War of the Four Kings (Lord Tywin's Gift)

The **War of the Four Kings**, also called the **War of Polygamy**, was a conflict fought in Westeros from the North down to the Reach, encapsulating six Great Houses and many of their vassals. The war centred around a rebellion against House Targaryen led by the Starks, Tully's, and Arryn's.

## Prelude

In 295 AC, following Targaryen customs, Prince Aegon Targaryen was wed to his older sister Princess Rhaenys. This caused little consternation and much of the realm was vying for the hand of King Rhaegar I's youngest daughter, Visenya. Thus three years later when Princess Visenya came of age, the realm was shocked to learn that Aegon would also be wed to his younger sister in a polygamous marriage the likes of which hadn't been seen since King Maegor I and King Aegon the Conqueror.

The move caused a rift within the realm, many appalled at the abominable nature of the pairing and many houses feeling affronted that their attempts to win the Princess' hand were all in vain. Others meanwhile supported the King, either through historic ties, self-interest or simply Rhaegar's seemingly unblemished image prior to the announcement.

One of Rhaegar's core supporters in the former War of the Usurpers and his Hand of the King, Lord Tywin Lannister, had recently lost his daughter Cersei, she had been murdered by her husband and the King's brother, Prince Jaehaerys. The event, which had caused a rift between the King and his Hand, risked losing Rhaegar one of his most important allies. In his attempt to heal the rift, the King offered to marry his only sister, Princess Daenerys Targaryen, to the grandson of Lord Tywin, Ser Erwin Lannister.

To the south Dorne stayed resolutely neutral as they had done in the former civil war, happy to maintain their strength and wealth while the rest of the realm tore itself apart. The Stormlands initially looked set to take part, with the new Lord Paramount Stannis Baratheon having a small claim to the throne, but the moves by his brother Ser Renly Baratheon to take Storm's End forced the region into its own civil war. The last neutral region were the Iron Islands, with House Greyjoy initially remaining neutral.

## Factions

* **The King on the Iron Throne**: Rhaegar I Targaryen was the incumbent King. He was supported by the Reach under House Tyrell and the crownlands who were sworn directly to the Iron Throne.
* **The Queen in the North and the Trident**: Branda Stark was the incumbent Lady of Winterfell. She was proclaimed queen by her bannermen, Branda was supported by her northern bannermen and the river lords sworn to her mother Catelyn's family, House Tully.
* **The King of the Mountains and Vale**: Denys Arryn was the incumbent Lord of the Eyrie. He was proclaimed the king by his loyal bannermen after news of Branda's crowning came to the Eyrie.
* **The King of the Iron Islands and North**: Balon Greyjoy was the incumbent Lord of the Iron Islands. After a prior failed attempt to gain independence, the new conflict gave Balon a new opportunity to attempt secession again. He is supported by the lords and captains of the Iron Islands.

## War of the Four Kings

### War in the East

After House Arryn once again declared its support for the rebel forces, much of the Vale fell in line and devoted their forces to Lord Denys Arryn, including House Royce in the southeast. However not all houses joined the fight, some remained neutral and chose not to align with either side, while others actively joined the Targaryen cause.

* **Siege of Gulltown**: As had happened in the War of the Usurpers, House Grafton and House Corbray both maintained their loyalty to House Targaryen, thus once again keeping the Vale's main port and biggest city out of Arryn hands. Since the previous war Gulltown had expanded its defences and so the siege of the port city was a more arduous process.
* **Gulltown's Reinforcement**: Learning from the War of the Ususrpers, King Rhaegar I Targaryen intends to send soldiers to the city of Gulltown, the main opponent of House Arryn in the Vale and Rhaegar's main hope of defeating the Vale. The Royal Fleet, who had no real competition at the start of the war, was easily able to provide resources to the besieged city to keep it refreshed during the conflict.
* **Siege of Heart's Home**:

### War in the Riverlands

The Riverlands were in a precarious position, being situated in central Westeros as they were meant wars tended to be fought on their land, thus the decision of Ser Edmure Tully, the de facto regent while Lord Hoster Tully slowly wasted away infirm in his own bed, to join the war was a controversial one. However many houses still called for the rebel cause, such as House Mallister and House Blackwood. Others maintained their neutrality however, such as House Frey who hadn't taken lightly the slight after the War of the Usurpers where Lord Hoster Tully so blatantly rejected the arrangement made to gain Frey support which would've seen Edmure Tully wed to a Frey. Some houses also joined the Targaryen cause, such as House Darry and House Mooton of Maidenpool, despite the latter's marriage with Ser Patrek Tully.

* **Occupation of Harrenhal**: The fortress of Harrenhal proved to be as vital in the opening phases of this war as it had done in the War of the Usurpers. With the main rebel forces being spread out throughout their respective regions, the Crownland forces loyal to King Rhaegar I Targaryen were able to move quickly and set up in the fortress with their House Whent allies allowing them entry. Thus the main roads from the North and Vale were now occupied, hampering the rebels ability to work against the crown.
* **March down the Kingsroad**: The Northern army, which numbered some 16,000 men, was forced to march down the Kingsroad which had Targaryen forces holding Harrenhal at the crossroads. Lady Branda Stark was forced to take the more dangerous route as House Frey refused to allow the Stark forces through the Twins after his previous marriage alliance with the Tully's had been betrayed by Lord Hoster Tully. Branda and her commanders decided to march through the night in an attempt to surprise Rhaegar's forces.
* **Battle on the Green Fork**: The northmen who marched down the Kingsroad were joined by some 10,000 rivermen from various houses, primarily Houses Mallister and Tully. They had hoped to be joined by men from the Vale, but the siege of Gulltown and other loyalist nobles were causing Lord Denys Arryn trouble. Thus the royal forces numbered some 18,500 men and the rebels together numbered some 26,000. Although the ensuing battle was a tactical loss for the royal forces, it was a strategic success for Rhaegar as he inflicted significant losses on Lady Branda Stark's army and forced them to march to Riverrun.
* **Crowning at Riverrun**: The Battle on the Green Fork hurt the rebels cause, though they technically defeated the royal forces, the casualties Branda's forces incurred forced them to retreat to Riverrun, seat of House Tully, where they hoped to gather more troops to the castle. While at Riverrun the northern lords declared Lady Branda Stark to be the Queen in the North, while her uncle Ser Edmure Tully and the Rivermen bannermen also declared her their Queen.
* **Crowning at the Eyrie**: News reached Lord Denys Arryn of the crowning of Lady Branda Stark as Queen in Riverrun. Some felt the Vale should join this new kingdom and pledge fealty to House Stark, however most argued that historically the Vale had been its own kingdom prior to the Targaryen conquest of Westeros. Thus Lord Denys Arryn and his loyal bannermen, primary among them being House Royce, proclaimed the recreation of the Kingdom of the Mountain and Vale, with Arryn as the King.
* **March up the high road**: Though the loyalists within the Vale hadn't fallen to rebel forces yet, the newly-proclaimed King Denys I Arryn wished to show his allies in the north and riverlands that he would assist them in the war. Thus he left half the Vale forces behind to defend the region and siege the various loyalist forts, while he took the other half up the high road towards Harrenhal, hoping to meet Queen Branda I Stark's forces there.
* **Siege of Harrenhal**: The now weakened Royal army had manoeuvred back to Harrenhal, licking its wounds and waiting for reinforcements from the Reach. The Vale army led by King Denys I Arryn arrived at the fortress, the Northern forces were still recuperating in Riverrun

### A Roses Thorns and Lions Roar

The Targaryen's had two Great Houses declare for them; the Tyrell's and Lannisters. The Tyrell's called out of a historic loyalty to the Targaryen's, while the Lannister's declared on the agreement that Ser Erwin Lannister, the grandson of Lord Tywin and former squire to King Rhaegar I, would be married to Princess Daenerys Targaryen, sister of the King.

* **Battle of the Crossroads**: The Reach army, ostensibly led by Lord Mace Tyrell but in reality being directed by Lord Randyll Tarly, travelled up the Kingsroad to meet the Vale army sieging Harrenhal. The ensuing battle between Vale and Reach armies was a crushing victory for the Royal forces, seeing the 20,000 strong Vale force being crushed between the enormous Reach army on one side and the Crownland forces sallying forth from Harrenhal, led by King Rhagar I Targaryen. Lord Denys Arryn managed to skilfully commit a somewhat orderly retreat along the high road as Rhaegar let them flee, despite Randyll Tarly's insistence on giving chase. Overall the Vale forces took some 6,000 casualties while another 5,000 fled into the wilderness of the Riverlands, compared to minimum casualties from the Royal armies.

## Houses by Allegiance

### Loyalists

**Crownlands**

* **House Targaryen**
* House Velaryon

**Reach**

* **House Tyrell**

**Riverlands**

* House Darry
* House Goodbrook
* House Mooton
* House Ryger
* House Smallwood
* House Whent

**Vale of Arryn**

* House Corbray
* House Grafton
* House Lynderly

**Westerlands**

* **House Lannister**

### Rebels

**Iron Islands**

* **House Greyjoy**

**North**

* **House Stark**
* House Cassel
* House Dustin
* House Glover
* House Karstark
* House Manderly
* House Mormont
* House Reed
* House Ryswell
* House Umber
* House Wull

**Riverlands**

* **House Tully**
* House Lychester
* House Mallister
* House Terrick
* House Wayn

**Vale of Arryn**

* **House Arryn**
* House Redfort
* House Royce