Pitchfork Revolt

### Outcome

Nobility prevented from using violence to root out R'hllorismHeavy taxes placed on R'hllorist worship

## Prelude

The War of the Five Kings engendered many a change in the realm, one among them being the unprecedented rise of R'hllorism in the regions of rural Riverlands and the Bay of Crabs, thanks chiefly to the Brotherhood without Banners. For the most part, such a soar in popularity was self-contained to the most war-torn areas of the continent. Even with the abundance of the latter, the religion would find it difficult to combat the dominating clutches of the Faith.

The War of the Two Dragons only served to embellish such vicious scars, and even in its defeat, it succeeded greatly in further rupturing the crippled economy of the lands the Targaryens had inflicted the most misery onto. The relentless winter during the years 311-313 AC did not help, either, and soon many parts of Westeros would see thousands dying to famine, an invisible enemy they could break with neither blade or bow. The Faith, abjectly enough, contributed little to the efforts of alleviating these state of affairs. The despairing smallfolk, naturally, turned to the next best thing: the worship of the Red God. What had begun as a noticeable trickle in the Riverlands (and other places) soon turned into a full-blown cycle of conversion, with a worrying number of families adopting the way of R'hllor, to the mind of the High Septon. The latter sent missionaries to the Vale, Riverlands and Cracklaw Point to salvage the situation and prevent further strengthening of this alien religion. Progress was slow. So much so, in fact, that Lord Mooton, in his furious zeal, decided he would handle the heathens in his own manner.

## Slaughter of Maidenpool

Aggressive policies were enacted, but violence bred only more violence. A brutal revolt arose in the Riverlands, in the year of 314 AC. It would eventually spread to the Crownlands, as well, but prior to that, the hearth of the rebellion would remain burning in the centre of the continent. The first place to suffer, as predicted, was Maidenpool. The enraged peasants, armed with pitchforks and hatchets and knives, overwhelmed what little forces could be mustered in defence of the lordship and personally saw to the punishing of their oppressor. In what would be later dubbed as the **Slaughter of Maidenpool**, Lord Mooton would find himself lynched in the very location he'd sworn to govern fairly. Afterwards, an appalling display of looting would follow, with the mob robbing the properties of their own neighbours, oft times participating in rape and murder as well. In time, figures of leadership appeared in their ranks, to direct their rage at 'worthier' targets.

The news and the momentum of the revolt spread like wildfire, with several other key holdfasts feeling the wrath of the smallfolk, including Fairmarket, Harroway and Darry. Saltpans was forced to engage a maddened crowd outside its gates that had the town locked in a half-siege. As the scrambling lord attempted to dispatch of the rabble with his soldiers, conflict exploded within the walls itself, leading to the levies of the nobleman being squashed by rebels from both sides. The insurgents were not capable of breaching the castle whose portcullis Lord Hawick had sealed shut, much like the predecessor before him. Similar to Maidenpool, Saltpans also had to endure pillaging from its own people, come to be known as the **Second Sack of Saltpans.**

House Baelish, recognising the severity of the situation, sent ravens to the Crown moments before mobilising the powers of Harrenhal and the surrounding vassals, and splitting the host of 6,000 in two. Further mustering was delayed by the nature of the ever-progressing rebellion, as the aristocracy was hard pressed to gather any kind of martial force, in addition to reluctance to marching them outside of their homes, which would leave them to the mercy of the zealous peasants.

## Battle of the Kingsroad

Lord Shawney, threading east from Harrenhal, was the first to engage in conflict on the field. Commanding his army of 3,000, his way was blocked by a rival gathering of rebels amounting to 7,000 from Darry, Saltpans and Maidenpool, and the villages in the vicinity of these holdfasts. Although outnumbered, Shawney's skill and the discipline of his subjects carried them through. Unfortunately, the numerical advantage showed soon after. Even if repelled the first time, the insurgents contested the occupation of this branch of the Kingsroad, that spanned to the Vale and the north-western parts of the Riverlands. The **Battle of the Kingsroad** was a theatre with multiple skirmishes, encompassing the outskirts (and naturally, the expanding part of the Kingsroad south of Darry), and as many times as the riverlord managed to seize victory, he was forced to be permanently frozen to the area, stretched thin, in fear of losing control over the road. Such a thing would mean a loss of a vital supply line, and any hopes of brisk reinforcements.

The second host, making for Fairmarket, would be joined by the warriors of House Bracken and House Frey of Riverrun. 5,000 men strong, they hastened their pace. Minutes prior to crossing the river, Lords Vance and Wode quarreled pettily over the matter of who would have the honour of commanding the van. The moment of weakness was enough for the rebels - an abrupt charge from a southorn warband plunged the army into disarray, into the Red Fork, but on the other side stood combatants from Fairmarket, roughly of slightly less strength. Driven to savage murder from both banks of the rush, the bloodied remnants of the Rivermen army fled west. Rumours went that the **Bleeding of the Fork** was a struggle so merciless that the crimson waters reached as far as Riverrun.

From the Crownlands began to advance a new force of 3,000, marching northwards, to relieve Lord Shawney. They arrived relatively swiftly, and with the added manpower, the eastern cluster of the rebels was chiefly neutralised. The majority of the crownlords, however, had to remain in the region, quelling their own unrest, one which would gradually show its head. The smallfolk of Duskendale lashed out at the local authority, and although House Rykker managed to escape their anger, Lord Stokeworth was not as fortunate: attempting to parley with the crazed mob, he was shot in the head by an arrow, dragged from his horse and hanged from the nearest tree. It culminated in a decisive showdown at the slopes beneath Thorne Keep, at the **Battle of the Hills**. The Crown levies strained to prevail on the offensive in this terrain, 3,000 versus 5,000 rebels, but ultimately won.

## Battles of the Woods

After the folly of the Red Fork, Lord Bracken took control over their recovering host, which was soon bolstered by the soldiers of House Piper, Butterwell and Vance of Wayfarer's Rest, returning them to their original integrity. Although initially planning to return to the river and attain their revenge, the course was swayed by reports of new groups of rebels (allegedly joined by bandits) emerging out of the White Wood.

The smallfolk of Fairmarket, having demolished their foes once, grew emboldened, departing for the subjugation of other settlements. Lord Blackwood, having gathered all the men he could without allowing the enemies entry further into the Riverlands, took the initiative and rode hard to meet and smash them before their numbers could swell. In a display of great mettle, courage and leadership ability, the **Battle of the Whispering Wood** ended in Rivermen victory, despite the rebels possessing 4,000 warriors over the 800 of Blackwood.

Southwards, Lord Bracken continued on this path towards the forest. Upon

entry, he was assailed by a storm of arrows and a ruthless ambuscade that claimed many lives, including Lord Piper. Swearing vengeance, Lord Vance of Atranta fought the rebels as hard as he could, launching frontal assault after frontal assault against the zealots encamped in the safety of the vegetation. The losses were extreme, but the mob and the bandits were forced to flee. Unarguably the most bloodthirsty conflict of the war, the engagement was dubbed the **Battle of the Red Wood**, for the stunning quantity of blood that was spilled there.

## Aftermath

Rebels, withdrawn from the White and Whispering Wood, fled towards High Heart, to acquire a tactical advantage of the grounds. Unbeknownst to them, Lords Brune and Lychester were lying in ambush. The proceeding combat saw the hills being strewn with the corpses of thousands of smallfolk, the majority of their leadership annihilated, and with the riverlords regrouping from every position, they had nowhere left to run. The **Battle of High Heart** was the denouement of the drawn out revolt.

The spearheads of the rebellion were severely punished, but the Crown, having learned from its mistakes, prohibited the nobility from attempting to stop the spread of R'hllorism through anything but peaceful means. In their try to placate the smallfolk that were still feeling the wounds of their demolished rebellion, restorative efforts were conducted in places like Duskendale, Saltpans and Maidenpool, with a considerable amount of funds going into the restabilisation of infrastructure and industry. Establishments meant to promote the Red God were not outright forbidden, but heavy taxes were placed on such edifices, cutting on most of the incentive for the religion to deepen its roots.