"Was there ever a war so justly started, yet so pointless all the same?" - Maester Morgan's Accounts of Darklyn's Rebellion.
"Everytime King Maelor puts down a rebellion, he causes two more to start! - A common saying during the reign of Maelor.
Darklyn's Rebellion, Maelor's Last War, the Worthless War, the Last Revolt or the War against the Tyranny of King Maelor, was a two year long, realm wide war that was extremely costly and largely regarded now as worthless. Its ultimate result was the creation of the Regency Council that currently rules the realm.
Prelude to War[]
The reign of Maelor Velaryon was one mired by unrest and warfare, as rebellion after rebellion was crushed, only for another one to flare up somewhere else in the realm.
King Maelor did not fight these rebellions alone, as he also had capable commanders and statesmen at his side. None was more well renowned as Lord Robin Darklyn. Having spent years at King's Landing under both kings, Lord Darklyn was an accomplished statesman and general, having even served briefly as Master of Laws during King Monterys's reign. He was well respected when King Maelor took his crown. But those that knew him well knew his fiery ambition.
Lord Robin Darklyn served his king ably at first. When the Staedmon's Folly broke out, he offered to crush the rebels for Maelor but was denied sole command. This would be the first of many slights, that would only grow in time.
While King Maelor made enemy after enemy for his heavy handed punishments, Lord Robin made friends out of former foes. Robin first made his ambitions known in 190 AC after the death of the Hand, Gerold Tully, where he petitioned the King for the position, but was denied. Instead, the court appointment went to Lord Robert Rambton. The King was by now wary of Lord Darklyn and wished to remove him from court, in order to put distance between him and his allies in the capital. Knowing Lord Darklyn could not refuse an offer of command, King Maelor sent him to put down a budding revolt in the Iron Islands. This dispersed the dangers of civil war for a while.
In 194 AC, Lord Robin was no longer in the capital and had made a strong political move, marrying his daughter to Lord Lannister's son. It was clear by now that battle lines were being drawn. War was inevitable.
War against the Tyranny of King Maelor[]
The latter half of 194 AC was spent by both King and Lord gathering troops. In 195 AC, the actual fighting began when King Maelor ordered Lord Darklyn to disperse his host at Duskendale. In return, Lord Robin began marching his force. When King Maelor called for his loyal vassals, he was shocked to discover just how few allies he really had. In the Crownlands, only the Velaryons of Driftmark and Targaryen of Dragonstone sided with the crown. The rest of the Crownlands joined the rebel cause, many being friends with Lord Robin or political allies with the Darklyns. They had tired of being dragged across the entire Realm by Maelor, putting down revolt after revolt, squashing the conflicts of other kingdoms, which, rightfully, their Lord Paramounts should have dealt with themselves. They would not spill more blood for strangers' wars.
Elsewhere was not so simple, however. The Lannisters obviously declared for Lord Darklyn, while the Riverlands followed their King. The realm seemed to divide once more amongst the line of blacks and greens, though it was less clear cut. While the Baratheons obviously joined their former green allies of Lannister, the Vale was split from house to house. Dorne, ever loyal, immediately began raiding the Stormlands.
The Reach joined the fray on the side of the Crown, though countless revolts had left them exhausted. Some houses simply managed to stay neutral.
As for the North and the Isles, they declared for the King. While the former remained a stalwart supporter throughout, Greyjoy retained only a guise of loyalty, for he was loyal only to himself. His inclination towards opportunism soon showed, as the raids against the Westerlands soon turned into attacks on the Reach.
The Flight[]
Realizing almost right away how tenuous his position was in the capital, Maelor took what forces he had and fled with his army to the Riverlands, to link up with his allies. Lord Robin scored a morale victory by taking King's Landing, but he knew it meant nothing until their demands were met.
His army was around eight thousand strong and immediately marched towards securing his rear. The Royal Navy was grasped before it could flee or scuttle, and was sent to guard the capital from the fleets of Driftmark and Dragonstone. Once that was done, he moved to unite with his Stormlands allies.
Vulture King's Memory.[]
Meanwhile, the Dornish marched with two small armies from the Boneway and the Princes Pass. These two forces were largely cavalry. Catching the Marchers' unaware, countless villages and hamlets were looted and massacred with fierce brutality. Lady Wyl took vengeance for the Sack of Wyl, by burning most of the lands of Lord Caron and sacking Nightsong (Sacking of Nightsong) before retreating back behind the mountains.
Harroway Once More[]
Both sides sought to secure access to their Valemen allies at Saltpans and Harroway. Darklyn's forces dominated Saltpans with ease, but finally met the enemy at Lord Harroway's Town.
Incorrectly called the Third Battle of Harroway's Town by common folk, the two sides clashed and came to a standstill after two days of battle, before both retreating. Lord Darklyn was finally reinforced by Lord Baratheon, Buckler, Morrigen and Estermont. Now with 13,000 men in total, Lord Darklyn forced Maelor to pull back from Harroway, and put both crossings in rebel hands. Though still undefeated in battle, Maelor did not dare try his luck against a numerically superior army with a commander of such experience, unless it was absolutely necessary.
The Lion is Bloodied[]
Lord Lannister assembled an army of 12,000 men made up of troops from House Reyne, Tarbeck, Crakehall and a smaller army of 4,000, led by Ser Swyft and Lord Prester. Mostly light horsemen, these raiders entered the Riverlands to pillage and destroy as much as they could.
The main thrust of the army moved through the Golden Tooth, only to be met by a massive enemy force roughly their size, that defeated them before they could enter the Riverlands, in the Battle of the Golden Tooth. Lord Tully then left a token force and marched to unite with the Starks and the King. By 196 AC, the loyalists had a united army of 16,000. Eventually, the raiding force met with Lord Darklyn outside Harrenhal, bringing him loot, food and gold to pay and feed his soldiers.
The Ironborn Test Their Luck[]
While the realm coalesced into war, the Ironborn fell in line with the crown in order to attack and raid their many foes.
The Ironborn split their forces into two, in order to gamble for more gain. Lord Harlaw led a part of the fleet in the West while Lord Drumm and Goodbrother sailed south.
Initially this plan proved a total failure. Lord Harlaw attacked Lannisport three times, only to break each time, in the Assault of Lannisport. Wishing to try a forth, his men opted for mutiny and killed him, demanding Lord Greyjoy take them south for easier loot. The Lord Reaper agreed and left the West for the rest of the war.
Simultaneously, Lord Drumm and Goodbrother fared no better at first. The lords of the Shields defeated them in a brief skirmish which was the First Battle of Greenshield. This disaster was further compounded when Lord Goodbrother perished from wounds a few days later. However, the Ironborn succeeded when Lord Greyjoy arrived to attack the Shields again. This time they won and the Shield Isles were looted for weeks, after the Second Battle of Greenshield.
Dorne presses the assault.[]
The Stormlords were caught on the back foot at the start of the war, but quickly regained a semblance of order. Lord Caron and Dondarrion were met by Lord Connington, who had orders from Lord Baratheon to repulse the Dornishmen at all costs. Their combined host was made up of 3,000 footmen and 4,000 heavy horse.
This army was commanded by the three lords in the center, right and left, respectively. However, they were far slower than their Dornish foes. By the time they reached the Boneway, they were exhausted. When the army finally stopped to rest, they were beset by Dornish archers and light cavalry. A stray arrow took the life of Lord Connington in the Battle of the Boneway.
The Stormlords were caught at the mouth of the Boneway and were cut off from retreat, by a field army that had marched from Skyreach through the Prince's Pass into the Stormlands.
Lord Caron's Refusal[]
Many in the Stormlands camp suggested surrender, to try and save themselves from total destruction. Lord Dondarrion agreed, but Lord Caron did not. Making a rousing speech to many of his men, primarily the knights, which rallied his demoralised army. Rather than trying to break out and return to friendly territory, Lord Caron marched to Wyl regardless of the losses. Despite heavy casualties, the tired and angry troops stormed the castle Wyl and sacked it a second time within the last ten years in the Second Sacking of Wyl. The violence was not limited to the castle, as villages too were ransacked for days. Rape, murder and scenes of great violence were rampant. Lady Wyl herself was slain during the Sack, alongside her two sons and daughters, though her sisters family survived due to fleeing to Yronwood before the siege.
The supplies, rest and food garnered at Wyl was a respite for the battered troops. After two more weeks of uncontrolled looting, the Stormlanders demanded to return and block off the Prince's Pass as well.
Lord Caron was hailed a hero, but his victory was short lived. They had taken heavy losses and when they attacked the Fowler force gathered during Second Battle of the Boneway, they lost their leader in the fighting, being killed by Ser Timoth Fowler the Owl. The Stormlords retreated with even more casualties back to Blackhaven. Of the 7,000 men gathered at the start, some 1,000 remained alive.
A Realm in Chaos[]
The Hoare King[]
Hagon Hoare, alleged descendant of Harren the Black, and leader of the mummer’s troupe, The Black Lamp, ushered a courtesan calling herself the Black Pearl, across the Narrow Sea for King Monterys’ entertainment. In King’s Landing, Hagon measured the temper of the realm, and found it ripe for internal conflict. Seeing an opportunity to reclaim his supposed birthright, he and a majority of his troupe remained in Westeros, and traveled west, entertaining smallfolk and nobles alike, and recruiting followers. Finally reaching the Iron Isles, he took his troupe to the lands of houses with Hoare blood flowing through their family tree, and surreptitiously planted seeds for an independent Ironborn Kingdom. With the Darklyn rebellion drawing the bulk of the Ironborn forces away from the Isles, he enacted his plan to claim the Hoare throne. His supporters mustered their warriors and ships, and boldly attacked Pyke (Storming of Pyke). Finding a sparsely defended castle, the siege did not last long, and he soon crowned himself King Hagon.
Queen of Queenscrown[]
While the North was occupied down south, the wildling raider Grisella led a raid on Umber lands, but was captured by Arnoff Umber, a third son not of the main Umber line. She impressed him with her ferocity and prowess, and they entered a torrid affair. Eventually, they dreamt big, and decided to take the Gift for themselves. With the majority of the northern forces being engrossed by war, the pair had their plans go fairly unhindered. Her remaining raiders and a contingent of Umber soldiers loyal to Arnoff ravaged the Gift, demanding fealty from the smallfolk, and took Queenscrown as their stronghold.
As, like most Northern forces, the Umber warriors were not available to handle this threat, the Queen of Queenscrown went unchallenged for a considerable period of time. Though Lord Lake courageously challenged Arnoff to single combat, he was instead pelted by arrows and hanged near their new fortification.
Edge of Calamity[]
In the latter part of 196 AC, the Rebels scored several major victories. Lord Darklyn had been manoeuvring all throughout the year, having taken Darry and Stone Hedge without too many losses, as both had been largely emptied to support the Tully armies. Lord Darklyn had yet to be defeated in the field, beating back several Stark-Tully forces, in engagements such as the Battle of Atranta and Battle of Acorn Hall.
The Crown forces in the Riverlands were unable to respond to the immediate threat to Riverrun, for the Second Battle of the Golden Tooth had ended in disaster. An army of ten thousand Lannister men was now marching towards Riverrun.
Despite major gains against the Stormlanders, alongside managing to rally the Rowans of the Northmarch to his cause, Maelor knew the situation was edging closer to collapse. Especially once he heard news of the war in the Vale turning against him. Even worse was when he heard word of Lord Darklyn having taken Fairmarket, in the Storming of Fairmarket.
The Vale: Miasma of Misery[]
When the war broke out in 195 AC, the Vale at once broke down into squabbling factions divided between personal vendettas and support of the Crown or Darklyn. Those that sided with the crown were House Arryn, traditionally tied with the monarchy ever since the Dance. The blacks were obviously larger in count, but anti-Velaryon sentiment still existed, either from personal relations with Robin Darklyn or self serving opportunists.
Led by Lord Coldwater, an alliance of Houses such as Lynderly, Moore, Redfort and Pryor began a war to expand their own personal holdings at the expense of black supporters, though they did not formally declare for Darklyn. While small in number, they were successful because of Corbray's Grudge. Lord Corbray had long been an ally of Lord Darklyn. His grievance with both seahorse and falcon went back to the reign of Monterys the Ruin, as so many other things did.
Lord Corbray's second son, Ser Boros Corbray, had been one of the finest knights in the realm. Near the end of his reign, one of the Kingsguard had died, leaving a spot open. Lord Darklyn had petitioned the King then to name Ser Boros to the white, but Monterys rebuffed the Corbray's and listened to Lord Arryn at the time to name Ser Artos Arryn, the youngest brother of the lord.
Lord Corbray was furious, but was prepared to accept it, until he knew of the insults the king and Lord Arryn named upon Ser Boros. That he could never forgive.
So, when Lord Raymon saw his chance for revenge, he took it. He was joined by Ser Templeton.
House Arryn was supported by most of his vassals and led a large army to oppose the rebels. The fighting would be fierce and brutal. House Corbray allied itself with the opportunist houses to bolster his ranks, largely putting an end to their land grabbing.
Several inconclusive skirmishes were fought until both armies met at the Snakewood. Lord Raymont and Lord Arryn clashed, Ser Boros Corbray fighting in the vanguard (Battle of the Snakewood). Ultimately, the Corbrays won a costly victory and were in no better position. The Arryns had the supplies and the manpower behind them.
So, he decided to take a page from the mountain men, and dispersed his forces throughout the Vale to try and destroy his foe through attrition. The Vale fully descended into a slog of slow, grueling, infighting. For the rest of 195 and 196 AC.
The Collapse: The Sieges of Crakehall and Cornfield[]
Maelor knew that he needed a decisive victory soon. He departed Riverrun with his army, gambling on the Lannisters stopping to take Seagard first. He hoped it would give more time to the Rowans to invade the west from the south, which they were doing.
Though he was unaware of their progress, House Rowan's support was paying in full. The mass wealth and power of the Northmarch fell upon the West and began raiding and looting in force. Lord Rowan and his three sons laid siege to Cornfield on the turn of the year. Soon, it was stormed and in the Hands of loyalists (Storming of Cornfield). Lord Rowan made this his base of command, and soon besieged Crakehall. The castle would not be relieved until the end of the war.
House Lannister's reaction was immediate. They quickly turned around from their march to Riverrun, to defend their southern border. A hastily rallied force of peasant levies were formed to try and stop the invading army, but were utterly crushed in the Battle of Greengrove.
The final clash was approaching, as both sides looked to end the brutal war.
The Valemen Peace[]
After two long years of mountain fighting and attrition warfare, a pitched battle finally occurred between both forces. Led by Ser Royce, a daring assault was led on Coldwater Burn, where Lord Arryn's agents had discovered a mass of enemy troops gathering.
They took the enemy by total surprise. Like battles of old, Ser Boros Corbray clashed with Ser Royce on horseback, valyrian steel clashing in the heat of battle. Their duel went on for hours until finally, Royce struck Boros in the neck, killing him instantly. If the singers are to be believed, it was at this moment the battle was won for the loyalists. However, this is not true. There was in fact another whole day of fighting before the enemy routed, concluding the Battle of Coldwater Burn.
The engagement was a decisive victory and effectively ended hostilities in the Vale. Exhausted, House Arryn decided that neutrality was better for their kingdom, compared to joining the war in the Riverlands.
The War Ends[]
The War Against the Tyranny of King Maelor.
The Worthless War.
Maelor's Last War.
The Last Revolt.
All of the above were many of the names the brutal two and a half year war would be called.
Beneath the walls of Harrenhal, Lord Robin Darklyn and King Maelor Velaryon finally met in a decisive battle. King Maelor had some fifteen thousand men compared to Lord Darklyn's twenty-two thousand, and the rebel leader was confident of his position. Having heard news of the dire state of the West and Stormlands, he knew this was an all or nothing Gambit.
Arranging his army against the King's, the Rebels were prepared to make their stand.
The Battle of Harrenhal was a ferocious one. At first it was an even fight, though near the end of the day, the left wing of the royal army was beginning to crack.
Seeing this, King Maelor rode out with his Kingsguard to personally reinforce and rally his troops. Spotting the royal colors from his position, Robin saw his chance to end the war. With his own personal retinue of heavy horse, Lord Darklyn charged the King.
The two groups of knights fought all night alongside their forces. Despite being an older man, it was said Lord Robin fought like a man three times younger. Some ballads claim the King clashed with the Darklyn lord, but such a thing never occurred.
In one particular breakthrough of the King's lines, Maelor himself almost fell. While it is unclear how exactly each Kingsguard fared, it is known that two were killed and one was missing, most likely slain as well, from the ferocity of the assault pressed by riders from House Payne. It was a sworn knight to the latter, a seven feet tall giant, that nearly put an end to the monarch after his Kingsguard began to melt away. The Knight of Skullfort, having accompanied Maelor in just about every battle, was here for this occasion, too, throwing himself ahead of the King. The two warriors partook in the dance of death and song of steel, both dealing an equal amount of blows. In the last minutes of their duel, the giant knight swung his waraxe, and the tiring retainer could no longer attempt to block nor evade - his left arm was hacked off at the elbow from the power of the swing. Clutching his greatsword with one hand, the now armless Knight of Skullfort lurched a final time, thrusting his blade into his foe's throat. Both men fell, seemingly dead, while the battle continued.
Only when soldiers from both sides began to move with the sluggishness of drunkards from their fatigue did the King launch his final charge. A chaotic vortex of blades, arrows and flesh… Yet it worked. Maelor's knights, their faces covered in blood, armour in ruins, and themselves seeing double, returned to their liege with childish smiles, Lord Darklyn in their shackles.
Maelor, however, was not smiling. There would be no grand execution at King's Landing, no recounting of his great offences, no martyrdom - the King pushed his dagger in Darklyn's neck, and ordered his men to burn the lord's body with the others, in the common pyre.
The war was over.
Final battles[]
News of the peace had not reached certain parts of the realm in time to end the bloodshed.
The battered Lannister host had finally arrived at Crakehall and gave battle, defeating the Rowan host soundly, in the Battle of Crakehall.
The Ironborn, however, had no intention of stopping. The year after taking the Shield Islands was spent reaving the lands of the southern Westerlands, and the entire Reach coastline. A daring attack was even made on Oldtown, but this failed (Assault of Oldtown).
Their loot was short lived, however. The Redwyne fleet had gathered and refitted the survivors of the Greenshield's fleets and smashed the invaders at sea, forcing them back to their islands. Their return was almost even more disastrous. A great Western fleet was prepared to destroy what was left of the enemy armada, but was only stopped by a romanticised plea from a scion of the Kraken, Lord Greyjoy, son of Dagon Greyjoy and Johanna Lannister from years prior.
While the story of Dagon and Johanna remains one of the most popular love ballads of the realm, it was not an appeal to such love that prevented further violence. Lord Greyjoy's acumen was the source of this peace.
Offering Lord Farman a large war indemnity from the Shields, he mitigated much of the damage. Yet, there was the Hoare to take care of, and dealing with him was not as easy. While the Seven Kingdoms celebrated the coming of peace, the Iron Islands were locked in perpetual warfare all across the isles for many more moons to come, until Greyjoy assaulted his own seat (Second Storming of Pyke) and hung the pretender from the walls of the castle by his entrails.
In the North, the Queen's days were numbered. It was the Lord Umber who insisted to punish his traitorous kin personally, and march his army to their stronghold. Tired as the Northmen were, few argued against the nobleman's fervour to take point. His efforts culminated in the Battle of Queenscrown, where the Lord Umber's host took heavy casualties trying to breach the tower, though the worst was yet to come. In the heat of conflict, the two Umbers did not recognise one another, and came to blows, which ended with Arnoff's death, casting the stain of kinslaying on the Lord himself. The loss of his men could be overcome, in time, yet the disgrace would not wash off.
Aftermath[]
The War was a draining, brutal affair. The southern Westerlands and Stormlands as well as the Riverlands and parts of the Reach were devastated. From the ashes the realm sought to rebuild. With the death of Lord Darklyn, the rebels sued for peace. There would be no grand demands or retribution, as neither side could fight any longer.
The greatest victor from the war was Tyrell of Highgarden. Having stayed out of the war for the most part, they had much of their wealth and food stores, utilizing it for great political gain in the aftermath of the war. However, the most major result of the war was the formation of the Regency Council in the last years of King Maelor’s reign. His final years were spent in agony from sickness and his wounds healing poorly. Knowing he would die soon, the King sought to form a ruling council for his son. Distrusting of many of the larger houses due to their support for the Darklyn Rebellion.
Never was there more wasteful a war, for within two years, King Maelor would join Lord Robin in the next life. The war that cost thousands of lives seemed to have ultimately been for nothing.