Difference between revisions of "Field of Fire"

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Revision as of 13:00, 10 March 2015

The Field of Fire
Fields of Fire2.jpg
Men burned alive by the Dragons
Conflict War of Conquest
Date About 300 years ago.
Place The Reach
Result Targaryen victory
Extinction of House Gardener
Combatants
House Targaryen Kingdom of the Rock (House Lannister),
Kingdom of the Reach (House Gardener)
Commanders
Aegon I Targaryen
Jon Mooton
King Loren I of the Rock,
King Mern IX of the Reach +
Prince Edmund Gardener+
Lord Oakheart
Strength
11,000 and 3 dragons 55,000
Casualties
unknown Roughly 4,000 men burned alive
1,000 from sword and spears King Mern IX Gardener+
Prince Edmund Gardener+
Prince Gawen Gardener+

The Field of Fire was a major battle during Aegon's War of Conquest. According to semi-canon sources it is located in the northern part of the Reach.[1]

The Prelude

Aegon I Targaryen landed at what would become King's Landing and began subjugating the Seven Kingdoms.

The Battle

King Loren I of the Rock had joined forces with King Mern IX of the Reach in an attempt to throw the invader back. Between the two kings they had roughly 55,000 men, of which 5,000 were mounted knights. Aegon had a fifth of that number, mostly conscripts from previous conquests. Lord Jon Mooton of Maidenpool, one of the first lords to come over to the Targaryens, was given command of the Targaryen army.

The two armies met amongst the wide open plains south of the river Blackwater, near where the Goldroad would one day run. The field which the battle was fought on was quite dry that day. The allies charged and started to break the Targaryen lines. King Mern demanded, since he had brought half as many more men to the battle, he should have the honor of commanding the center of the combined Reach-Westerlands army, and he personally led the charge against Aegon's army alongside his kin. A major battle was then fought in which the forces of the two kings met the Targaryen army. The Targaryen host broke, but by then Aegon and his sisters had taken to the air on their dragons. The Dragons began to set the field aflame on all sides, especially downwind of the Gardener-Lannister armies while Mooten was upwind.

The Dragons killed 4,000 men of the combined Lannister-Gardener army, among them King Mern alongside all of his sons, grandsons, brothers, cousins, and other kin.[2] Another thousand men perished from sword and spears and arrows while 10,000 men suffered burns. Of the Targaryens less than 100 were lost while Visenya took an arrow to the shoulder.[3] One nephew of King Mern survived the battle, but he died of his burns three days later. When he died, House Gardener died with him.

The battle become known afterward as the Field of Fire. It was the only time in the conflict that all three of the Targaryen dragons took to the battlefield at the same time. Between Vhaghar, Meraxes and Balerion, they killed four thousand men outright, burning them alive including King Mern died. The army was broken and Aegon I was victorious.[2]

Aftermath

King Loren gave up his claim to kingship and became Warden of the West under the rule of Aegon I.[2] Harlen Tyrell, castellan of Highgarden, surrendered the forces of the Reach to Aegon. Aegon rewarded him by giving House Tyrell dominion over the Reach and raising him to Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the South.[4]

Quotes

It was the only time that Vhagar, Meraxes and Balerion were all unleashed at once. The singers called it the Field of Fire. [2]

References and Notes

  1. A Game of Thrones RPG and Resource Book, Guardians of Order
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 13, Tyrion II.
  3. Reading from the world of Ice and Fire. Notes from George R.R. Martin's reading and Q&A at the Bubonicon 44 in Albuquerque by Trebla.
  4. A Game of Thrones, Appendix.