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=== The Coming of the Andals ===

At the time when Corwyn Corbray was spreading his ~~fledgeling~~ 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.

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]]

@@ Line 162: / Line 162: @@
 === The Coming of the Andals ===
-At the time when Corwyn Corbray was spreading his fledgeling 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.
+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]]

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