The Dragon's Defiance

The Dragon's Defiance was the most recent major civil war in Westeros. The Civil War began after the reigning king, Vaegon I Targaryen, attempted to assassinate his eldest son, Daeron III Targaryen. The assassination was a failure, instead claiming the wife of Daeron, Argella Baratheon. Though the war proceeded primarily in favour of the Loyalist forces, the Rebels saw success after the Sack of King's Landing, where Vaegon Targaryen was betrayed by his Kingsguard, and killed by Vorian Dayne during a duel before the Iron Throne.

The Feuding Dragons
Throughout the kingdom it was well known that the crown prince, Daeron Targaryen, feuded often with his father, Vaegon. Vaegon's cruel acts were often kept from public knowledge by the actions of his son, and Daeron's efforts brought him into regular conflict with his father as the prince tried to prevent his father from taking such courses of action. Over time, the growing intensity of this feud fed Vaegon's paranoia, and the king ordered for Daeron to be assassinated.

During a feast held in honor of the servants of Dragonstone, Crown Prince Daeron’s wife, Argella Baratheon, was poisoned by mistake, while the assassin charged Daeron and attempted to stab him with a dagger, crying out the name of the King while doing so. In response, Daeron sailed to Storm’s End to meet with his good-father, and raise the banners of rebellion.

The Battle of Storm's End
Fighting began in the Stormlands. As the Stormlords rallied to the call of their liege-lord, outraged by the death of Argella, the Crownlands forces led by King Vaegon attempted a rapid assault to end the rebellion before it could properly begin. In the fighting, Lyonel Baratheon clashed with King Vaegon in single combat, but the king was pulled away by his kingsguard before either fighter could be struck down.

In the end, the numerically-superior Crownlands force saw victory and was able to force the Rebel forces back, but could not linger to besiege the castle. In the aftermath, Prince Daeron and King Vaegon both sent letters to the other lord paramounts, asking them to take up their cause.

The Royal Fleet
With the outbreak of war in the Seven Kingdoms, as King Vaegon marched to face the Stormlords outside Storm's End, so too did he send a raven to Driftmark, commanding his nephew, the Lord Lucerys Velaryon, to take command of the Royal fleet and move to guard the Gullet. And so, while the soils of the Stormlands, the Riverlands and much of the Crownlands were stained red with blood on both sides, and the fleets of the Reach and the Stormlands smashed against one another, the Royal fleet sat at rest for the course of the war, diligently guarding the Gullet and Blackwater Bay.

The Battle of High Heart
Answering the call of his King and friend Vaegon, Lord Tyrion Lannister led the banners of the Westerlands into the Riverlands who had chosen to side with the rebel Prince Daeron. The hosts of loyalist and rebel met at High Heart, with the Westermen led by Lord Tyrion and his son Tommen alongside Lord Reyne and the rebels commanded by Lord Tommard Tully and his uncle Axel Tully, along with Lord Dragonfly.

The fighting at High Heart was some of the most intense of the entire rebellion, claiming almost ten-thousand lives as the two sides clashed. However, the Westermen eventually saw victory against their rebellious neighbours to the East.

The Battle of Brindlewood
Having answered the call of Prince Daeron to rebel against his father, the forces of the Vale of Arryn led by Lord Robert Arryn, and accompanied by a volunteer force of Northerners known as The Winter Wolves attempted to make a rapid assault into the Crownlands, but were ambushed by a loyalist force led by King Vaegon at Brindlewood. The rebel forces at Brindlewood were led by Rickon Stark, Robert Arryn and Lord Corbray, while the loyalists were commanded by King Vaegon, Lord Buckwell, and Lord Darklyn.

Despite the loyalist ambush, the rebel forces took great advantage of their greater numbers and were able to repel the assault, though Ser Gwayne Graves and Stafford Lannister were killed in the fighting, while Rickon Stark was captured, and later executed by Vaegon before the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor.

The Assault on Nightsong
Choosing to side with their King, the loyalist Reach led by Harlen Tyrell began an assault against the Stormlands to ensure the Crownlands could not be divided on two fronts by the Stormlander hosts. The Reachmen began their assault at Nightsong. The rebel forces were commanded by Lord Peake, Lord Norridge and Uther Tyrell, while the defending Stormlanders were commanded by Lord Swann, Lord Selmy and Lord Caron.

The Reach's forces struggled to gain any ground in their assault, and despite a valiant effort were repelled by the defending Stormlords, and forced to retreat and regroup before they could continue their assault on the Stormlands.

The Assault on Blackhaven
While the loyalist Reachmen began their assault on the Stormlands at Nightsong, their allies in Dorne began by marching through the Boneway, staging an assault on the castle Blackhaven. The Dornish were led by their Princess, Ashara Martell, along with Lord Wyl and Lord Yronwood, while the rebels were commanded by Lord Dondarrion, Lord Morrigen and Boremund Baratheon.

Once more, the Stormlords proved to be furious when defending their castles, and though the Dornish forces saw greater success than their counterparts in the Reach, they were ultimately forced on the retreat, needing to regroup.

The Battle at Greenstone and Weeping Town
While their assault by land had failed thus far, Harlen Tyrell had chosen to send Lord Redwyne in command of the Reach's fleet to ferry Dornish troops into the Eastern Stormlands, so as to force the Stormlords onto a war on multiple fronts. The force of the loyalist fleet, commanded by Lord Redwyne and the Lords Hightower and Chester met the smaller Stormlander fleet commanded by Ser Lonmouth, Lord Estermont and Lord Tarth.

After fierce fighting, the Stormlander fleet was eventually forced to retreat, ensuring that the Reach would be able to land Dornish troops at Weeping Town. The Dornish land troops, commanded by Lord Jordayne, Mors Martell and Lord Toland met with Ser Mertyns, Lord Wylde and Lord Whitehead in a furious battle, however the rebel Stormlords were eventually defeated, granting the loyalists a foothold in the Stormlands.

The Battle of Summerhall
While the smaller hosts of the Reach and the Stormlands met across the southern territory in the Stormlands, the primary host of the loyalists commanded by Harlen Tyrell, Lord Tarly and Lord Crakehall met with the primary rebel host led by Prince Daeron, Lord Lyonel Baratheon and Lord Connington at Summerhall. Outnumbered, the Stormlords attempted to use the remains of the old castle to the benefit of their defence.

Despite the advantageous defensive position the Stormlanders found themselves in, they fought a loyalist host twice their size, and were unable to beat back the assault after a bloody battle. In the aftermath of the Battle of Summerhall, the Stormlanders primarily focused on regrouping and ambushing the Reach and Dornish supply trains, to prevent further major assaults inland.

The Battle of Ironman's Bay
After seeing the early successes of the loyalist forces, Dalton Greyjoy and the Iron Islands eventually chose to answer the call of King Vaegon, and took the opportunity to begin a reaving campaign against the Riverlands. Bringing the Iron Fleet to Ironman's Bay, the Ironborn met with the combined force of the Riverlords fleet. Led by Lords Drumm, Harlaw and Goodbrother, the Ironborn met the Riverlords fleet led by Lord Shawney, Lord Mallister and his son, Ser Mallister, in an attempt to break through and assault Seagard.

Using their considerable numerical advantage, the Iron Fleet smashed through the Riverlords ships with ease and landed troops around the Castle Seagard to begin the siege of the castle, allowing the loyalist forces to attack more targets throughout the Riverlands.

The Siege of Seagard
Beginning shortly after the Battle of Ironman's Bay, the Siege of Seagard would last for the majority of the Dragon's Defiance as the rebel forces led by Lord Mallister held out against multiple assaults from the Ironborn and the Westermen. The first Storming of Seagard was commanded by Lord Blacktyde, Martyn Lannister and Lord Crakehall, but was repelled with ease by Lords Keath, Mallister and Shawney.

In the aftermath of this failure, the Westermen abandoned the siege and left the effort under the command of the Ironborn, diverting their efforts and attention elsewhere whilst the Iron Islanders continued their attempted assault on Seagard. Farwynd, Harlaw and Wynch were met in the field as the rebel defenders sallied out, but managed to repel the assault, continuing their siege of the castle.

Eventually, the Ironborn attempted another assault on Seagard, using forces from Tawney, Sparr and Harlaw to try and overwhelm the defenders. However, once more the defence commanded by Lord Mallister proved unwavering, as Mallister along with Lord Keath, Ser Heddle and Ser Longbough once more repelled the Ironborn assault, finally breaking the siege in the process.

The Battle of Oldstones
While the siege of Seagard continued, the loyalist forces of the Ironborn and Westermen learned of a rebel host amassing at Oldstones, and combined their forces once more to ensure that the rebels would not be able to use those troops to break the siege or to any other major action. The Rebels had been amassing under the command of Lord Blackwood, along with Lord Bracken and Lord Keath, and in the dark of night they were attacked by Farwynd, Harlaw and Crakehall troops.

Despite having the advantage of surprise and attacking at night, the loyalist forces found great difficulty in the early stages of the assault, especially as the longbows commanded by Lord Blackwood himself rained down upon them. After the loyalists eventually routed, Lord Blackwood earned the title of 'Ravenguard' for his defence of the ruin.

The Battle of Blackwater Rush
After the battle of High Heart, the major hosts of the Riverlords and the Westermen did not meet again until Lord Tully attempted to cut off an advance by the Westermen into the Crownlands to reinforce their king. Lord Darry, Lord Whent and their liege Lord Tully met with Lord Tyrion Lannister, his son Tommen and the men of House Clegane in one of the largest battles of the war.

The fighting at the Blackwater Rush was so fierce that it eventually spread down to the Blackwater itself, with many of the dead drowning after falling into the river rather than being killed by the enemy. Despite extreme casualties on both sides and the routing of Lord Lannister's own section, the Westermen were rallied by Tommen Lannister and saw victory against the Riverlords.

The Battle of Duskendale
After the Battle of Brindlewood, the battles which took place between the Crownlands and the combined forces of the Vale and the North were relatively minor raids and skirmishes, though the great hosts eventually met once more outside Duskendale. With the rebel forces commanded by Lord Manderly, Lord Robert Arryn and Lord Corbray and the loyal Crownlords led by King Vaegon, Lord Hayford and Lord Longwaters.

Convinced he could not beat Lord Arryn as a tactician, King Vaegon led a daring charge straight down the center of the battle with the intention of killing Lord Arryn himself so as to secure victory, but only found himself outflanked and outnumbered as a result. Unable to command his troops from this position, Vaegon and the loyalist troops were once more forced to retreat to King's Landing after a desperate battle.

The Battle of Skull Valley
Attempting to regroup with their Dornish allies further in the Stormlands, a Reach force of twenty-thousand commanded by Lord Harlen Tyrell marched through Skull Valley to meet a Stormlander force half their size, attempting to prevent their advance. Commanded by Prince Daeron, Lord Lyonel Baratheon and Lord Selmy, the Stormlords hoped to prevent the Reachmen led by Lord Tyrell, Edmund Hightower, and Lord Norcross from linking up with their Dornish allies.

Though the Stormlords fought furiously, using the familiar terrain of the valley to their advantage, there was little they could do to overcome such a severe numerical disadvantage, and eventually they were forced to retreat, allowing the Reach to assist their Dornish allies logistically as the Dornish attempted to push further into the Stormlands.

The Battle of Mistwood
After receiving the support from their Reachmen allies, the Dornish troops that had assaulted Weeping Town continued deeper into the Stormlands, meeting a Stormlander force in Mistwood commanded by Ser Mertyns, Boremund Baratheon and Lord Wylde. The loyalist troops commanded by Lord Jordayne, Prince Mors Martell and Lord Toland met the rebels in battle once more, hoping to break through to secure an even greater territorial hold in the Stormlands.

The Dornish narrowly managed to see victory against their Stormlander enemies, but the fighting was extremely severe, resulting in almost ten thousand deaths and crippling the forces of both the defending Stormlords and the assaulting Dornishmen, preventing further major assaults by the Dornish for some time.

The Battle at Red Grass Field
Though a relatively small battle numerically, with only eight thousand of the Reachmen commanded by Lord Tyrell, Steffon Tyrell and Lord Tarly facing five thousand Stormlanders commanded by Prince Daeron, Lord Baratheon and Ser Trant, the Battle at Red Grass Field remains one of the most significant of the Dragon's Defiance. Culminating in a duel between Prince Daeron and Lord Harlen 'The Queenmaker' Tyrell. Though The Queenmaker seemed set to prevail over the Prince and end the rebellion, he was struck down by crossbow bolts, and died in the arms of his squire.

Shortly after the Stormlords and Reachmen called a mutual retreat, and the Reachmen were forced to regroup and reorganise in the aftermath of losing their leader. Reports from the Citadel claim that the date of the Battle at Red Grass Field signalled the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring, a change marked by the Queenmaker's death.

Sack of King's Landing
With the Reach and the Dornish forced to regroup following the battles of Mistwood and Red Grass Field, the loyalist forces regrouping at King's Landing were limited to the Westerlands, the Iron Islands and the Crownlands. As the loyalists began a defence of the city, the rallying rebels began to lay siege to the city, though it seemed clear that neither a proper assault nor starving out King's Landing would be a viable strategy.

Instead, a new plan was posed by Prince Daeron. Disguised as Gold Cloaks, the Prince and a number of Stormlords would sneak into the city and make for the Red Keep, attempting to kill King Vaegon in a duel while the rest of the rebel forces assaulted the city in a distraction. Those lords that took up this mission alongside their Prince opened the Dragon Gate, allowing the Rebel armies entrance into the city to begin the defining and final battle of the rebellion.

The Rebel Forces made early successes as they pushed into the city, but it was when they met the Westermen led by the Lion of Casterly Rock that their assault was halted. Commanded by Lord Tyrion and Ser Tommen, the Lannister forces held firm against the Rebels, though unaware of the secret plan that was in play, they held back the assault with a fury, even against the combined forces of the Stormlords, the Valemen and the Riverlords.

After the assault had begun, the Ironborn made landfall from the Iron Fleet moored in Blackwater Bay, reinforcing and outflanking many of the Rebel forces. With the combined effort of the Westermen and the Ironborn it seemed only a matter of time until the Rebels would be forced to retreat, and yet the Stormlords that had joined with Daeron proceeded through the city towards the Red Keep, unknown and unhindered.

In time, the infiltrating rebel force made their way to the throne room, Prince Daeron, Lord Baratheon, Jaeherys Storm and Lords Selmy, Connington, Penrose, Dondarrion and Trant burst into the room to meet King Vaegon, Prince Aegon and the remaining Kingsguard, Lord Commander Aubrey Swyft, Ser Vorian Dayne and Ser Joffrey Buckwell.

The duel before the Iron Throne was fierce, claiming the lives of Ser Aubrey Swyft and Ser Buckwell, and leaving many of the Stormlords that had joined Prince Daeron badly injured as the Kingsguard desperately defended their king. However, despite the successes of the rebels, King Vaegon had engaged his son in single combat, and Prince Daeron seemed doomed to succumb to his father's far greater skill-at-arms. However, mere seconds before King Vaegon could strike the killing blow on his son, Ser Vorian Dayne thrust the sword Dawn into his back, killing him.

With Vaegon's death, the rebel victory was assured, and word was sent across the city for the loyalist lords to surrender to their new king, Daeron Targaryen.

Aftermath
In the aftermath of Vaegon's death, Daeron Targaryen was crowned in the Great Sept of Baelor, and his first act as King was to pardon all those who had taken up arms on his father's side during the Dragon's Defiance. Setting to the reconstruction of King's Landing and many of the damages caused by the war, the war that had engulfed the Seven Kingdoms for a full year and a whole winter seemed to end overnight. The Kingslayer, Vorian Dayne, was named as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard under Daeron Targaryen, and the rest of the Small Council sacked, to be replaced by those chosen personally by King Daeron Targaryen.