Westerlands

The **Westerlands**, historically the **Kingdom of the Rock**, is a region in the west of the continent of Westeros. Before Aegon's Conquest, it was ruled by the Kings of the Rock. People from the Westerlands are known as Westermen. The customary surname of bastards of noble origin born in the Westerlands is Hill.

The Westerlands are ruled from Casterly Rock by House Lannister. Notable bannermen have included Banefort, Brax, Broom, Crakehall, Farman, Lefford, Lydden, Marbrand, Payne, Prester, Reyne, Serrett, Swyft, Tarbeck, and Westerling.

## Geography

The Westerlands is known for its rugged hills, rolling plains, fertile fields, and broadleaf forests. The land contains lakes and rivers, and the hills conceal systems of caves and caverns.

The region lies along the coast of the Sunset Sea, with Ironman's Bay and the Iron Islands to the north. A salient of the northeastern Westerlands extends near the ruins of Oldstones and the Blue Fork. Castles on the north-western coast include Banefort and the Crag. Faircastle is located on Fair Isle, while Feastfires and the market town of Kayce are found on a peninsula jutting into the sea.

Also along the coast is Casterly Rock, the seat of House Lannister, a fortress carved out of a massive hill of solid rock. Near the Rock is Lannisport, a port and one of the largest cities of Westeros. Three days ride from the Rock is the village of Oxcross. Inland castles near the Rock including Ashemark and Sarsfield, as well as the castles of Castamere and Tarbeck Hall.

The headwaters of the Tumblestone and the Red Fork begin in the Westerlands and flow east into the Riverlands. The main pass through the eastern hills is guarded by the Golden Tooth, a castle which controls access to the river road leading to Riverrun. Further south is the Goldroad, which runs east to King's Landing. Deep Den watches this road, with Hornvale to the north and Silverhill to the south.

The southern Westerlands contain more flatland than the rest of the country and includes Cornfield and the forest by Crakehall Castle. The Ocean Road leads south from the Rock past Crakehall to Old Oak and Highgarden in the Reach. Also located in the Westerlands are Greenfield and Wyndhall.

## People and Economy

The Westerlands are not the largest, most populous, or most fertile part of the realm, but they are the richest. Full of hills and crags, the land is dotted with mines from which pour gold and silver in astonishing quantities. There are gold mines at Casterly Rock, the Golden Tooth, Castamere, Nunn's Deep, and the Pendric Hills. Besides farming, there is also some fishery in Lannisport and on Fair Isle.

## Military strength

The military strength of the Westerlands is estimated to be fifty thousand men strong, though this count includes even green boys, and depletes most castles of any protection. During Aegon's Conquest, King Loren I Lannister marched a host of twenty-two thousand from the Westerlands to battle.

The Lannister fleet at Lannisport consists of twenty or thirty cogs, carracks, galleys, and dromonds, while lesser lords have two or three ships for patrolling. The total naval power of the Westerlands is estimated to be close to fifty or sixty large ships.

## History

### Before the Andals

Little is known of the time before the coming of the First Men. Like the rest of Westeros, the children of the forest and giants lived in the Westerlands and fought with the First Men when they came. After the Pact at the Isle of Faces, the children only kept the forests. The hills of the west were once inhabited by lions, but they are believed to all have been slain.
First Men lords, some of whom were petty kings, included the Baneforts, Brooms, Crakehalls, Farmans, Footes, Greenfields, Hawthornes, Morelands, Plumms, Reynes, Westerlings, and Yews. The coastal First Men were often raided by the ironborn from the Iron Islands.

During the Age of Heroes, the legendary hero and trickster Lann the Clever acquired Casterly Rock in some manner from House Casterly. According to legend he is the ancestor of the Lannisters, who became the Kings of the Rock with Casterly Rock as their seat. Westermen believe that Lann made off with some of the inheritance of Garth Greenhand by posing as one of his sons.

### Kingdom of the Rock

The Lannister Kings of the Rock gradually conquered or acquired neighboring territory, including the lands of the Reynes and the Baneforts. They initially resisted the coming of the Andals, but later Lannister kings allowed the Andals to marry into the Westermen nobility. New houses formed by the intermarriages included Houses Brax, Drox, Jast, Kyndall, Lefford, Marbrand, Parren, Sarsfield, and Serrett. In contrast to most kings of First Men origin, the support of the Andals allowed the Kings of the Rock to expand their power. When King Gerold III Lannister died without male issue, a council crowned his daughter's husband, Ser Joffrey Lydden, who became the first Andal King of the Rock, Joffrey Lannister.

With Andal support the Lannisters extended their rule to the Golden Tooth and Fair Isle and engaged in border wars with the Kings of the Trident and Kings of the Reach. The growing strength of House Lannister allowed them to expel the ironmen from the Western coasts, and King Gerold the Great raided the Iron Isles and brought hostages back to the Rock.

Some of the eastern hills of what is now the Westerlands were historically ruled by Kings of the Rivers and the Hills, such as the Mudds and the Teagues. Lord Torrence Teague used his spoils after raiding the west in his successful campaign to become river king.

Ser Eustace Osgrey mentioned that a famous relative of his defeated an attack by the Kingdom of the Rock by killing a Lannister king, Lancel V.

### Targaryen Era

Loren I Lannister, King of the Rock, mustered his armies to fight Aegon Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, during Aegon's Conquest. Allied with Mern IX Gardener, King of the Reach, they assembled the enormous Host of the Two Kings. However, they were no match for Targaryen dragons. King Loren escaped the so-called Field of Fire and submitted to Aegon. His primacy in the Westerlands as Warden of the West was confirmed by the Targaryens. Since this time the Westerlands have been part of the Seven Kingdoms controlled by the Iron Throne.
During the Faith Militant uprising, Prince Aegon Targaryen and Princess Rhaena were besieged by the Poor Fellows at Crakehall. Lyman Lannister later gave sanctuary and lent Aegon limited support when he challenged his uncle, King Maegor I Targaryen. Several houses from the Westerlands fought for Aegon at the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye, including houses Farman, Tarbeck, Parren and Westerling. When Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen announced his claim to the throne in 48 A.C., Lord Lyman was one of the great lords who supported him.

During the Dance of the Dragons, the Westerlands under Jason Lannister declared for Aegon II Targaryen. Jason led his armies into the Riverlands, where they fought several battles against the blacks until the host was obliterated during the Battle by the Lakeshore. Meanwhile, the undefended Westerlands were attacked by Dalton Greyjoy, the Red Kraken, who declared for Queen Rhaenyra. Dalton subsequently sacked Lannisport and took Kayce and Fair Isle.

After the conclusion of the Dance, Aemond I ordered Dalton to cease the raiding of the Westerlands, but the order was ignored. The regents sent a fleet under the command of Alyn Velaryon to deal with this rebellion, but Dalton was slain by one of his salt wives before a battle could be joined.  The ironborn were subsequently driven out from the Westerlands, and Johanna Lannister led a campaign into the Iron Islands in retaliation.