The Citadel: Concordance

The Citadel is an archive of information for George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.

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2.2.4. The Blackfyre Pretenders
  • Daemon Blackfyre died for his treason, as did Grand Maester Hareth and Rhaenyra Targaryen (III: 407)
  • Aerys originally acted as if Robert was nothing but a mere outlaw lord, but Robert Baratheon and his allies were the greatest threat to House Targaryen since Daemon Blackfyre (III: 418)
  • Aegon IV legitimized all his bastards on his deathbed, and the pain, grief, war, and murder that wrought lasted five generations because of the Blackfyre pretenders. It only ended when Ser Barristan the Bold slew the last of them, Maelys the Monstrous, in single combat on the Stepstones during the War of the Ninepenny Kings (III: 521, 752)
  • Lord Bloodraven lost an eye to Bittersteel on the Redgrass Field (TSS: 81, 112)
  • The Blackfyre Rebellion ended in the battle of the Redgrass Field in 196 (TSS: 90)
  • All three of Ser Eustace Osgrey's sons died at the end of the Blackfyre Rebellion in 196, on the Redgrass Field. Edwyn and Harrold were knights, while Addam was a squire (TSS: 90)
  • Roger of Pennytree, squire and nephew to Ser Arlan of Pennytree, was young when he died on the Redgrass Field. He was killed by Lord Gormon Peake, whose arms were three black castles on an orange field (TSS: 98, 111. TMK: 653, 657-658)
  • Addam Osgrey was killed by a knight wearing the arms of House Smallwood, who took off the boy's arm with an axe (TSS: 110)
  • Daemon Blackfyre reversed the colors of the Targaryen arms for his own banner, as many bastards did. In the years following his rebellion, asking if someone had followed the red dragon or the black was considered a dangerous question (TSS: 110)
  • Daemon Blackfyre was also known as Daemon the Pretender (TSS: 110)
  • Ser Arlan of Pennytree fought in Lord Hayford's host at the Redgrass Field (TSS: 110)
  • Lord Hayford was a noted loyalist who was appointed Hand by King Daeron II just before the Redgrass Field, as Lord Butterwell had done such a terrible job in that office that some questioned his loyalty. Lord Hayford was killed during the battle (TSS: 110)
  • The Redgrass Field was named for all the blood that shed on it during the great battle (TSS: 110)
  • Aegon IV the Unworthy gave his Valyrian steel sword, Blackfyre, which had been carried by Aegon the Conqueror and all the Targaryen kings after him, to his bastard Daemon when he knighted him at the age of 12, instead of to his his heir, Daeron; talk of Daemon becoming Aegon's heir began after this point.. Daemon was his son by one of his cousin's, one of the princesses in the Maindenvault who were sisters to King Baelor the Blessed.(TSS: 111, 137. SSM: 1, 2)
  • It is said that ten thousand men died on the Redgrass Field (TSS: 111)
  • No one could stand against Daemon Blackfyre during the batte. He broke Lord Arryn's van, slaying the Knight of Ninestars and Wild Wyl Waynwood, then fought Ser Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsguard. The two fought for nearly an hour, their Valyrian steel swords Blackfyre and Lady Forlorn shrieking as they clashed, until Daemon clove through Corbray's helm and blinded him with his own blood. As he dismounted to see to his fallen foe and sending Redtusk to conduct him safely to the rear, Bloodraven and his Raven's Teeth gained the the Weeping Ridge. From three hundred yards away, Bloodraven and his company used longbows to slay the eldest of Daemon's twin sons, Aegon, and then Daemon himself after piercing him with seven arrows. The younger twin, Aemon, took up Blackfyre, only to die in the same fashion (TSS: 111-112)
  • The rebels routed following the death of Daemon and his sons, but the rout was turned by Bittersteel, who led a mad charge. Bittersteel and Bloodraven fought a battle second only to that of Blackfyre and Corbray. Finally, the battle was ended when Baelor Breakspear charged the rebel rear, his Dornishmen and stormlords striking a hammerblow that shattered the enemy (TSS: 112)
  • Had Daemon Blackfyre won on the Redgrass Field, the road to King's Landing would have been open and undefended (TSS: 112)
  • Bittersteel and Daemon Blackfyre's five surviving sons fled to Tyrosh, where they plotted their return (TSS: 121. TMK: 650)
  • In the aftermath of the Blackfyre Rebellion, wherein House Osgrey of Standfast supported Daemon Blackfyre while House Webber supported King Daeron, the Osgreys were stripped of control over the Chequy Water, which was granted to House Webber, who also gained other rights associated with Wat's Wood. Furthermore, Ser Eustace Osgrey's wife killed herself when she learned that her daughter and only surviving child, Allysane, was to be made a hostage in King's Landing (TSS: 128-131)
  • Daemon Blackfyre promised Coldmoat to Ser Eustace Osgrey (TSS: 129, 136)
  • Those who followed King Daeron called themselves loyalists (TSS: 135)
  • Daemon Blackfyre was known as the King Who Bore the Sword by his followers, who also claimed that he was the rightful king (TSS: 135)
  • Following Blackfyre's Rebellion, many of those who followed him drew away from the public eye, in part because Lord Bloodraven and his Raven's Teeth put the fear in them (TSS: 135)
  • Half the realm rose for the black dragon, and the other half for the red (TSS: 135)
  • Fireball was one of the champions who followed Daemon Blackfyre, but he was slain on the eve of battle. A famous knight of House Ball in the Reach, he had been master-at-arms in the Red Keep and had been all but promised a place in the Kingsguard by Aegon IV, a promise Daeron the Good chose not to honor. This led Fireball to becoming one of the men who urged Blackfyre to his rebellion (TSS: 135. SSM: 1)
  • Hightower, Oakheart, Tarbeck, and Butterwell had a foot in both camps, so did not lend either side their full strength (TSS: 135)
  • Manfred Lothston betrayed Daemon Blackfyre, which may have been a pivotal factor in his defeat and death (TSS: 135)
  • Lord Bracken was delayed by storms on the narrow sea, which kept him from arriving with Myrish crossbowmen to support Daemon Blackfyre (TSS: 135-136)
  • Quickfinger, a Blackfyre loyalist, was caught with stolen dragon's eggs during Blackfyre's Rebellion (TSS: 136)
  • Daeron II was known as Daeron the Falseborn to those who followed the Blackfyres, no doubt alluding to the rumors that Daeron was the son of Aegon IV's brother, Aemon the Dragonknight (TSS: 136)
  • King Daeron pardoned those who rebelled against him, so long as they bent the knee and gave over a hostage (TSS: 136. TMK: 657)
  • Daemon Blackfyre was a great warrior, and some claimed that with Blackfyre in his hand no knight who ever lived could have matched him, even Ulrik Dayne with Dawn or Aemon the Dragonknight with Dark Sister. He was tall and powerful, and no more pious than he had to be (TSS: 137)
  • King Daeron marrying his sister Daenerys to the Prince of Dorne when she is said to have loved Daemon Blackfyre was one of several causes of Blackfyre's rebellion (TSS: 137. SSM: 1, 2)
  • Great knights flocked to Daemon Blackfyre's banner: Robb Reyne, Gareth the Grey, Ser Aubrey Ambrose, Lord Gormon Peake, Black Byren Flowers, Redtusk, Fireball, and Bittersteel (who seems to have been considered the greatest of all) (TSS: 137)
  • Ser Brynden Tully won renown fighting the Ninepenny Kings (IV: 495)
  • The Ebon Prince was involved in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, probably as one of the aggressors claiming a crown (IV: 495)
  • Tensions were high in 211-212, as there were those who openly incited the king's subjects to rise against him in support of the Blackfyres and against his Hand, Brynden Rivers. Some who spoke treason were executed by loyal lords (TMK: 650)
  • Daemon II Blackfyre, the second Blackfyre Pretender, disguised himself as a hedge knight called John the Fiddler. His arms were a golden engrailed cross, with a golden fiddle in the first and third quarter, and a golden sword in the other quarters. He travelled in company with Lord Alyn Cockshaw and Lord Gormon Peake to a wedding tourney at Lord Butterwell's seat of Whitewalls, which was to serve as a gathering place for his supporters (TMK: 654-655)
  • Lord Gormon Peake lost two of the three castles he ruled, due to having supported Daemon Blackfyre. He retained only Starpike (TMK: 657)
  • Lord Butterwell was Master of Coin when Aegon IV sat the throne, and then was made Hand for a time by Daeron II, but not for long. During the first Blackfyre Rebellion, his second son fought with the rebels, his eldest with the king, while he kept out of the fighting (TMK: 658)
  • Lord Butterwell's tourney in the reign of Aerys I featured a dragon's egg as the champion's prize (TMK: 663)
  • The most notable rebellions against the Targaryens came from the Blackfyre pretenders (SSM: 1)
  • Bittersteel was Ser Aegor Rivers, the bastard son of Aegon the Unworthy by a a woman of House Bracken. Angry at his lot as a bastard, he was dark-haired, lithe, and hard. He wore a horsehead crest upon his helm and his arms featured a red stallion with black dragon wings, snorting flame against a golden field (SSM: 1)
  • Daemon Blackfyre was about 26 at the time of his rebellion, Bittersteel 24, and Bloodraven 21. Daemon's eldest sons, Aegon and Aemon, were 12 (SSM: 1)
  • Daemon Blackfyre rebelled when he did for several reasons. Among them were that he was increasingly resentful of his status as a bastard, councilors urged him to it such as Fireball, (SSM: 1)
Last revised October 13, 2011
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