House Locke

Arms of House Locke. Words: 'Under Lock and Key'

House Locke are a House of First Man decent, situated on the southern shore east of the White Knife in the North. Their seat is Oldcastle.

History

Oldcastle is one of the oldest keeps in the North, dating from before the second Hammer of the Waters fell upon the Neck, turning it into the the bogs and marshes of the Neck. The lands around Oldcastle similarly were half-drowned in the cataclysm, and the keep itself only survived from having been built on a high hill far from the coast. Oldcastle now sits on a coastal rise, and is guarded by a moat of impenetrable wetlands that can only be navigated by a series of boards and jetties.

The origins of House Locke are shrouded in the mysteries of the Dawn Age. It is suggested that the keys in their name and heraldry refer to the notion that the Lockes were amongst the first to settle the North, and guarded the way for other First Men to follow. Thus - they were the original holders and guardians of the key to the North. Whether that has any merit is unknown.

House Locke as we know it has ruled the region around Oldcastle as Kings since the early Age of Heroes. Thus far they have survived being conquered by either the Red Kings or the Kings of Winter, likely due to their fairly isolated position, the difficulty of terrain around Oldcastle, and the fairly limited resources for any conqueror to obtain. The Lockes are fiercely hostile to the pirates from the Three Sisters, which rule the waters of the Bite.

Notable Members

Rickard Locke - the Keystone King during the early years of the Andal Invasions. Rumoured to be a Skinchanger.

Vassals Sworn to House Locke

• TBC