Riverrun

Riverrun is the ancestral castle of House Tully, the Lords of Riverrun. It is situated in the western riverlands, at the confluence of the Tumblestone and Red Fork rivers. Riverrun is north of Pinkmaiden and northwest of Acorn Hall. The castle sits along the river road, an easy ride which links Lannisport and the crossroads.

## Layout

Riverrun is a strong three-sided castle, although not especially large. The castle is bordered on the north by the Tumblestone and on the south by the Red Fork, while on the west a third side faces a massive man-made ditch. In time of danger the sluice gates can be opened to fill a wide moat and leave the castle surrounded on all three sides by water, turning Riverrun into an island and leaving it practically unassailable. It commands a view of many leagues.

The castle has sandstone walls which rise sheer from the water, its battlements are crenelated and have arrow loops, and its towers command the opposite shores. Riverrun's keep is located inside. Properly garrisoned, Riverrun can hold supplies for men and horses for as long as two years; a garrison of two hundred men is larger than Riverrun requires in most circumstances. Guardsmen wear fish-crest helms. The castle's doors are made of heavy redwood.

The Wheel Tower has a great waterwheel turned by the Tumblestone. It has ivy climbing alongside it, and below one makes a wide turn and ends up in churning waters. The Tumblestone leads to the Water Gate, a wide arch and a heavy iron portcullis, red with rust in its lower half. It is named so for being half in the water, and one must use a boat to go through it. Many boats are tied up within the Water Gate, secured to iron rings in the walls. The water stair leads from the lower bailey up to the castle.

The keep is triangular, like Riverrun itself, and the lord's solar is triangular as well with a triangular stone balcony jutting eastwards. The solar can be reached by a spiral stairway. The pillars of Allisers great canopied bed are carved as leaping trout.

The Great Hall is where large councils are held and the high seat of the Tullys sits. There is a private audience chamber above the Great Hall with another high seat for the lord and a bell to ring for servants.

The shortest way from the Great Hall to the keep is through the godswood, a bright and airy garden with elms, redwoods, wildflowers, nesting birds, and streams. Its heart tree is a slender carved weirwood. The sept at Riverrun is a seven-sided sandstone building amidst the gardens. Inside, images of the Seven are painted on marble. A rainbow of light fills the sept.

The dungeons of Riverrun are windowless and damp, their doors heavy and made of wood and iron. The castle also contains kennels and stables.

## History

House Tully had served House Mudd of Oldstones, but King Tristifer IV Mudd was killed during the Andal invasion. After the king's death, Ser Axel Tully constructed the red castle at the juncture of the Red Fork with the Tumblestone, land which he had received from an Andal king, Armistead Vance.

The strategic position of Riverrun brought wealth to the Tullys, who guarded the western riverlands from the Kingdom of the Rock. The castle has rarely been surrendered and has never fallen by storm.  The Tullys have ruled Riverrun and its rich lands for at least a thousand years.

When Harwyn Hoare, King of the Iron Islands, invaded the riverlands, Riverrun was abandoned by Lord Tully, who joined the host of Lady Agnes Blackwood. Agnes's forces were betrayed by Lord Lothar Bracken, however.