The Reach

The **Reach** is one of the administrative regions of the Seven Kingdoms, and was formerly a sovereign nation known as the Kingdom of the Reach before the Targaryen conquest. Geographically, it is one of the larger regions of the Seven Kingdoms, ranking as the second largest in area, behind only the vastness of the North. It has been ruled by House Tyrell since the Conquest, and earlier than that by the Kings of House Gardener.

It is the most fertile part of Westeros, blessed with vast, blooming fields of crops and flowers, and numerous and well-populated villages and towns; it traditionally helps supply other less fertile parts of the Seven Kingdoms (most notably King's Landing) with grain, fruit, wine and livestock. The Reach is also the most heavily-populated part of Westeros and is one of the richest, second only to the Westerlands, ruled by House Lannister. However this claim is suggested to be rather outdated as Lannister gold mines—the source of their wealth—have dried out, and have been weakened by the War of the Five Kings, thus making the Reach actually the wealthiest region. Due to this, the Tyrells could traditionally field the largest army in the Seven Kingdoms, almost as large as the armies from two of the other populous kingdoms combined. This vast supply of manpower, land, and food production gives the Reach enormous strategic value during the War of the Five Kings.

The Reach withdrew from the sovereignty of the Iron Throne due to the deaths of virtually all its liege lords in the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, an act perpetrated by Cersei Lannister, who quickly became Queen due to the resulting suicide of King Tommen Baratheon.

The Reach was ruled from the castle of Highgarden by House Tyrell until the castle was sacked by Lannister and rebel forces in the Sack of Highgarden.

After the battle and the ultimate death of Lady Olenna Tyrell, House Tarly was made Warden of the South for its betrayal of its liege lords for what Jaime Lannister had described as allying with "foreign barbarians and eunuchs." Thus the Reach was presumably briefly controlled by the Lannister-Tarly houses, before their host was smashed in the Battle of the Goldroad, leaving the region in an ambiguous status and likely a power vacuum. Ser Bronn of the Blackwater offers to join Jaime and Tyrion with the forces of Queen Daenerys Targaryen should he be named Lord of Highgarden due to its vast size in comparison to Riverrun, a deal to which Tyrion reluctantly agrees.

Bastards born in the Reach are given the surname **Flowers**. People of the Reach are collectively known as **Reachmen**.

### Castles and cities

* Highgarden, the seat of House Blackwater and the regional capital. Located on the Mander where it crosses the Roseroad.
	+ Oldtown, the region's only city and the seat of House Hightower. A great port located in the southwest of the region at the mouth of the Honeywine River. Home of the Citadel.
	+ Brightwater Keep, the seat of House Florent. Located west of Highgarden.
	+ Cider Hall, the seat of House Fossoway. A holdfast at the meeting of the Mander and Cockleswhent
	+ Old Oak, the seat of House Oakheart. A holdfast northwest of Highgarden.
	+ Horn Hill, the seat of House Tarly. Located southeast of Highgarden.
	+ Honeyholt, the seat of House Beesbury. A holdfast between Oldtown and Brightwater Keep.
	+ Sunflower Hall, the seat of House Cuy. A holdfast on the southern coast of the region.
	+ Blackcrown, the seat of House Bulwer, a holdfast southwest of Highgarden and Oldtown.
	+ Bitterbridge,the seat of House Caswell, a castle in the northeast of the region.
	+ Grassy Vale, the seat of House Meadows near the border with the Stormlands.
	+ Long Table, the seat of House Merryweather, a holdfast at the meeting of the Mander and the Blueburn.
	+ Goldengrove,the seat of House Rowan, a holdfast north of Highgarden.
	+ Red Lake, the seat of House Crane, a holdfast northwest of Highgarden at the border with the Westerlands.
	+ Uplands, the seat of House Mullendore, a holdfast south of Highgarden and west of Oldtown.
	+ Three Towers, the seat of House Costayne, a holdfast southwest of Highgarden and Oldtown.
	+ Bandallon, the seat of House Blackbar, a holdfast west of Brightwater Keep.

### Towns and settlements

* Ashford, the seat of House Ashford, a holdfast on the Cockleswhent.
* Tumbleton, the seat of House Footly, a town in the far northeast of the region near the border with the Crownlands.

### Rivers

* Mander
* Blueburn
* Cockleswhent
* Honeywine

### Highways

* The Searoad
* The Roseroad

### Islands and coastal areas

* The Arbor, a great island off the southwestern coast and the seat of House Redwyne.
* The Shield Islands - at the mouth of the River Mander
* The Redwyne Straits - separating the Arbor from the mainland