Seven Kingdoms

The Seven Kingdoms is the realm located in the continent of Westeros and nearby islands, ruled by the King of the Andals and the First Men from the Red Keep in the city of King's Landing. Its name dates back to the time prior to the War of Conquest, during which seven independent kingdoms existed in the continent.

History

 * See also War of Conquest

When Aegon the Conqueror embarked on the conquest of the continent from his seat on Dragonstone he had to contend with seven independent realms. These were: the Kingdom of the North, ruled by House Stark from Winterfell; the Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale, ruled by House Arryn from the Eyrie; the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers, ruled by House Hoare from the castle of Harrenhal; the Kingdom of the Rock, ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock; the Kingdom of the Stormlands, ruled by House Durrandon of Storm's End; the Kingdom of the Reach, ruled by House Gardener of Highgarden; and Dorne, ruled by House Martell of Sunspear.

With the aid of his dragons, Aegon managed to conquer all of the kingdoms, except Dorne, which would submit to the Iron Throne a century later. Houses Stark, Lannister and Arryn, which bent the knee to Aegon, were allowed to mantain 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.

With House Hoare eliminated, the kingdom ruled by Harren the Black was divided, with the people of the Iron Islands choosing House Greyjoy as their rulers, the lands surrounding the Trident awarded to House Tully as Lords Paramount of the Riverlands, and the lords of the 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 and Warden of the South.

House Durrandon was extinguished in the male line when King Argilac 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, Lords Paramount of the Stormlands was born.

Despite civil wars, rebellions and the death of the last of the dragons, the Targaryens remained at the government of the Seven Kingdoms for over 280 years until the actions of the Mad King, Aerys II, triggered the civil war known as Robert's Rebellion. At the end of this civil war, Aerys II and most of his family were slain and his surviving children fled into exile in the Free Cities. Robert Baratheon took the throne ruled for seventeen years, beginning a new dynasty whose rule is now challenged.

Government
The Seven Kingdoms is an absolute monarchy ruled by a King, who bears the titles of "King of the Andals 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 King's topmost advisor and, in his absence, holds court and may even sit in the Iron Throne. If the King is a minor and, thus, unfit to properly rule, the government falls in the hands of an appointed Regent, who may be also 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. These positions are:


 * The Master of Laws
 * The Master of Coin
 * The Master of Ships
 * The Master of Whisperers
 * The Grand Maester

The council may extend invitations to other lords to occupy a seat in the council, despite not being an actual "office" for them to fill.

Also below the King and the Hand in terms of authority, but enjoying a great degree of autonomy are the rulers of each region, some of which also hold the title of Wardens and/or Lords Paramount. These are:


 * The Lord Paramount of the North and Warden of the North, title traditionally held by the Lord of Winterfell, the head of House Stark. Rules over the North, including Bear Island,Skagos and Skane.
 * The Lord of the Iron Islands, title traditionally held by the Lord Reaper of Pyke, the head of House Greyjoy. Rules over the Iron Islands
 * The Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, title traditionally held by the Lord of Riverrun, the head of House Tully. Rules over the Riverlands.
 * The Lord Paramount of the Vale and Warden of the East, title traditionally held by the Lord of the Eyrie, the head of House Arryn. Rules over the Vale of Arryn and the Three Sisters.
 * The Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and Warden of the West, title traditionally held by the Lord of Casterly Rock, the head of House Lannister. Rules over the Westerlands.
 * The Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South, title traditionally held by the Lord of Highgarden, the head of House Tyrell. Rules over the Reach, including the Shield Islands and the Arbor.
 * The Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, title traditionally held by the Lord of Storm's End, the head of House Baratheon. Rules over the Stormlands, including the island of Tarth.
 * The Prince of Dorne, title historically held by the Lord of Sunspear, the head of House Martell.

As mentioned above, the lords of the Crownlands are sworn directly to the Iron Throne, the only exception being the Lords of the Narrow Sea, who rule over the islands of Blackwater Bay, such as Claw Isle. For historical reasons, these lords are sworn to Dragonstone, owing their fealty to whoever holds the island fortress.

Culture
The culture and customs of the Seven Kingdoms are heavily influenced by the dominant ethnicity in each of its constituent regions. Four major cultural groups or regions can be distinguished.

The influence of the Andal culture is stronger in "the south", namely in the Vale, Riverlands, Westerlands, the Reach, the Stormlands and the Crownlands. It is in these regions where the tradition of knighthood is more prevalent.

The Northmen, meanwhile, continue to practice the customs and culture of the First Men. For example, whereas in the south the execution of criminals is carried out by headsmen and executioners, in the North tradition holds that "he who passes the sentence should swing the sword".

Despite being blood of both the Andals and the First Men, the people of the Iron Islands developed their own cultural identity. With strong ties to the sea, the Ironborn culture is centered around activities such as piracy and raiding. They believe they have the right to seize by force what they consider necessary - "paying the "iron price".

The Dornishmen, for their part, also retain their own cultural identity, heavily influenced by their intermingling with the Rhoynar people of Essos. Dornishmen practice equal primogeniture and have a reputation for sexual licentiousness.

Religions
The people of Westeros follow several different faiths, of which by far the most dominant is the Faith of the Seven:

The Old Gods of the Forest
The old nature gods worshiped by the Children of the Forest and later the First Men. Still worshiped by the people of the North and a few isolated people, particularly ancient noble houses, in the south of Westeros. The old gods are numerous and nameless. Prayers and offerings are made to the old gods in front of heart trees, great weirwood trees with faces carved into the bark. A tenet of the faith is that the old gods only have power where the heart tree faces can see, and since the destruction of most of the heart trees in the south they have no power there.

The Faith of the Seven
The Faith of the Seven was brought to Westeros by the Andals. The Faith contends there is one god consisting of seven separate aspects: the Mother, the Father, the Warrior, the Smith, the Maiden, the Crone and the Stranger. People worship the Seven in seven-sided churches called septs and are led in worship by priests and priestesses known as "septons" and "septa". The Faith is not only a belief system but also an institution led by the High Septon from the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. The Faith is traditionally intolerant of other religions but has mellowed due to the forced coexistence with the worshipers of the old gods.

The Drowned God
The Iron Islands, separated from the mainland, possesses its own local religion which is not practiced anywhere else in Westeros. The ironborn worship a harsh deity known as the Drowned God, a deity which favors and allegedly rewards those who undertake reaving, war and plunder in his name. The most fanatical worshipers of the Drowned God are "drowned" in salt water and, if worthy, are then revived by the Drowned God's priests. Both in number of adherents and range, the local worship of the Drowned God is much smaller than either the Old Gods or the Faith of the Seven, to the point that when people on the mainland take oaths, they often swear "by the Old Gods [of the Forest] and the New [the Seven]" without mention of the Drowned God.

The Lord of Light
The Lord of Light is a god popular in Essos who is little-known in Westeros. According to its clergy, the red priests, the Lord of Light is the guardian of humanity against darkness, cold and death. He is a merciless god who often demands harsh sacrifices of his followers, but also rewards his true followers with power and life. The Lord of Light has failed to gain a foothold in Westeros in the past thousands of years, and is considered a "foreign religion" from the eastern continent. Still, travelers and migrants from the eastern continent who are currently living in Westeros, often in the major cities like King's Landing, may be encountered in Westeros who worship the Lord of Light. Due to Stannis Baratheon's recent conversion to the Lord of Light religion, many of his followers from Dragonstone island and other islands of the Crownlands lying in Blackwater Bay have also converted to the worship of the Lord of Light.

Justice
In the Seven Kingdoms, justice is administered by the King and/or lords. Penalties for crimes may include scourging, mutilation, castration, or imprisonment. 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 atainted. 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.

Slavery or slave trading is also forbidden, and punishable by death. Thieving is punished by mutilation, while rapists are subject to castration. Bearing steel against a liege lord or refusing to answer a liege lord's summons is also considered a capital offense.

Suspects of crimes are judged by lords or by the King himself. Parties may invoke a trial by combat to prove the justice of their positions. Both parties may fight themselves or name a champion to represent them. The victorious party is held to have been judged to be right by the Seven.

Any criminal, however, may join the Night's Watch to avoid punishment. Those who choose to "take the black" are beyond the reach of law, even a King's edict, as long as they swear the oath of the serve the Watch until death. The punishment for desertion, just like in the case of treason, is death.