Quelling the Kraken

**Quelling the Kraken** was a conflict following the Blackfyre Rebellion. After Dagon Greyjoy opportunistically raided the Westerlands during the fighting, Daemon knew that he would have to punish him to ensure his house’s legitimacy. His Grace personally led the army that smashed the gates of Pyke and brought Dagon Greyjoy’s lifeless body out of the castle itself. His actions ensured the support of House Lannister and made many of the defeated lords realize that House Blackfyre was here to stay.

## War

### The Burning of the West

As news of the Redgrass Fields quickly spread across the continent, the news was received at Pyke by Lord Dagon Greyjoy with delight.  He immediately called together the Lords of the Iron Islands to a council, and they quickly agreed that raiding the Westerlands now, while they were reeling from the loss, was the best course of action.

The Islands set out with nearly one hundred and twenty ships with Lord Dagon Greyjoy leading them. Among them was the fearsome Ser Tristifer Harlaw, the Black Knight as he would be come to be known as. Ser Tristifer personally lead the raid on Fair Isle, with Lord Erik Codd and Wex Volmark beside him, sacking the island and putting many of the populace to the sword. They besieged Faircastle and while Lord Stafford Farman thought that he could hold the castle against the reavers, for they had no siege equipment, he was brutally woken in the middle of the night by the screams of dying men. The Ironborn had scaled the walls in the dead of night and threw open the gates. As the castle burned around him, Lord Farman and his family were hauled in chains before Ser Tristifer. He slew Lord Farman and his sons before taking his wife and three daughters as salt wives. Anything of worth on Fair Isle was then carted off by the Ironborn.

Meanwhile, Lord Rodrik Drumm and Lord Balon Blacktyde brought their forces to the Crag and Banefort, ravaging the lands up and down the Western coast between the castles. Lord Tytos Westerling was able to hole up in his castle with his men while his lands burned, but once the Reavers moved south, he moved his cavalry as quickly up the coast as he could. They arrived at Banefort just in time to see the castle aflame. A craven guard, wishing to spare his life, threw open the gates to the Ironborn. Lord Drumm was in the midst of drowning every member of House Banefort when Lord Westerling’s cavalry bore down upon them. Abandoning the cause, the reavers made for the boats, though Lord Westerling’s men would inflict serious casualties on them. The Ironborn would make back for the Isles, their holds filled with enough loot to satisfy them.

Finally, the largest of the forces, lead by Lord Dagon himself, along with Lord Arryk Sunderly and Theon Goodbrother, the heir of Hammerhorn, lead the assault on Lannisport.  The fleet appeared suddenly off the coast of Lannisport at the end of a beautiful day, with the sun setting in the west.  The city had already suffered the attack of Ser Quentyn Ball and was still reeling from it.  Suddenly the setting sun was silhouetted by black sails as the Ironborn bore down on the city.  The Lannisport fleet quickly rose to meet them, but with little room to maneuver in the harbor, they were quickly overwhelmed by the reavers.  Lord Dagon would personally slay Ser Gerion Lannister, cousin to Lord Damon, upon the flagship of the Lannisport fleet \*The Golden Hinde\*.

The reavers descended upon the city, looting the Golden Sept of Lannisport and burning it to the ground.  Thousands perished and hundreds were taken captive mainly women and young girls.  As the city burned fiercely into the night, from Casterly Rock came reinforcements, but by the time they charged through the gates of Lannisport, the Ironborn had already made for the sea.

### News Spreads

Word of the burning of the West reached the newly crowned King Daemon, who took it as a sign that he needed to show the realm that he was in control of the Seven Kingdoms. He assembled a massive army and the combined naval strength of the Royal Fleet, Dragonstone, Oldtown, and half of the Redwyne Fleet, in addition to a single ship from the Manderly navy, lead by the notorious sailor and heir of White Harbor, Ser Walder Manderly. The fleet sailed around Westeros and consolidated at Lannisport. Lord Damon was dubious in his loyalty to Daemon, though his desire for revenge outweighed his feelings toward the king. Westermen made up a good portion of the army, as well as notable additions from Houses Corbray and Hunter from the Vale, House Swann from the Stormlands, Houses Rosby and Darklyn from the Crownlands, and House Oakheart of the Reach. The third moon of 197 AC saw the fleet fully assembled and ready.

### The Battle of the Pyke Strait

King Daemon boarded his flagship and the armada weighed anchor and sailed for the Iron Islands. Having been warned about the King’s oncoming fleet, Lord Dagon Greyjoy assembled the fleets of the Iron Islands to protect themselves. Some houses that did not participate in the reaving of the Westerlands, such as House Wynch, Orkwood, and Tawney refused to lend support to Lord Greyjoy for his folly.

The Ironborn knew that they would not be able to take on the might of the Greenlanders fleet in open water.  Lord Dagon set a trap in the narrows between Saltcliffe and Pyke. A small force of longships stood vigil off the coast of Pyke, as the forces of the Iron Throne bore down on the isles.

King Daemon ordered the fleet to be split into three, sensing a trap from the Ironborn. The main squadron, comprising of the Royal Fleet and the Dragonstone fleet, would take the center. The Redwyne fleet made up the second squadron on his left. The Oldtown fleet and the solitary Manderly ship made up the third squadron on the right. Before sailing into sight of the isles, he send the second squadron to sail around Saltcliffe, and the third squadron to sail around Pyke. The main force of the Royal and Dragonstone fleet sailed directly towards the small grouping of longships off the straits, lead by the famed reaver madman, Patrek Pyke. He was said to have dropped his trousers and bared his ass to the King as they sailed towards the strait.

King Daemon was unphased and sailed the fleet into the straits, where the Ironborn sprung their trap, warships and longships bearing down on the Royal Fleet from three directions. Lord Dagon carved his way through the Dragonstone fleet, slaying Ser Symond Sunglass and Lord Duram Bar Emmon. Tristifer Harlaw boarded the flagship of the Master of Ships, Lord Duncan Darklyn and slew all aboard. Aboard his own flagship, King Daemon held his men firm and continued the fight, holding them until the sails of the Redwynes and Hightowers were sighted on the other side of the strait. Leading the charge was the sole Manderly warship, the great galley *Merman’s Trident* with Ser Walder Manderly at the helm. Their reinforcements smashed into the rear of the Ironborn fleet sowing panic into the ironborn. Lord Dagon managed to slip away in the confusion, along with Ser Tristifer Harlaw and Lord Balon Blacktyde. Lord Rodrik Drumm was taken prisoner by Ser Walder Manderly and Ser Lyle Hightower personally slew Patrek Pyke and Arryk Sunderly in single combat.

### The Siege of Pyke

The Dragon had destroyed the Ironborn fleet, but there was still a Kraken to catch. King Daemon lead the landings on Pyke, landing in Lordsport where a futile defense of the town by Lord Botley quickly surrendered to King Daemon. The massive army marched to the gates of Pyke, where Lord Dagon and his men had taken refuge. King Daemon offered to parley with Dagon, riding up under a peace banner with a retinue of men. Lord Dagon spat at the king from the walls and ordered his men to open fire. Daemon was able to escape though Ser Donnel of Duskendale and Ser Willem Wylde of the Kingsguard would lie dead, along with Ser Morgan Swann and a host of other knights. Infuriated, Daemon ordered a full scale bombardment of Pyke, with catapults and trebuchets hauled up from their ships to open up on the castle. For three days, the walls withstood the assault until finally the first watchtower from the gate on the left hand side went down due to sustained bombardment. The tower crashed into the gatehouse of Pyke, opening a huge section of the wall.

Ser Walder Manderly was the first over the wall, quickly followed by Ser Quentyn Ball and King Daemon. The fighting in the castle was ferocious, ironmen fought for their lives against the invaders. Lord Balon Blacktyde led a furious defense of the Seastone Chair, before being defeated and taken prisoner by Ser Terrence Redwyne, Heir of the Arbor.  Daemon slew many men that day, this was where he was most comfortable: in the field of battle. And yet they could not find Lord Greyjoy, until only one place remained. Across a swinging rope bridge was the Sea Tower, the solar of Lord Greyjoy. Daemon lead a force of his best knights, including Lord Damon Lannister, Ser Walder Mandery, Ser Quentyn Ball, and Lord Tytos Westerling over the bridge where they found Lord Dagon in the middle of raping one of Lord Farman’s daughters surrounded by his guards, as well as Ser Tristifer Harlaw and his men. Finishing inside Lord Farman’s daughter, Dagon composed himself and greeted Daemon.

> “Hail Black Dragon. I see that you have come to kill me.”
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> **He turned to his men, “Well then, I guess we should not keep our guest waiting.”**
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With that, a melee ensued. Tristifer Harlaw cleaved through Lord Tytos Westerling with a single swipe of Nightfall, going through the man’s sword and his neck, before the man could so much as react. Ser Quentyn Ball was wounded as well, defending Daemon from the onslaught of Greyjoy men. Lords Lefford and Marbrand were also wounded gravely, attempting to fight Harlaw. Ser Walder Manderly then engaged The Black Knight with his shield and a mace. The two dueled fiercely, Tristifer was a strong man but Walder had the sheer force of mass on him, and with a shield blow that dazed Tristifer just long enough, Walder crushed the man’s skull with his mace. Nightfall skidded to the floor and Walder stooped to pick it up only to have Dagon Greyjoy’s axe remove his outstretched hand from his arm. Walder howled in pain, as Dagon took Nightfall from the ground and stood to strike the killing blow when King Daemon stepped in, blocking the blow at the last minute.

Blackfyre drank in the torchlight of the room, as did Nightfall. The Black Dragon and the Reaver squared off with one another. Dagon was a fierce fighter, and his skills with an axe were some of the best in the Isles. But Daemon Blackfyre was like the Warrior himself. Greyjoy’s axe was quickly shattered by a blow from Blackfyre and the two locked swords. The clanging of Valyrian steel on Valyrian steel filled the air, veterans of the Redgrass Field described the sound as the same as when His Grace fought against Ser Gwayne Corbray with Lady Forlorn. Greyjoy grew more desperate, his swings wild and unhinged. Daemon blocked them with ease, until he saw his opening, slashing the Lord Reaper of Pyke across the chest with Blackfyre, killing him nearly instantly. The remaining Greyjoy men threw down their arms. Daemon would have Dagon’s body paraded through Pyke, and all resistance quickly ceased. Men cheered as the body of Dagon Greyjoy brought out of the castle and burned.

## Aftermath

Lord Damon Lannister and all the Westermen there had a newfound respect for their new king. Ser Walder Manderly was commended by Daemon and was promoted to Master of Ships for his actions of the campaign. Nightfall was returned to House Harlaw as a symbol of mercy from King Daemon, and Lord Dagon’s youngest son was installed as Lord of Pyke, after his eldest was killed in the battle of the Pyke Strait. The rest of the Iron Islands quickly bent the knee to King Daemon.