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Why are they not major castles near Southern borders in Riverlands


Mrstrategy

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Probably wasn’t worth building any, not since RR there haven’t been any major wars or battles since Robert took the throne. Then by the time the WoT5K took place it was too late. Not to mention it would cost a lot of money.

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Who says there are no castle in the southern riverlands ? It is not like we know every House and every castle in Westeros, we just know those GRRM needs to tell his story (and others for world building).

If I had to guess, I'd say the seat of Houses Blanetree, Terrick, Deddings, Lychester, and Wayn are located in this region. My reasoning is that during the reign of Maegor the Cruel those riverlands Houses were particulary pious and fought against Maegor. Visenya put all these castles to the flame in one night with Vhagar, which implies those riverlands Houses are relatively close to each other. I think the region of the southern riverlands, next to the important religious town of Stoney Sept, is a good fit for GRRM to place all theses Houses.

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The Dowager Queen mounted Vhagar and brought fire and blood to the riverlands as once she had to Dorne. In a single night, the seats of House Blanetree, House Terrick, House Deddings, House Lychester, and House Wayn were set aflame.
Fire and Blood, The Sons of the Dragon

Given that when the riverlands is invaded by the westermen (during the Dance of the Dragons and the War of the Five Kings), the first two Houses to face the invaders were both times the Vances of Wayfarer's Rest and the Pipers of Pinkmaiden. This makes me think that Wayfarer's Rest is located near the westerlands border and the Red Fork but the Vances of Atranta could be from the southern riverlands.

 

Also we don't know who rules Stoney Sept. Is it owned by the Faith itself and not a lord ?
Historically there was a chapter of the Warrior's Sons in the town that seems important. In ASOS we learn of a certain Ser Wilbert:

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"What, did you run short o' hempen rope?"
"Was this done at Ser Wilbert's decree?" asked Tom.
A man laughed bitterly. "The lions killed Ser Wilbert a year ago. His sons are all off with the Young Wolf, getting fat in the west. You think they give a damn for the likes of us? It was the Mad Huntsman caught these wolves."
ASOS, Arya V

If Tom of Sevenstreams believes this Ser Wilbert has the right to edict a lawful decree in the town, it means he controls the town, right ?

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17 hours ago, Mrstrategy said:

Why are they not major defensive  castles near  Southern borders in Riverlands since the Riverlands should have several border castle since has always been a combat zone in any wars to slow down armies by forcing them to siege the catles 

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the Riverlands as we know it had not been a region that had been be singularly sovereign kingdom in thousands of years. Recent history shows the Riverlands as being carved out by Aegon the Conqueror, ruled by the Ironborn, ruled by the Storm Kings or spoils that were bitterly divided between the Kings of the Reach and the West

1 hour ago, Thomaerys Velaryon said:

Why are they not major defensive  castles near  Southern borders in Riverlands since the Riverlands should have several border castle since has always been a combat zone in any wars to slow down armies by forcing them to siege the catles 

Good point. Thanks for point that out.

Stoney Sept is more than likely ruled by a lord.

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The map of the Riverlands is notable for missing the seats of a great number of the region's most notable families. Fire and Blood tells us that the five families with greater lands there are the Brackens, the Blackwoods, the two Vances and the Freys. We lack location for four out of those five. Castle Darry, the location of some of the most pivotal events in the series, is also missing.

It's particularly egregious given in AFFC we had a zoomed in version of the map.

So, for all we know, the entire Southern border of the Riverlands could be heavily fortified with many impregnable fortresses.

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