The First Targaryen Rebellion

The First Targaryen Rebellion was an invasion by Aegon and Daenerys Targaryen, that resulted in widespread war encompassing much of Westeros.

It resulted in the death of thousands of men and horses, both from battle and disease, as well as the dragons Drogon and Rhaegal.

## History

### The Eunuch in Essos

Daenerys Targaryen, after losing Khal Drogo, arrives at Qarth.

Varys has been removed from power as Ned Stark warns Stannis of his snakelike nature. Varys promptly uses his connections to make contact with Dany and transport her to Astapor, hoping that she can take advantage of the chaos in Westeros before any side has the opportunity to solidify their power.

Daenerys is not content with the slavery that exists in Slaver’s Bay. She frees the Unsullied and they form the core of her shock troops. Upon hearing of this, Varys realizes that while he might never be able to tell Dany what to do, he can control where her fury is aimed. He reveals that Dany is not his only backup. He brings forth Aegon VI and the Golden Company from where Varys had them hiding.

### The Two Dragons

Tensions are high between the two sides as it now appears that Aegon has a better claim to the Iron Throne than Dany, but her dragons still give her a great deal of legitimacy. The two sides, while divided about who to support in their claim for the Crown, put aside their differences for the moment to deal with a common enemy.

With dragons and the Golden Company at her back, the rest of Slaver’s Bay falls quickly. There is little opposition as Aegon and Harry Strickland decide that the best course of action is to put most of the dissidents to the flame. Aegon develops a fearsome reputation as the ‘Butcher of Slaver’s Bay’ which causes many more mercenary companies to join their cause. Many Free Cities pay this new and terrifying army tribute in the form of gold. Pentos, under the guidance of Illyrio Mopatis, outright declares his support for the newly reborn Aegon VI Targaryen.

Seeing his rising power and realizing it is her best chance at fulfilling her destiny, Dany weds Aegon in a ceremony in Pentos. Ser Jorah looks on in dismay but the once fractured alliance now appears strong and ready to conquer Westeros. Due to Dany’s liberation of Slaver’s Bay, Stannis now appears to be winning and Renly has managed to put the Tyrell’s under his command. Deciding that such a direct attack would be suicide, the Targaryens decide to bide their time until an opportunity presents itself.

One does in the form of a newly disgraced Petyr Baelish. Fresh from his murder accusations in the Vale, he flees to Pentos where he bends the knee to Aegon and Dany. He promptly goes about using his contacts in the Stormlands to convince Renly that Stannis was weak along his southern front and that he should attack northward with the bulk of his forces. This leaves the Stormlands wide open to the Golden Company assault.

### Battle of Griffin’s Roost, Crow’s Nest and Greenstone

The invasion of the Golden Company would begin in earnest here under command of Lord Jon Connington and the Serjeants of the Golden Company. Due to how loosely defended each area was, each battle was an overwhelming success. The company would then plan to take the castles between Griffin’s Roost and Storms End, where they hoped they would have the assistance of Daenerys Targaryen, who was on her way from Pentos. They move with terrifying speed and ferocity, never pausing their offensive and the poor houses on the eastern shore of the Stormlands are powerless to resist them. A desperate defense is mounted at Griffin’s Roost and it looks like the Golden Company might have to halt their advance. Suddenly, as soon as hope flairs in the defenders, it is dashed again. A terrible roar is heard from the heavens and Aegon VI Targaryen shoots down from the sky in a burst of flame, riding on the back of a newly tamed Rhaegal. Ronnet Connington is quickly incinerated, and Griffin’s Roost falls quickly and the Southern Stormlands goes with it. Everything from Griffin’s Roost to Greenstone now bends the knee to the Targaryens.

### The Bronze Defence

Renly Tyrell has his army immediately turn around and protect the Stormlands from the invasion. He orders the Tyrell army to do the same, knowing full well that turning around now meant losing his best shot at the Iron Throne. His new wife convinces him that if Storm’s End falls, no one will take his claim to the throne seriously. His army arrives in time to stop the advance of the Targaryens at Griffin’s Roost and both sides wait to plan their next move.

Upon hearing of the Targaryen’s return and upon advice from both his brother and Lord Varys, Doran Martell pledges his forces to the Targaryen cause. As his commanders march his army up the Boneway and the Prince’s Pass, they are met with the sickening reminder that the Dornish Marches work both ways. House Dondarrion has blocked the Boneway and Lord Ashford leads a defense of the Prince’s Pass. The Southern Front of the war quickly becomes a stalemate, where the greatest danger facing the two waiting camps becomes boredom. Many mothers pray to the Seven that King Renly sends their child down to defend one of the two passes, as it is considered extremely safe compared to the chaos that reigns just a little north.

In the Northern Front, Jon Connington devises a cunning surprise attack that catches the defending Stormlanders by surprise. Rhaegal roasts Renly’s cavalry continget alive, and Harry Strickland makes use of his own light cavalry to encircle the confused and disorganized defenders. Lords Morrigen and Wyld are slain, but luck favors Renly as he removed himself from the front to feast and sup with his wife’s family leagues from where the fighting took place. Upon hearing of the crushing defeat, he musters his forces again and attempts to rush to Storm’s End in order to ensure the city doesn’t fall.

He arrives too late. Aegon can move much more quickly on his dragon and arrives at Storm’s End in the middle of a tumultuous gale. Ser Cortnay Penrose closes the gates to the castle and prepares for another siege. Aegon attempts to take the castle in the midst of the storm, but Rhaegal is not old or strong enough to weather the ferocious winds and is dashed against the rocks. Miraculously, Aegon emerges from the wreck unscathed. Livid, Aegon immediately has the small company of men who followed him start setting up camp and the Siege of Storm’s End is on.

Renly is in disarray and it becomes obvious to his High Command that the king has no desire or ability to lead. With persuasion, Margaery Tyrell is able to persuade Renly to give command of all troops over to Randyll Tarly and her brother Garlan Tyrell. Randyll immediately begins to set up rudimentary fortifications around Bronzegate to keep the Targaryen invaders at bay.

### Battle of Stonehelm

The Golden Company meets and decides
that the northern front is a guaranteed way to lose thousands of men. Instead,
they believe a western strike towards Blackhaven is the key to opening up the
Dornish armies to take Lord Dondarrion’s castle and allow Dorne to march freely
up the Boneway. Half go with Aegon and Jon Connington, and half go with
Captain-General Harry Strickland when he launches a surprise attack that
catches the leaderless southern Stormlanders completely off guard. The advancing
forces march mile after mile with shattered resistance being the only force
that offered to stop them. They made it as far as Stonehelm before they were
stopped by a determined Lord Swann and his retinue. He makes a final stand at
his castle and vows that the invaders shall not take another stop forward, but
is eventually forced to yield up his castle. Strickland's supply lines are too
thin and his forces are too spread out, so he is forced to stop at the castle.
Lord Swann escapes with his family mere hours before the Golden Company
arrives, and they make their camp on the opposite side of the river, planning
their counter attack. He receives a constant stream of soldiers and supplies
from the Reach and displaced Stormlords. He uses the supplies to mount
guerrilla offensives against Strickland on the other side of the river. Due to
the attacks, the Golden Company holds a grip on Stonehelm that is tenuous at
best.

### Assault on Bronzegate

Aegon grows tired that Strickland’s
push into the Stormlands has faltered and that Lord Swann has successfully
escaped to mount a resistance. He summons Lord Connington and he informs the
new Lord of Griffin’s Roost that a new offensive will take place. They will
strike north at Bronzegate and blast a hole open to King’s Landing. Once Aegon
and Dany take the Iron Throne, hopefully the other lords will lose the will to
fight and surrender to the invading forces. To boost popularity, and to use her
dragons in their offensive, Aegon summons Daenerys from across the sea and
publicly proclaims they shall share power and the sweet taste of their
victories. An assault at Bronzegate is enacted, with Drogon taking flight to
provide chaotic destruction from the skies. Aegon sees Randyll’s forces enact a
hasty retreat and jubilantly orders his forces to press the attack.

Randyll Tarly has his
forces retreat deep into Kingswood, ensuring that the Targaryen cavalry cannot
manoeuvre effectively. Drogon is also unable to see his targets, and his
dragonflames are not effective against the rain-soaked trees that the
Tarly/Baratheon forces are hiding under. The Targaryen offensive makes it as
far as the Wendwater in certain places before Randyll Tarly springs his trap.

While Aegon has been focused on Randyll’s retreating center, the Lord of Horn
Hill has his flanks, which have been desperately rushing to surround Aegon’s
army, strike. The Targaryen force collapses and Jon Connington pleades with Aegon to
make a hurried retreat of their own to Bronzegate where they can desperately
attempt to regroup and re-assault. The Young Dragon will have none of it
however and commands Drogon to be re-deployed to push the flanks back. It is
then that Randyll reveals another surprise: while Aegon was rushing to take
Storm’s End, he used every single moment to construct ballistas specifically
designed to kill a dragon. Over twenty of them suddenly appeared out of the
woods the moment Drogon took flight again. It only took a matter of minutes.
One moment the skies shook with a terrible roar, and the next a ball of flame
fell from the sky with a giant bolt transfixed in its chest. Drogon fell and
with him, so did the chances of a Targaryen victory. They attempted to march
back to Bronzegate, only to find that an extremely angry and fuming populace
had risen up against them to block off the path back to the castle.

=== Second Battle of
Stonehelm ===
Lord Swann waits
for a lull in Strickland’s defenses and sends his son
Balon Swann to mount a surprise attack. When the Golden Company forces go sleep
for the night, the Stormlanders are let into the camp by disgruntled and
underpayed soldiers, as well as Swann soldiers who faked surrender. The battle
is short and bloody and soon, Stonehelm is surrounded by very angry, and very
determined Swann men. Strickland fled during the night and his subordinate surrenders
the castle without contest. The southern front of the war collapses and the
notion of a massive Dornish presence in the war becomes a distant memory.

=== Battle of Haystack
Hall ===
Randyll’s light
cavalry division succeeds in encircling Aegon’s forces just outside of Haystack
Hall and Lord Tarly decides that it’s time to go in for the kill. His forces
move in on all sides and a bloodbath ensues. Renly Baratheon himself appears on
the field to give his soldiers the crucial support they need for victory.

During
the course of the battle, Aegon Targaryen met Renly on the field of battle when
the Baratheon King’s desire for glory made him command his personal guard to
enter the fray. Renly was dismantled in quick succession. Before Aegon can
finish him off however, Brienne of Tarth quickly leaps into the fray and
completely demolishes whatever pitiful defense Aegon puts up against her
onslaught. The would-be king is severely wounded and has to be carted off the
field as his guard rushes to protect him against Brienne’s wrath.

At the last
minute, when all hope seems lost, Daenerys Targaryen appeared on the field,
riding Viserion into battle. Randyll elects to open a hole in his lines and
allow the Targaryens to retreat rather than have Dany burn a hole through his
lines anyway.  The Targaryen host manages a retreat under the command of
Jon Connington, but not all make it out. In order to give the Targaryen’s time
and space to retreat without constantly being slaughtered by harrying Tyrell
forces,

Oberyn Martell and the Dornish forces elect to stay behind to provide
them cover. They held out to the last man and brought their house great honor,
but they died all the same. Quentyn Martell died in a hail of arrows, and most
of the Martell elite troops fall in quick succession after that. Oberyn Martell
dies too, after a legendary duel with Garlan Tyrell. The two met when all hope
seemed lost and honor was what was on the line now. Both sides immediately
stopped fighting to watch the two titans duel on the muddy ground. Both fought
honorably, but in the end it was Garlan who proved victorious. His glory would
not last however, the wounds he received from the Red Viper’s spear would not
heal and the wounds began to fester as well as admit a foul smell. He would die
a few days later, delirious and feverish. The Martell sacrifice would be sung
about by the bards for decades to come, and both sides of the terrible conflict
would look upon their sacrifice with respect and awe that so few could
accomplish such a mighty deed.

### The Fleeing Dragons

Haystack Hall, in
conjunction with the embarrassing defeat at Stonehelm, served to put an end to
Targaryen ambitions in Westeros for the foreseeable future. Daenerys was given
full command of Targaryen forces and under the advise of Petyr Baelish, she orders
a full retreat from Westeros to lick their wounds. Aegon goes with her, but
lives out the rest of his life under the influence of milk of the poppy.

Doran
Martell, with his heart heavy from the death of his beloved brother and son,
orders all troops to withdraw from the front and return home. He writes to
Renly to sue for peace and no further punishment is dispensed against the
Dornishmen for their involvement.

The Targaryen’s have
no end to allies in Essos, but word of a quick Stannis victory means that the next time they invade, it will be against a unified Westeros under the command
of an absolutely terrifying commander. They resolve to bide their time, and
return once they are ensured a quick victory.

In Westeros, the
invasion serves to end all hope of Renly taking the Iron Throne. His defense of
the Stormlands was admirable, but he loses too many men to effectively fight
his brother for control. His own personal reputation also suffers, as word
begins to circulate that it was only due to Randyll Tarly, not Renly, that the
Stormlands do not languish under the yolk of a dragonlord.

When Stannis arrives for his brother to
bend the knee, he allows Renly to live. His brother’s disloyalty will not go
unpunished however, and he elects to send Renly to the Wall to live out the
rest of his days. Margaery is pregnant with their child, and the son born of
that union goes on to rule the Stormlands in peace, forever bending the knee to
the Baratheons of King’s Landing.