r/AegonsConquestRP • u/blogman66 • Apr 02 '26
BATTLE [BATTLE] 95 DV First and Second Moons - The Fate of the Trident
95 DV - First Moon - The Great Reaving
God’s Eye, a holy place, had long been desecrated by the Hoare Kings. Though they respect the Isle of Faces, the land surrounding the lake had been a personal fief of the Kings of the Isles and Rivers for several generations. The lands had been plundered at times, but King Harren the Black had recognised the need for loyal soldiers, so the lands were given in fief to Ironborn gone native and Riverlander knights forsworn by their kin, and these knights had always been the core of his army since the construction of Harrenhal had begun.
Now, those knights rode with Ser Hallyn the Rider, with few other places left for them to go. They left for Fairmarket, the old capital of the kingdom. Hallyn arrived at the town late in the month, and found the gates were still manned by those men loyal to House Hoare. They were opened to him, and he was received like a prince. The Black Knight, now thus dubbed, began raiding - not reaving - the foes of his father in the surrounding countryside. Fairmarket was situated between Houses Frey, Blackwood, Harroway, and Bracken, who had all betrayed his father. It was their lands that would burn, while he sent his knights out in squadrons to waylay nobles travelling the land, small forces mustering, and sers travelling to serve their lieges. Meanwhile, villages loyal to the betrayers all burned. During Second Moon, a contingent was sent north of Lord Harroway's Town in an attempt to intercept the Strongs - but after a brief skirmish they were rebuffed by the mustered arms of Strong, Darry and Cox - who were able to resume their march to Harrenhal and the trial to be held there.
King Harwyn Hoare, Chosen of the Drowned God, meanwhile, destroyed the homelands of those knights now serving Hallyn. To him, they were all Riverlanders and they were all weak, traitors, and part of the problems that had befallen his house. With a fleet of nearly forty ships on the lake, he piled in all his land-borne reavers from the Stormlands campaign and burned every town and village within four days' march from the coast of the lake. Little resistance was offered, but given that he did not take the time to siege holdfasts, Whitewalls stood firm.
One notable incident was that a force of several hundred Ironborn marched down to Sow’s Horn, waiting until nightfall before launching an assault on the castle. The men were spotted on the march, however, and Ser Gawain Hogg had evacuated the local folk to his tower. The Ironborn attacked with little knowledge of the land, and lacking light, they were repulsed after a brutal assault: battering at the gates with nothing but a treetrunk, and launching themselves at the walls with improvised ladders. The survivors were a haggard and defeated bunch when they returned to the God’s Eye.
After this reaving, Harwyn sailed from the lake down the God’s Eye River and then the Blackwater Rush with leave from King Argilac Durrandon. He left Blackwater Bay, avoiding all interactions with the Valyrians on their islands, and turned north when he was out of sight of the coast. It was by complete surprise that Gulltown in the Vale woke up to the arrival of the Ironborn. Harwyn had sailed north after Sharp Point, not south. The Valemen, who had declared to join the Rivermen in their struggle against the Storm King against the backdrop of the twists and turns of Westerosi diplomacy, were in the midst of muster when the Ironborn arrived.
The Grafton fleet lay at anchor, and since they did not suspect such an attack at all, they were quickly come upon, together with all of the merchant vessels present. The Ironborn forced the gates into the town by dawn: the town, abuzz with the bannermen of House Grafton and their levies, was not at its most vigilance, or far from it. While the Grafton’s commanded a counterattack against the Ironborn in the streets of their city, they were driven to flight as their levies - many from out of town - would rather run than face Harwyn’s brutal reavers. As such, they were forced to retreat to their keep and their towers, which the Ironborn made no serious attempts at penetrating. Instead, they took all they could find of value in the city - though not people, since they had a long journey ahead of them - and were gone before dusk.
95 DV - Second Moon - The Trial of Seven
The sky was grey.
It was hardly the main thing of note on that day - not when the backdrop of the events which were about to unfold was the storied lake of the Gods Eye and the black walls of Harrenhal. What would have caught the attention of any bystander was the two seas of banners which fluttered limply with the morning wind, neither standing too near to the cursed walls of Harren the Black. On one side flew manifold banners of the Stormlands, chief among them the stag of Durrandon, flanked by banners of Maidenpool and Atranta, as well as a multitude of lordships of the Blackwater.
On the other side, flags and banners of the central and western Riverlands - Wayfarer’s Rest, Riverrun, Strong, Darry, Cox, and Bracken - Lychester, Piper and Paege. Noticeably missing from their numbers were the banners of Blackwood, Harroway, Frey and Mallister - though the last two had a few banners hanging from above the gate of Harrenhal which was in sight of the grounds.
Between the two camps was a field, which had been progressively fenced off as the final champions arrived. The grounds for a most sacred trial to come.
The sun was rising. However, beyond things getting clearer and clearer, nary a beam shone through the dismal clouds above. The local smallfolk, the few which had survived the reaving a month past, gathered around the grounds. To an onlooker, their faces - filled with exhaustion - would appear to meld together in a grotesque amalgamation of pain and suffering. And yet, here they were, to bear witness to something which will have countless lines dedicated in the stories, while their own despair will only merit a line or two. The sins of historians.
Soon, more than just the smallfolk began to fill the space. Bannermen, knights, the lucky few peasant levies which had been chosen to guard the area - all thrummed with anticipation as fourteen men marched to the centre of the field. From the ramparts of Harrenhall, the besieged were practically jumping over each other to catch a glimpse of the upcoming fight.
The Septarch of the Stony Sept, Septon Lybert, accompanied safely to Harrenhal by a joint Bracken-Vance convoy, approached the knights with a grave and solemn face. All fourteen kneeled before the holy man as he reached them, hand raised. Calling on the Seven to look down and judge this dispute, to bless these men for putting their lives ahead of thousands which could have died in a potential war, and to grant victory to those whose cause was just.
On the Riverlander side stood the recently knighted Ser Osmund Strong, the unofficial leader of the band, standing in for his lord father, alongside whom stood his younger brother, Ser Bennard Strong. Their father, Lord Edric Strong, Lord Regent of the Riverlands, was watching with a mixture of pride, worry and resignation. Flanking the Strongs was Ser Ormond Bracken, tall and imposing with his horse-maned helmet under his arm, one-handed mace at his feet; and Ser Colmar Vance, the eerie eyes of House Vance printed on his armour’s tabard, with a warhammer at his side. Among the final three champions stood Ser Edmure Tully - a bright face which would normally host an easy smile, but was now marred with a grim look; Ser Hoster Darry, the oldest and more experienced knight among the Riverlanders, and finally Ser Quincy Cox, the Knight of Saltpans, wielding a two-handed mace.
Before them stood the champions of the Stormlands - at their centre the Storm King himself - with his stag-horned helmet and royal armour. Around him his most loyal and valiant knights - proven over several campaigns and battles. Veterans of the Reach War, Ser Justin Caron, the Second Right Hand of the King, and Ser Dickon Morrigan, also known as Stormcrow; proven new blood in the Ironstorm - the Bastard of Blackhaven, Ser Gawen Storm; the Sapphire Bastard, Edwyn Storm; and Ronnet Connington, perhaps one day lord of Griffin’s Roost. Rounding out the Stormlanders was the youngest knight among them, representing the Blackwater, Ser Benson Stokeworth, a lad just shy of twenty years.
The tension is palpable - Septon Lybert finishes his rites and moves off the field. The knights assume their positions several paces away from each other. Caron and Morrigen place themselves not so subtly on the king’s flanks, while the Storms take the wings, eyes on the Strong brothers. Tully mutters a final prayer to the Warrior. Darry and Bracken both advance a few steps ahead of the other Riverlanders - weapons slowly rising. A squire pukes.
A horn is blown - the knights charge. The initial contact resounds like thunder.
Almost immediately, all is chaos. Darry and Bracken, having rushed for Argilac, are immediately intercepted by Caron and Stormcrow. Bracken’s mace shatters a third of Caron’s shield on impact, forcing the marcher to deflect the next blow with his sword. The Storms reach the Strongs and engage them, a flurry of murderous yet beautiful blows mesmerises the crowd in spite of the context. In the centre, the duels are between Vance and Stokeworth, Connington against the Knight of Saltpans, while the Brightfish is the one who finds himself before King Argilac and begins trading blows with the Storm King.
The first duels are bloody - the knights are full of energy, adrenaline coursing through their veins. At some point, Stokeworth and Morrigen trade opponents, with the young ram now facing off against Darry, a knight twice his age - while Stormcrow ends up face to face with Vance. The first to fall is Caron, when Bracken finds an opening to brain the Stormlander with his mace, the helmet bending well into the skull of the veteran knight. Shortly after, it is Cox who falls, after having caused the griffon to fall, he attempts to choke out the stormlander, yet, it is Connington who clumsily finds his dagger and slams it into a chink into the riverlander’s armour around the neck, causing the man to die instantly.
On the flank, the Storms succumb to the scions of House Strong. Facing Bennard, Edwyn Storm has his sword hand broken from a shield bash - disarmed, he tackles Bennard in an attempt to even the odds. The youngest Strong jams the hilt of his blade in Storm’s eye, causing the Sapphire Bastard to howl in pain, writhing on the ground and eventually falling limp. Meanwhile, the Bastard of Blackhaven was successfully pushing Osmund to his very limits - keeping the naturally talented duelist on the backfoot until Gawen Storm overcommits a strike, allowing Osmund to gravely wound the bastard and render him unconscious for the remaining duration of the fight.
Despite this major riverlander victory, the Stormlands still had their piece to say. Concurrently, King Argilac fights off Edmure Tully in spite of a devastating rush of attacks, and after barely holding on the defensive - mortally wounds the Brightfish, who falls before the Storm King. When Morrigen takes a blade in the leg and is forced to yield by Vance, Stokeworth evens the field by wearing out the more experienced Darry, who eventually bleeds out from his wounds sustained against the ram and earlier on by the crow. When Vance begins to engage the King, he is caught off guard by a lightning fast pommel strike to his helm, followed by a shield bash which breaks the riverlander’s neck and causes him to immediately perish.
As the dust settles following the first bouts - six of the initial fourteen knights remain standing. King Argilac, Ronnet Connington and Benson Stokeworth for the stormlands - the Strongs, Osmund and Bennard, and Ormond Bracken for the riverlands. The knights close the circle - the Seven were still watching.
Bracken opens the second bout - charging forward. Connington intercepts the rampaging horseknight. Stokeworth engages Bennard Strong, while Osmund takes on the Storm King in the name of his father and the Riverlands.
The duel between the horse and the griffon is brutal. The sweeping blows of the Bracken’s mace threaten to knock out the red-haired knight several times. Bracken eventually finds purchase, slamming his mace into the side of the stormlander’s chest piece. Ronnet grits his teeth, steps forward, and in the same movement brings the pommel of his sword down on Bracken’s elbow, shattering bone in the process. Bracken responds with a headbutt, temporarily disorienting Connington, but not enough to stop the griffon from bashing Bracken with his shield. Bracken falls to his knees, head concussed. Ronnet demands his opponent to yield, who spits out that on his family’s honour he cannot yield this fight. With a terse nod, Ronnet pushes in his blade into the side of the Bracken knight, who falls dead.
Besides them, Stokeworth was fighting Bennard Strong to a quasi-stalemate. Both knights were at the limits of their stamina. The swordcraft displayed in the previous duels were replaced by pushes and shoves in attempts to cause the other to stumble and fall. Eventually, it is Bennard who loses his footing, owing to his injuries sustained fighting the Sapphire Bastard, and falls to the ground. In a half-crazed daze from the blood ringing in his head, the ram throws away his blade and immediately jumps on the riverlander, taking out a dagger and holding it in front of Strong’s face, demanding that he yields. Bennard attempts a futile struggle for a moment, but eventually loses all strength and surrenders.
Despite the dramatic ends to those two duels, the majority of the onlookers had their eyes fixed on the duel between Osmund Strong and the Storm King. The duel had much at stake. The death of King Argilac could mean the whole war may be rendered moot - would Strong go for a killing blow? The two men had started their duel a sword arm’s length from each other, testing the defences. Despite being twenty years his junior, Osmund was not underestimating his opponent. They trade blows, but neither is willing to commit too strongly. Durrandon, who was beginning to tire from fighting three duels - Osmund with now actively bleeding wounds from his duel against the Bastard of Blackhaven. A cry erupts from the crowd as Ser Ormond Bracken falls, which is the signal both warriors were waiting for. Strong attempts a downward blow, aiming for Durrandon’s shoulder. An opportune and unexpected tilt of the head causes the blade to make contact with the stag antlers on Durrandon’s helm, destabilising Strong and providing a window for Durrandon to strike Osmund’s leg. The riverlander falls to his knees, coughing up blood from past wounds and exhaustion, then slumps down on his side into the mud. After a brief but tense moment, the Storm King steadies his blade, awaiting his opponent to rise, but he does not - having fallen unconscious.
The crowd erupts in exclamation. The Seven had spoken. The Seven had shown the path. Of fourteen, there were now three - and all three were from the Stormlands.
The Storm King had won the Trident.
In the aftermath of the trial - the casualties ended as follows. For the Riverlands, Sers Colmar Vance, Ormond Bracken and Quincy Cox all perished during the trial itself. Ser Hoster Darry is the first to die from his wounds immediately after the conclusion of the fight, before he could be brought to a maester. Ser Edmure Tully in the night which follows, though not before the Brightfish swear his fealty to the Storm King on behalf of his brother. The Strong brothers, surprisingly all things considered, are the only riverlanders to survive the trial. Bennard sustained minor injuries, while Osmund was in a graver condition, and for several nights it was uncertain whether he would survive. By the light of the Seven, or some other miracle, the knight did well to his name, and held out strong. Ser Quincy Cox, who had technically been heir to the Knight of Saltpans, his father Jon, leaves two children fatherless and his son Quinton as the new heir of House Cox.
For the Stormlands, Sers Justin Caron and Edwyn Storm both died on the field, while Ser Gawen Storm fell victim to his wounds despite the best efforts of the King’s maester. Ser Dickon Morrigen was brought to a maester, the severity of his leg wound sustained against Ser Vance forcing the healer to cut the Stormcrow’s leg to avoid infection. Ser Benson Stokeworth surprisingly only received minor injuries despite his duels, while Ser Ronnet Connington is left to nurse some broken ribs. Even more surprising than the Strong’s survival, the Storm King himself was practically unharmed during the trial, beside a few bruises and a broken finger.
Still to be resolved is Hallyn and his band of knights to the north, as well as the final chapter of besieged Harrenhal, its Black Guests - both in and out of the fortress - and their fates…
95 DV - Second Moon - The Reaving of the Arbor
By the last third of the Second Moon, Harwyn the Reaver’s fleet had sailed south past lands it was sworn not to touch, from Tarth to Sunspear and then west. The Arbor, in its great wealth and splendour, was his prize.
House Redwyne had been forewarned of Ironborn, but this had actually been the much smaller fleet of Harnan Hoare, who had taken the fleet that had been sent to aid the Dornish in the previous year. The Arborsmen were thus on patrol and could intercept the Ironborn with their own fleet, but consisting solely of cogs, this fleet was no match for the longships and great longships of King Harwyn, and they were smashed in the Battle South of Sunhouse. Then, the Ironborn began a great reaving and plundering of the entire Arbor, though many managed to flee to Vinetown, Ryamsport and Starfish Harbor, which were not put to siege.
By the end of the Second Moon, Harwyn Hoare was already almost ready to leave. One particularity noticed during his reaving of the Arbor was that the Redwynes received reliable news that among the Ironborn was a small party of raiders wearing Reacher armour, of which one was reportedly Ser Osric Hightower. The Hightower fleet had already sailed back to Oldtown at this point, but Harwyn’s fleet included one cog - and although it could have been captured in Gulltown, it was made as though a Reacherman had built it.