Welcome to the second diary in the series, A Song of Ice and Fire. I am hoping to engender some discussion here about George R. R. Martin's fantasy book series and the HBO series based upon them. I am requesting volunteers to write about any aspects of the show that interest them. The diary series will appear every Monday morning at 8 Pacific and 11 Eastern. Next week at this time RLMiller will write about the strong women of the series.
This particular diary is spoiler-free, but I cannot guarantee that the comments will be. When commenting about events after the first book, it would be a kindness to put a spoiler warning in the comment header.
The primary action in A Game of Thrones takes place in Westeros, a sprawling continent which is divided into what is called The Seven Kingdoms, which were separate kingdoms prior to the Targaryen invasion nearly 300 years before the story opens (known as the War of Conquest) but are now joined under one king. The continent is estimated to be about 3000 miles from the Wall in the North to the Southern beaches of Dorne. This does not even include the portions north of the Wall, which have never been fully mapped. Westeros has a climate consisting of very long summers (the most recent has been 9 years long) and very long and brutal winters.
The North stretches from the narrowest part of Westeros, called the Neck, all the way to the Wall - the massive wall of ice built thousands of years ago to protect the land from a nearly forgotten enemy. The Wall extends from the Frostfang Mountains and Milkwater River on the West, to the Bay of Seals on the East. It belongs to the Night's Watch, a sworn brotherhood consisting of men from all walks of life, from younger sons of noble houses to criminals who had the choice of going to the Wall or suffering worse punishment. The Night's Watch serves to guard the entire Seven Kingdoms, and is allowed no loyalties outside that duty. Two portions of land below the Wall also belong to the Night's Watch: The Gift and the New Gift, which in earlier times were farmed and maintained by the men of the Watch, but now their numbers have dwindled, and they are barely able to staff 3 of the 19 forts along the Wall. The Wall itself is said to be more than 8000 years old, built during a troubled time called the Long Night, where the aforementioned forgotten enemy invaded Westeros. When the enemy was driven back, the Wall was built to keep them out. It is more than 700 feet high and wide enough for several men to ride abreast at the top. It is rumored to be protected by wards that will keep the enemy from passing under or over it. As the story opens, Castle Black, at the end of the Kingsroad, is the is the main setting along the Wall.
The North is almost as large as the rest of Westeros combined, though it is not as densely populated. Like northern climes on our own world, the North is a much colder place than those regions below the Neck; even occasionally experiencing snow during the long summer. The North has been ruled for thousands of years by House Stark from their seat at Winterfell, an ancient castle protected by two huge outer walls with a moat between them; containing a keep, several towers, underground crypts, and glass gardens (greenhouses where they grow food), all heated by the hot springs the castle was built upon. Before the conquest the the Starks were called the Kings of the North, and they remain Lords of the North. Northerners are a fiercely proud and stubborn people, considered by the people of the South to be a bit rough around the edges. They tend to be very loyal to the Starks. Most of them follow the Old Gods, a religion rooted in nature, with no organizational structure and no priests or other clergy. The North is geographically varied, with tall mountains and forests in the northernmost portions, and swampland in the lower portions around the Neck. The largest city in the North is White Harbour, which is the seat of House Manderly The people of White Harbour primarily worship the gods of the South, the Seven - a single deity with seven aspects.
The Iron Islands is a group of seven islands off the western coast of Westeros, just southwest of the Neck. The islands are ruled by House Greyjoy. The Ironborn, as the people of the Iron Islands call themselves, are fashioned after the Vikings. They are hard, seafaring people who worship the Drowned God. The islands are hard and rocky, with poor soil for farming. Their allegiance is to themselves and their god. Theon Greyjoy, the last remaining son of House Greyjoy, is a ward (captive) of the Starks at Winterfell, after a failed rebellion by his father.
The land immediately below the Neck consists of the Riverlands, and to the east, the Vale. The Vale is a fertile land surrounded by the Mountains of the Moon to the landward side, which are impassable in winter; and by the sea on the eastern side. They have a port city called Gulltown which is the easiest point of access. The Vale is ruled by the Arryns, whose seat is the Eyrie, a formidable and beautiful mountain castle accessible only by a narrow and precipitous trail and by a primitive "elevator" near the summit.
The Riverlands is named for the many rivers running through it. It is a fertile area with no large cities, but many prosperous towns. It is ruled by House Tully from their seat at Riverrun, a triangular castle built between the Red Fork and Tumblestone Rivers.
The Crownlands, those lands ruled directly by the king of the Seven Kingdoms, sit south of the Vale and southeast of the Riverlands. They include the capital city of King's Landing (so named because that is where the invading Targaryens first landed), many smaller towns, the Kingswood, and several islands, among them Dragonstone. King's Landing is where much of the story takes place, a sprawling, smelly (as all medieval cities must have been) city located where Blackwater River spills into Blackwater Bay. It is a walled city of three hills, and in the books is much more like medieval London or Paris must have looked rather than the more tropical look it was given in the HBO show. It is a massive city, bigger than old London would have been, though not, Martin has remarked, as big as ancient Constantinople or Rome. The royal castle sits on Aegon's Hill, and is named the Red Keep, so called because of the pale red stone it is built from. On Visenya's Hill is Baelor's Sept, the main holding of the Faith of the Seven. The slum area is called Fleabottom, though most of the very poor smallfolk live outside the city walls. The city has the biggest and busiest harbor in Westeros.
The Westerlands, to the West of the Riverlands, are ruled by House Lannister. House Lannister's seat is Casterly Rock, which overlooks the city of Lannisport. The Westerlands are bordered mostly by mountains and forest, and is most vulnerable from the sea. As readers of the story know, the Lannisters are one of the richest, most powerful, and most ruthless families in Westeros.
Farther South, Westeros is divided into the Reach, to the west, ruled by the Tyrells of Highgarden; and the Stormlands to the east, ruled by the Baratheons. The Reach is a fertile land of rolling hills and farmland. The Tyrells are a family dedicated to to notion of chivalry. They were never kings, but were Stewards to the king at the time of the Targaryen invasion, and now are the rulers of the Reach as granted by the Targaryens. Highgarden is described as having "groves and fountains, shady courtyards, marble colonnades." Oldtown is the second largest city in Westeros, and is where the maesters are trained. It is also a thriving port.
The Stormlands are less hospitable than the Reach, surrounded by mountains on one side and rocky coast on the other. The Baratheon's seat is at Storm's End, a formidable castle located on the sea, with incredibly thick walls made of stones so well fashioned that one can scarcely see the joints, and no drafts can penetrate. It has never fallen to siege or storm, and is said to be protected by ancient magic.
Finally, Dorne is the southernmost part of Westeros, and contains the only real desert on the continent. It is guarded by tall mountains to the north, and ocean along three sides. Dorne is ruled by the Martells, who call themselves princes instead of kings. Dorne is the only kingdom in Westeros where the succession is determined by order of birth instead of gender. The Dornish are viewed by the rest of Westeros as being somewhat loose morally, since they don't take matters of sexuality so seriously. The Dornes have darker skin than most of Westeros.
The only non Westeros action that takes place elsewhere is on the continent of Essos, which is not referred to by name until the newest book. The action begins there in the free city of Pentos, one of nine free city-states, the others being Braavos, Lys, Qohor, Norvos, Myr, Tyrosh, Volantis, and Lorath. All but Braavos were colonies of Valyria, where the Targaryens were from. Valyria was destroyed in the Doom (apparently a multiple volcanic eruption). Pentos is where we find the character Danaerys Targaryen and her brother residing with the magister Illyrio Mopatis, and the character Varys is originally from there. Braavos is where the character Syrio, Arya's "dancing master" is from.
Outside of the Free Cities is the Dothraki Sea, not a sea at all, but vast grasslands, thus named because the grass moves like waves in the wind. The Dothraki Sea is dominated by the Dothraki, tribes of horse lords given to rape and pillage. The most powerful of the horse lords is Khal Drogo, who has never been defeated in battle.
Links to maps of Westeros:
Giant Map with House Sigils (click to see full size)
Giant Map with Geographical Details (click to see full size)
Map of Westeros with Political Boundaries