Royal fleet

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King Robert's Hammer, by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games

The royal fleet is the navy which serves the king on the Iron Throne, the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. The fleet is based in the crownlands at the capital city, King's Landing, and the island of Dragonstone.[1] It is one of the three most powerful fleets of Westeros, along with the Iron Fleet of the Iron Islands and the Redwyne fleet of the Arbor.[2]

According to A Game of Thrones RPG and Resource Book, King's Landing usually has fifty ships and Dragonstone has one hundred sixty ships, including eighty galleys.[3]

History

Targaryen Era

King's Landing Dromond, by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games

At the start of House Targaryen's Wars of Conquest, Aegon the Conqueror secured the mouth of the Blackwater Rush with Aegon's Landing. The newly-crowned king gave the title of master of ships to his loyal supporter, Lord Daemon Velaryon, granting him command over the new royal fleet. Daemon and the Targaryen fleet were defeated by House Arryn in a battle in the waters off Gulltown, however.[4] In 2 AC Aegon I was supported by a vast fleet when he subdued the Iron Islands.[5]

Following the Targaryen conquest, House Velaryon often provided the bulk of the royal fleet and the House's lords almost always served as the masters of ships and lords admiral.[6] During the reign of King Maegor I Targaryen, another Daemon Velaryon turned against the king in support of Jaehaerys in 48 AC.[7]

Lord Corlys Velaryon sided with Rhaenyra Targaryen against Aegon II Targaryen at the start of the Dance of the Dragons, giving Rhaenyra naval control of Blackwater Bay. However, this control was eventually broken with the Battle of the Gullet in 129 AC.[8]

During the conquest of Dorne, Lord Alyn Velaryon led the royal fleet in breaking the Planky Town and sailing up the Greenblood in support of Daeron I Targaryen.[9] In 174 AC King Aegon IV Targaryen expanded the royal fleet in preparation for another invasion of Dorne, but it scattered en route.[10]

Lord Dagon Greyjoy led the Iron Islands in raiding the Sunset Sea early in the reign of King Aerys I Targaryen. Rather than sending the royal fleet to the west coast of Westeros to deal with the ironborn, Lord Bloodraven kept the king's ships at Blackwater Bay to protect against Bittersteel and the Blackfyre Pretenders, who were across the narrow sea in Tyrosh.[11]

King Aerys II Targaryen desired the largest fleet in the world in order to conquer Braavos, but, like most of his schemes, nothing came of it.[12]

Royal fleets have sometimes been sent to subdue pirates from the Stepstones.[1]

Baratheon Era

Fury, by Ignacio Bazán Lazcano © Fantasy Flight Games

Lords Jon Arryn and Robert Baratheon captured Gulltown at the start of Robert's Rebellion. Robert then evaded the royal fleet of House Targaryen during his voyage to Storm's End.[13] Although the Targaryen dynasty fell with the death of King Aerys II Targaryen during the Sack of King's Landing, the pregnant Queen Rhaella Targaryen and Prince Viserys Targaryen were protected at Dragonstone.[14]

Robert, the new king after the Sack, tasked his younger brother Stannis with constructing a new fleet to challenge Dragonstone.[15] While Rhaella was giving birth to Daenerys Targaryen, a fierce storm destroyed the Targyaren fleet at anchor, with winds ripping gargoyles from the walls of Dragonstone onto the ships below. Ser Willem Darry eventually fled with Viserys and the infant Daenerys into exile in the Free Cities.[14] Stannis, commanding from Fury, led Robert's newly-built fleet in the assault on Dragonstone.[16]

During Greyjoy's Rebellion, the royal fleet of House Baratheon of King's Landing was joined by the Redwyne fleet of the Arbor and other ships from the Reach. The Iron Fleet of House Greyjoy was then defeated by Stannis in a sea battle off Fair Isle.[17]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Lord Stannis Baratheon, the master of ships for King Robert I Baratheon, sails to Dragonstone after Robert decides to offer the position of Hand of the King to Lord Eddard Stark.[18] Stannis is reported to be building new ships at Dragonstone.[19]

A Clash of Kings

Ships burning during the Battle of the Blackwater, by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games

The royal fleet is divided during the War of the Five Kings, with many captains supporting Stannis at Dragonstone and others remaining loyal to his nephew, King Joffrey I Baratheon, at King's Landing. When Princess Myrcella Baratheon sails from the capital aboard Seaswift, her escort includes King Robert's Hammer, Lionstar, and Lady Lyanna.[20]

Stannis gains the support of many storm lords after the death of his younger brother, Renly Baratheon, and the capture of Storm's End.[20][21][22] The Baratheon fleet sails from Storm's End north around Massey's Hook to Blackwater Bay.[16]

Lord Captain Imry Florent commands Stannis's fleet during the Battle of the Blackwater. The fleet—which also include the lords of the narrow sea, Myrish sellsails, and Salladhor Saan's pirates—is divided into ten lines of twenty ships, and vary from war galleys to sailing ships, carracks, and cogs. In contrast, Joffrey's King's Landing fleet is only a quarter the size.[16]

At the start of the battle, the fleets of the rival kings meet in the Blackwater Rush. The defense of King's Landing, designed by Tyrion Lannister, traps most of Stannis's fleet with a great chain blocking retreat to Blackwater Bay. Wildfire destroys most ships in the river, regardless of allegiance.[16]

Following the battle, naval officers in Joffrey's service who survived are honored by the Iron Throne.[23]

A Storm of Swords

Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre at Dragonstone, by Tomasz Jedruszek ©

Traffic in the Blackwater Rush is greatly reduced by wreckage from the royal fleets.[24]

The once-great fleet of Stannis has been reduced to the Lysene ships of Salladhor Saan.[25] Most ships which survived the wildfire inferno either surrendered to Joffrey's forces or were scuttled by their captains after sailing upriver.[26] Stannis sails the remnants of his forces from Dragonstone to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, after which they ride to protect the Wall from Mance Rayder and his wildlings.[27][28]

A Feast for Crows

There are less than a dozen warships left in King's Landing. Queen Regent Cersei Lannister approves the building of ten great dromonds under the command of Grand Admiral Aurane Waters.[29] With the royal fleet greatly weakened, the Redwyne fleet is instead used during the siege of Dragonstone.[30]

Lord Waters absconds from King's Landing with the new dromonds after the arrest of Cersei by the Faith of the Seven. Ser Harys Swyft worries that Aurane intends to join Stannis, while Grand Maester Pycelle believes the grand admiral is sailing for the Stepstones.[31]

A Dance with Dragons

Stannis tasks Salladhor Saan with bringing Davos Seaworth from Eastwatch to White Harbor. When the twenty-nine ships are scattered by storms, however, Salladhor abandons Stannis, leaving the king without a fleet.[32]

Lionstar transports Jared, Rhaegar, and Symond of House Frey to White Harbor as envoys of the new king in King's Landing, Tommen I Baratheon.[33]

The Winds of Winter

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Warning
This information has thus far been released in a sample chapter for The Winds of Winter, and might therefore not be in finalized form. Keep in mind that the content as described below is still subject to change.

A pirate king calling himself the Lord of the Waters controls Torturer's Deep with three-decked warships.[34]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh.
  2. So Spake Martin: The Lannister Fleet, September 26, 1999
  3. A Game of Thrones: d20-based Open Gaming RPG.
  4. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  5. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Greyjoys of Pyke.
  6. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I.
  7. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I.
  8. The Princess and the Queen.
  9. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I.
  10. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV.
  11. The Sworn Sword.
  12. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II.
  13. The World of Ice & Fire, Robert's Rebellion.
  14. 14.0 14.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 3, Daenerys I.
  15. A Clash of Kings, Prologue.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 58, Davos III.
  17. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Old Way and the New.
  18. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
  19. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 69, Tyrion IX.
  20. 20.0 20.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 41, Tyrion IX.
  21. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 42, Davos II.
  22. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 44, Tyrion X.
  23. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 65, Sansa VIII.
  24. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 16, Sansa II.
  25. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 25, Davos III.
  26. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 10, Davos II.
  27. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 73, Jon X.
  28. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 75, Samwell IV.
  29. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 17, Cersei IV.
  30. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.
  31. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 43, Cersei X.
  32. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 9, Davos I.
  33. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 15, Davos II.
  34. The Winds of Winter, Arianne I