King's Landing

   

Layout

  King's Landing is roughly square-shaped, sprawling across several miles and defended by tall walls. It is dotted with manses, arbors, granaries, brick storehouses, timbered inns, merchant stalls, taverns, graveyards and brothels. There is a fish market. Hundreds of quays can be found in the harbor. Between buildings the roads are broad, lined with trees and branching alleys and streets.   The city covers the north shore of the Blackwater Rush and covers three tall hills, named after Aegon and his two sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys. Aegon's High Hill, surmounted by the Red Keep, the royal castle located in the south-eastern corner of the city, overlooks the bay directly, whilst Visenya's Hill to the west is crowned by the grand Sept built during Aegon's reign. The Hill of Rhaenys in the north is capped by the construction of the Dragonpit over the ruins of the Sept of Remembrance.   Behind the quays outside of the walls, there tend to be ramshackle buildings which extend to the walls. These include bait shacks, pot shops, warehouses, merchant's stalls, alehouses, and prostitution rooms.   Generally, the areas on the higher elevations of the three hills tend to be the wealthier parts of the city, while the poorer areas are the low places in between them. The worst slum in the city is Flea Bottom, a maze of narrow streets and alleys at the bottom of the east side of Rhaenys's Hill (the side facing Aegon's High Hill). There the poorest smallfolk eke out a meager existence, subsisting largely on "bowls of brown", a mystery stew that can include the meat of rats and murder victims, among other things. In contrast, the top of Rhaenys's Hill is the location of the Street of Silk, filled with expensive high-end brothels catering to lords and rich merchants.   The richer areas of King's Landing lie near the Old Gate, the first established gate and thus the first established permenant houses of the entire city.  

City gates

Seven is a sacred number for the Faith, thus the reason Aegon I Targaryen had seven huge gates built as the entrances into the capital of King's Landing. Each is protected by portcullis, heavy doors, and armed guard.   Dragon Gate, leads north to the kingsroad. Iron Gate, leads to the Rosby road. Old Gate. Gate of the Gods. River Gate, known as the Mud Gate by the population of the city, leads south to the kingsroad and the roseroad. Lion Gate, leads west to the Goldroad. King's Gate, outside of which are tourney grounds.  

Notable locations

• The Red Keep, the royal castle located on top of Aegon's High Hill. Within the castle are Maegor's Holdfast and the Tower of the Hand.
• The Grand Sept began construction with the walls of King's Landing and was planned to be larger than the Starry sept, however with the death of Rhaenys the grand Sept was scaled back and a second Sept known as the Sept of Remembrance was built for Rhaenys upon her hill. The grand Sept is located on Visenya's Hill.
• The Dragonpit, a construction site housing the beginnings of a large dome to cover a deep pit where the Sept of Remembrance once stood. Its bronze doors have not been installed but can be seen resting near where they will hang. It is found on the Hill of Rhaenys. The Street of Sisters runs between it and the grand Sept.
• The Guildhall of the Alchemists beneath the Hill of Rhaenys, stretching right to the foot of Visenya's Hill, along the Street of Sisters. Beneath it is where the Alchemists create and store the wildfire.
• Flea Bottom, slum area of King's Landing, a downtrodden area of town. It has pot-shops along the alleys where one can get a bowl of brown. It has a stench of pigsties and stables, tanner's sheds mixed in the smell of winesinks and whorehouses.

 

Streets, squares and other

  Streets:

• The Hook is a long, curved thoroughfare connecting the River Gate to Aegon's High Hill.
• River Row is a street along the southern wall, east of Fishmonger's Square, home to sea captains, fishmongers and others with interest in the harbor.
• Street of Flies contains most of the butchers of King's Landing, many of them in open air stalls that come and go rather than permenant shops however the street holds a number of higher end dedicated butcher shops.
• Sowbelly Row contains brokers of processed meats, unlike the Street of Flies which is fresh meat.
• The Street of Flour contains numerous bakeries. Below the street lies a maze of twisting alleys and cross streets.
• The Street of Looms bursts at the seams with fabric sellers, tailors and seamstresses.
• The Street of Seeds is lined with specialty stores for gardeners or farmers and a handful of apothecaries or herbalists, though the majority of stores and stalls are florists.
• The Street of Silver, lined with any number of businesses, most of them gambling or banking related is a place where silver is lost as much as it might be gained. Some are merchants who specialize in the exchange of foreign currency can be found for sailors or travelers. Games of chance however are the main draw.
• The Street of Steel is where most smiths have their forges. It begins on the west of Fishmonger's Square inside the River Gate and climbs up Visenya's Hill. The higher up one goes, the more expensive the shops. At its top are craftsmen who claim skill with Valyrian Steel, the only of them to be trusted being men of Essos.
• The Street of Silk is a street to the northwest of the Dragonpit lined with brothels of varying expense, notable brothels are the leaking tower, The velvet squeeze and the crimson lantern.
• The Street of the Sisters connects the grand Sept to the Dragonpit. One can find the Guildhall of the Alchemists upon it. It runs straight as an arrow between the hills of Rhaenys and Visenya, from which it gets its name.
• Pisswater Bend is the lowest street of Flea's Bottom and is named for the 'wash' that comes from the shanty town.

  Squares:

• Cobbler's Square
• Fishmonger's Square is a market square inside the Mud Gate.
• Queens market, once named Queen Mina's market, inside the Gate of the Gods.
• Crown square, before the Red Keep’s gates.

  Alleys:

• Eel Alley is located on Visenya's Hill. Inns and taverns may be found here.
• Pig Alley is located on Visenya's hill behind the street of Flies. Despite being named Pig Alley it is used for all kinds of cattle.
• Pigrun Alley is enclosed by tall timber-and-stone buildings whose upper stories lean out so far over the streets that they nearly touch those of the buildings across from them. Pigrun is a across from Pig Alley and is often used to move cattle.
• Weasel Alley
• Coppersmith's Wynd

  Lanes:

• Reeking Lane is a street full of apprentices.
• Shadowblack Lane, a twisty lane that begins at the northern gate of the Red Keep and winds its way down to the foot of Aegon's High Hill.

  Ways:

• The Gods' Way winds up Visenya's hill to the grand Sept.
• The King's Way leads up to Aegon's high hill.
• Blackwater Way is the main street from Fishmonger's Square.
• Hill Street is the path up Rhaenys' hill to the Dragonpit.

  Population   King's Landing has the largest population in the Seven Kingdoms, but it is smaller than towns in Essos such as Selhorys, Valysar, and Volon Therys, let alone the Free Cities. The climate of King's Landing is temperate, cool in winter, warm in summer without reaching an extreme.  

Military

The City Watch of King's Landing is King's Landing's main military formation, in charge of guarding and policing the town and its surroundings. Its men are eight hundred strong. The number being increased in times of need or war. The City Watch was established by Aegon the Conqueror to ensure the safety of not just the people who gathered and built a city around the Aegonfort, the courtiers who mingled among them, but the Royal family as well, however soon enough it was realized a proper dedicated Kingsguard was necessary as well.   The City Watch of King's Landing is an extension of the power of house Targaryen and are clad in blackened leather or in the case of officers, steel armor similar to Targaryen men at arms, but for their duty to the people of the city rather than house Targaryen itself they lack the distinctive red accents, trading them for a royal touch through cloth of gold (or gold dyed linen in the case of the less distinguished men) for their service to the Iron Throne and the city beneath it earning them the nickname of Gold Cloaks. Common weapons are a dirk, short sword, or an iron cudgel.   The royal fleet guards the entrance to Blackwater Bay, patrolling it and the Blackwater Rush. The royal fleets has also been sent to deal with pirates from the Stepstones when necessary to secure trade along the Narrow Sea.  

History

Founding

Before Aegon's Conquest, the area around the future King's Landing was just hills and forests, claimed by both the Storm King, Argilac Durrandon of Storm's End, and the King of the Isles and the Rivers, Harren Hoare of Harrenhal. During the days of the Hundred Kingdoms, the mouth of the Blackwater Rush had been claimed by many petty kings, including the Darklyns of Duskendale, the Masseys of Stonedance, and various river kings including Blackwoods, Brackens, Fishers, Hooks, and Mudds. Towers and forts had crowned the three hills multiple times, but all had been destroyed during various wars. Only broken stones and overgrown ruins remained when Lord Aegon Targaryen led his army from Dragonstone and landed on the north bank of the Blackwater Rush in 2 BC, where a handful of fisherfolk lived in a small village. Aegon quickly built his first fortress of wood and earth, the Aegonfort, on top of the highest hill.   When Aegon finalized his conquest and was crowned Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, many expected that he would make Dragonstone or Oldtown his capital. He unexpectedly decided to build his capital in the new town growing around the Aegonfort, since it was more centrally located than any other and not part of the former kingdoms, setting the king apart from his new vassals. Aegon foresaw that King's Landing, which became a city in 10 AC, would surpass Oldtown or Lannisport. Trade shifted from Duskendale and Maidenpool, and by 25 AC King's Landing had become the realm's third-largest city, ahead of White Harbor and Gulltown. The following year Grand Maester Gawen and Ser Osmund Strong completed the city walls and seven gates.  

Recent Events

The city was expanded by Aegon's successors. The Red Keep, which replaced the Aegonfort, was completed during the reign of Baelon I Targaryen. During the Faith Militant uprising, Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows seized the Sept of Remembrance killing King Aelyx I and subsequently capturing the Red Keep, which was then under construction. Baelon used Balerion's dragonfire to destroy the sept, and began construction of the Dragonpit atop its ruins.