Difference between revisions of "Reyne-Tarbeck revolt"

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Lord [[Walderran Tarbeck]] unwisely choose a different course. He rode to Casterly Rock to confront Lord Tytos, confident he could easily cow Tytos to rescind his son's edicts. Lord Tytos was not present when Lord Tarbeck arrived at court, but the young Tywin was and ordered Lord Walderran imprisoned for disloyalty.
 
Lord [[Walderran Tarbeck]] unwisely choose a different course. He rode to Casterly Rock to confront Lord Tytos, confident he could easily cow Tytos to rescind his son's edicts. Lord Tytos was not present when Lord Tarbeck arrived at court, but the young Tywin was and ordered Lord Walderran imprisoned for disloyalty.
  
In return, Lady [[Ellyn Reyne|Ellyn Tarbeck]] seized three Lannisters - two [[House Lannister of Lannisport|Lannisters]] of [[Lannisport]], as well as [[Stafford Lannister]], whose [[Joanna Lannister|sister]] was betrothed to young [[Tywin Lannister]] and threatened them harm unless her Lord and husband was returned. This awoke Lord Tytos who ignored Tywins suggestion that Lord Walderran should be sent back to his wife in three pieces, one for every Lannister taken, but Tytos returned Walderran unharmed and even forgave the Tarbeck debt to [[House Lannister]].{{Ref|aFfC|44}} {{ref|twoiaf| House Lannister under the Dragons}}  
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In return, Lady [[Ellyn Reyne|Ellyn Tarbeck]] seized three Lannisters - two [[House Lannister of Lannisport|Lannisters]] of [[Lannisport]], as well as [[Stafford Lannister]], whose [[Joanna Lannister|sister]] was betrothed to young [[Tywin Lannister]] and threatened them harm unless her Lord and husband was returned. This awoke Lord Tytos who ignored Tywins suggestion that Lord Walderran should be sent back to his wife in three pieces, one for every Lannister taken, but Tytos returned Walderran unharmed and even forgave the Tarbeck debt to [[House Lannister]].{{Ref|aFfC|44}} {{ref|twoiaf| House Lannister under the Dragons}}
 
 
 
 
  
 
==Conflict==
 
==Conflict==

Revision as of 14:26, 1 January 2015

Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion
Reyne Tarbeck Rebellion.png
art by RobinF

Date 261 AC[1]
Location Westerlands, Castamere and Tarbeck Hall
Result Elimination of Houses Reyne and Tarbeck
Restoration of Lannister dominance over the Westerlands
Belligerents
House Reyne of Castamere
House Tarbeck of Tarbeck Hall
House Lannister of Casterly Rock
Notable commanders
Lord Roger Reyne
Ser Reynard Reyne
Lady Ellyn Tarbeck
Lord Walderan Tarbeck
Ser Tywin Lannister
Strength
Reyne-Tarbeck armyLannister army
Losses
Complete elimination of the rebellious vassals

The Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion was an uprising in the Westerlands. Houses Reyne and Tarbeck rose against their Lannister overlords due to the perceived weakness of the Lord of Casterly Rock, Tytos Lannister.

Prelude

Their are many factors that led to the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion, The leadership of Lord Tytos being a key one, however the early ambitions of Ellyn Reyne of Castamere was another reason for the escalation of the conflict due to her scheming and vindictiveness.


The Lady Ellyn was an ambitious and ruthless woman, who not only desired to marry into the rich Lannister family but also making herself Lady of the Rock. Her father successfully arranged a betrothal of her to the heir of Casterly Rock, Tywald Lannister. However both Ellyn's betrothed and father were slain during the Peake Uprising in 233 AC. Ellyn didn't let her "grief" get in the way of her ambition and managed to seduce the new heir Tion into marrying her, despite the fact that Tion at that time was already arranged to marry a daughter of Lord Rowan. Lord Gerold, having witnessed how quickly Ellyn acted so soon after the death of both her father and her betrothed deeply opposed this match, but the ailing twice widowed Lord who was now a ghost of his former self due to grief, age and illness, eventually let his son follow his heart.

Lady Ellyn was married to Tion Lannister, the second son of Lord Gerold now the new heir. With Lord Gerold twice widowed and refusing to remarry, Ellyn became the Lady of Casterly Rock in all but name. Ellyn in her time at the Court of Casterly Rock became a rival of Tytos Lannister's wife Jeyne Marbrand. As her good father retreated more into his books and bed chamber. Lady Ellyn held a splendid court, hosting tournaments and balls. The Court was filled with musicians, artists and mummers. She also used her new position to empower her own house. Her brothers Roger and Reynard were ever at her side and Ellyn lavished them with offices, honors and lands. She did similarly with her cousins, uncles and other kin. Lord Gerold Lannister's aged and hunchbacked fool known as Lord Toad was heard to say...


"Lady Ellyn must surely be a sorceress, for she made it rain inside the Rock all year."

[1]


Ellyn's saw her dream of becoming Lady of the Rock shatter once again when her husband perished fighting in the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion. The loss of another son instead of breaking Lord Gerold roused him from his grief. Since no children had come from Ellyn and Tion's brief marriage, it meant that Lord Gerold's third son, the weak willed and unpromising Tytos was by all the laws the new heir. Gerold intent on doing all he could to prepare his new heir to succeed him, once again took firm hold of the Westerlands. The Reign of the Reynes was at an end. Her brothers departed the Rock along with many other of her kin.

Ellyn remained at the Rock, but her influence was fading fast, as her good sister Jeyne's was rising. The rivalry between the two increased exponentially and became according to the writings of Maester Beldon truly ugly.

Ellyn was then very hastily wed to the widowed Lord Walderan Tarbeck who was fifty-five at the time. According to Maester Beldon, the rumor was that in 239 AC the widowed Ellyn tried to seduce the already married Tytos Lannister so he would set aside his first wife for her. Tytos apparently was so intimidated by her that he failed to perform, humiliated and in shame confessed to his wife who forgave him but not her good sister, thus Jeyne informed her good-father Lord Gerold Lannister. Lord Gerold was furious and quickly arranged the match to rid Casterly Rock of Ellyn, much to the delight of Lady Jeyne. The rivalry between the two women didn't abate but only increase and intensify throughout the years, in what Lord Toad called the War of the Wombs. Though Ellyn had failed to produce an heir for Tion she proved more fertile for Lord Walderran (who it should be noted had a number of older sons from his first two marriages) and over the years Ellyn gave her new husband two daughters and a son.[1]


When Tytos Lannister finally became Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West he was seen was weak willed and indecisive, having no stomach for war or conflict, he laughed at insults that would have sent his forebears shouting for their swords. Many saw this weakness and sought to take advantage for their own personal gain. Many borrowed from Casterly Rock and never bothered to repay the loans. When it was seen that Tytos was willing to extend such debts, or even forgive them, common merchants from Lannisport and Kayce soon began to attend the court in droves to beg for loans. The power of House Lannister waned and many other neighboring Houses grew in strength, House Reyne was amongst the forefront. The power of the Reynes grew vastly under Tytos poor leadership, as did their close allies House Tarbeck whose lady was the Red Lion of Castameres sister. Lady Tarbeck was not slow to take advantage of Tytos willingness to part with large sums of gold, she borrowed heavily and used the money to restore the crumbling Tarbeck Hall, strengthening the curtain walls, rebuilding it's keep and furnishing it's keep with a splendor to rival any castle in the West.

Throughout the Westerlands it was said that the Lion of Lannister was no longer a beast to fear and many japed about toothless lions.[1]

According to Genna Lannister, when Tytos agreed to marry her to Emmon Frey, the second son of Lord Walder Frey, just to please Lord Walder. The betrothal was announced at a feast in 254 AC, with most of the Lords of the West in attendance. Upon the announcement, Lord Reyne left the hall in anger and Lady Tarbeck laughed aloud. The rest of Lord Tytos vassals sat on their tongues, only Tytos's eldest son spoke out against the wedding because he thought it an uneven match.[2] Tytos later sent Tywin to King's Landing to serve as a royal cupbearer at King Aegon the Fifth's court. [1]


During the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Lord Tytos answered the call of his new king Jaehaerys II and sent 10'000 westermen under the leadership of his young brother, Ser Jason Lannister (who would later perish in the war) to fight beside the forces of the Iron Throne in the Stepstones. Lord Tytos also sent his three eldest sons to fight in the conflict, while he on the other hand remained at the court of Casterly Rock with his new mistress, a lowborn wet nurse who caught his eye.


Upon the return of Ser Tywin Lannister from the Stepstones with his brothers, Ser Kevan (newly knighted) and Tygett Lannister who while still a squire had distinguished himself well in the fighting. The three were now battle hardened from the war, they knew how their House was regarded by others under the misrule of their sire and were determined to change that. Tywin Lannister took upon himself the task of restoring his House's dominance. The young Tywin, declared to his father he was restoring House Lannister to its proper place, Lord Tytos protested feebly before returning to the comfort and embrace of his wetnurse mistress. [1]

Tywin began by demanding the repayment of the gold his father lent out, those who could not repay immediately had to send a hostage to Casterly Rock until their debt was settled. He charged his brother Kevan with command of five hundred knights, who were all blooded and seasoned veterans from the War of the Ninepenny Kings and had them rid the Westerlands of robber knights and bandit outlaws. Some hastened to obey, Ser Harys Swyft was said to have stated...


The Lion has awoken.[1]


Unable to pay the loan at the time, Ser Harys agreed to surrender his daughter into Ser Kevan's custody, elsewhere the collectors were met with sullen resistance and open defiance. Lord Reyne reportedly laughed when he read Tywin's edicts and counseled his friends and vassals to do nothing.

Lord Walderran Tarbeck unwisely choose a different course. He rode to Casterly Rock to confront Lord Tytos, confident he could easily cow Tytos to rescind his son's edicts. Lord Tytos was not present when Lord Tarbeck arrived at court, but the young Tywin was and ordered Lord Walderran imprisoned for disloyalty.

In return, Lady Ellyn Tarbeck seized three Lannisters - two Lannisters of Lannisport, as well as Stafford Lannister, whose sister was betrothed to young Tywin Lannister and threatened them harm unless her Lord and husband was returned. This awoke Lord Tytos who ignored Tywins suggestion that Lord Walderran should be sent back to his wife in three pieces, one for every Lannister taken, but Tytos returned Walderran unharmed and even forgave the Tarbeck debt to House Lannister.[3] [1]

Conflict

Less then a year later, the Tarbecks rebelled again, together with House Reyne. Tywin was determined to bring the over mighty and belligerent vassals to heel. Late in the year he sent a raven message to both House Tarbeck and House Reyne demanding that they present themselves at Casterly Rock to answer for their crimes. Both Houses refused (as Tywin knew they would) and choose defiance, rising in revolt and renouncing their fealty to House Lannister.

Taking command of the Lannister forces, Tywin marched against the upstart vassals and defeated them. By the end of the campaign both rebel houses were completely obliterated and Castamere and Tarbeck Hall were put to the torch.[4][5]

Tywin Lannister's actions to restore his family's power were immortalized in the song The Rains of Castamere.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 The World of Ice & Fire, House Lannister under the Dragons.
  2. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 32, Cersei VII.
  3. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 44, Jaime VII.
  4. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 19, Tyrion III.
  5. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 33, Jaime V.