Sisters

“Storms.” Lord Godric said the word as fondly as another man might say his lover’s name. “Storms were sacred on the Sisters before the Andals came. Our gods of old were the Lady of the Waves and the Lord of the Skies. They made storms every time they mated.” He leaned forward. “These kings never bother with the Sisters. Why should they? We are small and poor. And yet you’re here. Delivered to me by the storms.”
- A Dance With Dragons

The Sisters, commonly The Three Sisters as well, are a volcanic island chain located south of The North; east of The Neck; and north of the The Vale in the bay of The Bite. Though a myriad of smaller islands also make up the archipelago, the three largest landmasses of - from west to east - Longsisters; Sweetsister; and Little Sister far exceed their brethren in size and influence.

The Three Sisters in The Bite, pictured as well are its immediate sorroundings and the islands of Pebble and The Paps, which while not a part of the archipelago, are inhabited by the Sisterfolk.

Largely isolated from mainland Westeros since before the coming of the First Men, the Three Sisters developed a culture and ecology unique to its isolation. Lacking in any naturally occurring Weirwood, the soil is home largely to thin vegetation well suited to the local humidity. Limited forestry covers portions of the island, and remains largely maintained through the intervention of the inhabitants. Of which, all native born are refered to as Sisterfolk, or sometimes Sistermen - though almost exclusively so by outsiders.

Geography

Geology & Climate

A Sweetsister's winter, as the southern half of the island is covered in snow.

The Three Sisters rest upon a bedrock of basalt, which is commonly used by locals as a substitute for stone in their construction , and is most easily available on the cliffsides that dot the landscape, especially the sheer drops which shield the southern portion of the archipelago. Although the Vale facing portions are rugged and rocky, the valleys beyond flatten out close to sea level rapidly, giving way to natural harbours through the salty sloughs carved by the cold ocean waters.

Though sharing in latitude with more temperate regions in Essos to the far east, the Three Sisters have a mean temperature more comparable to the Westerosi North. The warm water currents of the Narrow Sea are diverted by The Fingers away from The Bite, meanwhile northern waters face little resistance in mixing in the bay, a confluence of factors which not only lower contribute to the often frigid seasons for the island chain; but also in the formation of the violent storms in and around the archipelago.

Storms are an exceedingly common occurance within The Bite, rivaled in intensity and frequency perhaps only by the Stormlands to the far south, likely due to the temperture differential in the two currents which meet at its mouth. Especially during the extreme seasons of summer and winter, the waters become exceptionally wrestless, turning navigation particularly difficult, and lightning a near daily occurance. The climatological dynamics of the region have long become part of the local culture, with numerous rituals amidst the Sisterfolk - from the amarous to the beliclose - dependant on these radical conditions.

Flora and Fauna

There are no native forests across the Sisters archipelago, instead, through hills and plains, a variety of grasses and flowering plants dot the landscape. Buttercups; Swamp Thistles; Willows, to name a few, mark patches of otherwise uninterrupted verdancy in a myriad of colours and the strong scent of pollen. These patches, usually found deeper inland, exist as exceptional outliers to the otherwise drab soil of middling quality.

Buttercup and angelica flowers growing together in a Longsister field

Limited success has been seen in the way of introducing forestries into the islands, although their range and growth remains highly limited due to a lack of space and appropriate nutrition. Especially near the shore line, the oft craggy ground proves difficult for the development of root systems, and the constant storms are prone to knocking over growing sapplings, or even drowning them in depressions in the geography.

The vast ranges of grasslands, however, have cultivated a wide variety of animals which now call the islands home. These species are primarily represented by seabirds; marine life; and insects, with the more recent introduction of land mammals with the crossing of the First Men into the territory. During the stormiest seasons of the year, flocks of seagulls; starlings; and gannets migrate to the archipelago, covering some hills whole in their temporary colonies. A phenomena which has contributed to the tradition of local's of tracking storms using these masses, their intensity proportional to the size of the season's roost. Curiously, Ravens - endemic in both the North and Vale - do not observe these migratory patterns.

Year round, however, insects and domesticated mammals number the most numerous on the surface. Bees, and apiculture as a whole, common enough to fuel a minor artisanal craft of meed and other honey byproducts. Meanwhile, Sheep and Goats serve as the primary source of meat and milk for human consumption, brought alongside their herders during first contact. Key to this symbiotic relationship between Man and Ovis, as well, is wool; with its uses in crafting sailcloth and clothes spurring the almost unchecked growth of herds across the islands.

The Spider Crab, due to its use as a motiff and royal arms by House Borrell of Breakwater, have become an animal closely associated with Sister culture.

In the sorrounding ocean, a greater majority of the Sisters' biodiversity can be found, with crustaceans - such as the Spider Crab - particularly prolific. A wide variety of fish, as well, call the sorrounding area home, carp and herring contributing as a plentyful prey animal which spread throughout all of The Bite.