The Vale of Arryn

"Only 20 years ago, the knights of the Vale rode behind Jon Arryn, Ned Stark, Robert Baratheon. They fought together to overcome the Mad King. And since then, Arryn and Royce, Corbray, Waynwood, all the great houses of the Vale watched from the corner. A timid boy at a tavern brawl...By staying out of the fray, you've allowed Tywin Lannister to destroy his rivals on every compass point."

- Petyr Baelish

The Vale of Arryn, often referred to simply as the Vale, is part of the independent Kingdom of the North and was previously one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms. Prior to the Targaryen Conquest, it was a sovereign nation known as the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale. It is ruled by House Arryn, from the Eyrie. Protected and surrounded by the Mountains of the Moon, the Vale is isolated from the rest of Westeros and is accessible only during warmer seasons.

Bastards born in the Vale are given the surname Stone.

The Vale is where the Andals first landed and spread out from during their invasion of Westeros six thousand years ago, though as settlement patterns became established, the Reach became the main population center and cultural heartland of the Andals. Still, combined with its isolated mountainous terrain, noble families from the Vale are said to have among the purest Andal bloodlines within Westeros. A few noble families from other regions can match them for this, but no other region taken as a whole.

There are many small tribes who inhabit the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon. These tribes are commonly known as hill tribes, and they reject the rule of House Arryn. Although they are dangerous to passing travelers, their lack of organization and less advanced weapons means they pose no real threat to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.

Geography
Unlike the Westerlands, which have gently rolling mountains, the mountains of the Vale are much less hospitable and more difficult to traverse. Further, while the mountains of the Westerlands are filled with precious metals such as gold, the mountains of the Vale are not particularly rich in resources. The valleys scattered between the harsh mountains, however, are as fertile as any in the Riverlands.

Castles

 * House-Arryn-Main-Shield.PNG The Eyrie, the regional capital and the seat of House Arryn.
 * Bloody Gate, a stronghold on the road to the Eyrie.
 * House-Royce-Main-Shield.PNG Runestone, the seat of House Royce.
 * House-Waynwood-Shield.PNG Ironoaks, the seat of House Waynwood, located east of the Eyrie on the coast of the Narrow Sea.
 * House-Baelish-Main-Shield.PNG Baelish Keep, the seat of House Baelish, located northeast of the Eyrie on the smallest of The Fingers.
 * Redfort, a castle located southeast of the Eyrie.

Towns and cities

 * Sisterton, the biggest town on the Three Sisters.
 * Wickendon, a town in the south of the Vale.
 * Gulltown, the only city in the Vale and a major port.

Regions

 * The Fingers, a series of peninsulas in the north of the Vale.
 * The Mountains of the Moon, the mountain range that dominates the Vale.

Coastal areas

 * The Bite, a bay separating the Vale from the North.
 * The Three Sisters, a group of islands in the Bite.
 * The Paps, an island northeast of the Fingers.
 * Pebble, a small island east of the Three Sisters.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the term "Vale" refers to the entire region ruled by the Arryns, as well as the Vale itself, which runs from the foot of the Giant's Lance almost to the sea,. The Arryns rule the Vale from the castle known as the Eyrie. Before the Andal Invasion, the region was originally known as the the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale. During the time the Arryn dynasty ruled the Vale, the region was also alternatively known as the Kingdom of Vale and Sky.

The people of the Vale, popularly called "valemen", are known as honorable, reliable warriors steeped in honor and the worship of the Faith of the Seven.

Some of the valemen living in the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon have rejected the authority of the Eyrie and exist as little more than clans and tribes of savage warriors, such as the Black Ears and Burned Men. While dangerous to passing travelers, they lack the number and equipment to properly invade or trouble the Vale.

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 to the west and the Narrow Sea to the east.

Castles
 * The Gates of the Moon, a fortress which guards the foot of the Giant's Lance, held by a cadet branch of House Royce.