Vale of Arryn

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The Vale and the location of the Vale proper
The Vale and the location of the Vale proper
Vale of Arryn
The Vale and the location of the Vale proper[1]
Vale of Arryn by Cris Urdiales ©
A hidden pass in the Vale. © FFG

The Vale of Arryn or the Vale is one of the constituent regions of Westeros and was formerly a sovereign nation known as the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale before the War of Conquest. The Vale is ruled by House Arryn from the castle known as the Eyrie. The Mountains of the Moon surround the smaller Vale proper,[2] although the valley's name is often applied to all of the Arryns' realm.

Notable houses of this region include Corbray, Hunter, Redfort, and Royce. Bastards born in the Vale are given the surname Stone.

Geography

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. The Vale consists of various regions: the Vale of Arryn itself; the Mountains of the Moon; the Fingers; and the islands of the Three Sisters, the Paps, and Pebble.

The Vale is located on the eastern shore of Westeros, a land of fertile soil, rivers, and lakes, protected by its largely impassable Mountains of the Moon. The Vale tends to be slightly isolated from the rest of Westeros. Its harsh winters make travel only possible through the mountains during warmer years, and rebellious mountain clans make travel even more dangerous. The Vale can be reached through the high road, which connects the Vale and the Riverlands, and is protected by the Bloody Gate.

The mountainous border of the Vale of Arryn proper appears to include the Bloody Gate in the west and the Eyrie and Longbow Hall to the north. The fertile lands within the valley include Ironoaks, Old Anchor, Redfort, and a peninsula containing the city of Gulltown and Runestone. The town of Wickenden is located along the Bay of Crabs, in the mountains south of the valley. Castles north of the Vale proper in the valleys of the Mountains of the Moon include Strongsong, Heart's Home, Snakewood, and Coldwater.[3]

People and Economy

The people of the Vale, popularly called "valemen," are known as honorable, reliable warriors steeped in honor and the worship of the Faith 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 live by their own rules. These mountain clans, such as the Black Ears and Burned Men, raid unwary travelers.

Wheat, corn, and barley is grown in the Vale. Not even in Highgarden do the pumpkins grow any larger nor is the fruit any sweeter. House Waxley is known for producing scented candles. The candles can be scented with nutmeg and other costly spices.

History

The Vale is where the Andals initially landed. As such, the Arryns are one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility in the Seven Kingdoms. They ruled as Kings of Mountain and Vale for approximately six thousand years, until they bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror.

Robert's Rebellion began in the Vale, when Jon Arryn refused to surrender his wards Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark to the Mad King. Defeating his royalist bannermen at Gulltown, Lord Arryn went on to help Robert secure the Iron Throne, and was named his Hand. In Lord Arryn's absence, Nestor Royce governed as High Steward of the Vale. After his death, Jon's widow Lysa refused to lend the Vale's strength to any side of the War of the Five Kings. With her marriage to Petyr Baelish and subsequent murder by him, Baelish rules as Lord Protector of the Vale, to the consternation of the Lords Declarant.

Houses

32px House Arryn of the Eyrie.
Arms unknown House Arryn of Gulltown.
32px House Baelish of the Fingers.
32pxHouse Belmore of Strongsong.
32pxHouse Borrell of Sweetsister.
32pxHouse Coldwater of Coldwater Burn.
32pxHouse Corbray of Heart's Home.
32px House Donniger.
32px House Egen.
32px House Elesham of The Paps.
32px House Grafton of Gulltown.
32px House Hardyng.
32px House Hersy of Newkeep.
32px House Hunter of Longbow Hall.
Arms unknown House Longthorpe of Longsister.
32px House Lynderly of Snakewood.
32px House Melcolm of Old Anchor.
32px House Moore.
32px House Pryor of Pebble.
32px House Redfort of Redfort.
32px House Royce of Runestone.
32px House Royce of the Gates of the Moon.
32px House Ruthermont.
32px House Shett of Gull Tower.
32px House Sunderland of the Three Sisters.
32px House Templeton of Ninestars.
32px House Tollett of Grey Glen.
Arms unknown House Torrent of Littlesister.
32px House Upcliff.
32px House Waynwood of Ironoaks.
32px House Wydman.
32px House Waxley of Wickenden.

Quotes

It stretched before them to the misty east, a tranquil land of rich black soil, wide slow-moving rivers, and hundreds of small lakes that shown like mirrors in the sun, protected on all sides by its sheltering peaks.[4]

- thoughts of Catelyn Tully


The lords of the Vale are numerous. As with any large group, their views vary.[5]

- George R. R. Martin

References and Notes

  1. The Lands of Ice and Fire
  2. "Mountains of the Moon" entry in A World of Ice and Fire
  3. The Lands of Ice and Fire
  4. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 34, Catelyn VI.
  5. Clans of the North and the Valelords, February 24, 2000 So Spake Martin