When Aegon landed on the continent of Westeros, it was made up of seven individu

ally-ruled kingdoms: the Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale,
the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers, the Kingdom of the Rock, the Kingdom of th
e Reach, the Kingdom of the Storm, and Dorne.
Aegon managed to conquer only six of the seven kingdoms, consolidating them unde
r the rule of House Targaryen and the Iron Throne. The addition of Dorne occurre
d two centuries later through diplomatic means.
For most of their history the regions of Westeros were independent kingdoms. The
number of these kingdoms and their borders have changed many times. Following a
successful conquest of all the lands of Westeros south of the Wall but Dorne, a
nd their consolidation under the rule of the Iron Throne, Aegon established his
new empire's capital on the spot of his landing, for which it was known as King'
s Landing.
Due to the vast size of the new kingdom, in each region Aegon raised 'Great Hous
es' who swore fealty to him. The lords were granted a degree of autonomy and gra
nted authority over their minor lords and small folk. In the original six kingdo
ms House Baratheon married into the Durrandons and were awarded the stormlands a
s Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, after the defeat of King Argilac the Arrogan
t. House Tyrell was granted over-lordship over the Reach as Lord Paramount of th
e Mander, while House Lannister was allowed to keep their family holdings after
they bent the knee, following defeat at the Field of Fire. House Stark chose to
submit and was confirmed as overlords over the north. House Greyjoy was granted
the Iron Islands after the death of King Harren the Black. For supporting Aegon
against Harren, House Tully of Riverrun was awarded over-lordship of the riverla
nds as Lord Paramount of the Trident. House Arryn retained the Vale of Arryn.

The First Dornish War was House Targaryen's attempt to conquer Dorne, the only o
ne of the Seven Kingdoms that successfully resisted Aegon's Conquest.[1] It was
part of the Wars of Conquest
Orys was the rumored bastard half-brother of Aegon I Targaryen by their father A
erion. He was one of Aegon's fiercest commanders and was regarded as Aegon's onl
y true friend. He rose through the ranks and became the first Hand of the King a
fter Aegon's Landing on mainland Westeros and his coronation at the Aegonfort.[4
]
Orys Baratheon by feliche.jpg
During Aegon's Conquest, Orys and Rhaenys Targaryen, with her dragon Meraxes, we
re tasked with taking Storm's End. The Storm King, Argilac Durrandon, hearing of
the burning of Harrenhal, knew his formidable walls would not protect him from
dragonfire. Argilac rode out to give open battle. Orys slew Argilac the Arrogant
in the Last Storm, ending the reign of the Storm Kings. After the battle, Argel
la Durrandon, the daughter of Argilac, declared herself the Storm Queen and cont
inued to hold Storm's End until her household turned against her to avoid the sa
me fate of Harrenhal. They delivered her to Orys, naked and chained. Orys, howev
er, covered her with his cloak and treated her chivalrously. Aegon rewarded Orys
with Storm's End. Orys took Argella as his wife and adopted the stag banner, ho
nors and words of the Durrandons, Ours is the Fury, forming House Baratheon.[4]
First Dornish War
Orys later joined Aegon in the First Dornish War, leading an assault on the Bone
way that proved a disaster. The cunning Dornishmen launched a night raid, rainin
g rocks, arrows and spears from above. The bodies of the invading army blocked t

he Boneway from both ends, and Orys, along with many of his bannermen and knight
s, was captured by the Wyl of Wyl, who was also called the Widow-lover. The Targ
aryens later would receive a ransom offer for Orys, along with all his knights a
nd bannermen. Aegon eventually agreed to the demands, and Orys and his men were
later ransomed in 7 AC for each man's weight in gold. Once the ransom was paid t
he men were freed only after having their sword hands chopped off so they would
not be able to use them again against Dorne. Orys became known as Orys One-Hand
thereafter.[5]
Orys was said to have become crabbed and bitter after that, so he resigned his o
ffice as Hand and returned to the stormlands, where it was said he became obsess
ed with vengeance against the Dornish, especially House Wyl, whose lord had remo
ved his hand.[3]
Vulture Hunt
Orys received his opportunity during the reign of Aegon's son, King Aenys I Targ
aryen, when a Dornish outlaw king known as the Vulture King sent a huge army to
reave the lands north of the Red Mountains. Orys, eager for revenge against the
Dornish, led his forces against him in the Vulture Hunt.[6]
During the battle at Stonehelm, Orys's forces crushed a part of the Vulture King
's host and Lord Walter Wyl, the Widow-lover's son, fell into his hands. Orys ch
opped off Walter's sword hand, then his other hand, followed by both feet, which
he called his usury. On his trip home to Storm's End, Orys died of the wounds h
e had taken in the battle. According to his son, Davos Baratheon, Orys died cont
ent, smiling at the rotten hands and feet dangling in his tent.

Harren was born to House Hoare, the ruling house of the Iron Islands. He was the
grandson of King Harwyn Hardhand, who extended the ironborn rule over the river
lands from the Neck to the Blackwater Rush, and the son of King Halleck Hoare. H
arren's brother rose to become Lord Commander Hoare, leader of the Night's Watch
.[2]
During his reign, Harren was a vain, bloody tyrant hated by those he ruled. Whil
e Halleck ruled from a modest tower house at Fairmarket,[3] Harren desired a gra
nder seat, and he commanded the the construction of the grand castle Harrenhal,
a project that took almost forty years to complete. The riverlands and Iron Isla
nds were drained to finance the building, with thousands of captives dying in th
e quarries, chained to sledges, or laboring on the towering walls and five huge
towers of Harrenhal. Weirwoods were cut to provide rafters and beams.[4][5]
Harren had finally completed his grand castle of Harrenhal, when Aegon Targaryen
, Lord of Dragonstone, landed in Westeros. Aegon was victorious over Harren's me
n in the Battle of the Reeds, but two of Harren's sons were victorious at the Wa
iling Willows. While they were returning to Harrenhal across the Gods Eye, howev
er, the sons were killed by the Aegon's dragon, Balerion.[5] Harren's tyrannical
rule over the riverlands earned him little love from his lords. As Aegon advanc
ed many of the river lords, led by Lord Edmyn Tully, revolted against Harren to
support the Targaryen invader and joined the conqueror's host.
Harren took refuge in the well-stocked Harrenhal, the largest castle of Westeros
, and the king rejected Aegon's offer of retaining Harrenhal in return for becom
ing Aegon's vassal. Balerion, who was not obstructed by the towering walls of Ha
rrenhal, roasted Harren and his surviving sons in the tallest tower of the castl
e,[4] ending his rule and kingdom.[6][5] Harren's brother, Lord Commander Hoare,
remained at the Wall when his kin died in the burning of Harrenhal.[2]
The death of Harren and his sons left a power vacuum in the riverlands and the I

ron Islands. Aegon the Conqueror granted rule of the riverlands to Edmyn Tully,
the new Lord Paramount of the Trident.[5] In the chaotic aftermath of Aegon's Co
nquest, Aegon allowed the ironborn to choose Lord Vickon of House Greyjoy, who w
as given dominion over the islands in the name of the Iron Throne.[7]
Quotes by Harren
Aegon: Yield now and you may remain as Lord of the Iron Islands. Yield now, and
your sons will live to rule after you. I have eight thousand men outside your wa
lls.
Harren: What is outside my walls is of no concern to me. Those walls are strong
and thick.
Aegon: But not so high as to keep out dragons. Dragons fly.
Harren: I built in stone. Stone does not burn.
Aegon: When the sun sets, your line shall end