North

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''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<ref>George R.R. Martin. (1996). ''A Game of Thrones - Tyrion II''. Voyager Books.</ref>''

[[File:Northmap.png|thumb|The North is a vast and sparsely populated region, beset by long and cruel winters. Even during the summer, snows are not uncommon, and much of the land is wilderness.]]

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== Skagos ==

[[File:Isfjorden Adventtoppen IMG 2623.JPG|thumb|The frozen island archipelago of Skagos is situated in the Shivering Sea, a frigid and harsh region. ]]

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. <ref>Martin, ''World of Ice and Fire'', pp. 139-140.</ref>

According to their own legends, the Skagosi are true autochthons, quite literally shaped and born from the ice and stone of their frigid home.

The Stone-Born dwell apart from other men, and seek them out only for trade or plunder. They are excellent stone-workers, raisers of runestones and carvers of rock, but also skilled boatmen who can terrorise any of the eastern shores of the north.<ref>Martin, ''World of Ice and Fire'', pp. 139-140.</ref>

=== Notable Skagosi Houses: ===

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=== 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<ref>George R.R. Martin. (1996). ''A Game of Thrones - Bran VI''. Voyager Books.</ref>''

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 [[House Crowl|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.

* [[The Warg King's Awakening]]

== References ==

[[Category:Regions]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+ ''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<ref>George R.R. Martin. (1996). ''A Game of Thrones - Tyrion II''. Voyager Books.</ref>''
 [[File:Northmap.png|thumb|The North is a vast and sparsely populated region, beset by long and cruel winters. Even during the summer, snows are not uncommon, and much of the land is wilderness.]]
@@ Line 123: / Line 126: @@
 == Skagos ==
+[[File:Isfjorden Adventtoppen IMG 2623.JPG|thumb|The frozen island archipelago of Skagos is situated in the Shivering Sea, a frigid and harsh region. ]]
+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. <ref>Martin, ''World of Ice and Fire'', pp. 139-140.</ref>
+According to their own legends, the Skagosi are true autochthons, quite literally shaped and born from the ice and stone of their frigid home.
-The Stone-Born dwell apart from other men, and seek them out only for trade or plunder. They are excellent stone-workers, raisers of runestones and carvers of rock, but also skilled boatmen who can terrorise any of the eastern shores of the north.<ref>Martin, ''World of Ice and Fire'', pp. 139-140.</ref>
 === Notable Skagosi Houses: ===
@@ Line 137: / Line 148: @@
 === 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<ref>George R.R. Martin. (1996). ''A Game of Thrones - Bran VI''. Voyager Books.</ref>''
+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 [[House Crowl|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.
+* [[The Warg King's Awakening]]
+== References ==
 [[Category:Regions]]

North: Difference between revisions