War of the Five Kingdoms

Illustration of Lodin III at the Battle of Barna

Kingdom of the Stormlands

Kingdom of the West

Kingdom of the Mountainlands

Lord Cyrus Lannister †

Ser Aryin Tyana

Lord Thomlyn Karley

Lord Fredryck Bara

Lord Loren Lannister

King Tarmar III

Lord Robyn Martel

Lord Saryn Tarbeck †

The **War of the Five Kingdoms** was a major conflict between the Five Kingdoms of the Andal Peninsula which was split between the Gold Alliance and the Blue Alliance. This was the largest conflict in Andal Peninsulas history and only conflict ever fought with all Five Kingdoms involved. It would also be known as the war to begin Lannish dominance over the five kingdoms.

## Background

In 43 BT, the Power Wars ended leaving five kingdoms on the Andal Peninsula with Lodin III declaring the Kingdom of Lannistera. However, Lodin wanted to expand his influence along with the King Wilam II of the Stormlands. With this, Lodin began talking with Wilam in secret and created a alliance with the intention of weaking the other kingdoms. However in 41 BT, Wilam II is poisoned leading to Sario I ascending to the throne and rid of the alliance as he wanted to find who was responsible for Wilams murder. Lodin III although felt betrayed, he decided to move forward with his plans. In 40 BT, Lodin III demanded The West to cede territory based on claims of divine right. King Eddard I of The West refused and began mobilizing for war. With this, Lodin III declared war on The West.

## Course of the war

### Opening Moves (40 BT)

After his declaration, 5,000 Lannish forces invaded The West under the command of Lodins brother Cyrus. Lodin decided stay at Lannisport and Casterly Rock knowing the possibility of Castamere entering the conflict. As expected, King Cannis I Reyne demanded Lannish forces to withdraw from The West knowing Lodin only wanted to expand his power. Lodin wouldn't respond to his demands as he began mounting a defense for Lannisport and Casterly Rock. With no response, Cannis began mobilizing Castameran forces. While this happened, Cyrus marched into The West with the goal of taking Westfell with 2 siege towers.

* **Battle of Tay.** When Cyrus reached the village of Tay, a host of 4,000 Western soldiers led by Eddard Martell were waiting for Cyrus. Cyrus not being able to see their true numbers underestimated them as he believed most of the forces would be in Westfell or Red Harbor. With this, he charged into Western lines. But once Lannish forces were in battle with them, 2,000 Western soldiers from a nearby forest would attack the Lannish flank. Seeing this Cyrus immediately called his forces back knowing he had walked into a trap. 2,000 Lannish forces were able to retreat while the rest were either captured or killed along with the Siege Towers being captured.

* **Cannis March on Shaky Road.** As the retreat happened, Cannis began his march to Lannisport and Casterly Rock with 9,000 soldiers. Attempting to go the fastest way he would go on the ancient and dangerous road called Shady Road. Many of his advisers warned against marching on the road but Cannis wanted to get to Lannisport as quick as possible. On the march, his army experienced multiple earthquakes and rock avalanches. By the time they reached Lannisport, 500 were killed with another 500 severely injured and the injured were left behind.
* **Siege of Lannisport.** Once reaching Lannisport, he would laid siege to it in the hopes to not lose any more soldiers. Lannisport however had proper provisions. It wasn't until a raven was intercepted stating the remaining Lannish forces were coming from Tay that Cannis then began a assault on the cities 2,500 defenders. Although outnumbered, Lodin would lead the defenders to being able repel the attack. Eventually Cyrus's forces arrived and smashed into the Castamerans left flank. Although Cyrus was killed in the attack, Castameran forces retreated after suffering heavy loses.

### The War in the South (39 BT)

With Lannisport being able to hold out, Eddard then goes to form a alliance with Cannis II to defeat Lodin known as the Blue Alliance. They both agreed that with Lannisport being able to hold out, that they should take The Landing as it is a symbolic city. Cannis gathers a force of 7,000 and the Castemeran fleet along with Eddard gathering 3,000 forces with the 2 Siege Towers as a distraction to be led by his son Lord Robyn. While Eddard were planning their next moves, Lodin would have Ser Aryin Tyana be in charge of the defense of the Southern part of Lannistera along with him getting the Lannish Fleet as he believed The Landing would be the next target.

* **Battle of Varys.** Most the Castameran Fleet were planned to help in the siege for The Landing and were intentionally behind the main army. Aryin in the night, would ambush the fleet at the Varys Peninsula. Although he had fewer ships, he managed to nearly destroy the fleet. Seeing the battle was lost, the remaining Castameran Ships would attempt to flee the battle.
* **Battle of the Twin Hills.** With the Castamerans advancing, Aryin would have 200 Lannish spearmen hold a choking point called the Twin Hills for as long as possible in order to get more forces into The Landing. Castameran forces would launch many assaults over the course of 4 days with the Lannishmen able to hold out both sides taking heavy loses. A passage way around them was then found and the 200 Lannishmen were wiped out. Castameran forces suffered heavy loses.
* **Battle of Tarlyn Crossing.** The same thing was repeated again this time on the Westerns with a force of 400 Lannishmen. The Lannishmen were able to hold out for 2 days until being overrun and wiped out as the Westerns were more careful with their assaults.
* **Battle of The Landing.** Aryin would arrive to see the defense of The Landing having 5,000 defenders. Once Western and Castameran forces arrived, Aryin would launch a daring Cavalry charge on the Westerns. The charge manage to inflict heavy casualties. Seeing this, Castameran forces attacked the city but to no effect as the walls were too high. The Westerns would then attempt to join the attack using the siege towers but it made no difference. By the next day, the Westerns and Castamerans retreated.

### The War slows down (38 BT - 37 BT)

Although Lannisport was no longer under siege, Lodin was hesitant to invade Castamere or The West but kept 8,000 men along the borders hoping to keep The West and Castamere hesitant from invading his kingdom by land. After The Landing, Eddard and Cannis were preparing for a invasion as they believed the Lodin was mobilizing for a large scale invasion of both kingdoms. Unlike Eddard however, Cannis was looking at the Stormlands as evidence begin mounting of the possibility of the Mountainlands being responsible for Wilam assassination.

Seeing a opportunity, Lodin secretly messaged Sario to form a alliance with him as Castamere would help defend the Mountainlands. Sario reluctant at first eventually decide to join in a alliance known as the Gold Alliance. While this happened, Cannis began talking with King Tarmar III of the Mountainlands of preparing a defense for the Eyrie and invading Storms's End. Lodin in secret amassed a army of 10,000 after him and his brother Loren became convinced to invade Castamere and sent to the border to meet with the bordering army but hid them in the nearby woods totaling his forces to 14,000 and ready to invade Castamere.

### The Lion and Storm strike (BT 36)

Sario would send a force of 2,000 men lead by his brother Fredryck into the Mountainlands while he amassed a real force with Thomlyn Karley to invade Castamere. Believing the invasion of the Mountainlands was real, Cannis had 1,000 men sent to the Mountainlands and another 7,000 for invasion of the Stormlands. With the fake invasion of the Mountainlands, Lodin began his invasion of Castamere.

* **Battle of Barna.** Lodin marched with 14,000 Soldiers into Castamere. He would meet a force of 6,000 Castamerans under the command of Saryn Tarbeck near the village of Barna. Lodin would lead a frontal charge into Castameran lines with his spread out like wings. Saryn didn't expect this and decided to attack the Lodin's left flank. However the wings were thick enough to hold off attacks and slowly Saryn found himself surrounded. Lodin then personally dueled and killed Saryn. The remaining Castamerans were killed.
* **Battle of Stormwood.** Expecting most of his forces to be in the Mountainlands, Cannis planed to take Storms End but in his march would clash with Sarios force of 8,000 soldiers in Stormwood. Knowing the terrain better, Sario had set a defensive position around the woods and had 3,000 of his soldiers outflank the Castamerans. Cannis would then be forced to retreat back to Castamere.
* **Siege of Casta.** After Barna, Lodin began his march to Casta. Cannis would reach first with a force of 6,000 defenders. Sarios would then join Lodins force revealing to Cannis that the Stormlands and Lannistera were in a alliance. Seeing this, Cannis surrendered the city knowing the war was lost and to save Castameran lives.

### The Final Attacks (BT 36)

* **Eddards Invasion.** Hearing of the invasion into Castamere, Eddard would attempt to get Lodin's attention by launching another invasion of Lannistera. He would gather a army of 6,000 and march on the Lannish army by the border which numbered 4,000 men. Hearing of the army coming, Lannish forces mobilized into formation and awaiting to meet the Western forces. Once Westerns reached near the camps, Eddard wanted to attack the next day as he reached the Lannish camps by sunset. Seeing this opportunity, Lannish forces attacked.

* **Battle of the Camps.** Lannish forces would slowly advance on the camp during the night and then surprised attack the Western forces. The Westerns were completely caught by surprise and couldn't mobilize their forces and were scattered around the Camp. In mass confusion, many would attempt to flee. Eddard was captured and decided that the war was lost and officially surrendered.
* **Siege of Eyrie.** Gold forces would advance into Mountainlands and link up with Fredryck to Eyrie which had 7,000 defenders. Once they reached Eyrie, they were then assaulted by 2,000 attackers but they would be able to repel and destroy the attackers with ease. After this, Lodin would have Cannis stand in front of the Eyrie and saying the war was lost leading to Castamerans beginning to try to leave the castle but were stopped by Mountainlanders leading to infighting. The next day, gold forces would attack and take the castle leading to Tarmar being captured.

With the capture of Tarmar, the War of the Five Kingdoms came to a end as Tarmar would surrender his forces.

## Aftermath

### Treaty of Lighttown

With the war won, Lodin would gain territory from both Castamere and The West. Cannis and Eddard would also have to pay 2,000,000 Dragon Coins. For the Sario, he would have all those responsible for the murder of his father from the Mountainlands and the Mountainlands were to pay 1,000,000 Dragon Coins.

The War of the Five Kingdoms was first and only time all the Five Kingdoms engaged in warfare with each other and was the largest war fought on the peninsula with a estimated 70,000 men being involved. Although it was not the deadliest conflict, the death toll was very high for the war and is unknown how many died. The war would have a massive impact on solidifying Lannish dominance over the realm and pave the way for Tyrul Lannister to rule all Five Kingdoms.