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The Riverlands describes the area of Westeros that stretches from the boundaries of the Neck to the north, the mountain ranges to the west and the east, and south down to the mouth of the Trident and the Gods' Eye. In the past, the boundaries of the Riverlands have spread even further, including all the lands between the Bay of Crabs and the Blackwater Rush. Due to its position in relation to other realms and regions, the Riverlands are famed for their long history of conflicts and upheaval.
The Riverlands describes the area of Westeros that stretches from the boundaries of the Neck to the north, the mountain ranges to the west and the east, and south down to the mouth of the Trident and the Gods' Eye. In the past, the boundaries of the Riverlands have spread even further, including all the lands between the Bay of Crabs and the Blackwater Rush. Due to its position in relation to other realms and regions, the Riverlands are famed for their long history of conflicts and upheaval.


== Terrain and Culture ==
== Terrain and Culture ==
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The lack of natural defenses has historically contributed to a great deal of unrest in the Riverlands. The region has been shaped by frequent and often violent shifts in power, with various local leaders and ruling houses rising and falling over the centuries. As a result, the Riverlands are often seen as one of the most unstable regions, where the political landscape changes as swiftly as the currents of its rivers. <ref>George R. R. Martin, ''The World of Ice and Fire'', (London: HarperVoyager, 2014) p. 153.</ref>  
The lack of natural defenses has historically contributed to a great deal of unrest in the Riverlands. The region has been shaped by frequent and often violent shifts in power, with various local leaders and ruling houses rising and falling over the centuries. As a result, the Riverlands are often seen as one of the most unstable regions, where the political landscape changes as swiftly as the currents of its rivers. <ref>George R. R. Martin, ''The World of Ice and Fire'', (London: HarperVoyager, 2014) p. 153.</ref>  


== Main Regions ==
*[[The Rivers and the Hills]]
*[[Blackwood Vale]]
*[[Southron Stones]]
*[[Maidenpool]]
*[[Misty Isle]]
*[[Rivermark]]


== History ==


== The Rivers and the Hills ==
=== The Dawn Age ===
[[File:Blue Fork.jpg|thumb|The Blue Fork is between hills and forests.]]
The realm of the Rivers and the Hills has shrunk and now it runs from the swampy Neck in the north down to the lands of [[House Darry]] in the south; forests can be found at the Cape of Eagles, especially around Seagard. Elsewhere the terrain is kinder: fertile river-vales carved by the Green Fork and the Blue Fork lie at its heart, while eastward the land rises into rolling foothills beneath [[Mountain_and_Vale|the Vale]] and northward dissolves into bog and morass with scant arable ground. Amid these shifting borders stands Oldstones, the ancestral seat of the [[House_Mudd|Mudd]] kings: a great castle perched atop a wooded hill above the Blue Fork, reached by overgrown trails flanked by ash, elm, oak, pine, and sentinel trees. Blackberry thickets, bracken, gorse, sedge, and thistle crowd its undergrowth, and from the summit one surveys the winding river below and the dense woodland beyond—a fitting stronghold for the rulers of the Rivers and the Hills.<ref>George R. R. Martin, ''The World of Ice and Fire'', (London: HarperVoyager, 2014) p. 152.</ref>


[[File:Green Fork.jpg|thumb|The Green Fork leads to the Neck in the North.]]
Perhaps as a consequence of forming the centre part of Westeros, the Riverlands have been a site of considerable significance since the Dawn Age. Two of the most important sites to the Children of the Forest remain in the Riverlands - one being High Heart, a unique and mysterious weirwood grove atop a hill to the South of Stone Hedge, and the Gods' Eye itself, an island upon a strange and sorcerous lake that drives away any who seek to land upon it uninvited. Weirwoods run around the outer edge of the lake as well, as though to guard against trespass.


===Notable Houses===
=== The Age of Heroes ===
<div style="column-count:3">
*[[House Bracken of Whiskermoor|House Bracken]]
*[[House Charlton]]
*[[House Coldwater]]
*[[House Darry]]
*[[House Farring]]
*[[House Grey]]
*[[House Mallister]]
*[[House Mandrake]]
*[[Mudd|House Mudd]]
*[[House Nutt]]
*[[House Piper]]
*[[House Runny]]
*[[House Strong]]
</div>
== Blackwood Vale ==
[[File:Blackwood Vale.jpg|thumb|The Blackwood Vale is known for its big forest.]]
The Blackwood Vale lies between the Red Fork and the Blue Fork of the Trident, its western flank cut off by the foothills and mountains of the [[The_Westerlands|Westerlands]]. The vale is cloaked in towering forests, while the lands where the Trident’s three arms divide are especially green and fertile. Much of the terrain is gently rolling, yielding to rich river-vales in the south and rising to wooded hills toward the east.


Once the [[Blackwood]] Kings ruled these lands from their seat at Raventree Hall. Raventree Hall is renowned for its towering stone walls, flanked by lofty square towers and encircled by a deep, stone-lined moat. Its most striking feature is the godswood: a vast, ancient grove dominated by a massive dead weirwood tree. Each dusk, hundreds of ravens descend to roost on its skeletal branches, a ritual that has endured for generations. <ref>George R. R. Martin, ''A Song of Ice and Fire: A Dance with Dragons'' (HarperCollins, 2012) Jaime I</ref>
The earliest kingdoms of men in the Riverlands are shrouded in myth and mystery, but the first known dynasty to have claimed to be King of Rivers and Hills are House Fisher of Misty Isle. House Fisher hailed from a tidal island where the Trident estuary meets the Bay of Crabs. Their realm included both the Riverlands as it was at the time of the Coming of the Andals, as well as the lands later considered the Blackwater Marches.
===Notable Houses===
<div style="column-count:3">
*[[House Alderdice]]
*[[House Bigglestone]]
*[[Blackwood|House Blackwood]]
*[[House Byrne]]
*[[House Gleaner]]
*[[House Hickory]]
*[[House Pond]]
*[[House Wallain]]
</div>
== Southron Stones ==
The Southron Stones was once a Kingdom along the Red Fork of the Trident, characterized by rolling hills and scattered woodlands. One of its most important landmarks is High Heart, a solitary, steep-sloped hill once crowned by thirty-one carved weirwoods and revered as a sanctuary of both the [[Children of the Forest]] and the [[First Men]]. It was destroyed by [[Armistead Vance|King Armistead Vance]]. Its prominence above the surrounding lowlands grants clear sight for leagues in every direction, giving rise to the saying ''“no enemy can approach unseen,”'' a feature that lends the site quiet safety even in troubled times.<ref>George R. R. Martin, ''A Song of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords'', Arya IV (2002).</ref>


[[File:Southstone.jpg|thumb|Southstone is full of hills and green lands. ]]
Nonetheless, as the centuries past the Fishers began to decline in their power. Their power relied on their ability to control the rivers, and when that fell into question - their rule did likewise. A few poor kings at the wrong time did the rest, and House Fisher passed from the heights of renown, into the long decay of obscurity.  


Southstone is ruled by [[House Bracken]] from Stone Hedge, a fortress just south of the Red Fork. Nestled between the wooded rise of High Heart and the open fields around Acorn Hall, Stone Hedge commands both the hill and the river, making it a vital stronghold for House Bracken’s control of the region. <ref>George R. R. Martin, ''The World of Ice and Fire'', (London: HarperVoyager, 2014) p. 152–153.</ref>
The downfall of House Fisher created new opportunities, and led to the rise of new kingdoms. House Blackwood had been driven from the North due to the incessant wars over the great primordial forests, and arrived in the Riverlands in search of new opportunities. What precisely followed is in question. House Bracken would tell you they offered protection to the Blackwoods and were betrayed, whereas the Blackwoods would say that the Brackens were their vassals who turned on them. Whatever the case, the Houses of Blackwood and Bracken would both claim the titles of River Kings during this period, along with certain lost kings from House Hook. At times, they restored the Kingdom to what it had been, but forever fleeting. It was not until the rise of House Mudd approximately a thousand years before the [[Andal Invasions]], that a renewed stability would return to the Riverlands.


An row of carved stones lines the approach to Stone Hedge. Known as the Bracken Markers, each stone is said to commemorate a significant event in the house’s history, including victories, betrayals, rivalries, and acts of retribution.
During this time the Mudds were greatly afflicted by an expanding High Kingdom of the Iron Islands. The Cape of Eagles remained in their hands until by chance a company of Andal Adventurers pledged their service to the King of the Rivers and the Hills, and drove the Ironmen back into the sea. Seeing an opportunity, the Mudds gave the Cape of Eagles to their leader, and thus House Mallister was created.


===Notable Houses===
===The Coming of the Andals===
<div style="column-count:3">
* [[House Bracken]]
* [[House Darkmoor]]
* [[House Grell]]
* [[House Harlton]]
* [[House Kemble]]
* [[House Lychester]]
* [[House Pace]]
* [[House Severyn]]
* [[House Tanglewood]]
* [[House Wallbridge]]
* [[House Roote]]
</div>


== Maidenpool ==
The [[Coming_of_the_Andals|Arrival of the Andals]] in earnest shattered the integrity of the Mudd realm. The feud between House Blackwood and House Bracken had flared up every few generations, but a strong united Mudd realm could quench the flames and make a peace. When Armistead Vance shattered the outer reaches of the River King's realm however, the ensuing chaos led to the Blackwoods and Brackens both renouncing Mudd rule and declaring themselves river kings. The realms that lay on the far side of Blackwood Vale and Stone Hedge no longer had any overland connection to Oldstones, and thus looked to themselves for defence as well, whether from Andals to the East, or the Western Mountain Clans.
The Kingdom of Maidenpool stretches along the Trident to the Bay of Crabs, sharing a border with the realm of Duskendale. Blessed with both fertile fields and stands of forest, it ranks among the most prosperous regions of the Riverlands. At its heart lies the walled town of Maidenpool, which takes its name from Jonquil’s Pool—a famed freshwater spring. Legend holds that during the [[Age_of_Heroes|Age of Heroes]], Florian the Fool first beheld Jonquil and her sisters bathing in its clear waters, an encounter later immortalised in the song “Six Maids in a Pool.”<ref>George R. R. Martin, ''A Song of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords'', Arya III (2002).</ref>
===Notable Houses===
<div style="column-count:3">
*[[House Buckwell]]
*[[House Lolliston]]
*[[House Mooton]]
*[[House Werth]]
</div>
== Misty Isle ==
Misty Isle is a small rocky island at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush in the Bay of Crabs. Dominated by marshlands and salt flats, its poor soil and scant tree cover leave the terrain largely barren and saline. A solitary stone keep guards the river’s entrance, serving as the lone stronghold of [[House Fisher]]. In recent years, the isle’s thin defenses and isolated settlements have made it a tempting target for raiders seeking easy plunder.


[[File:Misty island.jpg|thumb|The lands of the Fisher Kings are known for their swampy, salty and foggy land.]]
=== First Century A.I. ===
===Notable Houses===
<div style="column-count:3">
*[[House_Crabb_of_Misty_Isle|House Crabb]]
*[[House Fisher]]
</div>


== Western Riverlands ==
Armistead Vance came west into the Riverlands after failing to breach the allied defences of King Staun Darklyn and [[Florian_Mooton|Florian Mooton]], along with the aid of the Robber King Baurgard Hogg. Whilst Togarion Bar Emmon remained in the region out of Stubbornness, Armistead sought to try his fortunes elsewhere. He shattered the power of the remnants of House Hook and their bannermen, and gathered to himself seven warlords, with the intend to overrun the fractured Riverlands, igniting the [[Clash of Six Kings]]. This two-year war saw the allied kings of the First Men, Mudd, Blackwood, Mooton, and Darklyn, stand against the growing Andal kingdom of Vance.
Since the fall of the Mudd kings, the Western Riverlands have once again become a patchwork of independent petty realms. Along the winding course of the Red Fork, rival lords cling to hilltop keeps and scattered woodlands, each claiming its own stretch of fertile river-vales. Boundaries shift fast, for here every ford, ridge, and copse is fought over—and the land remains one of the most hotly contested and blood-soaked in all the Trident.
===Notable Houses===
<div style="column-count:3">


*[[House Clare]]
Despite initial victories, the alliance suffered severe losses, including the capture and execution of [[Florian Mooton|King Florian Mooton]]. Soon after, Armistead Vance declared himself King of the Rivermark, and imposed his rule from the newly renamed Vancemark (formerly Atranta).
*[[House Tully]]
*[[House Wayn]]
</div>


== Rivermark ==
In the Spring War, King Armistead Vance launched a devastating invasion of Blackwood Vale. The final coalition of the First Men mustered at Raventree Hall, Fisher, Mudds, Mallisters, Strongs, Brackens of Whiskermoor, and other loyal houses. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, they were ultimately defeated.
 
The southern reaches of the Riverlands have already fallen to Andal warriors, led by [[Armistead_Vance|Lord Armistead Vance]]. After failing to take Duskendale, he landed at the mouth of [[the Blackwater]] Rush with a host of warriors and marched north into the fractured petty-kingdoms. This land is now called Rivermark and his seat was once Atranta but is now called Vancemark.<ref>George R. R. Martin, ''The World of Ice and Fire'', (London: HarperVoyager, 2014) p. 151–152.</ref>
Rather than destroy them entirely, Vance offered terms: Blackwood Vale would become his vassal, granted religious exemptions; the Tully lands were awarded to [[House Lydden]]; and the Mudds were forced to swear peace. With this, the last free southern kingdoms of the Riverlands fell to the Andals.
 
[[File:Armistead 'the Great' Vance.png|thumb|King Armistead 'the Great' Vance changed the Riverlands forever.]]
 
The Kingdom of Maidenpool eventually fell under the dominion of the Kingdom of Duskendale, after King Aldhelm Darklyn forced his nephew Seth Mooton to bend the knee, surrender his crown, and accept vassalage. Weakened by the death of Florian the Brave, the ineffectual rule of his son, and the constant raids from the Clawmen, Maidenpool was in no position to resist—and the conquest went unchallenged.
 
More Andals poured into the Riverlands. In a final act of defiance, the last Fisher King performed a dark ritual, sacrificing himself to unleash a devastating plague aimed at destroying the Den Reeves. Despite the curse, the Den Reeves ultimately conquered the Fisher Kingdom and seized Misty Isles.
 
Further upriver, the Kingdom of the River and the Hills faced an incursion from Den Brove. Though they succeeded in defeating him, the plague, prolonged warfare, and the harsh winter that followed severely weakened King Arik Mudd and his realm.
 
Come spring, the full force of the Ironborn descended from the Iron Islands. They crushed King Arik and his remaining allies from the Rivermark, resulting in [[The_Sinking_of_Seaguard|the fall of Seaguard]] to the raiders and forcing House Mallister into exile.


[[File:Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|The Isle of Faces is guarded by the Green Men.]]
Soon after, a civil war broke out in the Rivermark over the question of who would wear the crown after King Artys Vance. King Armistead “The Fool” Vance emerged victorious and went on to win later wars against the [[House Durrandon|Durrandons]] and [[House Gardener|Gardeners]].
Not far from these contested lands lies the Gods’ Eye, the great inland lake of the Riverlands, famed for the Isle of Faces at its center. Here the Pact between the First Men and the children of the forest was signed, and the Green Men were sworn to guard its weirwoods.<ref>George R. R. Martin, ''The World of Ice and Fire'', (London: HarperVoyager, 2014) p. 8–9.</ref> In summer its waters gleam blue-green in the sun; in winter they harden to a pewter hue “like cold steel.”<ref>George R. R. Martin, ''A Song of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords'', Arya I (2002).</ref> Travellers warn of odd, shifting currents and “hungry fish” lurking in the deep.<ref>George R. R. Martin, ''Fire and Blood'', (Random House LLC US, 2018) p. 567–569.</ref>


===Notable Houses===
=== Second Century A.I. ===
<div style="column-count:3">
*[[House Boddy]]
*[[House Brax]]
*[[House Drox]]
*[[House Gaunt of Pinkmaiden]]
*[[House Lefford]]
*[[House Marbrand]]
*[[House Paege]]
*[[House Tarbeck]]
*[[House Vance]]
</div>


Peace in the Riverlands proved short-lived when Marq Gaunt attempted to seize the lands of House Darry, even as the Ironborn sought to take more Mudd territory to gain access to the Trident. Rivermark and the River and the Hills once again joined forces, managing to defeat Marq Gaunt, though they could not drive back the Ironborn. In the spring, however, they would have their revenge. A powerful alliance of House Mudd, House Vance, House Mallister, [[House Risley]], House House Bracken, [[House Bartheld]], and [[House Toyne]] came together, and under the leadership of Cedric Mallister, Seagard was liberated, though not the entirety of the Cape of Eagles.


== History ==
Around the same time, the Fishers rose again, and Misty Isle regained its independence and soon [[The Return of the Eagles|another war for the entirety of the Cape of Eagles]] began anew in the River and the Hills, where they won and regained the Cape of Eagles.


=== The Dawn Age ===
Soon after, a great war broke out over the rule of the River and the Hills. King Edric’s eldest son, a follower of the Seven, was crowned as his successor. Yet his uncle refused to accept this, determined to resist Andal influence and their religion.


Perhaps as a consequence of forming the centre part of Westeros, the Riverlands have been a site of considerable significance since the Dawn Age. Two of the most important sites to the Children of the Forest remain in the Riverlands - one being High Heart, a unique and mysterious weirwood grove atop a hill to the South of Stone Hedge, and the Gods' Eye itself, an island upon a strange and sorcerous lake that drives away any who seek to land upon it uninvited. Weirwoods run around the outer edge of the lake as well, as though to guard against trespass.
Thus began a bitter conflict: on the side of King Tristifer ''“Justheart”'' Mudd fought those houses and vassals who had embraced the Seven, while King Tristifer ''“the Brave”'' Mudd gathered almost all of the Magnars of the kingdom to his cause, as well as allies from [[Clan Horn]] and [[House Royce]].


=== The Age of Heroes ===
The war erupted during a false spring, but when the winter snows returned, many of the Horn and Royce warriors withdrew, leaving the struggle to the Riverlander themselves. After many bloody battles, it was King Tristifer ''“Justheart”'' who ultimately prevailed.


The earliest kingdoms of men in the Riverlands are shrouded in myth and mystery, but the first known dynasty to have claimed to be King of Rivers and Hills are House Fisher of Misty Isle. House Fisher hailed from a tidal island where the Trident estuary meets the Bay of Crabs. Their realm included both the Riverlands as it was at the time of the Coming of the Andals, as well as the lands later considered the Blackwater Marches.
In summer, the realm was swept by a storm of war. In the Rivermark, the First Men rose in rebellion against the harsh rule of King Armistead III Vance, who forced followers of the River Gods to convert to the Faith of the Seven. At the same time, the [[Green Men]] unleashed a terrible plague near Lavehaven, which spread across the Rivermark. In the River and the Hills, Elsa Mudd summoned a vast army of the undead, bent only on bringing ruin in the name of the Deep Ones. Their devastation was great, and it took the combined strength of all the River and the Hills, together with [[House Corbray]], to bring them down.


Nonetheless, as the centuries past the Fishers began to decline in their power. Their power relied on their ability to control the rivers, and when that fell into question - their rule did likewise. A few poor kings at the wrong time did the rest, and House Fisher passed from the heights of renown, into the long decay of obscurity.  
With summer’s end came yet more war. In autumn, King Armistead III denounced King Robert Lannister as a false follower of the Seven, accusing him of consorting with the Ironborn before being betrayed by them. Armistead rallied the Riverlands and struck at the Westerlands, but the united hosts were defeated. In the aftermath of this failure, King Armistead descended into madness, slaying his own queen and daughter. When he turned upon the crown prince, Lord Florian Den Ford intervened to protect the heir and slew the king. In the aftermath, a new Vance king was crowned, styling himself King Marq, and he took a bride from House Den Ford. Lord Florian Den Ford, though pardoned for his regicide, was punished by the loss of a hand. Under King Marq’s rule, the Rivermark entered a period of prosperity.


The downfall of House Fisher created new opportunities, and led to the rise of new kingdoms. House Blackwood had been driven from the North due to the incessant wars over the great primordial forests, and arrived in the Riverlands in search of new opportunities. What precisely followed is in question. House Bracken would tell you they offered protection to the Blackwoods and were betrayed, whereas the Blackwoods would say that the Brackens were their vassals who turned on them. Whatever the case, the Houses of Blackwood and Bracken would both claim the titles of River Kings during this period, along with certain lost kings from House Hook. At times, they restored the Kingdom to what it had been, but forever fleeting. It was not until the rise of House Mudd approximately a thousand years before the [[Andal Invasions]], that a renewed stability would return to the Riverlands.
Meanwhile, in the River and the Hills, King Tristifer “Justheart” Mudd passed away in old age. He was succeeded by King Edric “the Strong” Mudd, who began the continued expansion of Fairmarket.


During this time the Mudds were greatly afflicted by an expanding High Kingdom of the Iron Islands. The Cape of Eagles remained in their hands until by chance a company of Andal Adventurers pledged their service to the King of the Rivers and the Hills, and drove the Ironmen back into the sea. Seeing an opportunity, the Mudds gave the Cape of Eagles to their leader, and thus House Mallister was created.
While Fairmarket continued to grow, King Edric “the Strong” Mudd was forced to wage two wars against the Marshes, who had encroached upon his lands. He was defeated in the first conflict by King Tallow “the Furry” Marsh, and though he managed to reclaim the Charlton lands in the second war against King Halden Marsh, the Mallisters lost more of their swamplands to the crannogmen. King Edric died in old age and was succeeded by his grandson, King Cedric “Beanstalk” Mudd, a frail young man raised in Vancemark. He was married to Queen Sharis “the Golden Eagle” Mallister, reflecting King Edric’s high regard for House Mallister.


===The Coming of the Andals===
During the same period as the crannogmen campaigns, tragedy struck [[House Gaunt of Sweetwillow|House Gaunt]]. Originally rewarded with Moonbrooks for their service against King Tristifer “the Brave” Mudd, the Gaunts had later expanded their holdings by defeating [[House Grey]] and establishing Sweetwillow as their seat. When King Edric called for aid, Lord Gilad “the Impaler” Gaunt promised support in exchange for further resources. Yet, in the decisive battle, Lord Gilad did not join the main host of the Mudds, seeking glory instead by moving against an expected Reed host. King Edric suffered defeat, and Lord Meros Mallister placed particular blame upon Gilad. Declared guilty of betrayal, Lord Gilad was sent to the Wall, leaving his young son Geoffrey Gaunt as lord. This marked a sharp decline in relations between House Mudd and House Gaunt.


The [[Coming_of_the_Andals|Arrival of the Andals]] in earnest shattered the integrity of the Mudd realm. The feud between House Blackwood and House Bracken had flared up every few generations, but a strong united Mudd realm could quench the flames and make a peace. When Armistead Vance shattered the outer reaches of the River King's realm however, the ensuing chaos led to the Blackwoods and Brackens both renouncing Mudd rule and declaring themselves river kings. The realms that lay on the far side of Blackwood Vale and Stone Hedge no longer had any overland connection to Oldstones, and thus looked to themselves for defence as well, whether from Andals to the East, or the Western Mountain Clans.
In the Rivermark, the reign of King Marq Vance alongside his queen, Jocelyn Den Ford, was marked by prosperity. When Duskendale was conquered and forced into tribute by the [[House Gardener|Gardeners]] and [[House Durrandon|Durrandons]], Marq skillfully secured the loyalty of the [[House Dorwent|Dorwents]], former vassals of the Darklyns, thereby expanding his own power.


Armistead Vance came west into the Riverlands after failing to breach the allied defences of King Staun Darklyn and [[Florian_Mooton|Florian Mooton]], along with the aid of the Robber King Baurgard Hogg. Whilst Togarion Bar Emmon remained in the region out of Stubbornness, Armistead sought to try his fortunes elsewhere. He shattered the power of the remnants of House Hook and their bannermen, and gathered to himself seven warlords, with the intend to overrun the fractured Riverlands.
These were meant to be peaceful years in the Riverlands, a time when the greatest change would be the liberation of Duskendale and the chance for its people to rebuild their realm. In the end, the Dorwents once again swore their allegiance to House Darklyn.


=== References ===
=== References ===
Retrieved from "https://pdxrpbronzeandiron.wikioasis.org/wiki/Riverlands"