Vale of Arryn

The Vale of Arryn or the Vale is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. It was formerly a sovereign nation ruled by the Kings of Mountain and Vale before Aegon's Conquest. The Mountains of the Moon surround the smaller Vale proper, although the valley's name is often applied to all of House Arryn's realm.

The Vale is ruled by the Arryns from the castle known as the Eyrie. Notable houses of this region include Belmore, Corbray, Egen, Grafton, Hersy, Hunter, Melcolm, Redfort, Royce, Templeton, and Waynwood. Bastards of noble origin raised in the Vale are given the surname Stone.

Geography
The borders of the Vale are held to be the Bite to the north, the Bay of Crabs to the south, the Mountains of the Moon and then the riverlands to the west, and the narrow sea to the east. The Vale consists of various regions: the Vale of Arryn itself; the Mountains of the Moon; the snakewood; the Fingers; and the islands of the Three Sisters, the Paps, and Pebble.

The Vale is located on the eastern shore of Westeros, a land of fertile soil, rivers, and lakes, protected by its largely impassable Mountains of the Moon. The Vale tends to be slightly isolated from the rest of Westeros. Its harsh winters make travel only possible through the mountains during warmer years, and rebellious mountain clans make travel even more dangerous. The Vale can be reached through the high road, which connects the Vale and the riverlands, and is protected by the Bloody Gate.

The mountainous border of the Vale of Arryn proper appears to include the Bloody Gate in the west and the Eyrie and Longbow Hall to the north. The fertile lands within the valley include Ironoaks, Old Anchor, Redfort, and a peninsula containing the city of Gulltown and Runestone. The town of Wickenden is located along the Bay of Crabs, in the mountains south of the valley. Castles north of the Vale proper in the valleys of the Mountains of the Moon and the snakewood forest include Coldwater, Heart's Home, Snakewood, and Strongsong.

People and Economy
The Valemen,the people of the Vale, are known as reliable warriors steeped in honor and the worship of the Faith of the Seven. The knights of the Vale consider themselves the finest in the Seven Kingdoms, and the Valemen consider the Eyrie to be the most beautiful castle of the realm. The island people of the Three Sisters are known as Sistermen.

Some of the people living in the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon have rejected the authority of the Eyrie and live by their own rules. These mountain clans, such as the Black Ears and the Burned Men, are descendants of the First Men who raid unwary travelers and skirmish with the knights of the Vale.

Wheat, corn, and barley is grown in the Vale. Not even in Highgarden do the pumpkins grow any larger nor is the fruit any sweeter. House Waxley is known for producing scented candles in Wickenden. The candles can be scented with nutmeg and other costly spices. There is at least one rock quarry in the Vale, which produces “white stone” suitable for use in castle walls.

The Dance of the Dragons
The Vale would support the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons though the forces of Lady Jeyne Arryn would arrive too late to aid The Lads and Cregan Stark at the Battle of the Kingsroad. Still, they would be welcomed as part of the victory celebrations.

The Falcon's Fight
A few years later in 134 AC, Lady Jeyne Arryn would die of a chest cold in Gulltown, sparking the Falcon's Fight between her heir Ser Joffrey Arryn, Ser Arnold Arryn, and Ser Isembard Arryn of Gulltown. Following the intervention of the Crown via Ser Corwyn Corbray and Princess Rhaena Targaryen and her dragon Morning, Ser Joffrey and his forces would emerge victorious.

The Witch's War
When the call went out in 136 AC for men to march on Harrenhal during the Witch's War, Lord Joffrey Arryn was obliged to answer the call in gratitude for what the Crown did for him. With him marched the strength of Heart’s Home, Longbow Hall, Coldwater Burn, and Strongsong. Once again Ser Corwyn Corbray and Rhaena Targaryen came with the men of the Vale, all of them glad to have their faithful knight and dragonrider with them for battle. They cut through the ambushes and skirmishes that Lord Harte’s Crownlands army could not and Morning burned a path to Harrenhal and allowed for the forces to finally consolidate around Black Harren’s keep. The battle of Harrenhal was fought bravely by the knights of the Vale, who followed their valiant commander Ser Corwyn through the burning gates of the castle when the scream of Morning was heard for miles around. The Witch Alys Rivers and her bandits were killed though the dragon Morning was lost to her magic. The knights of the Vale mourned with Rhaena and Corwyn at the death of the beast though they held their heads high that their beloved princess was still alive.

The Hunt for the Last Dragon
Following the Witch's War, the Vale remained quiet for several years but things would not remain that way. The Mountain Clansmen would up their raids in the following years and many knights of the Vale were lost battling them. Even some of the captured clansmen spoke of a great firebeast in the mountains with a woman with skin of earth on its back. The Crown would investigate these claims and even an occasional sighting of what was thought to be a dragon seen in the mists over the Vale. Still, they would have no real evidence until 144 AC when Lord Arryn was hosting a tourney at the Gates of the Moon when the form of a dragon appeared over the Eyrie. Many of the onlookers scattered though the dragon never came down towards the crowds.

Still the dragon became a threat to the Vale. It raided many farms, stealing sheep, cattle, and pigs from farmers. Assembling the Lords of the Vale in the Gates of the Moon, Lord Arryn ordered his men to form a band to track down the lair of the beast and coordinate a plan to kill it. Several knights and men-at-arms were chosen for the tracking band while the lords planned their next moves. The Stone Crows had been attacked several times by the dragon and begrudgingly aided the Valemen in their quest. The expedition would end with Lord Arryn setting a trap at the Gates of the Moon for the beast and after much destruction, the dragon is slain by Groomsmen Cley, who is granted a bow made from the bones of the beast and is ennobled and granted the Gates of the Moon in perpetuity.

The Blue Dragon Revolt
The revelation in 145 AC by Lord Hightower that Prince Daeron the Daring was still alive was a shock to the realm, though many did not believe it and the Vale was no different. The Blue Dragon Revolt had begun. Having already fought for the Blacks and some suffering defeat in the Falcon’s Fight for being against the Crown, the men of the Vale raised their banners for the Crown and sought to attack the Blues. Unfortunately for them, the revolt would not last long enough for their forces to see battle. By the time that Lord Joffrey and his forces marched down the High Road, Lord Kermit Tully and Lord Benjicot Blackwood had already defeated the rebels in the Riverlands. Still, they joined their forces with the men of the Trident and marched south towards Tumbleton though they would not arrive in time for the battle.

The Culling of the Clans
Following the Blue Dragon Rebellion, the Vale returned to quiet for some years. This too would not last forever as many of the Mountain Clansmen were eager to resume their raiding of the Valemen, having for so long been threatened by the dragon and their new generation grown and ready to prove themselves Raids began in earnest in early 170 when the Lord Belmore and his family were attacked returning home from the Eyrie, taking Lady Belmore and her two daughters hostage and killing Lord Belmore, leaving only the Heir of Strongsong alive. The Lynderlys would suffer an attack during a harvest festival later in the year, leaving several of their knights dead and the Lord’s youngest son crippled. Lord Arryn responded by sending out heavily armed patrols around the main roads and tracks of the Vale, but never seemed to be able to find anything worthwhile. Soon enough he would fall victim to the clansmen, an arrow catching Lord Arryn in the throat as he rode towards Gulltown. The new Lord Arryn quickly took action, sending word to all the Lords of the Vale to raise men and prepare to hunt down the Clans. With the old established connections with the Stone Crows, Lord Truemark was able to determine that the Milk Snakes, Painted Dogs, and Moon Brothers were the ones mainly behind the current series of raids. Lord Truemark informed Lord Arryn who was able to coordinate the assaults with Lords Waynwood, Hardyng, and Royce.

He set up a trap, having Lord Waynwood announce a tourney within a moon’s turn. There he set up a massive tourney field and with numerous pavilions. Lord Arryn had many of the men sneak into the grounds during the knight to disguise their presence. On the opening night of the tourney, there was to be a massive feast and it seemed that the attendees were having a good time when the clansmen attacked. Instead, having been drinking mostly watered down wine or nothing at all, many of the Valemen quickly turned around and engaged the Clansmen. Those hiding in the pavilions sprung out and caught them by surprise. A melee ensued in the camps with many going down on both sides including the Heir of Runestone and the Lord of Longbow Hall. In the end, wounded but not defeated, Lord Arryn slew the Chief of the Milk Snakes while Lord Egen managed to capture the Chief of the Painted Dogs and his sons. The Chief of the Moon Brothers, Ulf the Mighty, managed to flee into the night but was found the next day by a patrol of Hardyng men and run down. With three of the major clansmen chiefs dead or captured, the raids ground to a halt. The Chief of the Painted Dogs, Emmit, flew from the Moon Door within a fortnight and the Vale truly celebrated their victory over the Clansmen in what would come to be called The Culling of the Clans.

The War in the Stepstones
The Vale would participate in the War in the Stepstones, with Grafton ships accompanying the King's fleet to the islands and taking part in the battles, with Lord Grafton being given command of the Vale fleet and taking part in the Battle off Scarwood.

The Conquest of Dorne
The Vale fought in the Conquest of Dorne alongside many other houses of the realm, sharing in the losses and victories along the way. The Vale fleet was once again called into action, joining the remaining Crownlands fleet in the Sea of Dorne, attempting to root out the pirate Sallor Saan before finally catching and destroying his fleet and providing support to those on Ghaston Grey that slew the Vulture King and the remains of his army. Those fighting on land would remain with the King Consort's army in the Boneway, fighting at Wyl and Yronwood and down to Sunspear.