Trial Of The Seven Kingdoms Mod
Tillie
This page includes content relating to the Dunk & Egg novellas, and therefore contains potential spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, as revealed in George R.R. Martin's writings. Anyone wishing to remain completely spoiler free for this prequel series should avoid any pages displaying this tag.
A trial by seven[1] is a variation of a trial by combat. Very rarely, after the accused has demanded a trial by combat, he may also demand a "trial by seven": instead of one man versus one man, two teams of seven men each will fight.
As with a normal trial by combat, the accused and accuser each have to pick six other champions - though each also has the option to not fight in person but to name a seventh man as their personal champion. A trial by seven ends only when all seven men on one side have been defeated (either by yielding or dying).
The Andals believed that if seven champions fought on each side, the gods thus honored would be more likely to see justice done. If a man cannot find six others to stand with him, then he is obviously guilty. There has not been a trial by seven in almost a hundred years.
This article includes content relating to the Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper, and therefore contains potential spoilers for Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper, as revealed in DeadlyMaelstrom's writings. Anyone wishing to remain completely spoiler free for the new show should avoid any articles displaying this tag.
The Seven Kingdoms is the name given to the realm that controlled most of the continent of Westeros and its numerous offshore islands, ruled by the King of the Andals and the First Men from the Red Keep in the capital city of King's Landing.
The name of the realm dates back to the time prior to the War of Conquest, during which seven independent kingdoms existed on the continent. The realm actually consists of nine distinct regions, the remaining two being formally established after the Targaryen conquest, and thus they are not actually considered to be "kingdoms." Regardless, all nine provinces were subject to the rule of the Iron Throne.
Throughout thousands of years of history, the continent of Westeros was often divided amongst a multitude of monarchs and realms, including the so-called Age of the Hundred Kingdoms but over time the land was consolidated into seven major realms.
When Aegon Targaryen embarked on the conquest from his seat on Dragonstone with his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya, he had to contend with seven independent kingdoms formed by the First Men thousands of years ago and later taken over by the Andals during their invasion thousands of years later (with the exception of the North and the Iron Islands; Dorne also later adopted the practices of the Rhoynar when they migrated to Westeros). These were:
With the aid of his dragons, Aegon managed to conquer all of the kingdoms, except Dorne, which would join with his dynasty through marriage a century later. Houses Stark, Lannister, and Arryn, which bent the knee to Aegon, were allowed to maintain their domains, no longer as kings but as Lords Paramount of their respective regions - the North, the Westerlands and the Vale - and Wardens, subject to the authority of the King of the Andals and the First Men.
With House Hoare eliminated, the kingdom ruled by King Harren the Black was divided, with the people of the Iron Islands choosing House Greyjoy as their rulers, lands surrounding the Trident awarded to House Tully as lords of the Riverlands, and the lords of lands surrounding the new capital of King's Landing as direct vassals to the Iron Throne.
House Gardener was also obliterated when King Mern IX perished at the Field of Fire. Mern's steward, Harlen Tyrell, surrendered Highgarden and the Reach to the Targaryen conqueror and was thus appointed Lord of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach, and Warden of the South.
House Durrandon was extinguished in the male line when King Argilac the Arrogant was killed by Orys Baratheon in battle. As a reward for his loyalty, Orys was granted Argilac's domain, as well as his daughter. Thus House Baratheon, the Lords Paramount of the Stormlands and new Lords of Storm's End, was created.
The only one of the Seven Kingdoms not conquered was Dorne in the far south, whose lords learned from the mistakes of the other kings and refused to meet Aegon and his dragons in open battle. Dorne retained their independence for almost two more centuries before joining the realm through a dual marriage with the Targaryens. Because they entered the realm through a marital alliance and not conquest, the Dornish rulers of House Martell have been allowed to continue to style themselves as princes and princesses rather than Lords Paramount, though they are still subject to the authority of the Iron Throne and are not considered to be royalty.
Instead of Oldtown or Dragonstone, King Aegon I Targaryen made the new city of King's Landing the capital of his kingdom, with the swords of his defeated foes made into the Iron Throne. The Crownlands were created out of territory near the mouth of the Blackwater Rush and along Blackwater Bay.
Aegon encouraged included nobles and their children from throughout the land to serve at court, and the Targaryens encouraged marriages between disparate families in an effort to unite the formerly independent realms. Aegon the Conqueror spent much of his reign learning about the peculiarities of each province during his many royal progresses, and he often left alone the laws and customs already in place.
Soon after ascending the Iron Throne, King Aenys I Targaryen was faced with the rebellions of Jonos Arryn in the Vale, Harren the Red in the Riverlands, Lodos the Twice-Drowned in the Iron Islands. Lord Orys Baratheon helped suppress the Vulture King in the Vulture Hunt.
The Faith Militant uprising began during the reign of Aenys I and continued through the reign of his successor and half-brother, King Maegor I Targaryen. Aenys's eldest son, Prince Aegon the Uncrowned, was killed by his uncle in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye. Most of the realm eventually turned against Maegor the Cruel, however, and the king was found dead on the Iron Throne.
Despite numerous civil wars, rebellions, and the death of the last of the dragons, the Targaryens ruled over the unified Seven Kingdoms for over 280 years, some of which saw peace and prosperity, until the actions of the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, triggered the rebellion known as Robert's Rebellion. At the end of this civil war, King Aerys II and most of his family were slain and his surviving children fled into exile in the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea on the continent of Essos.
The Seven Kingdoms are an absolute monarchy ruled by a king, who bears the titles of "King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men," "Lord of the Seven Kingdoms," and "Protector of the Realm." The second most powerful position is that of the Hand of the King, an appointed Lord who serves as the monarch's topmost advisor and, in his absence, holds court and may even sit on the Iron Throne. If the King is a minor and, thus, unfit to properly rule, the government falls into the hands of a Regent, who may be the Hand, the Queen Dowager or another lord selected for the task.
Aiding the King and the Hand in the capital is the small council, a chamber of lords that advise the King and/or the Hand in matters such as economy, intelligence, or law. The permanent small council positions are:
Beneath the King of the Andals and the First Men, the Hand of the King, and the small council, but still enjoying a great degree of autonomy, are the rulers of each region. They are almost all referred to as Lords Paramount of their respective region, with the only two exceptions being Dorne, the ruler being referred to as the Prince of Dorne, and the Iron Islands, the ruler being referred to as the Lord of the Iron Islands. The Lords Paramount are the paternal heads of the Great Houses; each Great House rules a region.
Additionally, some Lords Paramount bear the title of Warden, who are regional commanders sworn to defend the realm from threats posed in and around their region. The four Wardens are the Wardens of the North, the Wardens of the West, the Wardens of the East, and the Wardens of the South.
Below the rulers of each constituent region lie their vassals: lords and landed knights, who rule in the name of their liege lords and are sworn to answer their summons when the need arises. These lords may have, in turn, their own lords and sworn knights ruling over portions of their own lands. The lowest in the social ladder are the smallfolk, or commoners, who make up the majority of the population.
Additionally, in the North, the Wall and the Gift are directly controlled by the Night's Watch and its Lord Commander. The Night's Watch is sworn to remain neutral in the conflicts involving the realm.
Ironically, despite retaining the moniker of "Seven Kingdoms", there are actually nine distinct regions in the area controlled by the Iron Throne - the Riverlands and Crownlands were never their own kingdoms.
In the Seven Kingdoms, justice is administered by the King and/or lords. Penalties for crimes may include scourging, mutilation, castration, excessive tickling, or imprisonment. South of the Neck, where Andal culture is prevalent, punishments are carried out by headsmen, executioners - like the King's Justice in the capital - or knights carrying out the will of their lords. In the North, however, where the ways of the First Men are prevalent, it is expected for lords to carry out sentences personally. Many traditional customs have endured in the regions, although some kings - such as Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Aegon V Targaryen and Daveth I Baratheon - have attempted to reform the realm's laws.
Treason and rebellion may be punished in several ways, such as hanging or beheading, but also by exile or being stripped of lands and titles - which may also extend to the entire family of the one attainted. In the case of nobles, the taking of a close family member, such as a son or daughter, as hostage for the noble's good behavior is also commonplace.
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