Editing Harrenhal (section)

==History==
===House Hoare===
[[File:Balerion the black.jpg|thumb|350px|right|The [[burning of Harrenhal]], by Marc Simonetti]]

The seat of [[Halleck Hoare]], [[King of the Isles and the Rivers]], was a modest tower house at [[Fairmarket]] on the [[Blue Fork]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Black Blood}} His son, [[Harren Hoare|Harren the Black]], built Harrenhal along the [[Gods Eye]] as a monument to himself, intending it to be the greatest of all castles in [[Westeros]] and for it to dwarf any other.{{ref|ACOK|7}}

The construction of Harren's dream took forty years. Thousands of captives died in the quarries chained to sledges or laboring on the five huge towers. Men froze by winter and sweltered in summer. [[Weirwood]]s that had stood three thousand years were cut down to provide rafters and beams. Harren beggared the [[riverlands]] and the [[Iron Islands]] alike to ornament his dream.{{ref|ACOK|7}}

Upon its completion, Harren boasted that his new fortress was impregnable. However, he did not account for [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] and his [[dragon]]s invading Westeros. On the day Harren took up residence, Aegon came ashore at what would become [[King's Landing]]. Aegon flew his dragon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, above the high walls and forbidding towers and then roasted Harren alive in the tallest of the towers, now known as [[Kingspyre]]. Harren and all his line perished in the [[burning of Harrenhal]]. Due to the extreme heat of dragonflame, the castle took on a charred, melted appearance.{{Ref|ACOK|7}}

Since [[Aegon's Conquest]], the castle has become a [[w:white elephant|white elephant]]. It is too big to garrison effectively and too expensive to maintain.{{ref|ACOK|8}} Harren allegedly mixed human blood into the mortar for the stonework;{{Ref|ACOK|26}} some believe that the castle is [[curse]]d and haunted due to Harren's hubris and the horrors that have occurred within the castle's walls, with the early deaths of its many rulers as proof.{{ref|ACOK|7}} The curse of Harren the Black{{ref|ASOS|37}} is thought to prevent any lord from holding Harrenhal indefinitely.{{ref|AFFC|23}}

===House Qoherys===
[[File:Harrenhall by crisurdiales.jpg|350px|thumb|Harrenhal, by Cris Urdiales ©]]
King [[Aegon I Targaryen]] granted Harrenhal to [[Quenton Qoherys]], although Lord [[Edmyn Tully]] of [[Riverrun]] was named [[Lord Paramount of the Trident]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands: House Tully}} [[House Qoherys]] died out during the reign of King [[Aenys I Targaryen]], however, when Lord [[Gargon Qoherys|Gargon the Guest]] was slain during [[Harren the Red]]'s rebellion.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}}

===House Harroway===
Lord [[Lucas Harroway]] succeeded Gargon as Lord of Harrenhal, and [[House Harroway]] helped to defeat Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]]. The Harroways of Harrenhal and [[Lord Harroway's Town]] were extinguished by King [[Maegor I Targaryen]] in {{date|44}}, however.<ref>A Forum of Ice and Fire: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/119534-twoiaf-spoilers-inconsistency-or-intentional/&page=12#comment-6419084 Inconsistency or Intentional?]</ref> It began to be said that the castle was [[curse]]d.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}

===House Towers===
Ser [[Walton Towers]] was named the new Lord of Harrenhal after winning a melee announced by Maegor, though he died of his wounds within two weeks of the event. [[Jordan Towers]] received Harrenhal, though not all of the lands formerly belonging to House Harroway, as [[Lord Harroway's Town]] was granted to Lord [[Alton Butterwell]] and the rest of the Harroway holdings to Lord [[Darnold Darry]].{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} [[House Towers of Harrenhal|House Towers]] became extinct when Lord [[Maegor Towers]] died without heirs in {{date|61}}.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands: House Tully}}{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}

===Rhaena Targaryen===
Since the sickly and impoverished Lord Maegor only utilized one of Harrenhal's five towers, the [[Tower of Dread]], King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] settled his widowed sister, Queen [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] in Harrenhal. Rhaena, who lived in the [[Widow's Tower]], became friends with poor Maegor, and she took care of his household after their lord's passing. After Rhaena died at Harrenhal in {{date|73}}, the king had her remains burned and interred in the castle.{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}

===House Strong=== 
[[File:Season5Dance of Dragons16.png|thumb|400px|[[Caraxes]] and [[Vhagar]] leap into the sky as the [[Battle Above the Gods Eye]] begins, from ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' Season 5 Blu-ray]]
King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] granted Harrenhal to Ser [[Bywin Strong]] after Rhaena's death.{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} The [[Great Council of 101 AC]], in which Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys]] was chosen as the Old King's successor, was hosted by [[House Strong]] of Harrenhal.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}

Lord [[Lyonel Strong]] and his heir [[Harwin Strong|Harwin]] died in a fire at Harrenhal in {{date|120}}. It was blamed on the curse of Harrenhal, although non-mystical suspects included Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]], Lord [[Corlys Velaryon]], Lyonel's younger son [[Larys Strong]], and even King Viserys I.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}

Early in the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Ser [[Simon Strong]] surrendered the castle to Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] during his [[assault on Harrenhal]]. Daemon used it as a base for the [[blacks]] to launch attacks in the nearby area. Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]] and Ser [[Criston Cole]] led an army of [[greens]] to retake the great castle, but found it abandoned by the blacks when they arrived. Aemond killed Simon and his kin.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}

After the [[Battle by the Lakeshore]], Criston led his soldiers south along the [[Gods Eye]]. Aemond rode [[Vhagar]] and ravaged the riverlands, including burning all wooden structures in Harrenhal. Lady [[Sabitha Frey]], who had occupied Harrenhal in the meantime, was forced to hide in a privy to survive the [[dragonflame]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} Daemon and Aemond later fought in the [[Battle Above the Gods Eye]], a duel which killed both princes and their dragons, [[Caraxes]] and Vhagar, although Daemon's body was never found.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} Lord [[Larys Strong]] was executed during the [[Hour of the Wolf]] in {{date|131}}, ending House Strong.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands: House Tully}}

===Alys Rivers===
[[Alys Rivers]] was the so-called "witch queen" who ruled Harrenhal during the [[regency of Aegon III]], following the [[Dance of the Dragons]]. She claimed to Ser [[Regis Groves]] and Ser [[Damon Darry]] that she was the widow of Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]], and that [[Alys Rivers's son|their young son]] was trueborn and the rightful heir to the [[Iron Throne]]. Regis did not survive the encounter and Damon fled back to [[Darry]]. An ill-fated messenger sent to Darry claimed that he had seen a [[dragon]] inside Harrenhal. The regents in [[King's Landing]] planned to gather a large army to recover Harrenhal, but their plans were interrupted by the [[Winter Fever]] of {{date|133}}.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}

===House Lothston===
King [[Aegon III Targaryen]] gave the ruined castle to Ser [[Lucas Lothston (husband of Falena)|Lucas Lothston]] in {{date|151}}.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands: House Tully}} The [[Bastard of Harrenhal]] was defeated by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] in a melee in {{date|193}}.{{ref|THK}}

[[Manfred Lothston]] was involved in the [[First Blackfyre Rebellion]] in {{date|196}},{{ref|TSS}} and Lady [[Danelle Lothston]] helped to suppress the [[Second Blackfyre Rebellion]] with the might of Harrenhal in {{date|212}}.{{ref|TMK}} [[House Lothston]] was cast down during the reign of King [[Maekar I Targaryen]] ({{date|221|233}}), however, as Danelle descended into madness.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands: House Tully}}

===House Whent===
[[File: Rhaeg lyanna-winterfelll.jpg|thumb|350px|The [[tourney at Harrenhal]], by M.Luisa Giliberti ©]]
[[House Whent]], originally knights sworn to Harrenhal, became lords of the castle for their part in defeating the Lothstons.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands: House Tully}}

Lord [[Walter Whent]] hosted a great [[tourney at Harrenhal]] in {{Date|281}}. The famous tournament resulted in the crowning of [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], [[Prince of Dragonstone]], as its champion, and is also noted for the participation of the mysterious [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]].{{ref|ASOS|24}} Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] was named to the [[Kingsguard]] of [[Aerys II Targaryen]] during the tourney.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring}}

Prior to the outbreak of [[Robert's Rebellion]], Rhaegar abducted [[Lyanna Stark]] less than ten leagues from Harrenhal.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring}} The Whents have been noted for their own tragedies.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands: House Tully}}