Mountain and Vale
Regions and Cultures of Mountain and Vale
The lands of Mountain and Vale are that of soaring mountains, fertile valleys, and coastal harbours, separated from the rest of Westeros by the Mountains of the Moon. Though often spoken of as a single region, at the coming of the Andals, it is divided into many distinct areas, including the rich lowlands of the Vale proper, the windswept Fingers, and the rugged highlands and passes.
By the coming of the Andals, the region was home to numerous First Man petty kingdoms, each with its own somewhat differing customs, but bound by a shared worship of the old gods and the land.[1] The First Men already began to feel the first tremors of change. The newcomers see opportunity in forging alliances with the some petty kings, offering marriage ties in place of open war. Some rulers welcome this chance to strengthen their hold, while others resist, and blood of both First Men and Andals is being spilled across the land.
The Bronze Kings and the Men of the Vale Proper
The Vale proper is home to some of the most ancient houses of the First Men. Among these are the Royces of Runestone, renowned for their bronze clad kings, and the Redforts, who hold austere strongholds in the southeastern portion of the Mountains of the Moon. House Waynwood, from the stronghold of Ironoaks near Runestone, is another ancient family with deep ties to the region. House Hunter rules the eastern coast, their lands stretching along the shorelines that lead into the Narrow Sea. House Shett, one of the First Men houses to embrace the Faith of the Seven, having allied through marriage with House Grafton, rules the nascent port of Gulltown.[2]
Notable Houses of the Vale Proper
The First Men of the Mountains
In the rugged and mountainous regions of the Vale, several powerful First Men houses hold dominion. House Belmore of Strongsong commands the fertile lands of the northwest foothills, while House Topp rules the high mountains of the Giant's Lance and the steep valleys surrounding the crude wall that defended their lands from the rest of Westeros. House Crown, lords of the Crowncrests, claim the central heights and valleys.
Notable Houses of the Mountains
The Andals of the Fingers
As the Andal influence spreads, House Corbray has taken control of the Fingers, though they refuse to call themselves kings of the region, despite their undeniable power.[3] Houses Elesham and Templeton lent their swords to House Corbray, but House Hersy at Northbreach, on the northern coast of Mountain and Vale, chose to influence the First Men not with steel, but with words and blessings in the name of the Seven. These houses grow in strength as the Andals arrive in droves, reshaping the land in their wake.
Notable Andal Houses of the Fingers
The First Men of the Fingers and Northern Coast
Not all in the lands of Mountain and Vale accept the Andal dominance. Many First Men houses hold out against the Andals. One of the most notable of whom, House Coldwater, ever hostile to the invaders, harass their holdings in the Fingers and Northbreach, constantly looking for opportunities to drive them out and reclaim the land for the First Men. Their resistance is a reminder that the old ways still have defenders, and the First Men will not surrender their lands without a fight.
Notable First Men Houses of the Fingers and Northern Coast
Geographical Places of Interest
The Mountains of the Moon
The Mountains of the Moon dominate the western reaches of the Vale, their snow covered peaks dividing the region from the rest of Westeros. The tallest and most fabled of them, the Giant’s Lance, looms like a spear above the clouds.
The Bloody Gate
The only viable western land passage into the Vale is through a narrow mountain pass that would one day host the famed Bloody Gate. At the coming of the Andals, this checkpoint was little more than a crude un-mortared wall of stacked stones and timber palisades, watched over by local First men houses who protected the Vale’s interior from would be invaders.[4]
The Vale Proper
The Fingers
These five barren, rocky peninsulas stretching into the Narrow Sea, were once home to scattered clans and petty Kings. Harsh and wind lashed, they were among the first places where the Andals came ashore, establishing footholds by sword and flame. Now ruled by house Corbray. [5]
Runestone
The seat of the Bronze Kings of house Royce. Runestone stood upon the shores of the narrow sea in the south of the Vale. By the coming of the Andals, the site was already a centre of power among the First Men.
Redfort
Located to the west of Runestone in the mountain foothills, Redfort was another ancient First Men seat. Its foundations were laid in the Age of Heroes by House Redfort. Redfort was an early bulwark against the early Andal incursions that came by sea.