The Westeros Gazette
400 Years Later
By Bradyn Slait
Westeros has always been a continent of conflict and conquest, from Aegon's Conquest over 700 years ago, to the terrible War of Five Kings, and that era of history known by scholars as the Throne-Game era. Yet from that time of darkness, came a new order in Westeros, following the events of the War of Two Queens, and the subsequent death of Daenerys Targaryen and the ascension of Jon Snow (a.k.a. Aegon Targaryen) to the throne of Westeros, ushering in a new golden age of science and exploration.
400 years later, Westeros has emerged as the dominant power of the world, a continent full of ancient castles alongside great blimps and airships, or the mighty steamships which prowl the Trident, and the trans-continental railroad connecting all of Westeros. This all sprang forth from that era, and now celebrations being held all across Westeros. But to truly understand how we got here, and in preparations for this year's celebrations, we must understand what happened.
The War of Five Kings was long and complicated, covered in politics, battles, and other issues, plunging Westeros into a long and terrible conflict. After its resolution, another war was waged. Following the Battle of Winterfell against the supposed White Walkers and wight army, the forces of Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister set out for battle, during the War of Two Queens. Eventually, the Lannister forces were defeated at the Battle of King's Landing, where Daenerys set ablaze the city, and succumbed to madness, coming to believe that she must be the only ruler of the world to make it truly free. However, her lover, and nephew Jon Snow (a.k.a. Aegon Targaryen) was forced to kill her, preventing a future calamity. The remaining leaders of Westeros assembled, and elected Aegon as their king, though he was very unwilling. However, he ruled for a long time, insuring a peaceful and prosperous era of Westeros, and a great revival in learning and science. The maesters of the Citadel began to explore new areas of science and made great strides in technology. Meanwhile, the bronze smith Arryn Marlyn, developed the modern printing press, which caused an explosion of new ideas and books to spread and be available to the populous. By his death in 352 AC, Westeros was a thriving and prosperous nation. Having taken no wife, and with no heirs, the leaders of Westeros once again gathered, to elect a new king, and this would become the new way of governance.
The next few hundred years would see the development of new weapons, such as guns and cannons, and the use of gunpowder, along with the advancements of ships and other technologies. Eventually, the use of steam allowed for the creation of steamships and great blimps, and over one hundred years ago the first great flying airships, soared through the sky.
Most recently, the developmental use of steam-powered turbines and propellers have pushed the engineering capabilities of Westeros to its limits, with the unveiling of an entire complex of floating islands that form a new golden city, which will be fully operational in time for the 400 year celebrations. By learning about the terrible past of our nation, we can see how the ancient strife nearly brought Westeros to its knees, but by good leadership and the innovation of the people, the sky's the limit!
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