The Black Salt War

Combatants| House BlackfyreHouse FreyHouse Blackwood\*\*House DarryHouse Mallister* + Not approved by Lord Frey

**The Black Salt War** was the name given to the war fought between Riverlords and other actors that began after a slaughter at Raventree Hall. The name was earned after Lord Brynden Blackwood broke the guest right of his guests, Lord Aren Bracken and Lord Axel Tully, slaughtering them at a feast that is now dubbed 'The Black Feast'.

## Prelude

To begin, House Blackwood and House Bracken have been warring for countless centuries. This conflict, however, peaked when the late Lord Hosteen Blackwood claimed his daughter Aryelle Blackwood was raped by Bracken men. This was ultimately denied by the then Lord Morgan Bracken, and eventually escalated to a border dispute at the Teats. After a few skirmishes were fought, Blanetree men ambushed the Lord Morgan and slew him. The new Lord Brynden Blackwood and Lord Aren Bracken were called to Harrenhal to end the conflict. However, the meeting accomplished little, and infuriated the two warring Lords even further.

Following the meeting, Lord Brynden ambushed and kidnapped Lord Aren, torturing him before attempting to remove his hands. Lord Aren eventually escaped.

A few moons later while Lord Bittersteel was in King's Landing to attend the trial of his daughter Daena, Lord Axel Tully called a council together, seeking to overthrow Lord Rhaegar Bittersteel and place himself as Lord Paramount of the Trident. Two of the Lords present were Lords Aren and Brynden. After agreeing to a temporary cease-fire in favour of displacing the Lord 'Rivers' as many came to call him.

However, that all changed on the fateful day in the third moon of 282 AC.

## The Black Feast

Lord Brynden, Lord Axel, and Lord Aren stopped at Raventree Hall on their way to the Crossing to win the Lord Frey's support in overthrowing Lord Bittersteel. However, during the feast, Lord Brynden received a letter from the crown announcing Daena Bittersteel and Rhaegar Bittersteel were found guilty, and Lord Conrad Frey would be named Lord Paramount of the Trident. Upon learning of this, Brynden Blackwood ordered the slaughter of all present Tully and Bracken men, Lords included. Lord Axel and Lord Aren were slaughtered, their corpses stuffed and hung in raven cages above the gates of Raventree Hall. This was the event that sparked the powderkeg that is the Riverlands.

## The Battle of Black Salt

Only over a week after the Black Feast, Tully, Blackwood, Bracken. Piper, Blanetree, Vance clashed. All brothers, family, kin, countrymen. But on this day the met as foes as they stormed into battle, clashing steel and spilling blood for justice, vengeance and survival. In the vanguard, the Steelfin fought like the berserker he was famed to be and soon his beard was dripping with a crimson juice that smelt of iron, not wine. Eyes widened as his sword swung wildly, tearing into the flesh of Blackwood men. Hoster and Brynden Blackwood would watch on as their men fell time and time again, the bodies of their people tripping their own feet as they retreated towards Raventree Hall.

Ser Barristan Bracken would hold the centre, pushing forward against Lord Flement Blanetree. The master swordsman of Stone Hedge fought through the enemy lines, his sworn sword, Ser Brandon Lolliston, falling to Lord Blantree’s sword before Barristan was able to avenge the Knight, slaying the Lord of Blanetree and the vicious canine that attacked upon his call. For an instant, when the battle seemed to be over and the rebel forces would be victorious, Lord Bracken was forced back, but only for a moment before rallying his men to push forward once more and break their enemy lines.

In the rearguard, Lord Arlan Piper held the final line of the rebel forces with Maiden’s Gift leading the way with shimmering ebony steel. Back, back and back. There was nowhere else the Blackwood forces would march as Piper, Vance and their men pushed tenaciously upon the weakened retinue of Raventree Hall. It was made clear in the opening portion of the battle that there would be a clear victor on that day, and it was the rebel forces.

As the battle drew to its close and the forces began to prepare their retreat, Ser Grover Tully fought tooth and nail to break through the enemy lines and past the men that defended their Lord, Brynden Blackwood. Soon, the Steelfin stood before Brynden the Black with sword, shield and eyes like burning thunder. Vengeance stood before him as steel was swung and blood was spilled. Both would bleed but only Brynden Blackwood would fall, saved in the final moment as his brother Hoster leapt his defence and took the final strike of the Steelfin, giving Brynden the chance to escape the battlefield and hide beyond the walls of Raventree Hall. Grover Tully remained unsatisfied as the blood of Hoster Blackwood dripped from his sword. As Lord Brynden had escaped the Steelfin's wrath.