North: Difference between revisions
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Cregan Stark, however - saw in the internal feuding of the Red Kingdom a rare opportunity. Mayhaps intending to win back his crown, he crossed the White Knife and attempted to seize back former territories of the Kings of Winter whilst Belthasar raged across the north like a tempest. The attack was a misstep however, and Bolton drove his rival back over the White Knife after a brutal ambush in the Wytchwoods. | Cregan Stark, however - saw in the internal feuding of the Red Kingdom a rare opportunity. Mayhaps intending to win back his crown, he crossed the White Knife and attempted to seize back former territories of the Kings of Winter whilst Belthasar raged across the north like a tempest. The attack was a misstep however, and Bolton drove his rival back over the White Knife after a brutal ambush in the Wytchwoods. | ||
The surviving clansmen who wished to avoid the new tyranny sweeping across their mountain ranges, took refuge in the shadowy depths of the Wolfwood, where Belthasar's terrible gaze did not yet reach. The Kingdom of the Rills remained the strongest opposition to the Red Kings in these years, with the Glovers having bent the knee, and Barrowton having been turned into a mighty fastness of House Ryder. King Boras - known in his youth as the 'Shield of Red Barrow' for having defended his keep heroically against a rival, was a well-respected and capable ruler - but the whispers had it that his health was failing, bringing questions of uncertainty regarding the future of the kingdom. | |||
* [[The Warg King's Awakening]] | * [[The Warg King's Awakening]] | ||
Latest revision as of 10:57, 27 September 2025
The flint hills rose higher and wilder with each passing mile, until by the fifth day they had turned into mountains, cold blue-grey giants with jagged promontories and snow on their shoulders. When the wind blew from the north, long plumes of ice crystals flew from the high peaks like banners. - A Game of Thrones[1]
Regions and Cultures of the North
The North is a broad term for the vast expanse that is made distinct from the rest of Westeros by the nigh-impassable bogs, mires and marshes of the Neck to the south, and the Wall to the far north. The North consists of several diverse kingdoms and peoples however, thus it should not be considered a political expression.
Nonetheless, there is a distinct sense of cultural community which exists across the scope of the various First Man kingdoms in the North, primarily a shared sense of values, honour, and shared hardship due to the particularly harsh winters.
The Men of Winter
The North is vast, and harsh. What the men of this land value is personal strength and hardiness, loyalty to one's own - and maintaining the ancient traditions passed down from their forefathers. There are many kings that hold dominion over the vast stretches of plains, moors, hills, forests, bogs and great lakes that make up these lands, and they come from Houses that stretch back into the myths of the Dawn Age.[2] Among these are House Frost, that once ruled the nigh impenetrable Castle Frostguard, but had retreated into the far north-east of the region by the time of the Coming of the Andals. At that time, House Bolton still ruled as the Red Kings of their bloody kingdom, supported by House Towers and a smattering of other Houses that take sinster and morbid imagery for their arms. House Umber ruled the Last Lands before the wall, boasting of themselves as the blood of giants, and being the last true kings to be found for a thousand leagues to the north. The most storied and powerful single dynasty however at this time, remained House Stark - which had continued to grow its power, devouring its rivals on all sides.
Notable Winterman Houses
The Barrowlands and the Rills
The Barrowlands consist of the vast and windswept plains and hills that stretch westwards from the northern boundaries of the North past Moat Cailin. The landscape of the Barrowlands is dominated by their eponymous barrows, usually graves of important men and women from this region. The runestones around the barrow are often of great significance, particularly the arrangement and runes carved on the cairn stones. Kings and warriors are often buried with their most prized possession - and truly can it be said in the Barrowlands that more honour is given to the dead than to the living. By the time of the Coming of the Andals, the Barrowlands were ruled by House Dustin as Barrow Kings, and their notable vassals included the Stouts and Brownbarrows.[3]
The Rills on the other hand are an expanse of hills, valleys and streams that lie to the west of the Barrowlands. There are still some barrows in these parts, but the Rills have gradually developed a keen sense of their own identity, revolving particularly around horsemanship. The Houses of the Rills almost all take arms and names relating to their prized steeds. By the time of the Coming of the Andals they were ruled by the Kings of House Ryder, and their vassals included House Ryswell, House Charge, and House Ironsmith - the latter being one of the few First Men Houses to pride their ironworking.
Notable Barrowman Houses
The Stony Shore
The western coastlines of the North that runs from Blazewater Bay to Sea Dragon Point. It is defined by expansive pebble beaches and rocky bluffs. The soil in thin and shallow inland, due to the lack of protection from the gusting winds. The sparse and straggly trees stand far apart from one another here. A distinct culture has emerged from the way of life that living in these parts requires, colloquially referred to by most as the Pebblemen. Pebbleman culture is defined by a lifestyle of quarrying, fishing, and defending their coast against Ironborn raiders. By the time of the Coming of the Andals there were two Pebbleman Kings along the Stony Shore - the Slate Kings of Blackpool, and the Fisher Kings of Whitecaster.[4]
Notable Pebbleman Houses
The Clans of the Wood
The great forest which expands through the north and western reaches of the North is among the oldest and wildest in all of Westeros. It has been given many names by the many peoples and kings that have laid claim to it, and those same Great Houses have named themselves after the territory they ruled; Blackwood, Greenwood, Amberwood, Wolfswood. There are those who live their entire lives without walking in an open field or seeing the sea. The Wolfswood Clans have a fierce sense of tribal identity, and are some of the best hunters in Westeros. After centuries untold of conflict, no one king held sway here by the End of the Age of Heroes. Though the Blackwoods have been long since driven south, House Amber, House Greenwood, House Glover and the Warg King Gaven Greywolf still were competing for control of the forests by the time of the Coming of the Andals.
Notable Wolfswood Clans
The Mountain Clans
The Clansmen of the far north-west reaches of the North live in largely isolated mountain valleys and woods, apart from the rest of the struggles of the North. The Clans mostly spend their time warring and feasting with one another, and keep to themselves unless some great need calls them out of their mountain fastnesses. These are the First Men as they were at the start of the Age of Heroes. The Clans here are famed for living life to the fullest, warring and singing - for winter comes and death comes with it. Their hospitality is unparalleled in all the North - and will remain such, unless you offer insult to the host. The predominant clans here are The Wull, The Knott, The Norrey, The Flint and the Liddle.
Notable Northern Clans
Bear Island
The Island that sits in the Bay of Ice might have been considered no more than an extension of the Clans of the Wood or the Mountain Clans, were it not for the unique people that have grown up under its dense pines or single jagged peak. The Bearmen, like the men of the Stony Shore, have been shaped by the threats that come to their shores, both from Ironmen Reavers, and Wildling Raiders that dare to cross the Bay of Ice from Beyond the Wall. The Bearmen believe that every man and woman must be able to toil and fight, in order for their people to survive.[5] This has led to a unique perception of succession and a woman's role in war and peacetime. By the time of the Coming of the Andals, Bear Island was ruled by the Woodfoots, and their most significant vassal was House Mormont of Bearstone.
Notable Bearman Houses
Skagos
The frozen island archipelago of Skagos is situated in the Shivering Sea, a frigid and harsh region. Sailing within its waters requires great skill and knowledge to navigate the sea ice and jagged rocks.
The Stone-Born who upon these islands are rough, hardy peoples, hairy and stout-nosed. They dwell apart from other men, and they depart their islands only to trade or to plunder. Whilst the rest of Westeros has developed the use of Bronze, the Skagosi remain primarily excellent stone-workers, raisers of runestones, and carvers of rock and bone; the only metal in prominence is copper. They migrate between the seasons, moving from huts made of stone, wood, mud, bone, and hide in the summer, to huddling within deep cave systems in the winter.
Their islander nature and experience in navigating their shores have made the Skagosi into skilled sailors and navigators who frequently terrorise any of the eastern shores of the north and Beyond the Wall. Summer is fleeting, and winter has honed the Skagosi into fearsome and brutal peoples with customs to match. They are said to be cannibalistic and are riders of the shaggy unicorns native to the islands. There are three main clans on the islands of Skagos: Magnar, Crowl and Stane. Meanwhile, the islands in the north of the archipelago are even more remote and unknown to outsiders – Skane and Riis Du. [6]
According to their own legends, the Skagosi are true autochthons, quite literally shaped and born from the ice and stone of their frigid home.
Notable Skagosi Houses:
History
The Dawn Age
All over Westeros, The Children of The Forest fought incoming First Men that migrated all over to find a home they could call their own. Most of the history of this time comes from tales by maesters, septons, seers and bards who pass history orally. The First Men left runes on rocks and had no established writing until later so most of the accounts were oral at first, later recorded. The Children of The Forest, and Giants, mainly regarded as the only two types of people living at that time, had no discernible language or writing system either. They lived off the land and created no keeps or towns either, so history prior to them was unknown.
The Age of Heroes
"The Pact began four thousand years of friendship between men and children. In time, the First Men even put aside the gods they had brought with them, and took up the worship of the secret gods of the wood. The signing of the Pact ended the Dawn Age, and began the Age of Heroes." - A Game of Thrones[7]
With the pact came some peace. Much land was ceded to the First Men by the Children of The Forest, and they were able to establish keeps and Petty Kingdoms.
The end of the Age of Heroes saw a decline in the number of warring kingdoms. Firstly, the Blackwoods were ejected from the great forest, leaving Houses Greenwood, Glover and Amber to war over the remaining woods. During this time, the Frost Kingdom also began to decline, with remnants only surviving in the eastern reaches of the North. Later, House Stark brought down the Flints, who had built their realm out of the Breakstone Hills.
Also at this time came the formation of The Watch and creation of The Wall. Bran The builder, regarded by many as one of The Kings of Winter from House Stark, sought out The Children of The Forest to help end the Long Night. It was said The Children provided black daggers to help fight against The Others and help Bran The Builder erect The Wall to end The Long Night.
The Coming of the Andals
At the time when Corwyn Corbray was spreading his fledgling realm along the Fingers, Armistead Vance warred with the Dusk Kings, and Symeon Santagar landed in the jungles of the Stepstones, there were no Andals who had yet braved the White Knife, or the long and bitter coasts of the North. The conflicts here remained the old conflicts, fought between young kings on the thrones of ancient kingdoms, battling for honour, for glory, and for dominance.
First Century A.I.
In 40 A.I. Kyleg, the Crowl of Dreggangluh, slew Magnar Brogg of Kingshouse in a duel, seizing the rule of all Skagos for himself. Kyleg did not stop there however, and in an act of singular cruelty, he sacrificed the younger son of the Magnar to the gods, whilst Kyleg's wife ripped off his elder brother's head - ending the line of House Magnar in a stroke.
Second Century A.I.
In 103 A.I., Barrowton fell to King Wydron Ryder. Shortly afterwards, the Kingdom of the Barrowlands would collapse, all the houses becoming vassals of the Rills. In 115 A.I., King Herrick Bolton drove House Greystark from the Wolf's Den at the mouth of the White Knife. He renamed their castle to 'Wolf's End' in triumph of his victory. Shortly afterwards, in the halls of the same castle, House Stark agreed to pay tribute to Herrick Bolton as High King. Sensing weakness in the Starks, King Rylen Umber led his hosts into their lands in 129 A.I., seeking to seize the treasures of Winterfell for himself. King Herrik Bolton used this as an opportunity to launch their own invasion into the Last Lands, seizing the ancient Frostfields for himself, and thwarting the Umber invasion of the Kingdom of Winter, coming to a final end in 134 A.I.
That same year would prove to be amongst the most significant in all the songs of the age. The Rills descended into a civil conflict between brothers, as Boras and Robett Ryder warred for the throne after a disputed succession. Within a year, Robett had been defeated - and King Boras earned the moniker 'The Shield of Red Barrow' after defending the eponymous holdfast three times against Robett's forces, before achieving his final victory. That same year, a company of would-be Andal Conquerors landed on the western banks of the White Knife, laying siege to many holdfasts. Houses Stark and Bolton both sent hosts downriver - driving the invaders from the North.
Also in the Wolfswood, Vagnar Glover was taken as king. This was particularly of note, as Vagnar was but a dwarf, a man of tiny stature, who was widely mocked by the cold men of the North. When he proved his prowess however, shooting a bear through the heart during a hunt, he proved his valour beyond doubt - and was raised up as king by the ale-drinking vassals of the wood. Vagnar Short-Bow remained a beloved figure in the Wolfswood for many years to come.
By 145 A.I. House Umber had fallen beneath the flayed banners of the Red King, ending any and all resistance to their power on the eastern side of the White Knife. It was likely these events, when combined with the prior actions of Cregan Stark, that prompted King Boras Ryder to join forces with Vagnar Glover and the Marsh King to move against the King of Winter. Whilst Winterfell itself did not fall, this coalition seized numerous territories from House Stark. Following this conflict, the Red King and the King of the Rills negotiated that the Kings of Winter should remain independent, ensuring a frontier remain between their kingdoms. Later that year however, King Harras Hoare of the Iron Islands, known as Harras Black-Chain, landed his longships along the coast of the Wolfswood, placing holdfasts and villages to the torch. In the end, House Glover recognised the overlordship of the Iron Islands, and agreed to pay them tribute of lumber.
Belthasar Bolton was set to inherit the throne of the Red Kings after the death of Herrik Bolton in __ A.I. Belthasar was a strange and feared figure - a silent man who was said to have terrible powers to control the living. Though he inspired fear, the same could not be said for loyalty. His Uncle Veron, a son of the late king, took flight from the Dreadfort with the ancestral crown of the Red Kings, surrounded by his loyal followers. He attempted to raise an army in the Last Lands and Frosthold, gaining oaths of fealty in exchange for promises.
Belthasar however, was unperturbed. He was crowned with a strange ancient circlet of bone, a seemingly cursed artifact that seemed to cause the wearer to bleed and suffer. Once the crown was donned - it was never removed, leading some to believe that it could not be removed, having joined with his living flesh and bone. Beasts and monsters flocked to the Dreadfort in droves, and before long - Belthasar unleashed his dreaded horde upon Veron, and then on the clans of the mountains, driving them all beneath his dominion. It was then that Belthasar's ambition became clear - to become the one and only King north of the Neck.
Cregan Stark, however - saw in the internal feuding of the Red Kingdom a rare opportunity. Mayhaps intending to win back his crown, he crossed the White Knife and attempted to seize back former territories of the Kings of Winter whilst Belthasar raged across the north like a tempest. The attack was a misstep however, and Bolton drove his rival back over the White Knife after a brutal ambush in the Wytchwoods.
The surviving clansmen who wished to avoid the new tyranny sweeping across their mountain ranges, took refuge in the shadowy depths of the Wolfwood, where Belthasar's terrible gaze did not yet reach. The Kingdom of the Rills remained the strongest opposition to the Red Kings in these years, with the Glovers having bent the knee, and Barrowton having been turned into a mighty fastness of House Ryder. King Boras - known in his youth as the 'Shield of Red Barrow' for having defended his keep heroically against a rival, was a well-respected and capable ruler - but the whispers had it that his health was failing, bringing questions of uncertainty regarding the future of the kingdom.
References
- ↑ George R.R. Martin. (1996). A Game of Thrones - Tyrion II. Voyager Books.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin, The World of Ice and Fire, (London: HarperVoyager, 2014) p. 137.
- ↑ Martin, World of Ice and Fire, p. 137.
- ↑ Martin, World of Ice and Fire, p. 137.
- ↑ Martin, A Dance with Dragons 2: After the Feast, (London: HarperVoyager, 2012) p. 23.
- ↑ Martin, World of Ice and Fire, pp. 139-140.
- ↑ George R.R. Martin. (1996). A Game of Thrones - Bran VI. Voyager Books.