Rivals' Rebellion

The **Rivals' Rebellion** was a short-lived and near-bloodless uprising in the Riverlands in 342 AC. Outraged by Lord Rogin Baelish's misdeeds, a rebellion was incited by the unlikely alliance of houses Blackwood and Bracken. Before any major battles took place, King Tommen II Tyrell intervened and successfully brokered a peace.

## Rogin the Guest

Despite his obscure and humble origins, Petyr Baelish proved highly effective at reining in the ambitious and long-established houses of the Riverlands. Even as he spent much of his time as the Lord of Harrenhal serving Myrcella I at the Red Keep, Petyr still managed to bring peace to a region known for instability and infighting.

He was never well-liked by his vassals, but by the time of his death, few doubted that the Baelish dynasty would endure. Petyr’s son and heir, the Riverlords reasoned, would be more pliable to their concerns, as unlike his upstart father he had been born and raised in the Riverlands. Their confidence was further raised when, upon his accession, Lord Rogin Baelish dismissed his father’s councilors and replaced them with respected rivermen.

Instead they soon discovered the true nature of their new liege lord - a nature that had hitherto remained well-concealed within the walls of Harrenhal. He had a penchant for cruelty and carnal indulgence, two passions that usually went hand in hand. Entirely disinterested in ruling, Lord Rogin held regular feasts and tourneys at Harrenhal - events so frequent that their attendance quickly plummeted.

Thus the Lord of Harrenhal turned to frequent travel throughout the Riverlands, imposing visits upon each and every one of his vassals. Wherever he went, undue advances toward young women were inevitable. The resentful lords took to calling him “Rogin the Guest,” a disparaging allusion to the infamous Gargon Qoherys, who ruled Harrenhal centuries before him. The fact that Rogin did not drink only made his behavior even more outrageous; all of his sins were born of a sober mind.

## The Rivals' Rebellion

### The Murder of Minisa Bracken

Rogin’s vassals abided his misdeeds, if only because the lowborn and illegitimate fell victim. Their patience reached an end in 342 AC, when the Lord of Harrenhal preyed upon a woman of noble birth.

During one of Rogin’s uninvited visits to Stone Hedge, Minisa Bracken - who had recently been betrothed to House Blackwood’s heir - went missing overnight. Lord Baelish, too, was not to be found in the castle. When Bracken men rode out to search for her, they stumbled upon Baelish soldiers burying a body in the woods.

There was no doubt of Rogin Baelish’s culpability. Outraged, Lord Bracken immediately denounced the Lord of Harrenhal and raised his every man in rebellion.

This bold, unilateral move inspired many of the other riverlords, who had no shortage of grievances against Rogin Baelish. Within days they were joined by the Freys of Riverrun, and the show of unity from Blackwood and Bracken inspired the twin branches of Vance to set aside their differences and join together in rebellion. A few other houses joined in short order, and a formidable army was rallied at Stone Hedge.

Lord Baelish, in response, wrote to all of his vassals demanding they raise their banners in his defense - even those who had already declared support for the rebellion. Though most houses assured Baelish of their loyalty, only the Mallisters and Freys of the Crossing mobilized their levies. When they realized that no other lords would be joining them, they cautiously kept their troops stationary in the northern Riverlands.

### The Siege of Harrenhal

Several thousand strong, the rebels marched east along the River Road. They first headed to Lord Harroway’s Town, where the townsfolk readily surrendered. Lord Roote, still loyal to Rogin Baelish, held out in his tower against a low-intensity siege - if only because the rebels committed few resources to its capture. A small garrison occupied Lord Harroway’s Town, and the rest of the rebels continued south to Harrenhal.

Even with thousands of men at their disposal, the capture of Harrenhal seemed an unlikely prospect for the rebels. Nevertheless, they greatly outnumbered its defenders, and no other armies were coming to Baelish’s relief. The rebels were prepared for a prolonged siege - but it was at this point that King Tommen II decided to intervene.

### The King's Peace

Though the King did not doubt Rogin Baelish’s guilt in the murder of Minisa Bracken, his Master of Laws had assessed that the evidence was inconclusive. Sympathetic as he was to the grievances of the riverlords, he knew that yielding to their insurrection and deposing a paramount lord might set a controversial precedent. He thus publicly declared Lord Baelish innocent, and raised a force fifteen thousand strong - one that he had no intention of sending into battle.

When his army arrived - outnumbering loyal and rebellious riverlords alike - Tommen had little trouble convincing lords Baelish, Blackwood and Bracken to parlay. He negotiated a compromise in which Rogin Baelish agreed to never again enter a vassal’s keep without their express invitation; further, he was required to host a royal representative to supervise his rule. The rebels in exchange agreed to affirm their fealty to House Baelish and put down their arms.

What had become known as the Rivals’ Rebellion came to an anticlimactic end, with casualties numbering under fifty. The rebellious houses of the Riverlands returned home, and so too did the Blackwoods and Brackens resume their feud. Lord Rogin Baelish never again left Harrenhal, where he contented himself with hired whores while allowing the King’s representative to govern in his stead.

Nevertheless, the riverlords could never truly forgive their wicked liege. Two years later, in 344 AC, the disgraced Lord of Harrenhal was slain by an assassin in the night. Not a single article of evidence emerged to point to the culprit, but neither did anyone care to investigate the murder. Nearly every man and woman in the Riverlands had long awaited the death of Rogin Baelish.