THE REBELLION OF THE IRON ISLANDS

Five years after the ascension to the Iron Throne of Robert Baratheon, another chapter of history involved the Seven Kingdoms, a story all along written with blood and deaths of million of people: “The rebellion of the Greyjoy”.

The people of the Iron Islands, named “ironmen” for their tough and ruthless nature, have always been a free and independent populace, yet at the time of Andals coming, and even when, with the arrival of Aegon “The Conqueror”, Black Harren, lord of the Islands who extend his dominations up till the Riverlands, died with his sons in the huge pyre of Harrenhal, unleashed by the Targaryen dragons.

From that time, for centuries, the Ironmen stopped to comply with the Old Law, based on the cult of the Drowned God, which however continued to be venerated in secret in everyone’s heart, and above all on piracy and sack.

“WE DO NOT SOW” is Greyjoy’s motto, and it, exactly, indicate as the Ironmen don’t work to obtain what they need to survive, but they conquer it with blood!

With the fall of the Targaryen dynasty lord Balon Greyjoy, lord of the Islands, though, maybe, he could take by surprise the new overlord of the Seven Kingdoms, and, by this way, obtaining to restore the Old Law of the Iron Islands.

It was so that the Ironmen’s longships attacked at the same time Seagard and Lannisport. The first fleet was guided by Rodrick Greyjoy, Balon’s first-born, the second by Euron Greyjoy, younger brother of the Island’s lord, together with the other brothers Victarion and Aeron.

But it was a disaster!

At Seagard, the “Booming Tower”, built thousands of years before just to advising people of the arrival of the Island’s pirates, let the voice of its giant bronze bell be heard for the first time.

It was a terrible clash in with died many Ironmen, among them Rodrick himself, killed in duel by Jason Mallister, lord of Seagard and the most valorous of Tully’s the bishops.

At Lannisport, though Euron Greyjoy was able to inflame the fleet of the Lannisters, there was another defeating for the Ironmen. Their ships were in fact taken into a trap by the royal fleet guided by the war galley “Fury” of lord Stannis Baratheon, younger brother of the King.

Aeron Greyjoy, the last of the four brothers was imprisoned and rotted for all the duration of the rebellion in the dungeons of Casterly Rock.

But the worst had already to coming!

Summoned up the war standard, King Robert guided personally the assault to Pyke, onboard of his galley “King Robert’s Hammer”.

Baratheon, Arryn, Stark, Lannister, and all their bishops stayed together again to suppress the rebellion. And for the Greyjoy there was no escape!

The war machines on board of the ship razed to the ground the walls of Pyke, and in the collapse of part of them died lord Balon’s second-born, Maron.

The first to disembark on the landing ground was Thoros of the free city of Myr, a priest of the cult of R’hllor, Lord of Light, come to King’s Landing at the time of King Aerys, brandishing a flaming sword soaked with wildfire. Upon behind him Jorah Mormont, son of Jeor Mormont , lord of the Bear Island and bishop of Eddard Stark.

Another knight who distinguished himself in the clashes was ser Gregor Clegane, a man of lord Tywin Lannister, who years before killed princess Elia of Dorne, Prince Rhaegar’s wife, and her son just one year old, Aegon.

With Pyke put to fire and sword to lord Balon remained no other than surrender!

To obtain guarantees that the lord of the Islands couldn’t stir up other rebellions, King Robert Baratheon put his third male son, Theon, just nine years old, into the hands of Ned Stark, who took him, as a “protégé”, to Winterfell.

To celebrate the victory was held a tourney at Lannisport.

The winner was Jorah Mormont, made knight by King Robert for the bravery demonstrated during the assault to Pyke’s wall, who defeated in the last clash with lance no less than ser Jaime Lannister, the “Kingslayer”.