Council of Harrenhal

## The Council of Harrenhal

**The Council of Harrenhal** was called late in 298 AA in order to bloodlessly find a solution to the question of the succession of King Tristifer II Fletcher, who perished without a male heir and left only young Mia Fletcher in his bloodline.

## Prelude

Both of King Tristifer II Fletcher's sons would perish at the hands of Ironborn reavers, leaving the King of the Trident in a deep depression. His sole surviving child, Mia, became his heir-- and his failing health indicated that her time on the throne would come sooner rather than later.

Men of House Darry would abscond with the girl, sparking a succession crisis that would command the attention of much of Westeros south of the Neck after the death of King Fletcher. Lord Tully, Lord Mallister, Lord Bracken, Lord Darry, King Andar II Arryn, and Lord Frey would all lay claim to the Throne for separate reasons. Without such a council bloodshed would be imminent, and all agreed to it.

## The Council of Harrenhal

### Attendees

Men of every Kingdom south of the Neck would attend, from representatives of the Dornish Kings to King Andar Arryn, King Gwayne Gardener, King Tyrion V Lannister, King Durran XXX Durrandon, King Jacaerys I Celtigar, and King Alesander I Darklyn, King Ethon l Manning. Lords from across the Trident attended, most notably those who claimed the Throne themselves.

Along with the royals, a collection of nobility from each court alongside their retinues attended as well as the usual camp followers, sutlers, and servants. By the last arrivals, the sprawling campsite beneath the titanic walls of Harrenhal housed thousands of men. A small city had sprung up overnight.

### The First Day

Each of the claimants stood before the assembled nobility and royalty to speak their piece. Andar Arryn delivered an ambling speech, mocked for being overlong. Alliser Tully issued a militant call to arms. Lord Mallister rebuked each of his opponents, sparking multiple arguments between Lord Darry, himself, Lord Bracken, and Lord Blackwood. Lord Bracken's speech, though fiery, awoke only the passions of his ancient rival in Blackwood for the second time in the afternoon. Lastly Lord Frey offered a quiet and largely ineffective speech attempting to unify the quarreling nobles.

Little would be achieved on the first day, as the Council went to a recess after Prince Cedric Dayne received a missive from the Wall begging for assistance in putting an end to the King on the Wall.

### The Second Day

Prince Cedric called together the assembled Kings and spelled out the contents of the message he'd received from the Night's Watch. King Durrandon laughed off the message, stating that no Stormlander would die for a cause the Northmen deemed beneath their notice. King Celtigar and King Lannister concurred. Conversely, King Gardener pledged to empty the dungeons of the Reach and send two hundred volunteers north, while King Arryn pledged a smaller force to the cause.

After the so-called Petty Council the Kings returned to their camps. While life proceeded as normal for the majority of them, there would be bloodshed at the Reachman camp. The Lord-Commander of the Order of the Greenhand would be slain by Lord Eustace Osgrey. Within the day, King Gwayne Gardener would murder one of the claimants of the Trident, Lord Tristifer Bracken, for insulting him. This event would precipitate the end of the Council.

Marching straight to Harrenhal with the body, King Gardener called to him the Lords of the Trident. With King Gardener stating that he'd been attacked by Bracken and had to kill him in defense, the High Septon instructed one of his men to inspect the body-- however the septon found that wounds on Lord Bracken did not support the King of the Reach's story, which set off a firestorm within the castle.

Lord Mallister instructed the Fletcher guards to arrest King Gardener, though they hesitated. The Order of the Greenhand forced a way through them, granting King Gardener an escape. The King of the Reach fled Harrenhal overnight, escaping pursuing Bracken forces and making hard for Tumbleton. The High Septon called at that moment for a vote on the question of King, and the assembled Lords of the Trident elected Lord Mallister to be their King.

Lord Frey would not have it, however, and broke faith with the Trident. He bent his knee to Andar Arryn with no negotiation, swearing fealty to the man who at that very moment had been planning to conquer the Trident. His oaths would place the north of the Trident within easy reach of the Valemen, who now had a reliable crossing over the Green Fork.

For his part King Arryn broke camp and made for the Vale, being intercepted at the Trident by men of House Darry. The resulting Skirmish at the Trident would prove to be the first battle in the renewed hostility between the Vale and the Trident.

King Tyrion Lannister and Lord Alliser Tully would ride for Riverrun the same night. In the space of a day, the Council had dissolved.

### The Third Day

On the morning of the third day the Durrandons struck their camp and rode for the Dusklands at a leisurely pace. The remaining Kings had little to do, and rather quickly the tent city broke down and the assembled nobility began to disperse.

The Riverlords would soon find themselves nearly alone, and they had a war to plan now-- one that would be fought on two fronts, against the Vale and the Reach. They would be receiving no evident help. Lord Tully's ally, the King on the Rock, would not be riding to the defense of those who upset the election against his favored candidate. King Durrandon expressed no desire to engage in a fight against the Reach or the Vale on these terms. With those two gone, there was little hope for help that could rival the might of the Reach.

## References

1. ↑ *The Great Council* https://www.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/90xbio/the\_great\_council\_of\_harrenhal\_298\_aa/e2tsysi
2. ↑ *Cedric I - The Petty Council* https://www.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/91m7py/cedric\_i\_the\_petty\_council/?st=JK1QRPF0&sh=5c570bc5
3. ↑ *The Arrival of the Green Hand* https://www.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/90xy5s/the\_arrival\_of\_the\_greenfist/e2z1srf/
4. ↑ *Making End's Meet* https://www.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/91vp5f/makings\_ends\_meet\_open\_to\_the\_trident/e35982q/
5. ↑ *The Cleansing of Corruption* https://www.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/92g803/the\_cleansing\_of\_corruption\_a\_harrenhal\_council/
6. ↑ *The Cleansing of Corruption* https://new.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/92g803/the\_cleansing\_of\_corruption\_a\_harrenhal\_council/e38xxee
7. ↑ *The Council of the Moon* https://new.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/92r9cg/the\_council\_of\_the\_moon\_planning\_an\_invasion/e3fdtbc
8. ↑ *The Trout Exits Stage West* https://www.reddit.com/r/IronThroneRP/comments/92tcxb/the\_trout\_exits\_stage\_west/