《Background Guide》.pdfVIP

Background Guide Robert’s Rebellion John Ford UMICS President and Crisis Coordinator Model United Nations – University of Maryland Robert’s Rebellion – Background Guide - 1 - Disclaimer: None of this is my original content. Everything here was invented by George R R Martin in his epic fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Robert’s Rebellion – Background Guide - 2 - Setting: Welcome to King’s Landing. This city is the capital and the center of power on the continent of Westeros. It is the year 282 AL (after landing) and tensions are quickly rising between the king, Aerys “The Mad King” Targaryen II, and his vassals over Aerys’s unstable and violent behavior. Since his imprisonment by a rebellious lord 6 years ago, Aerys has been suffering from paranoid and insanity, refusing even to groom his hair or nails from his fear of blades. The city of King’s Landing was founded in the first year AL, at the site of the landing of King Aegon “The Conqueror” Targaryen I, the legendary king that first united all of Westeros into one kingdom and founded the Targaryen dynasty using the now-extinct dragons. It is now a thriving city, with hundreds of thousands of residents. The city is composed of three hills surrounded by great walls. One hill is peaked by the great Baelor’s Sept, a cathedral of the Faith of the Seven, the main religion in Westeros. Another is topped by the ruins of the Dragon Pit, where Targaryen kings kept their dragons before the dragons all died off. At the foot of this hill is Flea Bottom, the slums of the city. Finally, the third hill is topped by the military and governmental core of Westeros, the Red Keep. This massive complex contains the palace of t