Iron Islands

"The islands are stern and stony places, scant of comfort and bleak of prospect. Death is never far here, and life is mean and meager."
- A Clash of Kings

The Iron Islands lay in the Ironman's Bay. West to them lies Lonely Light and in the North is the Giant's Fist.

The Iron Islands, also known as the Iron Isles or the Kingdom of the Iron Isles, are a harsh and storm-lashed archipelago off the western coast of Westeros. Once ruled by rock, salt, and High Kings chosen in kingsmoots, the isles came under the rule of hereditary Kings of the Iron Islands after the Slaughter of Nagga's Hill, when Urron Greyiron abolished the title of High King. The Iron Islands are home to the ironborn, a fierce seafaring people who pride themselves on their unyielding nature. The isles themselves are small, rocky, and only thinly fertile, with frequent storms, grey skies, and restless seas.

Overview

The sea is the lifeblood of the Iron Islands.

Terrain

The Iron Islands consists of thirty-one isles west of the Cape of Eagles, with another thirteen clustered around Lonely Light, the westernmost point of known lands. Of these, seven are counted as major: Old Wyk, Great Wyk, Pyke, Harlaw, Saltcliffe, Blacktyde, and Orkmont. The isles are rocky and thin-soiled, better suited to grazing goats than raising crops. Frequent storms, grey skies, and stony shores define the landscape. The sea is the lifeblood of the isles, without its bounty, the ironborn would starve in winter. The surrounding waters teem with fish, cod, monkfish, skate, sardines, mackerel, as well as crabs, lobsters, swordfish, seals, and whales, providing sustenance for the islanders. Seven of every ten families are said to be fisherfolk, and to own a ship is to command one’s fate.

Main Islands/Regions

• Orkmont
• Pyke
• Harlaw
• Great Wyk
• Old Wyk
• Lonely Light
• Saltcliffe
• Blacktyde
• The Giant's Fist

Culture

The ironborn are a fierce seafaring people who view themselves as set apart from other men. According to their priests, they are not descended from those of the green lands, but were born of the sea itself, created by the Drowned God to rule the waters of the world. Their religion is without temples or books; the priests, called Drowned Men, wander the isles, living an austere life close to the sea, and wield great influence. The Drowned God is opposed by the Storm God, whose winds and storms bring ruin.

The culture of the Ironborn is built upon reaving and raiding. War, not labor, is a proper ironman’s calling. Thralls work the fields and mines, while freeborn men fight and sail. Reavers from the Iron Islands rule the Sunset Sea, their longships swift and deadly. Inland, the ironborn rarely venture far from salt waters. In time, the loss of their own forests to shipbuilding forced them to raid the green lands for timber and wealth. Raiding also supplies the islands with thralls, food, and salt wives. Salt wives, captured during raids, are joined to their captors in marriage rites performed by Drowned Men; their children are legitimate, and salt sons could inherit in the absence of trueborn heirs. But a salt wife would always be beneath a rock wife.

History

The Dawn Age

The Drowned Men say that the ironborn came to the Iron Islands from beneath the sea itself and predate the arrival of the First Men. However, there are some Grey Masters from the Ravenry who claim that the ironborn descended from the First Men. However it was that the Ironmen ended up on the isles, it is said that they found an artifact known as The Seastone Chair on Old Wyk. The chair was carved in the shape of a kraken out of oily black stone.

The Age of Heroes

The ironborn never grew to have a relationship with weirwood trees or the children of the forest, and so the Pact was of little importance to them. However, this was when the Age of Heroes is said to have begun.

It is believed that during the Age of Heroes, the Iron Islands were ruled over by the Grey King. The Grey King ruled the united Iron Isles for 1,000 years, and there are many great deeds attributed to him. Most of the great houses of the Isles claim descent from the Grey King.

This era was also dominated by ironborn reavers like Balon Blackskin, Torgon the Terrible, Jorl the Whale, Dagon Drumm, Hrothgar of Pyke, and Ragged Ralf.

When the Grey King died, the islands fell into civil war for many years. The years of bloodshed only ended when a Drowned Priest named Galon Whitestaff demanded an end to the ceaseless war. The Iron Islands once again united into a single kingdom, and now the High King would be chosen in a Kingsmoot by the Salt and Rock Kings, and the captains. The first High King was Urras "Ironfoot" Greyiron. House Greyiron would end up producing more High Kings than any other house, with only House Goodbrother and House Greyjoy coming close.

The Coming of the Andals

The Coming of the Andals signaled the end of the Age of Heroes as well as the end of the Ironborn Kingsmoot. Urron Greyiron orchestrated a violent takeover of the crown on Nagga's Hill, naming himself the sole King of the Isles, and House Greyiron the only ruling house.

Reign of the Greyirons

Urron's reign began , with the Invasion of Fair Isle. The war was brief with Horgon Greyjoy capturing King Andrik Farman and sacrificing him. Urron continued his campaign by invading the islands of The Reach including the Shield Islands and The Arbor. The Shields were scoured of it's lords, and it's keeps given to Ironborn Lords. The lord of House Redwyne was slain and his heir married to a Greyiron Princess.

Urron died in 79 A.I. in his sleep, and was followed by King Urek Greyiron. Urek's reign saw The Arbor lost and the Iron Fleet defeated. He died unceremoniously 6 years into his reign after tripping on a rug.

Reign of Cragorn Greyjoy

With his death, the Captains of the Isles called for a Kingsmoot, seeing hereditary succession as disfavored by the Drowned God. Cragorn Greyjoy was elected at this new Kingsmoot, and promised the Ironmen new conquests and revenge. He began his reign by launching a great reaving of Oldtown, overrunning the city and the Hightower itself. He then moved to take the Cape of Eagles from House Mallister and House Mudd. He led a successful campaign during the Sinking of Seagard and placing his rock son Urron Greyjoy as the great captain of the region. He died in 103 A.I. and Victarion Volmark was chosen as his successor.