Shield Islands

The Shield Islands, frequently referred to as the Four Shields or simply the Shields, is an archipelago situated off the coast of the Reach by the mouth of the river Mander in the Sunset Sea. Comprised of four distinct islands each ruled by a separate lord underneath House Hewett, the lords of the Shield Islands protect the lands by the Mander with a sizeable fleet, acting as the first bulwark against any naval threats sailing south from the Iron Islands and beyond.

Culture
Owing to their bloody history with the Ironborn and descent from warriors settled under the rule of Garth Goldenhand, the men and women of the Shields display a rich martial tradition not dissimilar to that of the Dornish Marches.

Proud and faithful, old as young, strong as weak are all taught the rudimentary basics of warfare, learning how to fortify palisades, man a warship, detect reavers and how to alert the other Shields and mainland by lighting elaborate beacons atop watchtowers.

But just as brine and battle is in their blood, so is the cultural tangs of the Reach Proper. Those who do not make careers within the Shields' navy often pursue careers as craftsmen, fishermen, merchants and even farmers. The Shieldmen often boast to be among the finest shipwrights in the world, and though this claim is contested by countless others, it cannot be denied that generations of open warfare at sea have taught the smallfolk of the Sunset Sea how to construct sturdy ships of war and trade.

Music is another pillarstone of Shielder-culture, with many sea shanties being sung in tavern and at sea alike, speaking of the many deeds of the proud people and their folklore. The drum and lute is a particularly popular combination, with instruments crafted on Oakenshield being well-known in the realm.

History
The oldest tales of the Shields' original settling date back to the Age of Heroes, where it is told that the legendary son of Garth Greenhand, Owen Oakenshield, conquered the islands from the creatures of the sea, driving Selkies and Merlings back into their ocean dwellings, where they are said to be lurking to this day, plotting their return to the archipelago. There, Owen Oakenshield settled the isles with men of the Reach, and dubbed their new home the Misty Islands, after the frequent mists and warm drizzles occurring in the bay.

Ironborn
Some two thousand years ago, the air was filled with the vile scent of blood and brimstone as the folk of the Misty Islands laid witness to the arrival of cruel warriors from the Ironborn, sacking entire castles and laying waste to villages. It is said that no man was safe who made their home by the Sunset Sea, for where the seafom washed upon the shores, the Ironborn reigned in terror. This especially went for the Misty Islands, whose prime location made the isles the perfect base for sailing up the Mander. With impunity, the ironborn killed all the men and took the women as saltwives before laying claim to the islands for their own. What few people managed to escape the wrath of the Ironborn fled to the mainland, with the surviving nobility seeking refuge at the high court of the Gardener Kings.

For generations, the exiled lords of the Shields would demand their homelands be retaken, and for generations, the Ironmen maintained their iron grip over the archipelago, resisting any attempts of conquest with fury, entrenching their position with grim strongholds of their own...until the reign of Garth VII, more famously knownas Garth the Goldenhand.

With experience of war from driving back the Dornish in his childhood, and acknowledging the threat that the Ironborn posed from their strongholds on the Misty Islands, the Goldenhand assembled an army of his fiercest warriors and shipped them across the mouth of the Mander, where they landed upon the shores of the islands. It is said that the reavers were driven away within a fortnight, that the fortnight was one of constant battle and bloodshed. By the end of it, the Ironborn were no more, and the warriors were offered special dispensations in exchange for resettling the islands. The old houses were given back their ancient homes, whilst men proven in battle were charged with overseeing the lands of those who had fallen generations ago. No longer would the Misty Islands be vulnerable to the threat of Ironborn, humble fisherfolk living out their lives in peace, but warriors - the shield that guarded the Reach against any and all enemies of the sea. Thus, the Misty Islands were renamed to embrace that solemn charge of defending the heart of the Reach, and so the Shield Islands came to be.

Targaryen era
To be written.

Baratheon era
To be written.

Recent events
To be written.

Oakenshield
The easternmost of the Four Shields, Oakenshield gets its name from the legendary conqueror of the archipelago thousands of years ago, Owen Oakenshield, which House Hewett, lords of Oakenshield, claim descent from. The largest of the four islands, Oakenshield is without a doubt also the richest of the Shield Islands, deriving its wealth from its close proximity to the river Mander and being on a trade route between Oldtown and Lannisport, making it a prime location for merchants seeking to trade with the wider world to stop at.

Oakenshield is a green, fertile island, with sandy beaches and white cliffs where elders keep an eye out for new arrivals and potential enemies from their watchtowers and beacons. Further inland sits sloping hills and fields, where smallfolk let their cattle graze peacefully next to fine vineyards and orchards. Some smaller forestland exists on the island, and smaller game is frequently hunted there by the Hewetts, whilst other woods are exclusively reserved for shipbuilding. Most, however, live their lives by the sea, in sprawling villages and hovels where they fish and trade with one another, hunting for pearls and wreckages, or simply serve aboard the many warships that guard the Mander waters.

What was once a frequent target of reaving Ironborn has prospered into a bustling trading port under the relative peace of the Targaryen and brief Baratheon kings, allowing Lord Hewett's Town to swell in population and wealth under the liberty of the King's Peace. Twice as large as Lordsport, the population of the busy town numbers in the high thousands.

The town is commonly divided into four quarters or districts by its inhabitants; Oakenshield Quarter with its rich merchants and gentry living above the rest of the town atop a high hill, Owenport with its craftsmen, shipyards, clergy and middle-class citizens, the Merling Harbour with its bustling trading quarters, guildhouses, warehouses, winesinks and whorehouses, and finally Goldenhand Quarter, housing the slums and downtrodden businesses of Lord Hewett's Town.

Protecting the smallfolk is the town watch of Hewett's Town, commonly dubbed 'Oakcloaks' or 'Browncloaks' by the locals. Thanks to their martial tradition and active strides by Lord Hewett, the Browncloaks enjoys a reputation of being well-disciplined and trained, comparable to the larger City Watch of Lannisport. They are equipped with mail armour and woolen brown cloaks, wielding iron spears, cudgels, dirks and the occasional longsword or axe.

Looming high above the harbour atop a high hill sits Oakenshield Castle. Though small, formidable walls protect the sturdy keep, and a great oak gate with iron-bolts separates the castle from the bridge to the town below. Inside sits a small albeit intimate courtyard, housing the kennels and stables next to lush oak trees and a stunted weirwood tree. The castle's green-tiled towers can be seen from leagues away, and it is said that the keep is founded upon the grave of the King of the Selkies, whose spirit can reportedly be heard and seen in the caverns below.

Southshield
The seat of House Serry.

Greyshield
The seat of House Grimm.

Greenshield
The seat of House Chester.