The Crownlands

The crownlands is one of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

It was never a sovereign nation, instead being contested by river kings, Storm Kings, and local petty kings until Aegon the Conqueror seized control of the area during his Wars of Conquest and made it his primary foothold on the continent. Since then, the crownlands have been ruled directly by the Iron Throne, first House Targaryen and, after Robert's Rebellion, House Baratheon, then after the Great Council of 303, House Baelish. Bastards of noble origin raised in the crownlands are given the surname Waters.

## Geography

The crownlands are based around Blackwater Bay, with the capital of King's Landing built where the Blackwater Rush meets the bay. King's Landing, the largest city in Westeros, contains the Great Sept of Baelor and the Red Keep, the home of House Baelish of King's Landing. Settlements north of King's Landing include Antlers (seat of House Buckwell), Rosby (seat of House Rosby), Stokeworth (seat of House Stokeworth), and Duskendale (seat of House Rykker), the region's secondary port. Farther north are Rook's Rest (seat of House Staunton) and Crackclaw Point, a rugged peninsula of insular folk whose castles include the Dyre Den (seat of House Brune), Brownhollow (another seat of House Brune), and the Whispers (formerly of House Crabb). North of Crackclaw Point are the Bay of Crabs and the Vale of Arryn.

The crownlands are bordered to the northwest and west by the riverlands. A stream forms part of the boundary between the two regions, with the hills of House Wode in the riverlands and the lands of House Hogg in the crownlands. An unnamed river flows south from Gods Eye into the Blackwater Rush in the western crownlands. Southwest of King's Landing are hills around Tumbleton in the Reach.

South of King's Landing is the kingswood, the royal hunting forest, and the stormlands. The Wendwater flows through the kingswood into the bay. East of the kingswood is Massey's Hook, another peninsula that with Crackclaw Point forms the inlet of Blackwater Bay. Castles on Massey's Hook include Stonedance (seat of House Massey) and Sharp Point (seat of House Bar Emmon).

Islands within Blackwater Bay include Dragonstone (another seat of House Baelish), Driftmark (seat of House Velaryon), and Claw Isle (seat of House Celtigar). Also sworn to the Baelish of Dragonstone is Sweetport Sound (seat of House Sunglass). Massey's Hook is separated from Driftmark by the Gullet. East of Blackwater Bay is the narrow sea.

The kingsroad connects King's Landing with Storm's End to the south and the crossroads to the north, while the capital is connected to Lannisport by the goldroad and to Highgarden by the roseroad. With the exception of Crackclaw Point, the land is largely flat. Lying in the middle portion of Westeros, the crownlands possess a temperate climate.

## People and Economy

The metropolis of King's Landing is the driving force of the region, with the largest population and harbor in the realm. Trade and taxes flow into the capital from every corner of the realm acknowledging the Iron Throne, and many foreign vessels ply their wares as well. Virtually every craft and trade is practiced here, from metalsmithing and shipbuilding to alchemy. Elsewhere, fishing and farming are the norm, with a smattering of the common professions.

Along the kingsroad north of the capital, a traveler goes "past woods and orchards and neatly tended fields, through small villages, crowded market towns, and stout holdfasts."

## History

#### Hundred Kingdoms

In the Age of Heroes, the petty kings of House Darklyn ruled much of the future crownlands, from Duskendale to Crackclaw Point. Although neighboring realms forced them to swear fealty and their lands changed hands many times over the years, the Darklyns remained one of the more influential houses of the region. In the days of the Hundred Kingdoms, the mouth of the Blackwater was claimed by the Darklyns, the Masseys of Stonedance, and the river kings of Houses Mudd, Fisher, Bracken, Blackwood, and Hook.

Two centuries before the Doom of Valyria, Valyrians settled Dragonstoneand built a citadel as the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold, becoming another power in the region. In time, the middle of the narrow sea came to be controlled by the dragons of House Targaryen of Dragonstone, as well as the ships of House Velaryon of Driftmark and House Celtigar of Claw Isle.

#### The Conquest

It was at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, the later site of King's Landing, where Aegon Targaryen and his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, landed with their initial army. At that time the petty lords of the region had been subjugated by Harren the Black. Rosby and Stokeworth surrendered to Visenya and Rhaenys without fighting, while Aegon and his half-brother Orys Baratheon defeated the Darklyns and Mootons. Massey's Hook and the southern shore of the Blackwater Rush were controlled by the Storm Kings of House Durrandon, but the Bar Emmons and Masseys allied with Aegon the Conqueror against King Argilac the Arrogant.

#### Targaryen Era

Since the Conquest, the crownlands houses have historically been a strong source of support for House Targaryen, with Crackclaw Point being particularly fierce supporters. The Conqueror's councillors included several crownlands men, including Crispian Celtigar, Daemon Velaryon, and Tristan Massey. Nobles from the region such as Qarlton Chelsted, a Hayford lord, and several Targaryens have served as Hand of the King, and even smallfolk of the region are near enough to catch the royal eye for such service, such as Rossart and presumably Septons Barth and Murmison. Nobles and smallfolk alike also provide much of the manpower for the City Watch of King's Landing. The Kingsguard has also included many men of the crownlands, such as Duncan the Tall, Donnel of Duskendale, the Cargyll twins, Ser Rickard Thorne, at least six men of Crackclaw Point, and seven Darklyn knights.

At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, the Velaryons, supporters of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and the blacks, used their fleet to seal the Gullet and blockade King's Landing. King Aegon II Targaryen's supporters, the greens, retaliated by sacking Duskendale and Rook's Rest. The greens later broke the blockade with the Battle in the Gullet and sacked Driftmark. Rhaenyra was eventually fed to Aegon II's dragon, Sunfyre, at Dragonstone. At the end of the war, the Lads defeated Lord Borros Baratheon in the Battle of the Kingsroad.

The Defiance of Duskendale, a rising by the Darklyns during the reign of King Aerys II Targaryen, was a sign that even the normally loyal crownlands were losing respect for the dragonlords. Later, the outlaws of the Kingswood Brotherhood robbed nobles in the forest before being suppressed by the Kingsguard.

#### Robert's Rebellion

King's Landing was sacked by the forces of Lord Tywin Lannister during Robert's Rebellion, also known as the War of the Usurper. After the death of Aerys, the new king, Robert I Baratheon, tasked his younger brother Stannis with building a new royal fleet and leading the assault on Dragonstone. Ser Willem Darry fled the island with Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen, however. Robert named Stannis the new Lord of Dragonstone, although Stannis felt slighted that their youngest brother, Renly, received the more prestigious Storm's End. With several Kingsguard having died during the war, Robert named Ser Boros Blount to the White Cloaks.

#### The War of the Five Kings

Kings Landing was the site of the Battle of the Blackwater, additionally Duskendale is attacked by Glover and Tallhart forces but are repelled by Randyll Tarly and Gregor Clegane. The Crownlands are also the site of the death of Robert I Baratheon and Joffery I Baratheon.

#### The Dragon Arrives

Aegon Targaryen, along with Unsullied soldiers and the Golden Company, arrive in the Crownlands to take Iron Throne. Keep after keep falls to the forces and they repel a large army from the Reach. However, during the siege of Kings Landing, Aegon was killed by a lone bowman who sent a lucky shot.

#### The Mockingbird Returns

After the Long Night Petyr Baelish returns to Kings Landing to return to his position as Master of Coin and is able to exile the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant. Shortly Afterwards, Tommen I Baratheon died of illness and Petyr I Baelish was crowned King of Westeros after the Great Council of 303 AC. He and Sansa Stark live together in Kings Landing after they are married.

#### Eddard I's Reign

The Small Council would rule for King Eddard for most of his reign, and he would die on a hunting trip.

#### Petyr II's Reign

Petyr would take caution to remove the corruption that his father's reign was famous for, before dying after declaring war on the Iron Islands to subjugate them.

#### Edmund I's Reign

After subjugating the Iron Islands, Edmund would take Victaria Greyjoy as his wife, though this would be disastrous as it would spark Brynden's Rebellion.

## Houses

The Principal Bannermen of the Crownlands sworn as direct vassals to House Baelish of King's Landing are:

* House Baelish, of Dragonstone
* House Brune, of Dyre Den
* House Buckwell, of the Antlers
* House Celtigar, of Claw Isle
* House Hayford, of Hayford
* House Massey, of Stonedance
* House Rosby, of Rosby
* House Rykker, of Duskendale
* House Staunton, of Rook's Rest
* House Stokeworth, of Stokeworth
* House Velaryon, of Driftmark
* House Wendwater, of Wendwater