Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War was the first war in a century fought between the Reach and the Westerlands, lasting between 52-59 A.I. The conflict was fought predominantly in the Foote Hills in the Southron Westerlands, with Andal adventurers fighting on both sides of the conflict. In the end, the Reach was driven from the Foote Hills and had to give up control of Goldengrove to Andal adventurer Jasper Risley.

The Seven Years War between the Reach and the Rock.

Background

The Westerlands had expanded greatly in the last decade, with King Brandon Crakehall having set aside his crown to bend the knee to the Lannisters c. 42 A.I. Soon after, the Crakehalls, with the aid of the Risleys, invaded the few remaining Footehill clans, conquering them and driving them out of the silver mines of Silverhill.

The escaping clansmen made their way to the Reach, begging the Gardeners to help them take back their homelands. With King Gwayne Gardener missing, his eldest son Mern Gardener took up kingship and agreed to aid the clansmen. He surmised that the Westerlands was gathering forces, especially Andals, to invade his realm. Gathering the banners of houses Crane, Rowan, Hightower, Webber, Peake, Manderly, Oakheart, Fossoway and Andal adventurer Daelwell, a force some twenty-five thousand strong, Mern began the march on the Foote Hills.

On the other side were the forces of the Lannisters and their banners: Lantell, Reyne, Crakehall, Banefort, Lannisters of Lannisport, Dale, Westerling, and Andal adventurers Risley and Vypren, the latter being promised lordship of Silverhill. Some sixteen thousand strong.

Seventeen battles had been fought overall. Three of them were a victory for the Reach. The overall forces of the Rock were lead by Jasper Risley in every single battle, while the Reach had multiple different commanders. The first few battles were lead by Gunnar Peake, who succumbed to his wounds after the third battle. The next Reach commander was Ser Drox Daelwell, who ended up dying due to his ailing health. Soon enough Mern Gardener was killed in battle.

Invasion of Goldengrove.

With winter approaching, both sides came to an agreement to end the war. Control of Goldengrove and some of its surroundings territories were ceded to House Risley. Both kingdoms were terribly bloodied, the Reach losing some thirty thousand men, with the Rock losing some ten thousand.

Aftermath

Tyrion Lannister emerged as the undisputed King of the Rock, during the later stages of the war. His coronation was postponed as he continued to campaign in the Reach. His alliance with Jasper Risley had proven crucial to victory, with Risley receiving Goldengrove as a reward.

The war deeply impacted both regions. In the Reach, plague broke out along the Mander during the following winter, and the Stormlands began probing at the southern borders. King Galayn Gardener inherited a realm in disarray, with his brother and predecessor Mern blamed for dragging the Reach into a disastrous war that could not be won.

In the Westerlands, while the nobility celebrated victory, many coastal rulers were bitter that resources had been drained from defending against Ironborn raids. Tyrion returned to Casterly Rock with a host of veteran warriors. Their devotion to their new Faith had been now reinforced.

Though peace was signed, the balance of power had shifted. The Gardener realm had lost one of its most fertile domains and the symbolic prestige of invincibility.