Riverlands

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 Trident flows in the Riverlands.

Terrain and Culture

The Riverlands are defined by the great river Trident and its three major branches: the Red Fork, the Green Fork, and the Blue Fork. These waterways stretch across the region, shaping not only its terrain but also the daily lives of its inhabitants. Navigating the rivers has thus become a key part of Riverman culture, not only for transporting goods and people, but also in religious rites and ceremonies.

Geographically, the Riverlands span from the swampy expanses of the Neck in the north to the southern banks of the Blackwater. Eastward, the region reaches the foothills bordering the Vale, and westward it brushes against the mountainous highlands. The terrain is generally open and lacks prominent natural borders, with rolling hills, plains, and numerous river crossings. The climate is temperate and the soil fertile, making the Riverlands particularly well-suited for farming and settlement.

This 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. The accessibility of the land surrounded on nearly all sides by other territories has made it especially vulnerable to conflict and war. 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.

Each of the Trident’s three forks contributes to the distinct character of the region. The Red Fork carries reddish silt from the western uplands, tinting its waters a murky colour. The Green Fork flows from the bogs of the northern Neck, with moss-laced water and a darker current. The Blue Fork has its source in pure springs and flows southeast past Oldstones.

Notable Houses

• Mudd
• Blackwood
• Bracken
• Mooton
• Mallister
• Fisher
• Vypren
• Vance

Points of Interests

In the Riverlands there are several points of interest:

Oldstones

Oldstones is the site of a castle situated on a forested hill above the Blue Fork. Overgrown trails wind up the slope, flanked by groves of ash, elm, oak, pine, and sentinel trees. Blackberry thickets, bracken, gorse, sedge, and thistle fill the undergrowth. The view from the hill encompasses the winding river below and a dense woodland beyond. This is the great castle of House Mudd.

Gods Eye

The Gods Eye is the great inland lake of the Riverlands, famed for the Isle of Faces that lies at its heart. The Pact between the First Men and the children of the forest was signed upon that isle, and the order of the green men was created to protect its weirwoods. In warm seasons its waters shine blue‑green beneath the sun; in winter they harden to a pewter hue “like cold steel.” Travelers report odd, shifting currents and “hungry fish” lurking in the deep.

High Heart

High Heart is a solitary, steep‑sloped hill rising above the central Riverlands. Crowned by a grove of thirty‑one carved weirwoods, it remains a revered sanctuary of the children of the forest and the First Men alike. The hill stands out sharply from the surrounding lowlands, giving clear sight for leagues in every direction. Folk say that “no enemy can approach unseen,” a feature that lends the place an air of quiet safety even in troubled times.

Maidenpool

Maidenpool lies on the southern shore of the Bay of Crabs in the eastern Riverlands. Built around a hilltop castle, the town is fortified by stone walls. The surrounding terrain includes low hills and clusters of soldier pines. The area takes its name from a local spring-fed pool, known as Jonquil's Pool. It is the seat of House Mooton.

Stone Hedge

Stone Hedge is a fortress found south of the Red Fork. It is nestled between the wooded rise of High Heart and the open fields surrounding Acorn Hall. It is known for its strategic location. The fortress and its surrounding lands belong to House Bracken.

Raventree

Raventree is notable for its towering stone walls, flanked by high square towers and encircled by a deep stone-lined moat. The 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 persisted for generations. House Blackwood lives in Raventree.

History

The Dawn Age

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.

The Age of Heroes

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Coming of the Andals

The 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.

Armistead Vance came west into the Riverlands after failing to breach the allied defences of King Staun Darklyn and 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.