The upcoming release of 0.5 of WRM will deal with three of the bloodiest periods of time in Westerosi history. It would have been four if I had easy access to some sort of Dragon mount to deal with the Dance of the Dragons, but moving ever onward:
Blackfyre Rebellion
Fifty five years after the Dance of the Dragons, the first civil war fought by the Targaryen dynasty, the realm found itself on the brink of war again. King Aegon IV, forever remembered as the "Unworthy", bestowed the sword of Kings, Blackfyre, upon his eldest bastard son, Daemon Waters. Many saw the blade as representing the monarchy, having been the sword of Aegon the Conqueror and all his subsequent heirs. Aegon's gifting of Blackfyre to Daemon instead of his trueborn heir Daeron Targaryen, was viewed as being the seed from which the Blackfyre Rebellion would grow. Taking his noble name from the sword, Daemon Rivers would henceforth be known as Daemon Blackfyre.
On his deathbed, the Unworthy earned his named, legitimizing all of his bastards on his deathbed. The nobleborn of these baseborn children were known as the "Great Bastards" in which Daemon was numbered, alongside Aegor Rivers, called the Bittersteel, Brynden Rivers, called the Bloodraven, Shiera Seastar, Gwenys Rivers and Mya Rivers. Bittersteel, from the loins of a lady of Bracken, held a deep-rooted hatred for Bloodraven, whom he blamed for his own mother's fall from His Grace's side. Furthermore, the two noble bastards both sought the hand of their half-sister, Shiera Seastar. Although the beauty would never marry, she did have a relationship with Brynden, which fueled the already wrathful Aegor. This anger would see the half-brothers on opposite sides of the subsequent war.
What many consider to be the catalyst for the rebellion was the marriage of Daenerys Targaryen to the Dornishman, Prince Maron Martell. The two, Daemon and Daenerys, loved each other and since he was denied her, Daemon rose in rebellion. Even so, it would not be eight years after the wedding that Daemon I Blackfyre, on the urging of Quentyn "Fireball" Ball and Aegor Bittersteel, claimed the crown of his father, rejecting Daeron Targaryen as a bastard and himself as the legitimate heir.
All the greatest knights in the realm flocked to the Blackfyre banners, choosing the martial charisma of Daemon over the Dornish-loving scholar of King Daeron. Houses which yearned to return to the days of warring with Dorne rose up for the Black Dragon, alongside the knights and warriors who feared the reign of a peaceful king who filled his courts with learned men and women. Perhaps surprisingly, the Highlords of the Boneway, House Yronwood of Yronwood, declared for the Black Dragon.
Making Harrenhal his seat for the duration of the war, Daemon I Blackfyre, the King Who Bore the Sword fought a war which lasted nigh on two years. The realm was split in two, brothers fighting brothers. Eventually, however, Daemon was laid low at the Battle of Redgrass alongside his best generals and the cream of Westerosi chivalry. His line did not end, sparking a continued resistance of Blackfyre supporters in Essos for another century before Ser Barristan Selmy ended the male line on the Stepstones.
In game terms, the factions are as follows:
- House Stark of Winterfell: historically remained aloft of the fighting, instead choosing to pursue the traditional isolationist policy in regards to many of the realm's crisis's. This is probably due to the recent fighting with Raymund Redbeard, King Beyond the Wall. The conflict claimed the life of Lord Stark and thousands of Northmen due to the incompetence of the Lord Commander.
- House Greyjoy of Pyke: historically remained aloft of the fighting, preferring - as Ironborn seem to do - to wait until the greenland was finished with its infighting before pursuing a campaign of reaving and raiding on the western shores.
- House Arryn of the Eyrie: historically supported King Daeron, Lord Donnel Arryn notably commanding the defeated royalist vanguard at the Battle of the Redgrass Field.
- House Tully of Riverrun: historically I do not know, however it can be surmised that even though it was likely Riverrun remained neutral - at least until nearer the end of the war - the vast majority of its vassals would have declared for one of the dragons, if only to reignite old feuds as exemplified by Houses Bracken and Blackwood.
- House Lannister of Casterly Rock: historically fought for the Red Dragon, losing several battles to Ser Quentyn Fireball. Several prominent vassals, Houses Crakehall, Tarbeck and Reyne declared for Daemon, following the lead of two of the greatest knights of the time: Redtusk and Robb Reyne.
- The King Who Bore the Sword: historically, Daemon Blackfyre was referred to as the "Black Dragon" given that his sigil was same as the Targaryens except that the colours were inverted, black on red.
- Daeron the Good: historically the victor of the rebellion, Daeron was rumoured to be the bastard child of Naerys Targaryen and her kingsguard brother Aemon, a claim that Aegon the Unworthy spread in order to gather support for Daemon. He was regarded as the "Red Dragon" in contrast to Daemon.
- House Baratheon of Storms End: historically, only one vassal is known to have fought in the war and that is House Penrose, losing against Ser Quentyn Fireball on the Mander.
- House Tyrell of Highgarden: historically the Tyrell's vassals were split between the two Kings, with some of Daemon's best generals an finest knights coming from the Reach. Such Houses as Hightower and Oakheart split their support between the two claimants.
- House Martell of Sunspear: unsurprisingly, the Martells supported Daeron, providing the spearmen who aided in the victory at the Redgrass Field. Their most powerful vassal, the Yronwoods, declared for Daemon, possibly in order to gain lordship over all of Dorne.
War of the Usurper
Still within living memory, the War of the Usurper saw the downfall of the three hundred year long rule of the Targaryens in favour of the young Robert Baratheon. Caused by the madness of a king and the envy of his heir, the war was one in which the scars are still felt in the realm to the present day.
Lyanna Stark, betrothed to the young Lord Robert Baratheon, was name Queen of Beauty by the Crown Prince, Rhaegar Targaryen, over his own wife, Elia Martell. This action was disapproved of by many, no less Lyanna's brothers and betrothed. Despite this, the realm remained at peace, until it became apparent that Lyanna had not returned home following the Tourney of Harrenhal. Believing that Rhaegar had kidnapped her, Brandon Stark, heir to the lordship of Winterfell rode to the capital with a band of young knights and squires in an effort to retrieve. Calling out for Rhaegar to face him and die, Brandon and his party are arrested for treason and their fathers called to answer the charges. The result was the deaths of Lord Rickard and his eldest son, as well as all the other young knights and squires.
Aerys then demanded that Lord Jon Arryn hand over his wards, Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon so that they too could be executed as traitors. Lord Arryn refused, instead rallying the banners and igniting a civil war which would last close to a year.
- House Stark of Winterfell: historically one of the leading factions at Robert's side, led by the young and untested Eddard Stark, the North would go on to be vital in the rebellion. Lord Stark would become the de facto leader of the rebellion following the Battle of the Trident, where Robert Baratheon's injuries left him unable to command. He would oversee the capture of Kingslanding and the surrender of the Reach.
- House Arryn of the Eyrie: historically the first of the rebels, House Arryn would provide the base from which the rebellion flourished. Without Lord Jon's political skill, the support of House Tully would not have been gained and the aftermath of the rebellion could have seen the Baratheon king removed from power.
- House Greyjoy of Pyke: committed only a limited force to the war, which amounted to a failed attempt to seize the Shield Isles.
- House Lannister of Casterly Rock: remained neutral until it was clear that the rebels would win, Lord Tywin taking an army in to Kingslanding before sacking it, his kingsguard son killing the king and his knights slaying the royal family present.
- House Tully of Riverrun: the most reluctant of the rebel factions, House Tully needed two marriages before being willing to commit any forces. However, several powerful vassals would remain loyal to the King, and others would refrain from providing their support until the end.
- House Targaryen of Kingslanding: Led by a madman who feared his own son, the Targaryens had been reduced to a pale mockery of their former authority. Having alienated his Lannister supporter and almost single-handedly caused the war, King Aerys would die knowing that his line probably would never sit the throne again.
- House Baratheon of Storms End: the de jure leader of the rebellion, House Baratheon would come to provide the figurehead and political legality for the war, turning it from a war to avenge the murder of friends and family as well as the abduction of a bride in to a war of succession. While numerous Stormlander houses would initially remain loyal to the King, Robert defeated the most prominent in three battles which lasted a single day, turning the lords or their heirs to his side with words.
- House Tyrell of Highgarden: both the most powerful and most loyal of the Targaryen supporters, the Tyrells ensured that the entirety of the Reach rallied to the aid of the throne. Inflicting Robert Baratheon's only defeat of the war, Mace Tyrell would go on to lay sieze to the future king's seat, a decision which probably lost Aerys his throne, war and life.
- House Martell of Sunspear: given that they were as dishonoured as Robert by Rhaegar's actions, the Martells were reluctant to remain loyal, only providing soldiers when reminded that one of their own was Princess and married to the Crown Prince.
The War of the Five Kings
Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King, discovered a sinister act of deceit within the capital: the King's children were not in fact his but instead were the result of the incestuous relationship between the Queen and her kingsguard twin brother. Coming to the understanding that his old friend and mentor Jon Arryn had been killed for finding out, Eddard Stark pursued several facepalm-worthy paths of attempting to get the Queen to give up without a fight and seizing the capital with the support of a self-confessed betrayer.
Thrown in the dungeons, Eddard Stark was left with the knowledge that the realm would now descend in to bloodshed. At the forefront would be the Lannisters, Lord Paramounts of the Westerlands and first family of the realm.
I am tired and you know the story. Factions:
- House Stark of Winterfell: Robb Stark has called the banners to rescue his father, marching south of Moat Cailin with an army 18,000 strong. At home, his younger brother Brandon Stark and the old castellan Rodrick Cassel are left to look after the affairs.
- House Tully of Riverrun: with his father incapacitated, Edmure Tully is an untested young man set against the military veteran Tywin Lannister. Currently, the riverlands are stretched thin trying to protect their homes while the westerland armies close in.
- House Arryn of the Eyrie: nominally led by a paranoid and easily-manipulated lady in the name of a weak boy of eight, the Vale has no strong leadership to lead it in this time of crisis.
- House Greyjoy of Pyke: Balon Greyjoy sits in his cold castle, nursing his grudges as only the ironborn or Walder Frey can.
- House Lannister: led by the political and military veteran Tywin Lannister, supported by the gold of the west and with two feet placed firmly in the running of the capital, the Lannisters have a disorganized foe before them. An easy war.
- The King in Kingslanding: A boy of twelve given the crown of a kingdom which spans most of a continent, Joffrey is a cruel and twisted youth whose only redeeming qualities are being tall and strong for his age. The inbred child of Queen Cersei and Lord Commander Jaime Lannister, Joffrey's legitimacy has been called in to question.
- The King in the Narrow Sea: Able to count his vassals on a single hand, Stannis Baratheon has had to strengthen his army with mercenaries and pirates. Disliked and unloved, the Lord of Dragonstone has turned to a red priestess from the east with talks of prophesy and stone dragons.
- The King in Highgarden: marrying Lord Tyrell's daughter, Renly Baratheon has forged an alliance whose military might surpasses that of any possible foe. Marching slowly along the Roseroad, the youngest of the Baratheon brothers is rightly confident of his eventual victory.
- House Tyrell of Highgarden: Mace Tyrell, considered an incompetent general and oaf, has aligned his house with that of the Baratheons of Storms End, setting up a future dynasty to have the blood of roses.
- House Martell of Sunspear: Still licking the wounds received from the War of the Usurper, the Martells have remained aloft of the coming conflict, preferring to make angry remarks about the Lannisters than actually do anything.
К последним двум возможным кампаниям в патчах 0.6+ только картинки превью.
A Clash of Kings
A Feast for Crows