User blog:Godzillavkk/Blacks vs Varden



The Blacks: The rebel Targaryeans who battled the Royalist Greens for control of the Iron Throne

The Varden: The heroic rebels of Alagesia who fought to free their land from Galbatorix

Today, we have a epic battle between 2 fantasy rebels, who both had dragon riders fighting for them. Both also fought a King who also had Dragon Riders on his side, but how would they fare against eachother? Well let's take a look. Every known soldier and faction that declared for these two rebels will be present, regardless of how large or small their role was in either war.

The Blacks
Of all the wars that the continent of Westeros has played host to, none of them, not even the current War of the Five Kings, were as destructive, devastating or tragic as the Dance of the Dragons, a Targaryean civil war of succession. The seeds of war were planted durring the reign of King Viserys Targaryean first of his name, his queen had failed to produce a healthy son, so instead the King made a controversial decision, he annointed his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra as his heir.

Years later, Viserys remarried and his new wife, Queen Allicent of House Hightower, gave him a son, Aegon. After Viserys died, the Small Council meet to discuss the difficult situation he left behind with 2 potential heirs. However the discussion soon turned into an argument. Rhaenyra's supporters argued that the Kings law is law and that Rhaenyra must be crowned Queen, but Aegon's supporters argued that Andal law and tradition says that a son comes before a daughter. In the end, Aegon's supporters staged a coup and Aegon was crowned King.

When Princess Rhaenyra learned that her half-brother was crowned King, she was so shocked that she miscarried her unborn daughter. She assembled her own small council and was crowned Queen at her personel castle, Dragonstone and declared Aegon a traitor. She sent her sons to rally any Westerosi Lords loyal to her, while Aegon sent representatives to rally any Lords loyal to him. And so the Dance of the Dragons began.

The Civil War tore Westeros apart, brother fought brother, Targaryean fought Targaryean, and Dragon fought Dragon, in a miriad of battles fueled by ambition, desire, and the Iron Throne. In the end, neither Rhaenyra or Aegon survived, and their factions grew too exhausted to continue fighting, neither side really won. The war ended when Rheaenyra's son Aegon third of his name, married his half uncle's daughter. It took a whole generation for the Seven Kingdoms to recover from the tragic civil war, and the dragons soon became extinct.

Units
Dragonstone soldiers. (Yes yes, I know these are Baratheon Dragonstone soldiers, but since no pictures or information about Targaryean Dragonstone soldiers exist I'm going to have to go with the next best thing)

The men at arms of Rhaenyra's castle, Dragonstone. Dragonstone men are well-equipped and well-trained although at the cost of numbers. Dragonstone soldiers are distinguishable from other soldiers, as their helmets are flat on top with a reinforced faceplate and are silver. Their uniforms are grey and have silver plate in front and their shields have the sigil of their house. Most of them are infantry (due to the fact that Dragonstone cannot grow crops).

House Stark soldiers. One of the Houses that declared themselves to Rhaenyra was House Stark of Winterfell, who allied with Rhaenyra via the Pact of Fire and Ice. The average Stark soldier wears a brown or dark blue coat with green or grey sleeves, with chainmail worn under it and a suit of studded leather armor worn over it, also wears a pair of grey or brown leather boots. The soldiers are often equipped with helmets and rounded shields of steel or iron, both grey in color and the shields emblazoned with the Stark Direwolf. Warriors in the Northern heavy cavalry or heavy infantry wear relatively cheap brigandine armor, with many choosing to wear mail underneath as well.

The Winter Wolves. An elite corp of Northern Soldiers who fought for the Queen, these men ride shaggy northern horses and use axes, mauls, spiked maces, and ancient iron swords. They led the attack and charged the Greens Lannister spearmen five times in the Battle by the Lakeshore, with two thirds of the northmen killed or wounded in their victory. In the Butcher's Ball, Lord Dustin sounded the charge of the northmen and their river knight allies against Ser Criston Cole, the Kingmaker. They also killed Lord Ormund and Ser Bryndon Hightower, two of Aegon's favorite henchmen.

Manderly Knights. One of House Stark's most powerful vassals, House Manderly is one of the few Northern Houses to follow the Faith of the Seven and as such, one of the few Northern Houses to have Knights in their servace, and these knights were sent to fight for Rhaenyra. They are heavily armored as are their horses and are armed with tridents rather then lances.

Riverlands soldiers. One of House Targaryeans most loyal vassals, House Tully and the Riverland vassals swore loyalty to Rhaenyra. They are lightly harmored in chainmail, but they are numerous and helped win the Second Battle of Tumbleton.

Knights of the Vale. One of the most respected Knightly orders of Westeros is the Knights of the Vale. The knights of the Vale are also capable of battling in the ice and snow due to the Vale's many altitudes, ranging from high to low ranges and are armed with lances and swords. Their horses are not armored, making them faster calvalry.

Ironborn raiders. When The Blacks offered the Ironborn the chance to raid Lannister and Hightower coastlines, which were loyal to the Greens, House Greyjoy and the Ironborn joined the Blacks. Though they are lightly armored, Ironborn are fast and mobile and revel in fighting and killing.

Velaryon soldiers. The elite of the Blacks, the soldiers of House Velaryon are heavily armored and armed with swords and spears, are very hard to kill. Yet being a Narrow Sea house their army is small compared to others.

Reachmen. The land of the Reach was heavily divided by the Dance of Dragons, especially since the liegelords the Tyralls refused to take a side. So instead, the various vassals choose sides by their own will. Reachmen who sided with the Blacks incuded the Beesbury's and Tarly's, the latter have some of the strongest archers in the Seven Kingdoms. Reachmen are heavily armored and their armies have the greatest numbers in all of Westeros since the Reach can feed the most soldiers.

Heroes
Queen Rhaenyra Targaryean. The leader of the Black Rebellion, Rhaenyra was promised the Iron Throne as a young girl, only to have it stolen from her by her Half-Brother, Aegon. Though she is the rightful heir to the throne, she is ruthless against her enemies and anyone who double-crosses her faces brutal penealties. Nevertheless she is very protective of her husband and five sons. She is a skilled rider and these skills helped her take King's Landing.

Prince Damon Targaryean. Rhaenyra's deadliest champion, Damon Targaryean is also her Uncle and Husband(Tragaryeans are known for inbreeding). Despite his old age Damon is still a skilled rider and fighter. He is also a cunning strategist and his military genius led to numorous victories for the Blacks. He was able to lure the majority of the Green army away from Kings Landing, allowing Rhaenyra's to take it almost without a fight. Damen is also ruthless, as deomstrated when he hired two assassins to kill Aegon's sons in retalliation for the death Prince Lucery's, one of Rhaenary's sons. Aegon's weakness is that sometimes he does not fasten a safety restraint to himself while riding, and while it does allow him to attack an enemy rider should he be above them, it also lead to his death.

Lord Cregan Stark. Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, Lord Cregan Stark is considered one of the finest swordsmen in all of Westeros as he defeated Prince Aemon Targaryean the Dragonknight. He has a strong sense of justice, even towards his enemies.

Lord Roderick Dustin. Leader of the Winter Wolves, Lord Dustin is famous for taking the life of Ser Criston Cole in the battle of Butcher's Ball, charging the Lannisters 5 times durring the battle of lakeshore and killing Ormund and Bryndon Hightower. He is brave, fierce and unafraid to die.

Lord Kermit Tully. Kermit Tully is best known for fighting in the Battle of the Kingsroad, the final battle of the Dance of Dragons, where he slew Lord Borros Baratheon, a loyal Green and ended the war. He is a skilled battle commander and warrior, never giving up, even though Queen Rhaenary was dead at the time of the battle.

Dragons
Syrax. The Queen's personal dragon, Syrax was ridden by Rhaenary since she was a girl. She is huge and formidible, but not as experienced as other dragons. She helped Rhaenary take Kings Landing, and killed countless Smallfolk durring the riot in Kings Landing before being killed herself.

Caraxes. Damon's Dragon, Caraxes is formidible, experienced and fearsome, but not as big or strong as Syrax. Caraxes helped Damon claim victory at the Siege of Harrenhal and was present at the Duel above the Gods Eye against Prince Aemon Targaryean, a Green and his dragon Vhagar. Both riders and dragons perished,

Varden
At the end of the Dragon War, the Broddring Kingdom was overthrown by the fallen Dragon RIder Galbatorix who founded the Empire. For 100 years he ruled the human lands of Alagaesia with an Iron Fist. But not everyone bowed to him. Founded by the Wizard Brom, the Varden's sole purpose was to overthrow Galbatorix and restore the Broddring Kingdom. The Varden had many leaders throughout their war, but the most notable ones were Ajihad and his daughter, Nasuada.

The Varden's ranks included not just humans, but also dwarves as well, late in the war, elves joined as well, as did urgals and werecats. The Varden were also supported by the small independent Kingdom of Surda. For many years they warred with Galbatorix and his servents, but the tide turned in their favor when the Dragon Rider Eragon and the Dragon Saphira joined their cause. With his aid, the Varden maintained their alliance with the dwarves, gained new allies in the form of Carvahall villagers, learned Galaborixes weakness and won the war. Nasuada was crowned Queen of the new Broddring Kingdom and Alagaesia saw the dawn of a new golden age.

Soldiers
Varden Soldiers. The standard footsoldiers of the Varden, their ranks include swordsmen, arhcers, pikemen and cavalry. Their armor ranges from medium to heavy, giving them protectiona and mobility.

Dwarves. A native race of Alagaesia, dwarves are skilled warriors, miners and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand under 5 feet, they are very strong. They primarily weild axes and wear thick armor. However they are slow.

Elves. Elves posses inhuman abilities, such as strength, durability, speed and agility. It is said that even the weakest elf of any gender can overpower any human with ease, though many elves were slain durring the Rider War. They also have a natural affinity with nature and could bend it to their will, though they respected it greatly. Unlike traditional elves, these elves prefer using swords and spears rather then bows and arrows. Archers do exist in their ranks, though they are rarer. They are also skilled horseback riders. They ride magic elven horses that don't require saddles, brindles or sturrups.

Urgals. The Urgal culture is centered around warfare: the societal ranks of both males and females are decided by their ability to kill. Urgals are a tribal race and each tribe is under the authority of a warchief, or "Nar" in the Urgal tongue. These tribes often fight each other as well as human settlements or cities. Elite among the Urgals are the Kull,above eight feet tall on average and had legs like tree trunks. Kull seem to be trained Urgals, though it is not clear just how they grow to be Kull or "normal" Urgals. This does however make them vulnerable to archers.

Surda Cavalry. Surda's cavalry is considered the small Kingdom's deadliest weapon. Fast and mobile, they have slain many Imperial soldiers, yet they are lightly armored.

Carvahall villegers. When their village was attacked by the Empire, Carvahall's people formed a peasent militia to defend themselves. Despite not having any military training and being armed with farm equipment, their knowledge of Carvahall's layout, building talants, and guerilla tactics claimed the lives of many Imperial soldiers. Though they were defeated, they retreated to Surda and joined the Varden.

Werecats. The most mysterious members of the Varden, and the most mysterious of Alagaesia's inhabitants, Werecats have the ability to turn into cats and feral looking children with cat features. They have the ability to command normal cats, while they themselves serve as scouts, assassins and guerilla fighters armed with daggers, throwing knives, claws and teeth.

Heroes
Lady Nasuada. The leader of the Varden durring the final years of the war after the death of her father, and the eventual Queen of the restored Broddring Kingdom, Nasuada has had to face threats both inside and outside. And yet she has proven to be a skilled leader, military strategist and even a warrior.

Nasuada's champion, Eragon is the first of a new generation of Dragon Riders. The son of the Wizard Brom, Eragon lived with his Uncle and Cousin in his childhood. But when he found a blue dragon egg, and hatched the dragon Saphira, he life changed forever. Under Brom's guidence, he learned combat, magic, and after Brom's death, joined the Varden. He learned more about Dragon Riders from the elf Oromis. After Nasuada was captured by Galbatorixes forces, he assumed temporary leadership of the Varden and durring the siege of Uru,bean, he finally defeated Galbatorix.

Oromis. Eragon's second mentor durring his time living with the Elves, Oromis is a veteran of the Dragon War. he is a skilled spellcaster and warrior, however his injuries from the previous war cause him seizures, leaving him vulnerable for a short ammount of time. To help and aid him, he has the dragon Glaedr whom he is bound to as a rider. Though he was able to stand toe to toe against the Empire's soldiers, and even Murtagh, Galabatorixes champion, his seizures spelled his doom in the end.

Princess Arya. The daughter of Queen Islanzadi, ambassador to the Varden, and eventual Queen of Du Weldenvarden, Arya is a master swordswoman, magic user and politican. Like all other elves, she has amazing strength, durability and agility. However she is vulnerable to certain types of magic and dragon fire.

Roran. The leader of the Carvahall villegers and Eragon's cousin, Roran has no actual military training, but he is brave, determined, and has proven to be a capable leader. He developed numorous guerilla strategies to help Carvahall defend itself from Galbatorix and has developed new war strategies for the Varden against the Empire. He is also a surprisngly capable fighter using only a hammer, and survived the siege of Uru,bean and even gained the respect of the Elves.

Dragons
Saphira. Eragon's dragon, Saphira is the last known female dragon in existence. She is very protective of Eragon, even to the point of disobeying him if it would be for his safety. She would even betray the Varden would she feel that they were directly threatening Eragon She enjoys fighting and relishes in battle.

Gleadr. Oromis's dragon, Gleadr is a hardend veteran of the Dragon War. However like Oromis, he does have permement injuries, such as the fact that one of his legs is just a stump because he lost one of he hands in battle. He is larger then Saphira, but he is older and slower.

How would this battle play out? Difficult to say. The Varden have magic and fantasy races on their side, but the Blacks are more destructive because of their leaders ruthless nature, while the Varden are more heroic and are more protective of life, even though their war was destructive in it's own right. And though the Varden's enemies were humans, they still suffered many casualities.

Battle begins August 21st.

It's a battle of opposites

Humans vs Fantasy races

Real life medieval inspired vs fantasy inspired

Morally ambigious rebels vs heroic rebels?

Note* I didn't put Orik, Orrin or Solembum in because I wanted 2 dragon riders for both rebels to even the the odds, so I could only put in two other non rider characters from the Inherirtence cycle. If I made any mistakes in the descriptions, inform me so I can fix it.