Black Succession

The **Black Succession** is the name given to the major succession crisis currently gripping the Seven Kingdoms, having broken out in 461 AC following the assassination of Queen Nymeria I Baratheon, also known as the Black Queen.

The situation is currently on the brink of a three-way civil war for the Iron Throne, between the Royalists; the supporters of Nymeria's heir presumptive, Queen Lyanna II Baratheon, the Legitimists; the supporters of Lyanna's recently resurfaced second cousin, Quentyn Baratheon, and the Traditionalists; Lyanna's paternal half-uncle, Robert Baratheon, and his backers.

Many hope for a peaceful solution, much like the Bloodless War some seventy years prior. Should the crisis lead to war, it would be the first war of succession since the War of the Five Kings and the first major conflict fought on Westerosi soil since the War of the Narrow Sea nearly a century and a half prior.

## History

### Prelude

The seeds of the Black Succession were sown during the later reign of King Robert III Baratheon, the great-grandfather of the current queen on the Iron Throne. Robert's wife, Queen Alysanne Tully, arranged marriages for her children with members of prominent Houses, with her eldest son Rogar Baratheon marrying Jocelyn Stark. When Robert named Lord Tommen Lannister as Hand of the King in 417 AC, he brought his young daughter, Lynora Lannister, with him to court. Jocelyn and Lynora eventually became close friends, and rumours abounded that the two were secret lovers behind closed doors. King Robert died in 426 AC, and was succeeded by his young granddaughter, Lyanna I Baratheon.

A year into Lyanna's reign, the New Daughters War broke out between the Iron Throne's ally, the Three Daughters, and a coalition of the Free Cities. House Baratheon pledged to support the Three Daughters, with Lyanna, Rogar, and Rogar's son Daemon Baratheon crossing the Narrow Sea to fight in Essos.

The childless and sibling-less Lyanna died during childbirth in 429 AC, and was succeeded by her uncle Rogar. Rogar continued the war against the Free Cities, with his son Daemon dying in the Golden Fields in 432 AC. Later that same year, the increasingly hostile Rogar visited Meereen to broker an alliance with the Bay of Dragons. Whilst there, his two remaining children, Raymont and Roslin Baratheon, vanished without a trace. Believing the Meereenese had kidnapped them, Rogar attacked Meereen, but was killed in battle, having only succeeded in turning a potential ally against him.

Back in King's Landing, Rogar's brother Lyonel assumed the Iron Throne and successfully fended off the Valyrian Armada, allowing him to negotiate a white peace with the Free Cities after nearly six years of war. However, less than a month into their reign, Lyonel's own wife, Queen Daella Velaryon, died in childbirth. Lyonel soon after married Lynora Lannister. Jocelyn promptly absconded from court and returned to Winterfell. Jocelyn blamed Lynora for the death and disappearance that befell her children, as well as the deaths of Rogar Baratheon, Daella Velaryon and Alysanne Tully, all of whom had died within a year and who's deaths had positioned Lynora to become Queen Consort of the Seven Kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Raymont and Roslin had in fact fled their father willingly, doing so to both escape from and spite him for his abuse. The two travelled for a time in the Three Daughters and the Free Cities, before returning to the Bay of Dragons. Raymont and Roslin lived off selling jewelry and other valuables Raymont had pilfered from his father's delegation before their flight, and they mostly succeeded in remaining hidden, although sightings of the siblings would often filter back to the Small Council. The two spent around a decade living in Meereen, where Raymont eventually married Kinvara, and sired a trueborn son, Quentyn Baratheon, who was born in 441 AC.

In addition to King Lyonel's eldest by Daella; Steffon Baratheon, Lynora gave Lyonel two more sons during his reign; Robert and Joffrey Baratheon. When Lyonel died in 445 AC after thirteen years on the Iron Throne, Steffon ascended as King Steffon I Baratheon. Steffon's wife, Queen Sharra Arryn, dismissed Lynora from court, sending her back to Casterly Rock, forcing her to leave her young children behind. Lynora died bitter and alone a year later. Steffon ultimately sired two daughters on Sharra; Nymeria and Lyanna Baratheon.

Steffon's reign was far shorter than that of his father, and he died in 450 AC of a burst belly after just five years on the Iron Throne. On his deathbed, Steffon named his elderly Hand of the King, Trystane Baratheon, as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm for Nymeria, who went on to become the youngest monarch ever to inherit the Seven Kingdoms. Trystane died after only a year ruling as regent, and was succeeded by Steffon's half brother Robert. Robert's rule as regent ensured a stable realm but restless court, and he was ultimately unseated as regent by Sharra Arryn in 457 AC, after Robert failed to keep step with the politicking at court.

Prince Raymont died in 458 AC, and the following year, Roslin and Quentyn Baratheon returned to Westeros. Many felt that Quentyn was the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, while others felt he was an outsider with no right to the Iron Throne. Roslin and Quentyn were greeted with hostility in King's Landing, and the two soon departed for Winterfell to be with Roslin's mother, Jocelyn Stark.

### Death of the Black Queen

Queen Nymeria was suddenly and dramatically assassinated in 461 AC whilst riding down the Street of the Sisters. The perpetrator was not caught, leading to accusations and calls to war being levied by and against numerous parties. She was ostensibly succeeded by her sister as Queen Lyanna II Baratheon, although this was almost immediately contested.

Robert felt that the progressive succession laws implemented by his ancestors, King Gendry I Baratheon and Queen Arya Stark, had allowed the realm to descend into political turmoil by placing two little girls in need of regents, ahead of a "strong and capable ruler" like himself. Many agreed, including his relatives at Storm's End, who had taken in Robert and his family following his dismissal by Queen Sharra. Robert had also agreed to marry his daughter Mylenda to Lord Brynden Baratheon's son and heir, Borys, and thus Lord Brynden placed the full support of the Stormlands behind Robert after he proclaimed himself King Robert IV Baratheon in the Round Hall of Storm's End. House Lannister immediately pledged for Robert as the house of his mother, with Lord Loreon Lannister in particular seeking vengeance against Queen Sharra for how she had treated his sister Lynora. House Yronwood also immediately pledged to support Robert, seeing as it would see Robert's wife Nymella Yronwood made queen. House Martell decided to support Robert as well, with Princess Tyene Martell not wanting to see her realm divided, which could potentially see her supplanted by her overmighty vassals, the Yronwoods.

In response, Queen Sharra Arryn's sister, Lady Ella Arryn, declared House Arryn and the Vale for Queen Lyanna. The houses of the Crownlands also supported their overlord, particularly House Velaryon, the house of Lyanna's grandmother. Sharra also reaffirmed a marriage pact with House Hightower, agreeing to marry Lyanna to Ser Harlan Hightower, the son and heir of Lord Lyman Hightower, thus bringing the might of the Reach behind the royalist cause.

Once word reached the North of the happenings in the south, Lord Domeric Stark and his aunt, Jocelyn, immediately began debating who to support; Domeric desired an alliance with Robert against Queen Lyanna, as Sharra Arryn had dismissed him in 457 AC as Hand of the Queen, while Jocelyn refused to ally with the Lannisters and preferred to see her grandson married to Lyanna (unaware that Lyanna had since between betrothed to Ser Harlan). Both were blindsided when Quentyn, with the support of Roslin and many lords in the North, proclaimed himself the rightful ruler. Domeric ultimately decided to bring the North's support behind Quentyn in direct opposition to Lyanna and Steffon, his former friend. In the Riverlands, the populace despised Queen Sharra, while Lord Colmar Tully did not want to ally with the Lannisters, as he too believed Lynora Lannister had killed his relative, Queen Alysanne Tully, eventually leading House Tully to declare for Quentyn. Finally, Roslin secured the support of the Iron Islands under House Harlaw by agreeing to marry the recently widowed Lord Gyles Harlaw.

### War of the Ravens

Four months after the death of Queen Nymeria I Baratheon, the Seven Kingdoms remain divided in three, although no significant fighting has yet broken out. Ravens carrying alliances, pacts, and demands of fealty continue to criss-cross the realm, while riders are traversing the length of the Kingsroad, as King's Landing, Storm's End, and Winterfell attempt to reach a diplomatic and bloodless solution, all while more and more swords are amassing around the claimants every single day.