[TV] HBO Game of Thrones - Page 189

Okay, so the continent of Westereos has a ton of history. The original people of the land were called the Children of the Forest, little is known about them, but they were very druidic and intune with nature.
12000 years prior to GoT the First Men arrive via a landbridge from another continent. They had engagements with the Children of the Forest and ended up fighting a bit. Eventually the two reached a truce and the First Men adopted the CotF gods (known as the Old Gods in GoT). They were at peace for 4000 years before the Others arrived. A massive war was fought between the two and eventually the Others were pushed back. The Nights Watch was formed and the Wall was erected.
6000 years prior to the GoT another group of men known as the Andals arrived. The Andals were more modern and fought against the First Men. The Andals eventually conquered the South (Dorne, The Reach, The Riverlands, The Vale, The Storm Lands, etc) but the First Men held onto the North. (Basically the current Stark lands.) The Andals brought with them their own gods, known as The Seven.
Nearly every region had kings or a king at some period or another, and there are many famous figures dating from this era, but it's not directly important to the main story.
300 years before GoT a man named Aegon Targayen arrives at Dragonstone with his sisters and his dragons. They had fled from the land of Valyria, which had supposedely just been destroyed by something called The Doom. (Meoter, tsunami, earthquake, etc, no one knows)
Aegon invades Westereos and conquerers The Stormlands, The Crownlands, The Reach The Vale, The Westerlands, The Iron Islands, and The North. (Pretty much everywhere besides Dorne.) He abolishes all the kings and proclaims himself ruler and establishes the Targayen line.
For the next 285 years the Targayens rule. They mostly inter-marry (sister with brother.) There are a great many figures of this period who are hereos and many wars (Aemon the Dragonknight, Baelor the Blessed, Maegor the Cruel, Dance of the Dragons, etc) but again, they are not directly related the current scene. The last dragons die 150 years after Aegon arrives, and Dorne is incorporated to the Kingdom via marriage 200 years after.

THE IMPORTANT PART
15 years before GoT is when a huge shift in power begins. The current Targayen King is Aerys II (called the Mad King, as he was generally insane). He is wed to his sister, and has two children (Rhaegar, his heir, and Viserys). His wife is expecting a 3rd.
Rhaegar is married to Elia of Dorne (the sister of the ruler of Dorne), and has two children (Rhaeynes, and Aegon)
Robert Baratheon is heir to Storms End. He is being fostered at the Eyrie (in the vale) with the Vales current ruler: Jon Arryn. Robert is betrothed to Eddard's sister Lyanna. Also being fostered with him is Eddard Stark who is the 2nd son of the current Lord of Winterfell: Rickard. (The first son being Brandon). Brandon is also betrothed to Catelyn Tully.
Tywin Lannister is acting as Aerys II's Hand of the King. (Jaime, Cersei, Robert, Eddard, Catelyn are all young adults at this point)

The action starts when Jaime Lannister becomes a member of the Kingsguard. Tywin is enraged by this, and resigns as the Hand of the King. (The replacement is irrelavent) A tournament is staged in Jaime's honor.

Every major lord is at the tournament, as it is a big deal. The winner of the tournament is the Crown-Prince Rhaegar. However, in a stunning suprise he names Lyanna Stark queen of beauty and not his own wife. (Tournament winners usually named whoever they thought the most beautiful lady at the tournament upon winning)

This is obviously a huge scandal, but it gets even bigger when Rhaegar and Lyanna vanish. Everyone assumes he's kidnapped her, and Rickard and Brandon Stark ride for Kings Landing. Upon arriving there, they confront Aerys II only to be executed. (The manner of execution is very important and revealed later on, so I will not spoil it). After executing them, Aerys II demands Robert and Eddard (now Lord of Winterfell) be brought to Kings Landing. Jon Arryn refuses, and calls his bannermen.

So basically it's the start of war. Certain houses and lords joining each side. (Starks+Tullys+Baratheons+Arryns) vs (Targayen+Tyrell+Martell). The Lannisters initially remain silent in the war. Fighting breaks out, and there are various victories for each side, but the climax comes at The Battle of the Trident.
There, the armies of Robert and Rhaegar clash. It's supposedely the fierciest fight the lands seen in forever, etc but in the end Robert kills Rhaegar and the Targayen host is routed. Robert's army proceeds south towards Kings Landing.

At this time the Lannister host becomes active and goes to King's Landing. On the premise of being on the Targayen side they are let in by an individual. Once inside they begin to sack the city. Aerys II orders Jaime (who is now a member of his kingsguard) to kill his father Tywin, but Jaime instead kills Aerys II (earning him the title of Kingslayer). Rhaegar's wife and children are all murdered. The murderers are a spoiler so I won't say who.

Eddard arrives at the city and declares it in Robert's name. Viserys and Aerys II's pregnant wife are smuggled to Dragonstone. There, she dies giving birth to Daenarys. Daenarys and Viserys are then smuggled across the sea.

Eddard goes south looking for his sister and discovers she is being guarded by 3 members of the Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy. (2 of these guard, Gerold Hightower, and Arthur Dayne, are really big herioc figures.) Eddard and his men defeat them, but they cannot save Lyanna. (Meaning she dies.) Before she dies, she makes Ned promise her something. It's a spoiler.

In the aftermath of the war, Robert weds Cersei and is declared King. Ned marrys his now dead brother's betrothed, Catelyn Tully, and returns to winterfell. Jon Arryn is named as the Hand of the King and is wed to Catelyn's sister Lysa. Tywin returns to Casterely Rock. Storms End is granted to Roberts brother Renly. Dragonstone is granted to his other brother Stannis. Viserys and Daenarys are now across the sea.

There is more information obviously, but this is just a quick summary.