The journey to the highgarden

“ In Highgarden there are fields of golden roses that stretch away as far as the eye can see. The fruits are so ripe they explode in your mouth-melons, peaches, fireplums, you've never tasted such sweetness.”

Pratap Baratheon to helA Stark

From the moment I received this mail from Pratap, I began my journey of exploring and learning more about Highgarden. You're also on this journey with me! You are about to embark on a journey, so sit comfortably and prepare yourself for it

The Highgarden It’s a land blessed with so much bounty and cheap food, least charred by wars, and with a stronghold to keep it safe.

Government

The Highgarden is a kingdom within a kingdom. The dichotomy of the region sees a shared role among the houses to keep them interdependent, making the kingdom far more stable without so much of a centralization of power.

In other words, it’s not a cult of personality around a key house. Starks, Aryns, Lannisters, Baratheons, and Martell are all singular monopolies in their region while Tyrells is just the figurehead of a really strong and stable region.

While the Lannister could eliminate The Reynes and Tarbecks with relative ease, most of the important Houses in The Reach held key positions and felt essential to the state so as not to be dissatisfied. This makes for a modern, balanced, and fairly federal state; looking at the distribution of key sectors/ departments of the region below:

The Tyrell: held administrative control with their seat in Highgarden

The Hightower: Control information, commerce, and religious and cultural aspect of the kingdom through Old Town

The Redwynes: Hold the Naval capacity and strength of the Highgarden, and parts of the commerce.

The Tarlys: The Military strength of the Highgarden.

Economy

It is said to be the biggest economy and is the second richest region in Westeros. lots of commerce and opportunities around to make one wealthy. Lots of specialized industries too. The shipbuilding in Arbor, Candle making, salt, Wine, and Orchards. And the intellectual capacity of the Citadel makes for a highly developed, moderately sophisticated region in Westeros.

Security

It is relatively safe from internal strife, the major Houses are mostly even out, and have been so ( even with the debacle of the dance) for a while. Its host is so numerous one is less likely to be drawn to fight, as a peasant for war; It is the best place to dodge conscription if you don’t want to ( The account of the peasants in the Riverlands during the wars of the NinePenny Kings is one too salty for someone with little power)

More so, it’s the only region that only takes an army of mostly trained professional knights to war ( cue, Robert’s Rebellion Ashford battle )

Standard of Living

Better than most places in the Kingdom. The relative peace opens an avenue for the growth of a rich culture. It is no coincidence The Highgarden is the home of chivalry, Education, and the former seat of the Seven. Closeness to the Citadel ensures one could get some form of education.

With cheap food, higher literacy, and culture to match, and an economic machine unperturbed by various wars, The Highgarden is in some sort of Renaissance. And the first half of the Maslow pyramid can easily be fulfilled.

Geography

The Highgarden is a land of moderate landscape and subtle diversity just perfect for habitation; the Goldielocks of the region.

Notice how unbearable other regions are? The hot, dry wastelands of Dorne, were kept barely livable by the Green River. The rain-drenched, mist-filled, shipwrecking rocky coasts of the Stormlands don’t do much to attract. The snow-kissed wasteland of the North spiced with Wildlings attacks.

The steep mountains of the vale, and barren coastal; lands make the clan's attacks pale in comparison. The inconvenient hills of Westerland, are haunted by Lions and deathly gorges. The swamplands and impassable rivers of the Riverland, coupled with poor regional security and cooperation make a poor man’s quagmire. The Iron Islands are rain-drenched, barren outposts with bitter people. The Crownland has the shits and smells of King's Landing to contend with.

The Highgarden offers the best travel experience in relative safety. From the grasslands, and the mountains, to plains and rolling hills, even Islands. With lots of important attractions to keep you interested. The Highgarden is tourist gold.

Influence and Hegemony

The Highgarden controls the information gateway to the whole kingdom. through ravens grown and trained through at the Citadel’s ravenry. They have maesters in every house in the Kingdom, and record, edit, and store history, hence privy to most information across the world. They control the social aspects of the Kingdoms through the faith, as the stony Sept was the initial center of the faith.

With such comes greater influence and possible control they wield a subtle yet great power over the medieval state; that’s why the faceless men are trying to infiltrate the Old town. Access to information and knowledge would place anyone in the Highgarden at a greater chance of success than in other parts of Westeros.

In conclusion, I don’t mind becoming a knight of flowers and would rock the green, if given the chance.