After The End - News and Rumors of Turn 7
4th Season / Hearth Season of 299 AC
The Wall - An Unlikely Meeting
Stories travelling from the Wall suggest that the Night Watch has been hosting a meeting between Brynjolf White Raven, who has united the Widllings as King Beyond the Wall, and Robb Stark, Lord of Winterfell. The exact contents of what was spoken about are not widely known, though there is talk that Lord Stark might wish to have passage through the Wall granted to the Wildlings so that they may rape and plunder in the lands of his enemies.
The Wall - Cold Winds
The weather has been turning capricious in past months, with cold snaps travelling far to the south and bringing sudden snows despite the recently still warm weather. The Wildlings claim it to be the work of the Great Enemy and despite how outlandish it sounds, the Watch seems to agree with them.
The North - The Fall of Winterfell
After many months of siege, the garrison of Winterfell finally yielded the keep to Lady Barbrey Dustin in return for a promise of food and good treatment of the armsmen. While the fall of the Starks home has been a severe blow to the former Lord Paramounts cause, reportedly no Starks were present or taken prisoner when the keep was yielded. Now many wonder if the Lady Dustin will swear to Lord Bolton, who claims dominion over all of the North, or if the two will come to blows.
Mountain and Vale - The Plumm King
A coronation took place in the Vale. Aerys Plummfyre crowned himself as King Aerys I of the East and announced his intend to wed Matavarra Heartfyre to unite their hosts. Some note that his claim to power is rather tenous, given that he remains a king without lands of his own and an army of dubious loyalty. Worse yet, after behaving himself crudely and impiously during the following feast, many lords of the Vale have quietly begun to question why they should follow the upjumped mercenary.
Mountain and Vale - A Pirates Court
While not claiming a title for himself, Euron Greyjoy has begun to hold court on the Thee Sisters as he solidifies his control over the disparate pirates, sellsails and defecting Valeman that have fought with him in the North. Boasting about his freshly hatched dragon Nagga, he promises them plunder and power in a reaving like the world has never seen before.
Riverlands - Coronation at Harrenhal
Still commanding his realm from the war camp in the ruins of Harrenhal, Tywin Lannister none the less called upon his vassals and allies to gather there for an important event. In the shadows of the molten towers of Harrenhal, a backdrop fitting to the coronation being a response to the burning of Kings Landing, he crowned himself King Tywin I and confirmed Tyrion Lannister as his heir. He claimed no grand title to go along with the crown, though his allies tend to call him the Golden King in contrast to the Iron King Balon Greyjoy, while his enemies name him King of Wastelands for his deeds.
Riverlands - The Black Trout
After months of disappearing, the last living male Tully, Brynden, was spotted repeatedly on remote roads of the Riverlands. Leading bands of Heartsworn, he has been ambushing the baggage trains and foraging parties of the Lannister and Frey forces. Many wonder if this means he has joined Stannis Baratheons cause, whatever it may be, or if he just makes use of the disgruntled peasants for his own ends.
Iron Isles - A Raiders Wedding
To the surprise of many who are familiar with the feud between Balon Greyjoy and Helaena Wildfyre, there was a wedding on the Shield Isles between the pirate queen and the Iron Kings heir Theon Greyjoy. Now holding the Arbor and the Shield Isles, the Ironborn stand poised to rape the coasts of the Reach much like they have done with the Westerlands.
Westerlands - A Crumbling Rock
After many months of digging through solid stone, the defenses of the Rock are weakening day by day as defensive tunnels are found and contested by the attackers. Using slave labour on a large scale, the Ironborn have been expanding the mineshafts upwards in an attempt to strike at the remaining armsmen defending the Lannister home. By now, there is a chaotic melee in the mines and tunnels on a daily basis and many expect the castle to soon fall to the increasing pressure.
Meanwhile, Tyrion Lannister continues attempts to gather more troops to strike back, though with already mobilized hosts still in the Riverlands, there is not much that he can gather. Instead of contesting the Ironborn head on, he has been forced to raid and skirmish with them whenever they move too far from the coast or the keeps and fortifications they have already overrun. A slow and steady way of waging war that might work out in the long run, though with the defenders of Casterly Rock under pressure, the heir of King Tywin might not have that time.
Ashlands - The Queen of Ash and Cinders
A new court is forming on Dragonstone, led by an enigmatic sorceress only known as the Queen of Ash and Cinders. Always wrapped head to toe in black veils, many presume her to be a Shadowbinder from Asshai, though the dragon hatchling always kept close by her has others wonder if she is a Targaryen. Not speaking herself and instead relying on a black robed maester to be her voice, she seems to have somehow gained the allegiance of Lady Alyssa Velaryon and a man claiming to be Edmure Tully.
Stormlands - Peasant Government
With the shattering of the last remnants of authority left in the Stormlands, the peasants calling themselves the Heartsworn have increased the area under their sway significantly. Rejecting the unjust authority of tyrannical lords, they claim to follow only Stannis Baratheon, who rejected the trappings of feudal monarchy and leads by deed and word instead of hiding behind castle walls and crowns. The remaining noble and knightly houses of the Stormlands are appalled by this development and believe these peasants to soon turn to chaos and banditry among each other without the guiding hand of noble houses.
Stormlands - Turning West
Meanwhile, the Dornish Marches and the lords near Summerhall have reoriented themselves towards the west. Joining the Council held in Highgarden, they have pledged themselves to the Green Realm, even without knowing who will be its first king. Fear of the gathering armies of Dorne and the expanding Heartsworn influence is likely what drives them, though a few seem to truly believe in the vision of Willas Tyrell for the future of the region.
The Reach - The Green Realm Reborn
There were shocking developments right from the beginning of the Council gathering in Highgarden. Mace Tyrell, formally still Lord Paramount of the Reach, all but stepped down from his position while his heir Willas Tyrell opened and directed the gathering. Even more perplexing were his proposals. To not decide upon a king by blood and heritage alone, but elect one among the nobles of the reborn Green Realm. Through this, so he hopes, the infighting marking much of the history of the Reach under the Targaryen dynasty could be avoided.
For the time being, this seems to have already proven somewhat successful. While there is much arguing and disagreement about the details of this new arrangement, none of the larger Reacher houses have outright rejected the proposal despite the Tyrells position being somewhat precarious in the wake of the recent calamities befalling Westeros.
Even the Faith, represented by Shay Waters, has been granted some rights and a voice in matters of governance, calming worries about the Faith Militant reborn causing further instability. No king has been voted on yet, though it is expected that one will be chosen and crowned in early Sowing Season. Whoever it will be, they will preside over a realm under threat, even as the presence of Kevan Lannister during the Council likely means that there will be no more fighting with the Golden King.
Dorne - Spears Gathering
While many lords called up their banners during the Dornish succession crisis, it was widely expected that they would stand down once it was resolved. Instead though, the Red Mountains still see large garrisons protecting the passes and many of the lords that supported Arianne Martell now gather at Yronwood. A great baggage train was prepared on orders of Rhaenys Targaryen and now both the Reacher and Stormlander border regions worry where this army might march.
Braavos - The Declaration of Freedom
While many expected the Sealord of Braavos to prepare his city for a coming war in Essos, none could anticipate how he decided to do so. Instead of couching this battle in terms of trade and economic concerns like most Braavosi wars, he gathered both the important merchant houses and a wider crowd to give a speech to at the Moon Pool. In the fiery proclamations, he condemned the institution of slavery as an abomination in the eyes of gods and men which no right thinking man coupd ever support. He invoked Braavos history of opposing it and swore nothing less than to free every man or woman held in boundage in all of western Essos. A bold move that leaves little leeway for a peace between Braavos and Volantis.
Three Daughters - The Titans Stepstones
After a year of largely peaceful coexistence, the last pirate realm in the Stepstones fell without much of a fight to troops flying the banner of Braavos. In their wake came masons, shipwrights and architects who have begun furious efforts to fortify the islands and to build safe anchorages for Braavosi fleets. Even though there has been no official declaration of war yet, the raacosi fleet has all but blocked passage through the straits to any shipping but their own while in the waters to the south, a corsair fleet under the Lyseni Salladhor Saan has begun to prey upon Braavosi merchants. Even with war not yet declared in full, the naval fighting has already begun.
Qohor - The Siege of Qohor
The situation of the city of Qohor has become ever more precarious over the past months. Undeterred by cold and snow, Dothraki raiders have sacked lands along the Darkwater and even made forays into Norvosi controlled lands. While the merchants of Qohor have furiously tried to bolster their forces with sellswords, few remained for hire even so far from the battlefields of Volantis and Westeros. As Sowing Season begins and the great Khalazaar prepares itself for the next campaigning seasons, it appears that there is little hope for the city. Some whisper that a second century of blood has begun.
Volantis - A Hundred Thousand Boots
Following a war council held with diplomats from Lys and Myr with the Empress, the vast hosts of Volantis have begun to gather. Tens of thousands men under arms are marching to the Rhoyne, granaries and larders are emptied to fill up the supply caravans and every single ship travelling the waters is either hired or forced into aiding the war effort. Despite what many expected though, it appears that Volantis will not try to contest the Braavosi fleet, but instead march through central Essos. Envoys of the First Daughter have been travelling the bandit and pirate havens of Dagger Lake and it appears that the vast majority of troops will be transported with the massive river fleet gathering near Volon Therys.
Volantis - Azor Ahai Reveals Herself
In a grand ritual performed at the great temple of Rh'llor in Volantis, the Empress Visenya Redfyre climbed into the roaring fire burning atop the temple and meditated there for from sunset to sunrise. When she emerged again, her missing eye had been replaced by a searing red flame and she held aloft a blade wreathed likewise in red fire. To most of the faithful, there could be no clearer sign that Azor Ahai walks the mortal realm once more and followers of the Red Faith have begun to wonder aloud if Braavos is not perhaps in league with the Great Other, proclaiming it a holy duty of all the faithful to fight against the Titan.
Westeros - Autumn Has Come
In every keep and city of Westeros, a long feared letter arrives. Delivered by a white raven, the maesters of the Citadel have determined that the long summer has abruptly come to a close and autumn has begun. They war that winter might soon follow and urge the readers of their missive to prepare for it. How the war ravaged lands of Westeros could even hope to do so remains an open question though.
AN: With Kings Landing gone, the successor realms are beginning to pop up. Time will tell which ones will last.
), trying to dissuade her from her path. This lends some credence to both of them. That the ritual is legit enough that Stannis tried to speak out, but also that Stannis could speak out. From what Azel has said, it might be that both embody defining traits, aspects, of Azhor Azai. 
