Hightower Trials

The Hightower Trials were a series of trials following the Blue Dragon Revolt. While commonly believed to have only punished the House of Hightower and thereby facilitate the rise of House Costayne, so too were a score of other lords and Houses who fought for the Blue Dragon cause sent to the Wall and ordered to provide wards for the Crown.

Hightower Trials
The Hightower Trials. Often remembered as just that. Though in truth, these trials were not so isolated as to only bring about the downfall of the House of Hightower. The Blue Dragon Revolt needed punishment. The Blue Dragon Revolt needed to be squashed like a bug. And so it was. Lords Flint, Strong, and Swyft sat judge over the trials which followed the Blue Dragon Revolt.

In the wake of the Third Battle of Tumbleton, those rebels under the Blue were already present - for the most part. Lords and Knights named Redwyne, Lefford, and Swann, those from Tarbeck Hall, the Crakehall,  Holy Hall and Ambrose Keep, and so to those named Fossoway, Butterwell, and Risley. Clapped in irons, put atop a mount, and slapped on to the Red Keep, for the Queen’s justice. But not all were marked for the masses. Lord Hightower, aye, slapped in irons he was, and sent on to the Capital, but so too was a raven sent to the Hightower, demanding the presence of all named Hightower within the Queen’s court. So existing by the benevolence of the records of Maester Ollidar of the Hightower, that precise raven scroll persists deep within the Citadel to this day, its words, known wide to Westeros.

''“Hightower, come. Come to King’s Landing. Face the Queen whose father you have slain. Face the kingdoms you have betrayed. Face justice. Come. Come or Oldtown will burn. This promise, made in blood.”''

To this day the hand and authority by which this raven scroll was writ remains unknown. Some singers tell it that on his deathbed, a dying Aegon II penned it himself, others say it was a Lord in his command, any number of them, others tell it as a blatant falsehood, but the maesters of the Citadel know it to be true.

It is said that when the Hightowers received this raven scroll, they were reluctant to leave. But when the High Septon himself spoke, when he, the avatar of the Seven-Who-Are-One gave voice to thought, the Hightowers were stirred. And so it was, the Warrior walking them hand-in-hand, and the Father guiding them, the Mother offering mercy, the Smith set to task to mend these bloodied kingdoms, the Maiden to guard the innocence the children of the Hightower, the Crone to show them the correct path, and the Stranger kept from their door, the Hightowers had confidence, even if their days looked dire.

By the completion of the first day of trials, the truth of it was evident enough. A half dozen Lords, Lefford, Crakehall, Swann, Redwyne, Fossoway, Tarbeck, had all been sentenced to exile on the Wall, and wards had been demanded of all Houses turned traitors in the Blue Dragon Revolt. After another two days, the same would be true for all those other Lords and Knights. It seemed that despite the Green roots of House Swyft, their influence was for null, and their purpose was to legitimise these trials.

Then, the Hightower hour came. Lord Hightower was first. He was not even offered a chance to speak. His rebellion, and that of his House’s rebellion in the Dance were guilt enough, and he was sent to the block with haste. Soon after followed the rest of his House. The men first. Ser Martyn, Ser Garmund, Ser Myles and more. One such Hightower stood out, however, a young knight, lightning blonde of hair, electric blue of eye, chiselled of chin, and bold of word, a Ser Triston Hightower. He was a crowd pleaser, to be sure. But swift enough, did he find himself sentenced to death, as did the rest of his male kinfolk. Beneath the poleaxe of Ser Robin Massey of the Queensguard was his sentence issued; execution. Swiftly did such a defeat dispel any other notions of heroism from the Hightower minds.

In the wake of the executions of some fourteen Hightowers, Oldtown and the Hightower and the Honeywine and all were stripped of those remaining and awarded to the House of Costayne for their leal service. The remaining Hightowers, women and children, were put aboard a Velaryon galley, and sailed back to Oldtown to spend the rest of their days in considered religious service. Or at least, so it was meant to be. Soon enough, word would spread about the kingdoms of a horrible storm off the coast of Tarth, of a ship sunk with no survivors.

Lord Tarth, for his part, was paid handsomely by the Lords Strong and Flint, and to this day, his part remains unbeknownst, forgotten to history.

But.. Oldtown does not forget so easily. For some three weeks, the smallfolk of Oldtown rioted, urged on by the Faith and the High Septon, told to remain stalwart and not permit the hounds of the Stranger through their gates. For three weeks. To this day, the Faith and the Citadel have yet to write a dark word against the Hightowers in their darkest and final hour.