The War of Piper's Penance

The War of Piper's Penance was fought between the Kingdom of the Reach and the Kingdom of the Trident, after one of King Gwayne Gardener's sons was slain in a tourney by Rodrik Piper. The war lasted two years in length, and saw Pinkmaiden and Acron Hall sacked.

## **Prelude**

In 183AA King Gwayne IX Gardener hosted a grand tournament in his lands, attracting many knights and lords looking to compete. Rodrik Piper, heir to Pinkmaiden, caught wind of this tournament and chose to enter. Knowing that any outsiders would be persecuted, he decided instead to join as a mystery knight. He traveled south and competed in the melee. Making it all the way to the semi-finals, where he faced off against Prince Luthor Gardener, a scion of the royal house. Their battle was one for the history books, but Rodrik ensured it would be remembered when Luthor’s helm came loose and fell from his head. In a flash, Rodrik’s blade open Luthor’s throat. The Prince bled to death right then and there on the battlefield. Enraged, King Gardener ordered the mystery knight arrested.

### **Escape From Highgarden**

Rodrik revealed his identity to King Gardener in a prison cell that knight. The King of the Reach convinced that he must have been a spy sent by Fletcher to undermine the region’s peace. Gardener ordered that Piper’s heir be sentenced to death for the crime of Regicide. Little did King Gardener know, Fletcher’s spies were in the area, just not operating as the King expected. That night, Rodrik was whisked away, smuggled out in a container in a supply caravan heading north.

The King discovered his missing prisoner the next evening and flew into a rage, he demanded that the entire castle be searched and the Heir of Pinkmaiden found. His efforts turned up three of the four spies that had assisted Rodrik in his escape, the fourth having disappeared just like the man in question. Gardener ordered all three men questioned. When that proved worthless he had them tortured. All he received from that was three bodies to replace the one meant to hang.

Gardener ordered the borders closed, and anyone attempting to sneak across arrested. He would have his vengeance against this man if it killed him. Rodrik, meanwhile, spent over a fortnight inside of a box, disguised as a peasant, and sleeping in barns to avoid the wrath of King Gardener. Word began to spread that King Gardener was amassing and army to march on the Riverlands and kill him.

Rodrik eventually made it back into Riverlander territory and a moon after his execution date, returned home to Pinkmaiden. He explained the situation to Lord Petyr Piper, his father. Petyr was not pleased with his son’s actions, and knew that Gardener’s fury would not be easy to stave off.

## **Piper's Penance**

**The Sacking of Pinkmaiden**

Lord Piper wrote his king, Edmyn II Fletcher. The King of the Riverlands resided at Harrenhal and did not take the news lightly. He knew that Rodrik’s delay in returning home meant that Gardener’s army was most likely fully raised and could even be marching at this very moment. Furthermore, Rodrik’s stunt had cost Edmyn his spy influence in the Reach. He summoned the banners and ordered Lord Piper to dig in and prepare for a siege.

Lord Piper did so, preparing Pinkmaiden for an assault. Lords Bracken, Blackwood, Vance, and many others hearing the call and amassing men to march to Riverrun as a staging ground. Lord Brynden Tully himself marching some of his own men to Pinkmaiden to reinforce the dire situation.

King Gardener’s forces arrived not too long after. Pinkmaiden was nowhere near ready for the siege and Gardener knew this. The Reachmen set to work quickly, building rams and ladders. A fortnight later, with the Riverlands army still not in fighting shape yet, King Gardener assaulted Pinkmaiden.

The battle was hard fought, but the sheer number of Reachman overpowered the Riverlander defenders. Lord Petyr Piper and his son Rodrik The Rowdy were both slain in the battle. Rodrik dying to King Gardener’s blade personally. With his vengeance complete, and Lord Tully as a hostage, King Gardener set up Lord Loras Merryweather as temporary regent of Pinkmaiden whilst he marched off to meet Fletcher in the fields.

### **The Riverlands Invaded**

Word reached King Edmyn at Riverrun of Lord Piper’s defeat and death at the hands of King Gardener. Fearing that the Lannisters or Durrandons would seize upon this opportunity, King Edmyn ordered the incomplete army of the Riverlands to march. With Lord Hosteen Mallister, Lord Florian Mooton, and Lord Kermit Frey still not arrived with their armies, Edmyn only number fifteen thousand. Knowing that King Gardener’s host would be stronger, Edmyn would rely on homefield advantage.

Meanwhile, Gardener, still riding the high of victory, marched on Acorn Hall. Much of House Smallwood’s meager forces were with King Edmyn and the King of the Reach took the hall without much issue.

As well as capturing Acoron Hall, a secondary army, lead by Lord Andrik Varner, launched an attack on Stoney Sept. This army was much smaller than King Gardener’s, meant more to pillage than to take Keeps. All the same, Stoney Sept was sacked and Lord Varner used it as a base to continue to plague the Riverlands.

The Army of King Edmyn soon heard news of all these events. Edmyn ordered part of his army split off to retake Acorn Hall whilst the rest would siege Pinkmaiden. Lord Lancel Smallwood and Lord Edward Blackwood leading an army of seven thousand to reclaim the Keep.

### **The Battle of The Smallwood**

King Gardener soon got word of an army approaching and decided to meet it in the field, fully confident that his men could crush the Riverlanders. The Reachmen fully abandoned the Keep and marched west to meet them in the field. A few days journey from the Keep the battle commenced. King Gardener held back, watching the Battle safely away whilst Lord Janos Vyrwel commanded his army. At first it seemed that the Riverlanders were fighting a hopeless battle. Lord Smallwood was slain in the fighting, and Lord Blackwood’s men were on the defensive for most of it.

However, as the battle dragged on, the tide turned when the unexpected happened. Lord Hosteen Mallister and Lord Kermit Frey appeared upon the battlefield with a combined army six thousand strong. With this might they crushed the Reachmen army, killing thousands and taking Lord Vyrwel hostage. Lord Boros Chester, who was amongst the Reachmen, was killed in the battle. Witnessing this, King Gwayne retreated, not for PInkmaiden, but for the Reach. In Stoney Sept, Lord Varner soon found himself under attack as Lord Mooton appeared with his own army. Stoney Sept was liberated from the Reachmean and Lord Varner killed in the fighting. Lord Mooton swept North to link his forces with Mallister and Frey, unintentionally allowing King Gardener to slip back into the Reach.

### **The Siege of Pinkmaiden**

At Pinkmaiden word reached Lord Merryweather of all that had occured. He ordered his men to hunker down, hoping that the remaining Piper family and Lord Tully as a hostage would be enough to deter a forward assault. Edmyn’s army arrived and began to siege the Keep. News reached Edmyn and Lord Merryweather of King Gardener’s defeats and the death of Lord Varner. Now realizing that the day might be lost Lord Merryweather met with Edmyn to discuss surrender. Edmyn wanted Lord Tully and the Piper family returned safely. He would release Lord Vyrwel as a hostage, but Lord Merryweather would need to summon King Gardener to discuss further terms for his own release. Merryweather reluctantly agreed and Pinkmaiden returned to Riverlander control.

## **The End of the War**

King Gardener met with King Fletcher several Moons later. King Edmyn had simple terms. The last of the Reachmen would be freed. King Gardener would pay a large tariff to the Riverlands. King Gardener would also give a member of House Gardener to marry Edmyn. Edmyn would in exchange return the captured Reachmen soldiers and Lord Merryweather. As a sign of good faith as well, Edmyn would give his sister Eleanor to be married to any Gardener of Gwayne’s choosing.

Gwayne reluctantly accepted the terms and the war ended two years after it began.