King's Landing

King's Landing is the capital city of the Seven Kingdoms and the seat of House Blackfyre.

## Founding

Known originally as the Aegonfort, the settlement that would later become the sprawling city of King's Landing was located on a raised area of land on the north bank of the Blackwater Rush. As Aegon Targaryen conquered Westeros and united it into the Seven Kingdoms, his seat grew in population and political power.

Over the reigns of the proceeding Targaryen Kings, the city grew exponentially. King Maegor I Targaryen completed construction of the Red Keep atop Aegon's High Hill and ordered the construction of the Dragonpit atop Rhaenys' Hill. King Baelor I Targaryen ordered the construction of the Great Sept atop Visenya's Hill, and with that the three primary landmarks of King's Landing were completed. Smallfolk flocked to the seat of Targaryen power in Westeros, creating a bustling metropolis housing tens of thousands. By the time of the Blackfyre Rebellion, the city may have had a population numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

## Landmarks

### The Red Keep

The Red Keep is the center of government for the Seven Kingdoms, and the home of King Daemon III Blackfyre. Here the King holds court as well as houses his noble guests, if he sees fit. The Red Keep itself houses several important sites, such as the Maidenvault constructed by King Baelor I Targaryen, the Tower of the Hand, and the White Sword Tower, which houses the Kingsguard.

### The Dragonpit

The dragonpit is a ruined structure, now, collapsed in a peasant rebellion that killed five Targaryen dragons during the Dance of the Dragons. Since that event the ancient bronze doors of the Dragonpit remained locked, though during the coronation of King Daemon III Blackfyre some nobles did attempt to sneak into the building.

### The Great Sept of Baelor

The Great Sept of Baelor is the largest sept in Westeros, rivaled only by the Starry Sept in Oldtown and the castle sept of Highgarden. Many kings, both Targaryen and Blackfyre, have been wed within the Great Sept. It is a splendid, seven-sided structure visible from around King's Landing.

## History Under House Blackfyre

### Bloodraven Rebellion

In 224 AC, King Maekar Targaryen landed at Sharp Point and marched a growing host of sellswords and crownlanders to the capital. In advance of this, King Haegar I Blackfyre fled the city with his household to Harrenhal. For the second time in relatively rapid succession, King's Landing fell to an attacking force. Maekar Targaryen held the city for some time before ironborn under Erik Greyjoy plundered his treasury and his sellsword army deserted, at which point the city fell back into the hands of King Aerys I Blackfyre.

### Durran's Defiance

At a Small Council meeting in 270 AC, King Maelys I Blackfyre murdered Lord Durran Baratheon, his Hand of the King. This triggered the conflict known as Durran's Defiance. An immediate consequence of this would be a rapidly-executed siege of King's Landing by Lord Royland Baratheon. This siege would be broken almost as fast by the host of Lord Mace Tyrell, whose men chased down the Baratheons. They were roundly defeated at Haystack Hall, however, and returned north to the capital to garrison the city while the Crownlands deployed a host northward.

Following the defeat of the Tyrells at Haystack Hall, Lord Royland Baratheon once again besieged King's Landing, and would remain beneath the walls for the duration of the conflict. With the assistance of Ser Vaemar Velaryon, the city fell to the Baratheon host after King Maelys' death in Harrenhal.

## Recent Events

Since the Defiance, King's Landing housed King Daemon III Blackfyre during the decade of his regency under his cousin, Prince Aemond Blackfyre and his Hand, Lord Royland Baratheon. As the King came of age in 280 AC, he held his coronation, marriage, and name day celebrations over a week in the capital.

During that week William Staedmon, a household knight of Lord Baratheon's, murdered a knight of the Kingsguard: Ser Rolland Payne. This murder set tensions to a high in the capital, culminating in the assault on the King by Lord Royland and his subsequent public trial and execution.

Concurrent to that, Queen Daenerys Blackfyre seduced her brother, Prince Aemond. This and the plot to influence Daemon to install Prince Aemond as Hand of the King came to light with the help of another knight of the Kingsguard, Ser Arthur Osgrey. This lead to the disinheritance of Prince Aemond and the elevation of Prince Aerion Blackfyre to the position instead.

Following that, Queen Daenerys Blackfyre was poisoned by Daena Bittersteel in her chambers. The culprit remained unknown to the city, though several witnesses placed the handmaiden in the room with the Queen.

The following year, 281 AC, saw the marriage of King Daemon III Blackfyre to Queen Aemma Arryn in the city, albeit with far less pomp than his previous marriage.