Duskendale
-Duskendale was the principal Westerosi port on the narrow sea and had grown fat and wealthy from the trade that passed through its harbor. - The World of Ice and Fire[1]
Duskendale is a port city at the heart of the Dusklands, and is one of the largest settlements in Westeros. It sits at the mouth of a small river. It is the seat of House Darklyn, who rule there as Kings of Duskendale.
Layout
The Dun Fort, a stout square stone castle with drum towers, is the castle of House Darklyn and overlooks the city[2]. Duskendale is surrounded by strong wooden walls[2].
South of Duskendale are the rocky headlands of Duskmull that shelter the harbour from the storms of the narrow sea, and north of it rise chalk cliffs where the smaller holdfast of Highley serves as a watchtower. Fishing villages dot the road for miles[2].
History
The Age of Heroes
Originally the Darklyns ruled from the Dun Fort, a stout stone castle with only a few small villages in sight. But during the Age of Heroes the Darklyns oversaw the construction of the settlement, aided by its advantageous position at the centre of the Blackwater, and soon most trade in the Blackwater passed through Duskendale[1].
As with the rest of the Blackwater, the region was oft contested, and when the Durrandon Storm King Monfryd the Mighty expanded his realm northwards, he conquered Duskendale as well as Maidenpool[3]. Though Duskendale would not remain part of the Stormlands for long, as Monfryd's son Durran the Dim would lose his father's gains, and the Darklyns would again rule independently[3].
Duskendale would continue to grow and prosper for millennia, until the Andals would challenge Duskendale's independence again when the Age of Heroes came to an end with the Coming of the Andals.
The Coming of the Andals
Under King Staun I Darklyn, Duskendale faced a deluge of Andal invaders seeking to conquer it, among them the warlord Armistead Vance, who would be repelled and go on to seek land in the Riverlands. After, Staun would expand Duskendale's roadways and ports, and the city would grow in wealth and population. Though Andals would continue to target Duskendale, prominent among them the ambitious warlord Togarion Bar Emmon.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 George R.R. Martin. (2014). The World of Ice and Fire - The Reign of the Dragons. London: HarperVoyager. p.35
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 George R.R. Martin. (2005). A Feast for Crows - Brienne II. Voyager Books.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 George R.R. Martin. (2014). The World of Ice and Fire - The Stormlands: Andals in the Stormlands. London: HarperVoyager. pp.224