Robert's Rebellion, also known as the War of the Usurper, was a rebellion against House Targaryen, primarily instigated by Eddard Stark, Jon Arryn, and Robert Baratheon, for whom it is named. It lasted "close to a year" and resulted in the end of the Targaryen dynasty in the Seven Kingdoms and the beginning of Robert Baratheon's reign.
The conflict was instigated after Rhaegar Targaryen had kidnapped Lyanna Stark, who was betrothed to Robert Baratheon. Despite the pleading of Hoster Tully for patience, her brother Brandon Stark rode to the city of King's Landing. There, he went into the Red Keep shouting for Prince Rhaegar to come out and die. King Aerys II arrested him and his companions (his squire Ethan Glover, Jeffory Mallister, Kyle Royce, and the nephew and heir of the Lord of the Eyrie Elbert Arryn) for threatening and conspiring to murder the crown prince. King Aerys II, who had become increasingly paranoid, since his several months of confined imprisonment during the Defiance of Duskendale, had ordered the fathers of the prisoners to come south to answer the charges against their sons. When they did, they and their sons were all murdered without trial.Ethan Glover was the only survivor. Lord Rickard Stark, who demanded a trial by combat, was roasted in his armor, as his son Brandon was put in a strangulation device and was forced to watch, strangling himself in the process of trying to save his father. Soon after, the Mad King demanded the heads of Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark from their guardian, Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie. Rather than comply, Lord Arryn raised his banners in revolt against these unjust acts. When Lord Arryn raised his banners in revolt, many of his bannermen sided with the King, chief among them Lord Randyll Grafton, who called the other loyalists to aid him in barring the rebels from entering the port of Gulltown. Eddard Stark decided to make his own way back to the North via the Fingers. Gulltown's defenses eventually fell, with Robert returning to Storm's End after slaying Marq Grafton. Both he and Eddard then called on their own bannermen. Next House Tully joined the war on the rebels' side, following the marriage of Eddard and Jon to Catelyn and Lysa respectively, binding House Stark, Tully and Arryn together. However, like in the Vale, not all the Tully bannermen joined the rebel cause. Houses Ryger, Darry, Goodbrook and Mooton took the side of the Targaryens in the war and Frey remained neutral until the situation became clearer. After all the rebels were united, it was decided they would stand behind Robert, whose grandmother had been the daughter of King Aegon V Targaryen, giving him the best claim to the throne outside of Aerys, his children and grandchildren. In turn, King Aerys summoned his own banners. All Targaryen bannermen in the Crownlands responded, as did House Tyrell and all of their bannermen, including houses Redwyne and Hightower. House Martell was reluctant to send aid after Rhaegar's actions but ultimately sided with the Targaryens. House Lannister, led by Tywin Lannister, who had recently resigned his post as Hand of the King ignored the summons, while House Greyjoy decided to remain neutral throughout the conflict.
Battles: R = wins for rebels, T = wins for Targaryens
Battle of Summerhall: R= 1, T=0 Battle of Ashford: R=1, T=1 Battle Of The Bells: R=2, T=1 Battle of Trident: R=3, T=1
When the battles were won, there followed the sack of kings landing; The Sack of King’s Landing occurred one year into the rebellion. Lord Tywin Lannister, who had remained neutral until the Battle of the Trident made the rebel victory a foregone conclusion, marched to the gates of King’s Landing, claiming loyalty to Aerys and asking to be let in. Aerys favored the advice of Grand Maester Pycelle over that of his spymaster Varys and opened the gates of the city. The Lannister forces then began to sack the city in Robert's name. Realizing all was lost, Aerys ordered his most recent Hand, the pyromancer Rossart, to ignite the wildfire caches throughout the city, saying, "Let [Robert] be king over charred bones and cooked meat. Let him be the king of ashes." Aerys then ordered Jaime Lannister, one of his Kingsguard and Tywin's own son, to kill his father. Instead, Jaime slew Lord Rossart and then murdered Aerys himself on the Iron Throne. Tywin sent his knights, Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch, to deal with the rest of the royal family, securing the throne for Robert and proving that House Lannister had forsaken the Targaryens forever. Gregor killed the baby crown prince Aegon while his mother watched, and then raped and murdered Princess Elia herself. Amory dragged princess Rhaenys from under her father's bed and killed her. When Eddard Stark arrived shortly thereafter, he found Jaime seated on the Iron Throne and Aerys's corpse slumped below it. Tywin Lannister presented the bodies of Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys as tokens of his fealty. The resulting argument between Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon over this brutal act led to Stark riding out alone to finish the war in the south.
There then followed Eddard Stark lifting the siege if Storm's End and Stannis Baratheon liberating Dragonstone.
Finally there was the skirmish at the Tower Of Joy in Dorne; Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent, and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Gerold Hightower had been absent from the battles on the Trident, King's Landing, and Storm's End. They were later found guarding a small tower, named the Tower of Joy, in the Red Mountains of Dorne where Prince Rhaegar had been holding Lyanna Stark. Lord Eddard rode there with six companions: Howland Reed, Willam Dustin, Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull and Mark Ryswell, after lifting the siege of Storm's End. The seven companions fought the three Kingsguard, with only Eddard and Howland surviving. Lyanna died shortly after she extracted a promise from her brother. Eddard then tore down the Tower to make cairns for the dead. Afterwards, Eddard rode to Starfall to deliver Arthur's sword Dawn to his sister Ashara Dayne, who leapt into the sea shortly afterwards.
The conflict was instigated after Rhaegar Targaryen had kidnapped Lyanna Stark, who was betrothed to Robert Baratheon. Despite the pleading of Hoster Tully for patience, her brother Brandon Stark rode to the city of King's Landing. There, he went into the Red Keep shouting for Prince Rhaegar to come out and die. King Aerys II arrested him and his companions (his squire Ethan Glover, Jeffory Mallister, Kyle Royce, and the nephew and heir of the Lord of the Eyrie Elbert Arryn) for threatening and conspiring to murder the crown prince.
King Aerys II, who had become increasingly paranoid, since his several months of confined imprisonment during the Defiance of Duskendale, had ordered the fathers of the prisoners to come south to answer the charges against their sons. When they did, they and their sons were all murdered without trial.Ethan Glover was the only survivor. Lord Rickard Stark, who demanded a trial by combat, was roasted in his armor, as his son Brandon was put in a strangulation device and was forced to watch, strangling himself in the process of trying to save his father. Soon after, the Mad King demanded the heads of Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark from their guardian, Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie. Rather than comply, Lord Arryn raised his banners in revolt against these unjust acts.
When Lord Arryn raised his banners in revolt, many of his bannermen sided with the King, chief among them Lord Randyll Grafton, who called the other loyalists to aid him in barring the rebels from entering the port of Gulltown. Eddard Stark decided to make his own way back to the North via the Fingers. Gulltown's defenses eventually fell, with Robert returning to Storm's End after slaying Marq Grafton. Both he and Eddard then called on their own bannermen.
Next House Tully joined the war on the rebels' side, following the marriage of Eddard and Jon to Catelyn and Lysa respectively, binding House Stark, Tully and Arryn together. However, like in the Vale, not all the Tully bannermen joined the rebel cause. Houses Ryger, Darry, Goodbrook and Mooton took the side of the Targaryens in the war and Frey remained neutral until the situation became clearer.
After all the rebels were united, it was decided they would stand behind Robert, whose grandmother had been the daughter of King Aegon V Targaryen, giving him the best claim to the throne outside of Aerys, his children and grandchildren.
In turn, King Aerys summoned his own banners. All Targaryen bannermen in the Crownlands responded, as did House Tyrell and all of their bannermen, including houses Redwyne and Hightower. House Martell was reluctant to send aid after Rhaegar's actions but ultimately sided with the Targaryens. House Lannister, led by Tywin Lannister, who had recently resigned his post as Hand of the King ignored the summons, while House Greyjoy decided to remain neutral throughout the conflict.
Battles:
R = wins for rebels, T = wins for Targaryens
Battle of Summerhall: R= 1, T=0
Battle of Ashford: R=1, T=1
Battle Of The Bells: R=2, T=1
Battle of Trident: R=3, T=1
When the battles were won, there followed the sack of kings landing;
The Sack of King’s Landing occurred one year into the rebellion. Lord Tywin Lannister, who had remained neutral until the Battle of the Trident made the rebel victory a foregone conclusion, marched to the gates of King’s Landing, claiming loyalty to Aerys and asking to be let in. Aerys favored the advice of Grand Maester Pycelle over that of his spymaster Varys and opened the gates of the city. The Lannister forces then began to sack the city in Robert's name. Realizing all was lost, Aerys ordered his most recent Hand, the pyromancer Rossart, to ignite the wildfire caches throughout the city, saying, "Let [Robert] be king over charred bones and cooked meat. Let him be the king of ashes."
Aerys then ordered Jaime Lannister, one of his Kingsguard and Tywin's own son, to kill his father. Instead, Jaime slew Lord Rossart and then murdered Aerys himself on the Iron Throne. Tywin sent his knights, Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch, to deal with the rest of the royal family, securing the throne for Robert and proving that House Lannister had forsaken the Targaryens forever. Gregor killed the baby crown prince Aegon while his mother watched, and then raped and murdered Princess Elia herself. Amory dragged princess Rhaenys from under her father's bed and killed her. When Eddard Stark arrived shortly thereafter, he found Jaime seated on the Iron Throne and Aerys's corpse slumped below it. Tywin Lannister presented the bodies of Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys as tokens of his fealty. The resulting argument between Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon over this brutal act led to Stark riding out alone to finish the war in the south.
There then followed Eddard Stark lifting the siege if Storm's End and Stannis Baratheon liberating Dragonstone.
Finally there was the skirmish at the Tower Of Joy in Dorne;
Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent, and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Gerold Hightower had been absent from the battles on the Trident, King's Landing, and Storm's End. They were later found guarding a small tower, named the Tower of Joy, in the Red Mountains of Dorne where Prince Rhaegar had been holding Lyanna Stark. Lord Eddard rode there with six companions: Howland Reed, Willam Dustin, Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull and Mark Ryswell, after lifting the siege of Storm's End. The seven companions fought the three Kingsguard, with only Eddard and Howland surviving. Lyanna died shortly after she extracted a promise from her brother. Eddard then tore down the Tower to make cairns for the dead. Afterwards, Eddard rode to Starfall to deliver Arthur's sword Dawn to his sister Ashara Dayne, who leapt into the sea shortly afterwards.