Vale of Arryn

Vale of Arryn

TheVale of Arryn,^[1] often referred to simply as theVale,^[2] is one of the constituent regions of theSix Kingdoms. Prior toAegon's Conquest, it was a sovereign realm known as theKingdom of the Mountain and the Vale.^[3]

It is ruled byHouse Arryn from their stronghold, theEyrie. Protected and surrounded by theMountains 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 theAndals first landed and assailed from during theirinvasion of Westeros six thousand years ago, though as settlement patterns became established, theReach became the main population center and cultural heartland of the Andals. Still, because of its isolated, mountainous terrain, noble families from the Vale are said to have among the purest Andal bloodlines within Westeros. While some other noble families on the continent can claim the same, the Vale is unique to this as a region.

There are many small tribes who inhabit the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon. These tribes are commonly known as thehill tribes, and they reject the rule of House Arryn. Although they are dangerous to passing travelers, their lack of organization and less advanced weaponry means they pose little threat to the rest of Westeros.

During theWar of the Five Kings, under theregency of LadyLysa Arryn after thedeath ofJon Arryn, the Vale followed a strict policy of neutrality until the very last stages of the conflict and was thus able to keep its resources and army, the formidableknights of the Vale, nearly intact. The young LordRobin Arryn, under the wing of the manipulativeLord ProtectorPetyr Baelish, consented to join the war when they came to the aid of their old allies ofHouse Stark in their campaign to retakeWinterfell and theNorth fromHouse Bolton at theBattle of the Bastards. In the aftermath of the battle, the lords of the Vale and the North hailedJon Snow,bastard of House Stark, as theKing in the North, thus seceding from the sovereignty of theIron Throne and joining the Kingdom of the North until Jon pledged himself toDaenerys Targaryen during theLast War. Robin chose to recognizeBran Stark as the new king afterher assassination.

Geography[]

Unlike theWesterlands, the mountains of the Vale are much less hospitable and more difficult to traverse. While the mountains of the Westerlands are filled with precious metals such as gold and silver, 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. The Vale's mountains are well-known for their strategic defensibility.

• TheEyrie, the regional capital and the seat ofHouse Arryn.
  • Bloody Gate, a stronghold on the road to the Eyrie.
  • Runestone, the seat ofHouse Royce.
  • Ironoaks, the seat ofHouse Waynwood, located east of the Eyrie on the coast of the Narrow Sea.
  • UnnamedBaelish keep, the seat ofHouse Baelish, located northeast of the Eyrie on the smallest of theFingers.
  • Heart's Home, the seat ofHouse Corbray.
  • Redfort, a castle located southeast of the Eyrie.

Towns and cities[]

• Sisterton, the biggest town on theThree Sisters.
• Wickenden, a town in the south of the Vale.
• Gulltown, the only city in the Vale and a major port.

Regions[]

• TheFingers, a series of peninsulas in the north of the Vale.
• TheMountains of the Moon, the mountain range that dominates the Vale.

Coastal areas[]

• TheBite, a bay separating the Vale from theNorth.
  • TheThree Sisters, a group of islands in the Bite.
  • ThePaps, an island northeast of theFingers.
  • Pebble, a small island east of the Three Sisters.

Military strength[]

House Arryn commanded a formidable military prior to the outbreak of theWar of the Five Kings, capable of fielding thousands of men. As one of the wealthiestGreat Houses, the Vale's forces are numerous in theSeven Kingdoms, though still lack behind numerically compared to theLannisters. Like theReach andDorne, the strength of the Vale has remained mostly unscathed during the War of the Five Kings. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Vale has an advantageous leverage compared to the largely-depleted Lannisters in terms of manpower.

The wealth of House Arryn is due to the fertile areas of the Vale and trade from ports such asGulltown. This is particularly evidenced by the high-quality swords and armor purchased thus granting superior equipment to the Vale army compared to theRiverlands or theNorth.

The Vale soldiers are outfitted with silver plated armor with possible chainmail beneath, adding further protection to the wearer. Furthermore, they are equipped circular or kite-shaped shields emblazoned with House Arryn's moon-and-falcon sigil. The armor is often accessorized with blue or white cloaks resembling a falcon's wings. This design, while not aesthetically impressive, is symbolic since the Vale soldiers are often referred to as the "Knights of the Vale". The design also provides practicality in warfare with the combination of wool and steel plates allowing considerable protection and mobility for the wearer. This makes them nimbler than other soldiers who might be wearing heavy plates of armor, while retaining the defensive properties of armor. Vale infantry helmets are comparable to Northern helm's in terms of appearance with the lack of cheek guards and intricacy in design.

Due to Lysa Arryn's decision to maintain the Vale's neutrality, the Vale forces were not affected by the War of the Five Kings and remained at full strength. Thus, the Vale gained significant leverage both politically and militarily compared to the weakened regions caused by the war. The Knights of the Vale appear to be well-trained, experienced, and well-organized especially in times of conflict, like during Robert's Rebellion, fighting and prevailing in several battles, like the Battle of the Bastards, where the Vale cavalry was able to easily defeat the Bolton phalanx, apparently without significant losses to their own side.

Unlike the Lannister or Tyrell armies, the Knights of the Vale have significant experience battling in ice and snow, due to their homeland's mountainous landscape and cold winter temperatures. This makes them natural allies for the Northerns, who regularly face the harshest winters inWesteros.

Sansa mentions that there are 20,000 men in the North;^[4] based on Jon's comment that there are fewer than 10,000 men in the North,^[5] it can be concluded that about 10,000 men of Vale's forces were sent to Winterfell. After theBattle of Winterfell, half of the forces of the Vale are obliterated.^[6]

The Vale forces later partake in theBattle of King's Landing alongside the Stark and Targaryen troops, apparently not taking significant losses.

In the books[]

In theA 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 their castle known as the Eyrie. Before thecoming of the Andals, the region was originally known as theKingdom of Mountain and Vale. During the time the Arryn dynasty ruled the Vale, the region was also alternatively known as theKingdom 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 theFaith 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 acadet branch ofHouse Royce.

References[]

External links[]

• Vale of Arryn onA Wiki of Ice and Fire)

v • d • e
Head	Robin Arryn	Heir	Unknown
Seat	Eyrie	Region	Vale of Arryn
Titles	Lord of the Eyrie ·Defender of the Vale ·Warden of the East ·King of the Mountain and the Vale(historical)
Ancestors	Artys Arryn ·Sharra Arryn ·Ronnel Arryn ·Daella Targaryen ·Aemma Arryn ·Jeyne Arryn
Deceased	Jon Arryn ·Lysa Arryn ·Jasper Arryn ·Alys Arryn ·Ronnel Arryn ·Ser Elbert Arryn
Household	{Ser Vardis Egen} · {Ser Hugh of the Vale} ·Mord · {Petyr Baelish}
Overlords	King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men