Seven Kingdoms

All of Westeros (305-315 AC)

All of Westeros south of the Wall (before 305 AC)

### Places of note

Casterly Rock  •  Castle Black  •  Dragonstone  •  The Eyrie  •  Gulltown  •  Harrenhal  •  Highgarden  •  Horn Hill  •  King's Landing  •  Lannisport  •  Moat Cailin  •  Oldtown  •  Pyke  •  Riverrun  •  Storm's End  •  Sunspear  •  Ten Towers  •  The Twins  •  The Wall  •  Winterfell  •  White Harbor

### Founded

1 AC, during Aegon's Conquest by Aegon I Targaryen

The **Seven Kingdoms** is the name given to the realm which controls the continent of Westeros, and it's numerous offshore islands, ruled by House Baratheon of King's Landing from the Red Keep in the city of King's Landing.

The name of the realm dates back to the time prior to Aegon's Conquest, during which seven independent kingdoms existed on the continent. The realm actually consists of nine distinct regions, with the Riverlands and Crownlands having been separated from the pre-existing kingdoms during the Targaryen conquest. Regardless, all nine regions have since been considered subject to the rule of King's Landing.

## History

### Background

Prior to Aegon's Conquest, seven large sovereign kingdoms existed on the continent; the Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of the Mountain and Vale, the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers, the Kingdom of the Rock, the Kingdom of the Reach, the Kingdom of the Stormlands, and the Principality of Dorne. To the north of the Seven Kingdoms laid the Wall, manned by the Night's Watch, and beyond the Wall; the lawless lands inhabited by the wildlings.

Dragonstone and it's surrounding islands remained independent, ruled by House Targaryen, the last of the dragonlords following the Doom of Valyria.

### Aegon's Conquest

After being spurned by King Argilac Durrandon of the Stormlands, Lord Aegon Targaryen and his sister-wives launched a campaign to conquer the continent. Utilising the overwhelming firepower of their three dragons, the Targaryens soon conquered six of the Seven Kingdoms, although Dorne under House Martell refused to surrender and managed to avoid formal conquest.

Despite House Targaryen claiming rule over the entire continent south of the Wall, Dorne continued to remain de-facto independent for nearly two centuries after the Conquest. Only during the rule of King Daeron II Targaryen, was Dorne brought peacefully into the realm through a series of negotiations and marriage pacts.

### Targaryen era

Out of the swords of his fallen enemies, Aegon Targaryen constructed the Iron Throne. He also built a new castle, the Red Keep, at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, where his forces had initially landed during the Conquest. A city grew around the castle, aptly named King's Landing.

Around a century and three decades after the Conquest, the Seven Kingdoms were devastated by a catastrophic war of succession between King Aegon II Targaryen and his supporters, and Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and her supporters. The war proved indecisive, and resulted in the last of House Targaryen's dragons dying off within a generation, significantly weakening House Targaryen.

House Targaryen entered further decline with the beginning of the Blackfyre Rebellions, after King Aegon IV Targaryen legitimised Daemon Waters on his deathbed. Furthermore, the Targaryen practice of incestuous marriages resulted in many children of such unions succumbing to madness later in life.

### Robert's Rebellion

After nearly three centuries on the Iron Throne, House Targaryen was deposed and supplanted by House Baratheon during Robert's Rebellion, with it's last remnants going into exile in the Free Cities of Essos.

### War of the Five Kings

Following the death of King Robert Baratheon, the realm fractured once again in a war of succession. During the conflict, the North and the Iron Islands attempted to break away as independent states, but as the Great War loomed, both abandoned their efforts and aligned behind Queen Daenerys Targaryen, who had since returned from exile in Essos.

### Great War

The White Walkers, having previously been defeated thousands of years prior and relegated to myth and legend, broke through the Wall and invaded the Seven Kingdoms. They were eventually defeated for good during the Battle of King's Landing by a coalition of the living, lead by Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow.

### Baratheon era

Both Daenerys and Jon perished during the Great War, leaving the son of Robert Baratheon and Daenerys's designated heir presumptive, Gendry Baratheon, to inherit the rule of the Seven Kingdoms in their absence.

The Seven Kingdoms then underwent two significant expansions within ten years of each other. With the White Walkers defeated, the Wall was abandoned and the Free Folk under Tormund Giantsbane accepted the suzerainty of House Stark of the North, thus in effect extending the Seven Kingdoms to encompass the entire continent. Ten years later, the conclusion of the War of the Narrow Sea led to the Stepstones being annexed into the Seven Kingdoms, although they are not formally a part of any kingdom, instead being ruled by the quasi-military brotherhood, the Stepstones Guard.

## See also

* Seven Kingdoms on Wiki of Westeros
* Seven Kingdoms on A Wiki of Ice and Fire