A Summer of Ice and Fire

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. This campaign is set one hundred and eighty-three years after Aegon the First's conquest of Westeros. Dragons, the valerian steel sword Blackfrye and the Iron Throne itself had been the main symbols of the Targaryen Dynasty's mandate to rule. The rule of Viserys the First saw the end of the Targaryen Golden Age. While his rule was one that was good and just, the issue of sucesssion was of much contention. Thus began the Dance of Dragons, also known as the Targaryen Civil War.

Originally promised and trained to inherit the throne by her father Viserys, Queen Rhaenyra awaited to claim the throne from the island of Dragonstone. News of Viserys death was kept from the kingdom for nearly a week as the small council, lead by Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower, planned to crown her son Aegon the Second. It would come to pass that all of the wealth and power of the dragon riders would disappear, both claimants to the throne would die in the war, and all of the remaining dragons were left as a pale imitation of their former selves. With the Dance of Dragons ended, Aegon the Third sat on the throne. More commonly known as Aegon the Unlucky, Aegon's rule would come to see the death of the last dragon.

Recently, the Iron Throne has tried to integrate the kingdom of Dorne under their rule. All of the last four kings have not been able to do so. Daeron Targaryen tried to integrate Dorne though conquest, but the rebellion of smallfolk lead to the kings death. King Baelor Targaryen tried to integrate Dorne with marriage and spreading of the faith, but his evangelical tendencies prevented this. King Baelor was wed to his sister Daena Targaryen.Being wholly devoted to the Faith of the Seven, Baelor failed to consummate his marriage with Daena. Daena was the wild child of the Targaryen family and sought a father for her children elsewhere. With an unnamed suitor, Daena had a child named Daemon Waters. For the rest of Baelor's reign, Daena refused to name her bastards father. King Baelor died of excessive fasting.

Viserys the Second ruled for a little more than a year, but had reversed many of the steps taken by kings long gone. Aegon the Fourth currently sits on the Iron Throne. Aegon's rule can be summarized by that of excessive opulence. Many noblemen fear bringing both their wed or unwed daughters with them to court. Upon returning home, they may be bringing a bastard of Aegon home with them. In darkened halls, some have declared the rule of Aegon the fourth as Aegon the Unworthy. Aegon has had bastards with six (total) noblewomen. These bastards have now been known as "the Grand Bastards". Recently, Aegon knighted his bastard Daemon Waters, who has taken up the name Daemon Blackfyre.In addition to knighthood, King Aegon has also given Daemon Blackfyre the sword Blackfyre. Rumors now spread that Aegon nears death. The question of royal sucession is at the forefront of all the nobles minds.

Will it be a peaceful succession like the previous few kings? Or will there be another war on the scale of the Dance of the Dragons?