Archmaester [[Timotty]] suggests the Targaryens did so to encourage [[House Martell]]'s bannermen to turn against their overlords, although the Dornish remained loyal.{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<ref group="N">''[[Fire & Blood]]'' says [https://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/152641-spoilers-fire-and-blood-errata/ in error] that Sunspear was burned by [[Vhagar]] during the war.</ref>

===Alyn Oakenfist and Lys===
[[File:Cristi Balanescu Dorne.png|thumb|Sunspear by Cristi Balanescu © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Lord [[Alyn Velaryon]] visited Sunspear during his voyage to the [[Sunset Sea]] to confront [[Dalton Greyjoy]], [[Lord of the Iron Islands]]. [[Aliandra Martell]], [[Princess of Dorne]], welcomed Alyn during his stay. Dalton, the so-called Red Kraken, threatened to sack Sunspear, but he was killed at [[Faircastle]] before Alyn arrived in the west.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Voyage of Alyn Oakenfist}}

When Alyn Oakenfist stopped at Sunspear during his return from the west, he was again greeted fondly by Aliandra. [[Drazenko Rogare]], an envoy to Dorne, informed Alyn that his brother [[Lysandro Rogare|Lysandro]] held the vanished Prince [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys II]] in [[Lys]]. Alyn sailed from Sunspear to the [[Free City]] to negotiate the prince's return to [[Westeros]].{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Voyage of Alyn Oakenfist}} Drazenko eventually married Aliandra, but the envoy choked to death on bacon at Sunspear during the [[Lysene Spring]]. Some believe he was assassinated by [[Faceless Men]].{{ref|FAB|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}

===Conquest of Dorne===
[[Rickon Stark (son of Cregan)|Rickon Stark]], the son of [[Cregan Stark]], [[Lord of Winterfell]], was killed in battle outside of Sunspear in one of the final battles of the [[conquest of Dorne]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Lords of Winterfell}} The Dornishmen surrendered to King [[Daeron I Targaryen]], the Young Dragon, in the [[Submission of Sunspear]] in {{date|158}}, but they rebelled in the following years.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}} Daeron's successor, King [[Baelor I Targaryen]], walked barefoot from [[King's Landing]] to Sunspear to forge a peace with Dorne.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}

Dorne joined the [[Seven Kingdoms]] during the reign of King [[Daeron II Targaryen]] through the [[Wedding of Maron Martell and Daenerys Targaryen|marriage]] of his sister [[Daenerys Targaryen (daughter of Aegon IV)|Daenerys]] to [[Maron Martell]], [[Prince of Dorne]], in {{date|187}}.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}

===Recent History===
During [[Robert's Rebellion]], [[Lewyn Martell]] was killed at the [[Battle of the Trident]] and [[Elia Martell]] was murdered in the [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Lord [[Jon Arryn]], [[Hand of the King]] to [[Robert I Baratheon]], traveled to Sunspear after the war to return Lewyn's bones and secure peace with Prince [[Doran Martell]].{{ref|ASOS|38}}{{ref|ASOS|53}}