House Cafferen

House Cafferen are a House of Andal origin who landed in the Reach and gained land through King Galayn Gardener. Their seat is Beachcastle.

Arms of House Cafferen. Words: 'For What is Just'

History

House Cafferen originates from the Lord Colemon Cafferen, who rose to prominence in the first half of the first century A.I. due to his many victorious battles in Andalos. Not only was he a warrior, but he also ruled the small territory of Warrior's Approach for the majority of his early and middle life. Spurred on by the mass migrations of his own people, which he was powerless to prevent, the head of House Cafferen, Colemon, and his second son, Jerion, left Warrior's Approach with a vast group of settlers in 65 A.I. for a new life in Westeros.

The eldest son of Colemon remained in Andalos, as did his only two daughters, as Qyle refused to leave and the daughters were already married. After nearly twenty years of travel, through which the Cafferens stayed in three different Kingdoms, the House eventually settled in the Garden Coast, a sizeable land in the southern region of the Reach Kingdom, in 84 A.I. This was due to a deal struck between the Lord Colemon Cafferen and the King Galayn Gardener, which both sides honored.

Yet almost immediately, the Cafferens dealt with many issues upon their settling of the Garden Coast, the most pressing of which was Ironborn raids on Oldtown and the rapid disintegration of the Cafferen military. Even as these threats remained, as the years passed, and a new generation of Cafferens took hold of the Lordship, yet more problems would arise. Increasing religious tensions between the Andal settlers and the Reachman native population, spurred on by many members of the Lord Cafferen's noble council, would spawn the rise of several zealous, Seven-worshipping, bands of brigands and bandits who terrorized the countryside. The Cafferens, unable to effectively deal with such a threat, thus allowed the problem to fester until it exploded and engulfed both the Garden Coast, and House Cafferen, in a severe crisis.

The Horrific Night, which occurred in 139 A.I. was the consequence of such tensions, an event which nearly succeeded in its aim of causing chaos and religious upheaval in the Garden Coast. Fortunately for the Cafferens, the revolt that night was dealt with swiftly and with vigor. Under the rule of the Lord Clifford Cafferen, reforms were then made, aimed against the peasantry, which would hamper their ability to rise against House Cafferen again, at least with the same ferocity as they had before.

In 148 A.I. an agreement between the Lord Clifford Cafferen and King Garth IX Gardener was reached, where the King would help in the enlargement and improvement of the Beachcastle, the seat of House Cafferen, and in exchange some of the Children of the Forest would be allowed to shelter in some of the forests of the Garden Coast. In the 150's A.I. this arrangement would be finalized and carried out by both parties. Many Children of the Forest would soon after move into the thick woods around Fencefield, their presence being kept secret from the populace at large and the noble council both. Just a few months before the Singers arrived at the Garden Coast, with Gardener aid the Beachcastle was totally revitalized, becoming a true center of power in the region.

In 190 A.I. a minor succession crisis emerged when the Lord Sefton Cafferen abdicated his birthright to his son Theodore. Questions were raised in the noble council as to if this highly unusual and religiously suspect action should be allowed to happen, but ultimately nothing was done to prevent it, and it occurred without major incident.

Under the rule of the Lord Theodore Cafferen, in 195 A.I. the first windmill was constructed in the Garden Coast, a remarkable technological advancement and engineering feat. As far as anyone in the Garden Coast knew, it was the first of its kind in the entire world, though countless more like it would emerge all over the southern Reach in the following years.

Notable Members

• Lord Colemon 'the Wolf Father' Cafferen – Warrior Lord who brought House Cafferen to the Reach. Ruled the Garden Coast from 84 A.I. to 88 A.I.

• Lord Jerion "The Lame" Cafferen – Ineffective Lord of the Garden Coast from 88 A.I. to 95 A.I.

• Lord Theo 'the Truthseeker' Cafferen – Warmhearted and inquisitive Lord, who led House Cafferen through a Kingdom-wide civil war and Religious Tensions. Ruled the Garden Coast from 95 A.I. to 140 A.I.

• Lord Clifford 'the Tyrant' Cafferen – Tyrannical Lord who secured House Cafferen's position through a series of Autocratic and Feudalistic reforms. Led the great recovery of the military and economy. Ruled the Garden Coast from 140 A.I. to 189 A.I.