Chapter 1
“The great success of the North can be attributed to six actions taken by the Starks over the many years they have ruled, from Winterfell.
The first, to my mind the most obvious: Brandon ‘The Builder’ Stark creating the Wall, Winterfell and starting many other great building projects that wouldn’t be completed until long after he had died. Along with forming a union with the Children of the Forest, the Giants and the Dwarves. Giving them lands in the north, deep in the Wolfswood and in the mountains to dwell in. Some surmise that Brandon himself, had some kinship with the Children of the Forest, but I have found nothing to outright confirm this. Doubtless, the magic of the Children has helped the North greatly, from farming, to building, to warfare and the uses of everyday magic in the North. The same can be said of the Giants and the Dwarves: Strong and hardy peoples, who have fought for the North whenever called upon. The Giant’s herds of mammoth have proved to be a bountiful source of food for the many peoples of the North, facilitating a great increase in population. The Dwarves crafting in metal and stone have also been a great help in construction, alongside their extensive mines in the mountains, that continually provide the North with riches and materials.
The second: Cregan ‘The Mage’ Stark, son of ‘The Builder’ learning the magic of the Children of the Forest and the Runes of the Dwarves, spreading them through the kingdom. As stated, magic runecraft has proved to be a very useful tool to help the people of the North thrive. It was the magic of the Children and the runes of the Dwarves that would eventually help defend the North against the Andals and their own magcis. In learning the magic of the Children and the smithing of the Dwarves, Cregan managed to create and entirely new metal. The word for it in the Old Tonge is ‘Uru’ simply meaning: Unbreakable. It is true, Uru is a remarkably durable and light, yet malleable (under the right conditions) material. Though it is a metal, it looks and feels more like stone. Uru resembles marble with veins of quartz snaking along it’s surface. It has also proved to be particularly susceptible to enchantment, expanding it’s uses even further. Uru’s purest form has proved a match for the fabled Valyrian steel and the metallurgy of the Rhoynar.
The third, perhaps a controversial choice: Brandon ‘The Breaker’ Stark letting the Freefolk and more Giants settle in the North, increasing the population even more and creating several new houses in the process e.g. house Ryder, house Thenn. ‘The Breaker’ married the Queen-Beyond-The-Wall at the time: Yanna Ryder to pledge himself to the protection of all the peoples of the North: First men, Free folk, Dwarf, Giant and Children of the Forest. This lead to a time of unprecedented growth for the North, while also a time of many skirmishes between the new houses and the older ones. Some feuds that still hold to this day. Never the less, in spite of the numerous ‘small wars’ that went on between houses after the event, I feel it was a good decision to allow the Free folk to live in the North.
The fourth, unsurprisingly: Alfred ‘The Great’ Stark working with the Dwarves and finishing the great canal, connecting White harbour with Saltspear. The only reason he isn’t given the honoured moniker ‘The Builder’ is that there was already an Alfred ‘The Builder’ before him. Not only did Alfred oversee the completion of the Great Canal and many other useful construction works in the North, but he also founded the Architects Guild in the Winter city. He hired builders, architects and workers from all over the North and even Essos to help the guild grow. The guild would go on to work throughout the North, even being hired to work in the South. They worked to build great castles, even more canals and sturdy roads. Even with all of the money made from the new roads and canals, it all paled in comparison to the Great Canal. Connecting one side of the North to the other cut months off long sea journeys for sailors from the Free cities and the west coast of Westeros. With the Canal, house Ryder at Saltspear and house Manderly at White harbour became obscenely rich, though they still payed their dues to house Stark. For these actions, there are few more deserving of ‘The Great’ in the histories of house Stark.
The fifth: Alysanne ‘Kraken’s Bane’ Stark bringing two Witcher schools into the North. These professional monster hunters from the South were a great boon to the peoples of the North. These Witchers are given mutations and enchanted to become more than men, to be able to kill monsters that plague the land. Alysanne paid Witchers from the southern kingdoms to travel north and set up two new Witcher schools. One in the Barrowlands, the other by Long Lake. Witchers from these schools would serve the peoples of the North in seeking out and slaying harmful monsters.
The sixth and final act: Torrhen Stark accepting Aegon Targaryen’s offer to kneel before him and give up his crown. Some might say this is the worst act a Stark king could commit: giving up their crown. However, in doing so Torrhen saved the North from a war it was far certain to win, married the most beautiful woman in the realm: Rhaenys Targaryen and brought dragons into the possession of house Stark. Rhaenys’ dragon Meraxes and four dragon eggs. In giving up his crown, Torrhen gave his descendants the ability to climb higher than any Stark before them, as Dragon Riders.”
—— “The Histories of House Stark”
By High Druid Klaven
“House Targaryen: Kings of the seven kingdoms, they sit on the Iron Throne, forged from the thousand blades of Aegon’s enemies. Pale, white-haired and purpled eyed Dragon-lords who rode their five dragons from Valyria before the doom.
House Velaryon: Also a Valyrian house, though not originally dragon-riders, earned their dragons from inter marrying with house Targaryen. Under house Targaryen, they have grown to have the largest fleet of ships in Westeros, they have enjoyed wealth and riches due to the many trade routes run by Velaryon ships. They carry the white hair of their homeland, yet also have dark skin due to descending from Summer Islanders too.
House Baratheon: Orys Baratheon, bastard brother of Aegon the Conqueror rode a dragon of his own when he took Storm’s End from house Durrandon. The Baratheons earned more dragons by inter marrying with house Targaryen. The big, black-haired men of house Baratheon descend from the Storm kings of old, yet for near three centuries have they served house Targaryen loyally.
House Stark: When Aegon set his sights on Westeros, he realised it would serve neither of their interests for the Starks and Targaryens to fight. Their magic from the Children of the Forest and the runecraft of the Dwarves was near a match for the magic of Valyria. So, the North was won not by battle, but by bargain. Torrhen Stark married Aegon’s sister Rhaenys Targaryen, the most beautiful woman in all the seven kingdoms. For Rhaenys, her dragon and four dragon eggs Torrhen Stark knelt as a King and rose as a Prince. After a time, the magic of the north seeped into the dragons who lived there until eventually, they breathed freezing cold instead of fire. The Starks of the north are big, hairy men with long faces and grey eyes. Their line has gone unbroken since the days of Brandon the Builder, leading the North as the last bastion of First Men culture in Westeros. They have been happy to ignore and be ignored by the rest of Westeros. Though they were once Kings, they have ruled under the Targaryens as Princes and Wardens of the North.
House Abraxys/Tyrell: A dragon-rider house that was sworn to house Targaryen even before the Doom and followed them to safety on Dragonstone. Baelon Abraxys took the Reach in Aegon’s name during the conquest after having killed Mern Gardener. The Tyrells surrendered Highgarden to him, he rewarded them by taking their name, sigil and marrying into their family. Aegon gifted the Reach to Baelon as he thought stewardship of the second largest kingdom in Westeros was a fair prize for slaying the Gardener King. So house Abraxys became house Tyrell and ruled as Aegon’s Lords Paramount of the Reach and Wardens of the South.
House Lannister: A house that managed to buy two dragon eggs at considerable cost from houses Tyrell and Velaryon. However, mismanagement and lack of understanding from the Lannister lord who bought them got the dragons killed young. Upon hearing this, King Aegon V forbade house Lannister from owning dragons. As punishment for squandering such a precious gift. Though it seems Lord Tywin Lannister is determined to make his family dragon riders once again.”
—— “The Great Houses of Westeros: Chapter 1: Dragon Riders”
By Archmaester Gwynlan
“Now for a sword that has seen more history than many of the great houses of Westeros: Ice, the ancestral weapon of house Stark. Passed down from King, in more recent years Prince, to their heir. One of the most famous swords in Westeros, Ice is made from black Uru, the materials purest form, standing at 44 inches long with a blade 3 1/4 inches wide with glowing blue runes in the Old Tongue from the base running along the bronze fullered blade, to the tapered point.
The official story of Ice is that it was forged by the greatest Dwarf smith Belegane Gromril and King Cregan ‘The Mage’ Stark, early into his reign. Combining a newly forged Uru blade and the blade of an Other. This claim is disputed by some, who claim the Others never existed. Whether the claim is true or not, Ice is more than your usual enchanted blade. Seemingly on command from the wielder, the sword will cover itself in a layer of unbreakable ice that shatters any un-enchanted steel it comes into contact with. This ice layer increases the size of the sword to more than 60 inches long, with a width of 6 1/2 inches, turning it from a longsword to a greatsword. Ice can also be summoned to the wielder, flying from its position, through the air, to its owners hand.
Its many great deeds are listed as follows…..”
—— “The Great Swords of Westeros and their Wielders: Chapter 13: Ice”
By Ser Arthur Blackwood
“Through magical ceremony, it is possible to awaken the Others blood that flows through the veins of the Starks. I have dubbed it the Trial of Winter. It gives us great strength, powerful ice magic and the ability to turn the dead into our own wights(I would advise future Starks to keep the necromancy a secret). After much experimentation, I have also discovered a way to turn the Stark who undergoes the trial into a powerful wolf-man like creature. (Must carry out more experiments to see how far it can be pushed)”
—— Notes from “Magic and its Many Uses: Chapter 3: The Trial of Winter”
By King Cregan Stark
“Torrhen Stark - Rhaenys Targaryen
In the first month of the year 0 AC, King Torrhen Stark wed Rhaenys Targeryen and gave up his crown. According to historical accounts, Torrhen Stark, son of Queen Alysanne Stark and Morgar Mormont had the classic Stark look. That is, a large, hairy, unwashed barbarian. He is described as being a tall man and thick as a tree trunk, with a long face and dark grey eyes.
In contrast to her husband, Rhaenys Targaryen was a vision of Valyrian beauty. She had silver-gold hair that hung loosely down to her waist. The classic Targaryen purple eyes and a slender, yet reportedly shapely body. It is well known that Aegon’s younger sister was a kindhearted, graceful and playful woman. Word has it she spent more time flying on her dragon, Meraxes, than both of her siblings combined. Even taking Torrhen up into the sky on Meraxes for their wedding night. They had five children together and were succeeded by their oldest son, Brandon. Why the Seven-who-are-one would let such a beauty be wasted on a heathen northerner like Torrhen Stark, I will never know.
Jonnel ‘One-Eye’ Stark - Daena ‘The Defiant’ Targaryen
It was the tenth month of the year 161 AC when Jonnel Stark, later called ‘One-Eye’, wed Daena Targaryen and the realm lost another Targaryen princess to the Northern wastes. It was Prince Cregan Stark who demanded a Targaryen princess marry into house Stark. All to uphold some promise called ‘The packed of Ice and Fire’ whether such a pact existed or not is immaterial. Prince Stark got what he came for.
In all fairness, it was probably for the best that Daena go to the North. It was well documented that she was a wilful woman, who would constantly try to break out of the Maiden vault her former husband and King had rightfully sent her to. When she got to the North, it was reported that her husband took her to where house Stark kept their dragon eggs and offered her, her choice of them. When her dragon grew big enough, she would ride it every day. It is said that every morning, husband and wife could be seen flying together on their dragons above Winterfell. Together they raised their thirteen children, against the wishes of the great King Baelor ‘The Blessed’, never allowing them to discover the faith of the Seven-who-are-one.
Wulfric Stark - Shiera ‘Seastar’ Targaryen
In the last days of the year 184 AC Prince Wulfric Stark married the legitimised bastard of house Targaryen, Shiera Seastar. The North was the best place for her: far away from decent folk. It is said that Shiera was a witch who bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her beauty. Though what a beauty she was. She had long Targaryen hair of silver and gold with a beautiful heart-shaped face, with two mismatched eyes—one dark blue, the other bright green. She had a slim figure, yet still very curvy as described in the hundreds of love poems her many suitors wrote to her at court. It would seem the pair was well matched as Wulfric was known for being particularly familiar with magic. Another gaunt, hairy Northerner, who had no more business calling himself a Prince, than I would a calling myself a horse. The less said about either of them, the better.
Addendum
Alas, with the sad loss of house Targaryen, that would appear to be the permeant end of this chapter.“
—— “Marriages Between the Great Houses of Westeros From 0AC-300AC: Chapter 7: Unions of the Wolf and the Dragon”
By Septon Osmund
“It can be said the story of Eddard Stark began at the Tourney of Harrenhal. That would be the place and the time that set him onto the course of becoming one of the greatest Kings house Stark has ever known.”
—— “Stark Means King: Chapter 60: Eddard The Great”
By Druid Skellig