The Reach
Geography
The Reach is the most fertile part of Westeros and has numerous and well-populated villages and towns. The Sunset Sea is found to the west, while the hills of the westerlands are to the northwest and the Blackwater Rush of the riverlands is to the north. The Reach borders the crownlands to the northeast, while to the east and southeast are the stormlands and their Dornish Marches. South of the Reach are the Red Mountains of Dorne and the Summer Sea. The Roseroad links Oldtown with King's Landing by way of Highgarden, while the Ocean Road links Highgarden with Lannisport.
The Reach is watered by the immense river Mander and its tributaries, including the Blueburn and the Cockleswhent. The Reach proper is centered around the Mander. Oldtown is located at the mouth of the Honeywine. The region also includes several islands, including the Shield Islands near the mouth of the Mander and the Arbor south of the Whispering Sound and the Redwyne Straits.
People and Economy
The Reach is the second wealthiest region in the Seven Kingdoms behind the westerlands, but it is the most fertile region. Among the products it produces are melons, fireplums, peaches, apples, and grapes. The Arbor is said to make the finest of rich wines, from reds to a golden vintage. Woodharps made in Oldtown are highly sought after. Bride and groom traditionally exchange gifts on the morning of their wedding in the Reach.
Before Aegon's Conquest, the golden coins of the Reach were known as hands. They still exist in great numbers, with each hand coin roughly half the value of a golden dragon.
Notable locations include:
- Highgarden, the castle and seat of House Tyrell, the Lords Paramount of the Mander.
- Oldtown, the most prominent city in the Reach. It is the oldest city in Westeros, home to the Hightower and the maesters' Citadel, and its Starry Sept is the seat of the Faith of the Seven.
- Ashford, a market town.
- Tumbleton, a market town.
- Cuy, a town.
Military strength
The military strength of the Reach is said to be fifty thousand swords, the Tyrells can likely field at some seventy thousand soldiers if necessary. Of their bannermen, House Florent can field two thousand men at best, while House Hightower, has historically managed to field nine thousand men.
Plate armor is commonly used in the Reach, even by men who are not knighted. The Reach has the most knights among their levies of any region.
The naval strength of the Reach is made up mostly out of the Redwyne fleet of the Arbor, which contains two hundred warships. Further naval strength can be found at the Shield Islands, and the coastal lords.
History
House Gardener
The beginnings of the Reach can be traced back to Garth Greenhand, the legendary High King of the First Men who lived in the Age of Heroes. The royal line of House Gardener of Highgarden claimed descent from Garth as do many current houses in the region. What is now the Ravenry of the Citadel is said to have been a pirate stronghold during the Age of Heroes. Beginning from the Reach proper, the Gardener Kings of the Reach expanded north to Old Oak, Red Lake, and Goldengrove, and south to Oldtown, the Arbor, and Horn Hill.
The Reach is the home of mythical warriors and knights such as Serwyn of the Mirror Shield, Davos the Dragonslayer, Roland of the Horn, and the Knight Without Armor.
The Reach is the heart of the chivalric tradition in the Seven Kingdoms, the place where knighthood is most universally esteemed. Tourneys there have the most elaborate and varied rules, and are the most likely to be held for knights only. The greatest champions of the Reach became knights in the Order of the Green Hand. House Peake expelled House Manderly from the Reach during the reign of King Perceon III Gardener.
Dornishmen have warred against the Reach for thousands of years; rivalries include the feud between House Oakheart and House Dayne. Ser Wilbert Osgrey fell defending against an invasion of the Reach by Lancel IV Lannister, King of the Rock. The Kings of the Reach also warred with the Storm Kings of House Durrandon, gradually conquering land from the western stormlands. However, King Garse VII Gardener was slain by King Argilac Durrandon in the Battle of Summerfield. The Dornish Marches, the lands just north of the Red Mountains of Dorne, have long been disputed. The lords of Highgarden count Defender of the Marches amongst their titles, although most of the marcher lords now owe allegiance to House Baratheon of the stormlands.
Recent Events
After Mern IX was turned into a candle on the Field of Fire, House Tyrell, once stewards to Kings, took control of the Reach as a Paramount house under Aegon the Conqueror. One would expect this, and the High Septon’s lack of protest alongside Lord Hightower when Aegon took Oldtown to be a firm base of support for the future of House Targaryen however Aegon’s rule in the Reach was plagued with petty fights between houses that had long coveted the power the Gardeners long held. House Tyrell, despite their long service to the Kings of the Reach proved less than skilled in leadership themselves much to Aegon’s dismay.
Orlan Tyrell, the first Lord Paramount of the Reach was easily guided by his bannermen, often granting tax breaks and excuses from responsibility that left the Reach in absolute chaos. The lesser lords did what they must only out of fear for a return of Aegon and the wrath Balerion had visited upon others. Maesters who look to the Conquest have named The First Dornish war as all that kept house Tyrell in power. Orlan Tyrell proved an exceptional General in the fighting with Dorne, Lord Tyrell led his men from the Prince’s Pass all the way to Sunspear taking hellholt and Vaith along the way and though the fighting was irregular, the Reachland banners practically invincible and gave all credit for this to Lord Tyrell’s foresight, More men were lost to the sun and dehydration than enemy forces. For this skilled advance Lord Orlan was Aegon’s choice to remain and quell the rebellion in Dorne, a choice that no doubt encouraged the later rebellion in the Reach to grow so out of control. Lord Orlan was by all accounts killed during an expedition to put down Dornish rebels near Vaith, he and his men completely vanishing though horses some claimed to be theirs were found sold at Sunspear and Skyreach years later wearing a Dornish style of horseshoe.
Lord Orlan was followed by Keiran Tyrell, a pretty man who had a way with the Ladies known as “Keiran the Gardener” for all the flowers he planted. Under his leadership the Reach became an absolute feast for those who followed the Poor Fellow’s and Warrior Son’s. A genuine rebellion against house Targaryen was raised in 38 AC encouraged by Lord Keiran who thought he might become King of the Reach once the Targaryens were gone, however he underestimated Aegon’s sons and watched in horror from the walls of Highgarden as in the distance as a line of fire cut across the Rose Road killing most of the Reachmen who raised their banners against Aelyx I.
Years later Kieran again underestimated the grit of house Targaryen when news reached him of the Dowager Queen Visenya burning house Ball, Chester, Hewett, Peake and Shermer for continuing to support the Poor Fellows and Warrior Son’s, claiming it was proper punishment under King Baelon’s laws against the Faith. Kieran grew weaker and weaker as months passed with King Baelon and his Mother overseeing trials in Oldtown, trials that took among the many Lords, Kieran’s heir, Mance Tyrell. The news of judgement reaching Lord Tyrell mere days before he passed, not living long enough to see the culmination of the rushed trials, the burnings at Blackfield. It is said that Kieran died from a cancer of spirit according to the Maesters, his daughter, the last of her line giving herself to the sept, passing the house to her cousin Garland Tyrell.
Garland chose not to follow the Reachland Lords who mustered and marched to the Blackwater Fork to fight in Vaenor’s name having seen how such folly ended before. Though Garland understood the hatred they all had for the trials in Oldtown and the godless nature of the King, Lord Garland like the Lannisters sought to undermine the King less publicly, putting his efforts into rebuilding the many lords that Vhagar had left scars upon to have a strong foundation of support for when the time came to raise his banners for one more worthy and clever than Vaenor the Uncrowned.