The Vale

The Valeof Arryn or the Vale is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. It was formerly a sovereign nation ruled by the Kings of Mountain and Vale before Aegon's Conquest. The Mountains of the Moon surround the smaller Vale proper, although the valley's name is often applied to all of House Arryn's realm.

The Vale is ruled by the Arryns from the castle known as the Eyrie. Bastards of noble origin raised in the Vale are given the surname Stone.

## History

### First Men

During the Age of Heroes, the Vale was thinly populated and was ruled by a score of petty First Men kings. The Winged Knight is among the legendary heroes of the Valemen from thousands of years ago.

### Vale of Arryn

The Vale was where the Andals landed when they began their invasion of Westeros. Rather than unite against the newcomers, many of the First Men rulers sought alliances with the Andals, often with disastrous results. House Arryn claimed the Vale after defeating the First Men in the Battle of the Seven Stars. As such, the Arryns are one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility in the Seven Kingdoms. The Arryns ruled as Kings of Mountain and Vale for approximately six thousand years. Those First Men who did not accept Andal rule fled into the Mountains of the Moon, becoming the mountain clans.

Following the Rape of the Three Sisters two thousand years ago, the Vale warred with the north for a thousand years. The Wolf's Den was besieged by Osgood Arryn and burned by the Talon during the War Across the Water between the two kingdoms. The Three Sisters swore fealty to the Arryns, although their loyalty remains tenuous. The Bloody Gate withstood three attempts by Halleck Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, to conquer the Vale.

### Iron Throne

The Arryns bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror during House Targaryen Wars of Conquest, bringing the Vale under the control of the Iron Throne.

During the Dance of the Dragons, Jacaerys Velaryon gained the Vale for the cause of the blacks. In 134 AC, a war of succession arose in the Vale after the death of Lady Jeyne Arryn between her chosen heir, Ser Joffrey Arryn, a closer cousin, Ser Arnold Arryn, and the head of House Arryn of Gulltown, Isembard Arryn, with the Crown ruling Jeyne's testament should be upheld, and sending a force to maintain the King's Peace.

The Arryns remained loyal to the Targaryens during the First Blackfyre Rebellion, although there were battles in the Vale during the civil war. The Arryns blocked access to the Vale during the Great Spring Sickness.

Robert's Rebellion began in the Vale, when Lord Jon Arryn, Defender of the Vale, refused to surrender his wards, Lords Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark, to King Aerys II Targaryen. Robert aided Jon in defeating his royalist bannermen at Gulltown, allowing Robert to sail home to the stormlands. Meanwhile, Eddard crossed the Mountains of the Moon to the Fingers, from which he sailed to the Bite and then returned home to the north. Lord Arryn went on to help Robert secure the Iron Throne, and was named his Hand after the war. In Jon's absence, Nestor Royce has governed as High Steward of the Vale.

After the return of House Targaryen in 302AC, the Vale remained under the contorll of House Arryn, and stayed loyal to the Iron Throne.