The World of WesterosWesteros is the name of the major continent where Winter Chills takes place. Though much of the continent is inhabited and mapped, there is a large portion of land that remains uncivilized beyond The Wall to the North, so the true size of the continent is still unknown. The north of Westeros is less densely populated than the south. There are five major cities on the continent; in order of size, they are Oldtown, King's Landing, Lannisport, Gulltown, and White Harbor. Geographical Parts of Westeros Westeros is divided into areas, each ruled by a different house, and has different geographical attributes. Each part was one of the Seven Kingdoms, ruled by its own king (except for the Riverlands, who were under the control of the Ironmen at the time of Aegon's conquest). The North The North is the area north of The Neck, and has been ruled by House Stark from Winterfell, first as Kings of the North and later under Aegon, for thousands of years. Most of its residents still follow the Old Gods, but some, mainly around the area of White Harbor, have taken the faith of the Seven. Its northern border is The Wall, guarded by the Night's Watch. The Neck The Neck is small triangle of swampland immediately south of the North, and sworn to it. The Iron Islands The Iron Islands are a group of seven islands in Ironman's Bay, including Pyke, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, and Harlaw, lying off the western coast of the continent The inhabitants of these harsh isles are known as Ironmen in the rest of Westeros, 'The Ironborn' amongst themselves. They are governed by House Greyjoy from Pyke, chosen to rule the Ironmen after Black Harren's line was extinguished during the Conquest. Prior to the arrival of Aegon the Conqueror, the Ironmen ruled over the riverlands and much of the coast of Westeros. The Ironmen are men of the sea, and their naval supremacy was once unmatched. The Seven of the Andals find small favor with the Ironborn, as their allegiance is given to their ancestral Drowned God. The Riverlands The Riverlands are the fertile areas between the forks of the Trident. They are the domain of House Tully of Riverrun. The Tullys were never kings of the Riverlands, but were heads of the rebel riverlords who left Harren the Black in favour of Aegon the Conqueror. The Vale of Arryn The Vale is the area surrounded almost completely by the Mountains of the Moon. The Vale is under the rulership of House Arryn, one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility and, before Aegon's conquest Kings of Mountain and Vale. Their seat, the Eyrie, is a castle high in the mountains, small but unassailable. Notable Houses of this region include Hunter, Corbray, Redfort, and Royce. The Westlands The Westlands are the lands to the west of the Riverlands and north of the Reach. They are ruled by House Lannister from Casterly Rock, formerly Kings of the Rock. People of this region are often called 'Westermen'. Lannisport, lying hard by Casterly Rock, is the chief town of the region and one of the great ports and cities of Westeros. The Reach The Reach is the fertile ground ruled by House Tyrell from Highgarden. The Tyrells were stewards to House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach before Aegon's conquest. After the last Gardener King was killed on the Field of Fire, the Tyrells surrendered Highgarden to Aegon and were rewarded with both the castle and the position of overlords of the Reach. One of the largest cities in Westeros, Oldtown, and home of the Maester's Citadel, is in the Reach. The Stormlands The Stormlands are the areas between King's Landing and the Sea of Dorne. In the east they are bordered by Shipbreaker's Bay. Before Aegon's conquest they were ruled by the Storm Kings, and afterwards by House Baratheon, bastard relatives to the Targaryens. Dorne Dorne is the land to the south of the continent. High mountains seperate Dorne from the nearby Reach, and the Dornish Marches are notorious for the intercine warfare between Dornishmen and the Marcher Lords of the Reach. It is ruled by the Dornish Princes of House Martell from Sunspear. Dorne differs from the other kingdoms in that its population has much Rhoynish blood, resulting from the historical migration led by the warrior-queen Nymeria. Also, Dorne is the only one of the seven kingdoms to contain significant areas of desert terrain. Dorne was the last land to be added to Aegon's kingdom - it was brought into the realm via marriage and not conquest, and the members of the ruling House Martell still style themselves "Prince" and "Princess", a result of the strong Rhoynish influence. The current Prince of Dorne is Doran Martell. Categories: WinterChills |
