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Thread: The Blood of Dragons: An Account of the Blackfyre Rebellion - NEW CHAPTERS POSTED

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    AdmiralThrawn's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default The Blood of Dragons: An Account of the Blackfyre Rebellion - NEW CHAPTERS POSTED

    The Blood of Dragons
    The way this is working is that I am hotseating as all factions in the game, playing them as best I can (or as best fits the narrative) but am never reloading battles. The purpose of this is to provide a good narrative rather than a re-telling of some game I played against terrible M2TW AI . Since I won't reload battles I don't even know how it will end, and it will not necessarily follow the canon. Enjoy!



    Prologue: A Funeral and Two Weddings


    It cannot be denied that, since the arrival of Aegon the Conqueror, the Seven Kingdoms has seen an unprecedented era of peace. However, while the petty squabbles of minor kings no longer plague the land on a daily basis, every now and again our Targaryen Kings tend plunge themselves into massive and bloody civil wars, taking the rest of Westeros down with them. The greatest of these was the Dance of Dragons, fought from 129-131 AL, the war devastated Westeros and wiped out all but a handful of dragons. With the dragons gone, it was though that any future war could not be anywhere near as destructive. Sadly, that was not the case.

    The intricacies of Targaryen family feuding are too complex to lay out here, but suffice it to say that King Aegon IV (The Unworthy) fathered countless bastards. Greatest among them was Daemon, a favorite of his father and beloved throughout the realm. Though in person he was quick to anger, and slow to forgive, he won the love and loyalty of many lords and small folk with his charisma, good looks, and martial skill. On his deathbed, Aegon the Unworthy gifted Daemon with the sword Blackfyre, the very blade bore by Aegon the Conqueror himself. Legitimized, Daemon now found himself in the line of succession (though quite low on it).

    One thing that many seem to forget, however, is that Daemon did not rush to claim the crown at the moment of his father's death. Instead, he peacefully attended the coronation of his brother King Daeron II. (The Targaryens have an unfortunate tendency to start all their names with A's and D's. This, unfortunately, has a tendency to make their civil wars rather confusing.) Afterwords, Daemon grew tired of court and journeyed around the Seven Kingdoms. It was during this time that he made friends with many lords, including his brother Aegor Rivers “Bittersteel”, the Redtusk of House Crakehall, Lord Manfred Lothson of Harenhall, Lord Kevan Costayne of Three Towers, and countless others.

    It was rumored that his departure from court had to do with his half brother Bryden Rivers, commonly known as Bloodraven. Feared by many throughout the realm. Bloodraven was very close to his brother, the king. More importantly, he had a thinly disguised hatred for Daemon and Bittersteel which most likely led them to leave court. Though he was an extremely competent warrior and administrator, he was feared and hated by many, in no small part because he worshiped the Old Gods of his Blackwood mother. As a bastard, he had as little claim to the throne as Daemon did, but his rise to prominence in his brother's court angered many and served to further divide the realm.

    Which finally brings us to King Daeron II. Though he later received the moniker “The Good”, he was not a beloved king in his day. A wise man more at home with maesters than knights, he was despised by the more warlike lords, and mocked by the rest. Despite this, he was a master diplomat and administrator, and is today known for bringing Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms. Even more impressively, the only blood spilled in the conquest was on his wedding sheets. Unfortunately for Daeron, his new Dornish wife, Myriah Martell, failed to ingratiate herself to the court, and even more lords became infuriated with the King's foreign escapades.

    Still, despite this, war could still have been avoided if it were not for two things. Firstly, to further shore up the Dornish alliance, Daeron married his sister Danerys to the young Prince of Dorne. The problem was, Danerys was Daemon Blackfyre's paramour at the time. It is widely believed that this act was what caused the rebellion, however there was one more piece that needed to fall into place first.

    A popular knight known as Quentyn Ball, popularly known as the “the Fireball”, had served as Lord Commander of the Goldcloaks during the reign of Aegon IV. During this time, Aegon had promised him a place on the Kingsguard when one should open. However, when one finally became available during Daemon's reign, the Fireball was passed over. We can only guess at Daeron's reasons for this, but it is likely he did not want to risk putting a friend of his half-brother Daemon's onto the Kingsguard. This backfired, as the enraged Lord Ball immediately rode out to Harenhall to meet Daemon, already fuming over his sister-lover's upcoming marriage.

    It is at this point that speculation takes over, as we do now know what was said in the Great Hall of Harenhall that day. Besides Daemon and the Fireball, the other lords present were Bittersteel, Redtusk, Lothson, Costayne, and Daemon's twin sons Aegon and Aemon. Rumors had swirled for years that King Daemon was not, in fact, Aegon IV's son, but rather the son of Aemon the Dragonknight. Investigating the truth of this is a task for another day, but suffice it to say many found the rumor to be appealing. Since Daemon did not attempt to seize the crown until this moment, we can assume that he dismissed the rumor at first. However, I would theorize that it was Lord Ball who convinced him otherwise, perhaps even claiming to have proof. What we do know is that after several hours of heated discussion Daemon relented and agreed to take up the sword against his brother. That night a coronation was held in the Great Hall as Daemon Blackfyre was crowned as The King who Bore the Sword. The year was 195 AL.


    Part 1: The Mustering at Harenhall

    Despite this, the war itself took some time to begin. The only forces Daemon had on hand were his own retainers and hangers on, as well as Lord Lothson's Harenhall men. Hardly an insignificant force, but not nearly enough to storm the walls of King's Landing. Instead, ravens were sent to every corner of the realm, except King's Landing itself. The first of these letters were to his staunchest supporters, calling on them to raise their forces to support his claim. Many were quick to do so. Lord Sunderland called his banners and raised a mighty force at Sisterton, Lords Osgrey and Peak gathered forces in the Northern Reach, Lord Reyne rallied the northern coast of the Westerlands, and Lord Yronwood began to assemble a mighty host in Dorne.

    The Lords Paramount, however, would be a more difficult challenge. Daemon correctly guessed that the Tullys would remain loyal to the crown. This was partially because Daemon was incredibly popular in the Riverlands, and Lord Medger Tully saw him as a threat. As such, Daemon instead sent ravens and riders all across the Riverlands proclaiming the King's parentage, and calling on the lords and people to support Daemon. Many answered, and soon the ranks of Daemon's army grew daily with fresh recruits. In the town of Stony Sept, the population rose up and drove out their lord after he declared his loyalty to King Daeron. Meanwhile. Bittersteel rode back north to rally his own men near Fairmarket. Despite this, however, most of the Riverlands stayed loyal to the crown. As no raven arrived in Riverrun, it was some time before Lord Medger discovered what was happening. However, he was quick to act, sending his brother Ryman north to treat with the Freys. If they could be secured, the Riverlords would stand a chance in the coming war.

    To the Vale and the Stormlands, Daemon sent his two sons. Both roads were treacherous, but Daemon knew that without the Arryns and Baratheons he would not have the strength to take on the Iron Throne. Aegon, his heir, would then ride to Dorne in the hopes of winning a marriage with one of the Dornish Prince's sisters. Aemon, likewise, would sail north after visiting the Eryie to treat with Lord Stark.



    Perhaps Daemon's biggest mistake, however, was not making overtures with the Tyrells and Lannisters. Both houses had been favored by King Daeron, and Daemon's advisers told him that both were firmly in the loyalist camp. In truth, this advice also had an ulterior motive, as many of his lords, including the Redtusk and Lord Ball hoped to be named as Lords Paramount after the war's conclusion. Whatever his reason, his lords returned to their holdings in the Westerlands and Reach to rally forces while Highgarden and Casterly Rock remained ignorant of what transpired.

    Daemon's final raven was sent to the Iron Islands. Daemon had visited there during his travels, and while he certainly did not count Lord Dagon Greyjoy among his friends, he understood the man well. Daemon's offer was simple: aid him in the coming war, and be made King of the Iron Islands. Of all the envoys sent this was the most important as, without Greyjoy help, Daemon had no ships that could match his brother's Royal Fleet.

    It is at this point that we must make a brief aside. The events leading up to the wildling invasion of 195 AL are interesting to be sure, but they are a story for another day. Suffice it to say, the wildlings crossed the wall in force, and Lord William Stark rode out to meet them. The armies met north of Last Hearth, where 16,000 northerners, under Lords Stark and Bolton collided with 12,000 wildlings led by Raymon Redbeard. The battle was a rout, with the wildlings collapsing under the weight of the Northern Heavy Cavalry. By the end of the day over 8,000 wildlings lay dead compared to merely 800 northerners. While the North was saved, this later meant that the Starks armies were so far from the fighting that it was a long time before they could play a part in the coming war.

    In the meantime, the young Lord Medger Tully finally realized what Daemon Blackfyre was up to. His younger brother and heir, Ryman, was quickly sent north to treat with Lord Andrey Frey. We do now know what Ryman planned to offer Lord Andrey, but we do know what was demanded: Harenhall. As Lord Frey saw it, Lord Lothson was a traitor, meaning his family lost all claim to their seat. Ryman Tully knew the position his house was in, and he knew that without Lord Frey's levies they might not survive the next few months. Grudgingly, he agreed. Finally, Lord Medger sent a hurried raven to King's Landing, informing them of Daemon's treachery and asking for royal assistance.

    When the raven arrived in King's Landing, the situation was confused to say the least. They had yet to receive word of Daemon's coronation and, as such, many failed to understand the severity of the situation. Many argued that the king should call off the Dornish Marriage and, in doing so, make peace with Daemon. Lord Bloodraven, on the other hand, counseled that the Great Bastard had broken the King's peace, and should be punished accordingly. Bloodraven asked to take an army to Harenhall and bring Daemon back to the capitol to answer for his crimes. King Daeron, ever the negotiator, took the middle road. Instead he sent Sir Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsguard north to Harenhall to escort his half-brother back. Many scholars since have called this an act of indecisive cowardice on the King's behalf, but I am not so certain. Had he then followed the Bloodraven's advice he would have left the capitol defenseless, and many of Daemon's friends and sympathizers were still in the city. Moreover, an army would only prove necessary if things had truly reached the point of no return. If that was the case, it would be wiser to wait and build up the Royal Army before committing it to battle. To this end, King Daeron ordered that levies be raised throughout the Crownlands, and recalled his son Baelor (later “Breakspear”) from Dragonstone to assist. Finally, he sent a raven back to Lord Medger in Riverrun, ordering him to retake the town of Stony Sept.
    Last edited by AdmiralThrawn; March 31, 2014 at 06:01 AM.

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    AdmiralThrawn's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: The Blood of Dragons - An Account of the Blackfyre Rebellion

    Chapter 2: The Fire is Lit

    War may have been inevitable as soon as Daemon placed the crown upon his dead, but it was the Battle of Stony Sept that began it. When Daemon first called on the Riverlands to support his cause, Lord Woolman of Stony Sept made the terrible choice of gathering the entire town to announce his decision. Already unpopular for his taxes and his unfortunate tendency to bed the daughters of prominent citizens, Lord Woolman spent the next three hours lecturing the populace on why their beloved Daemon Blackfyre was a rebel and a traitor. It is a matter of much debate what kicked off the riot. Some claim that it was when Lord Woolman ordered the arrest of a popular merchant who shouted out against him. Others claim it was when he announced new taxes to pay for the war. Whatever it was, the town was soon up in arms and Lord Woolman and his family had fled to Riverun (he never made it, it is widely believed he was ambushed by outlaws along the way).

    After things had quieted, the town's prominent citizens chose Willem Seaworth (a recent arrival in town) to be their leader. Willem immediately sent a raven to Harenhall, telling Daemon what had happened and asking for aid. Daemon realized that, with Stony Sept under his control, he could cut off the Tyrells in the Reach, and prevent them from reinforcing the Riverlands from the south. He promptly dispatched Lord Ball with a sizable force to hold the town in the event of a Tully counterattack.

    Lord Medger also realized the strategic importance of the town, and dispatched Lord Whalen Vance with a force numbering 6,000 men to take it back. Unfortunately, Lord Vance did not know about the Blackfyre movements, believing that the town would be held by a poorly armed peasant rabble.

    As fate would have it, the two armies arrived at roughly the same time. Lord Vance's outriders spotted the Blackfyre host, also numbering 6,000 strong marching south a few miles behind them. Caught between Lord Ball's army and the town, Lord Vance formed up his army for battle, determined to prevent the Blackfyres from reaching the town where they would be unassailable.



    Given the geography of the battlefield, I believe it would have been wiser for Lord Ball to have avoided battle and instead circle around Lord Vance's Flank and enter the town. His army was meant to hold the town's walls and, as such, contained almost no cavalry. On top of that, he had no knowledge of the forces Seaworth had at his disposal, or even if the town was still held by friendly forces. Despite all this, he ordered his troops to form up an attack, crashing into the Tully lines in a massive bloodbath. Lord Vance was hardly a master tactician, and when faced with such an attack he committed his reserve to the fight in order to hold the line. It was, however, at that moment that the town gates swung open and out charged Willem Seaworth and 2,000 men directly into the Tully army's rear. Though these “troops” were hardly more than farmers with spears, the attack broke the Tully line, and Lord Vance was forced to retreat back to Pinkmaiden with the third of his force that remained to him.

    Though hardly the largest battle of the war, the Battle of Stony Sept had far reaching consequences. Firstly, with his army reinforced with (now Lord) Seaworth's militia, Quentyn Ball pursued Lord Vance north, eventually reaching Pinkmaiden and establishing siege lines around the beleaguered castle. When news of the battle reached Daemon he immediately launched all his forces into action. He ordered Lord Lothson to take a detachment of 3,600 men to sack Saltpans while he marched the bulk of his forces west to link up with Bittersteel. Together, their two armies numbered nearly 16,000 men and threatened Riverrun itself. Meanwhile, on all other fronts the Blackfyre forces leaped into action. Lord's Peak and Osgrey besieged Goldengrove with a force of 4,000 men, while the Redtusk of Crackehall marched against Old Oak with another 3,600. In the Westerlands, Lord Reyne besieged the Banefort with 4,000 of his own levies. Most importantly, Lord Costayne took 6,000 troops north from Three Towers and lay siege to Oldtown itself. The only Blackfyre Lord to remain in place was Lord Yronwood. The reason for this was that Daemon hoped that his son and heir Aegon could win over the Stormkings and Dornish, and as such he simply ordered Lord Yronwood to continue to build up his 12,000 man army and prepare for his son's arrival.

    The battle also had a huge moral effect on both sides. For the Blackfyres, Daemon had showed that he could protect those who came over to his side, and that the Royalists were totally outmatched by his forces. On the other side, many of the King's bannermen began to doubt that the Targaryens could survive the coming war. Lord Bryce Baratheon stopped answering the King's ravens and began to rally his own levies, though he had yet to pick a side. In the Eryie, Prince Aemon had finally arrived and called on Lord Marwyn Arryn to aid his family in claiming the Iron Throne. The young Lord Arryn already held King Daeron in contempt and, upon hearing the news from Stony Sept, agreed to come to House Blackfyre's aid, marching south through the Bloody Gate with nearly 10,000 men at his back. In the Iron Islands, Lord Dagon, having already assembled his entire army, decided that the time had come to join the fight. Crowning himself King of the Salt and Rock, he set sail towards Lannisport with 16,000 raiders at his back, intent on claiming the Westerlands for his new Kingdom.

    As for the King's own Lords, Damon Lannister (henceforth known as the Grey Lion because one Daemon is enough for any war) hastily assembled his army numbering 9,000 strong and marched north from Casterly Rock, with the intent to punish House Reyne and secure his northern flank. In command of the Lannisport and Casterly Rock Garrison he left his son Tybolt, a lad inexperienced as both a commander and a bureaucrat. Meanwhile, he sent Lords Brax and Plumm east with 8,000 men to secure the fords over the Red Fork.

    In the Reach, House Tyrell found itself in a difficult situation, with enemy armies both bearing down on the Northern Marches, as well as besieging Oldtown. Lord Leo Tyrell had four sons, three of whom were fit to lead armies and he planned to split them up, sending some north to hold the Marches, while the others went south to relieve the siege of Oldtown. However, before he could execute this plan their Hightower mother asked that they ride south and rescue her family's city. Immediately, and without asking for their father's blessing, the boys departed Highgarden, riding south with a retinue of 2,400 knights and lords. Infuriated, Lord Leo instead ordered the rest his bannermen to begin raising levies to hold out until help could arrive.

    House Martell of Dorne was quick to realize the precariousness of its position. Unlike the other armies of Westeros, theirs was a professional fighting force, and one that was incredibly expensive to mobilize. As such, the young Lord Maron chose to do all he could to stay out of it. He knew of the Blackfyre troops massing at Yronwood, but was confident that diplomacy would prevent them from attacking. As such, he chose to play the long game, in the hopes that the host at Yronwood would either wear itself out or attack someone else while his reserves remained fresh.

    The only House to effectively respond to the Blackfyre threat was House Tully. Already aware of the danger, their forces had been in the field for some time. Though they were greatly weakened by the disaster at Stony Sept, their main force at Raventree under Lord Medgar himself remained intact. With Lord Ball to his southwest, and King Daemon to his north Lord Medgar made a gamble. Leaving behind token garrisons in Riverrun and Raventree he rushed south to break the siege of Pinkmaiden. Luckily for him, Lord Ball's army almost entirely lacked outriders, and the two Tully hosts were able to meet up north of Pinkmaiden and catch him unawares.



    On the field of battle Lord Medgar met Lord Ball's 7,000 troops with 9,000 of his own, along with 2,800 of Lord Vance's men from inside the castle. The surprise, and the rout, were total, with 4,000 Blackfyre men lying dead in the mud by the day's end. Though the victory was theirs, House Tully's position was still a precarious one. If they pressed their advantage against Stony Sept then Daemon and Bittersteel would blaze a path to Riverrun. If they stayed put, their enemies still likely had the strength to wrest Raventree from their hands. Even worse, things to the north were not going well. Although Lord Frey had agreed to fight on their behalf, the Battle of Stony Sept had soured him to the cause. Growing tired of Frey's constant delays, Ryman Tully departed the twins, to march against Fairmarket with 3,600 men from Seaguard, leaving the Freys behind.

    Finally, in the Crownlands, King Daeron was faced with a dilemma. In the time since he had received word of the Blackfyre treachery he had raised over 22,000 men. However, instead of marching west to put a quick end to the rebellion, his forces instead stayed put. The reason for this was that Lord Baratheon had ceased all contact with King's Landing, and the King had been forced to assume that he had turned his cloak and joined Daemon. Combined with House Arryn's decision to join the rebels, the Crownlands now found itself surrounded on three sides by foes. For a time, it looked like the Red Dragon's cause was doomed to fail.
    Last edited by AdmiralThrawn; March 31, 2014 at 06:00 AM.

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    Iron Aquilifer's Avatar Protector Domesticus
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    Default Re: The Blood of Dragons: An Account of the Blackfyre Rebellion - NEW CHAPTERS POSTED

    (Havent checked) you may also want to post this in the main AAR Thread

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    Default Re: The Blood of Dragons: An Account of the Blackfyre Rebellion - NEW CHAPTERS POSTED

    I might do that. Is it possible to link a thread into another thread? Or should I just copy/paste?

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    Iron Aquilifer's Avatar Protector Domesticus
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    Default Re: The Blood of Dragons: An Account of the Blackfyre Rebellion - NEW CHAPTERS POSTED

    You can (just copy/paste from top toolbar) but I would probably just copy/paste the entire thing.

    And as to the actual piece: like the maester/historical narrative and the increasing of the number of warriors (though I would probably suggest (personal opinion) to make it more vague: less than a thousand (instead of) 800
    And the armies of equal size instead of: "lord's army also numbering 6k")
    Again just my personal thoughts but still good!

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