Yeah no, to those who follow this I cannot apologize enough, other than me hitting a strong case of Writers block where I kept re-writing this entry (this is the fifth revision)
Right now I'm trying to figure out if I should do a traditional narrative or if I should do/continue with a sort-of recorded history for the events of the WotFK/Game of thrones.
Will (eventually) edit Chapter 1 to make it consistent with this entry
In a somewhat related note to this entry, Lyanna Stark often has to knock some sense into her husband, literally in some case. There were moments during the Ironborn rebellion where she was forcing him to tone it down .
Women in the North
"I saw many things in the north, I also learned that one should never make unwanted advances on a Northern Woman, Their liege lords won't bat an eye if they draw a knife to castrate you be you commoner or highborn." - Oberyn Martell to his brother after his visit to the North after witnessing exactly that.
Westeros is a heavily patriarchal society. The members of House Aurion had always cared very little for gender as they've have had a few examples in their personal history to show that women could be just as capable of leading their house as men. Due to the success of said practices and the legacy of Rhaenyra Aurion, this attitude bled over to their vassals and subjects as the years went on. As long as one is proficient, gender became irrelevant. This attitude also spread to the lands of House Stark.
This manifested among the nobles in the form of succession, with eldest child of being heir regardless of gender. This did cause brief confusion in the succession of House Stark in the aftermath of the Rebellion. As Brandon Stark had opted to relinquish his title and the one next in line, his sister Lyanna was married to William Aurion. While not necessarily rocky, the transition did bring about brief confusion.
There were time where it could be said that women ruled the noble houses, this was especially true in Avalon as the Current head of the Ruling house was Elaena Aurion and it was often stated that her brother's wife held just as much authority in Moat Cailin as he did.
Women could be seen in all sorts of professions in Avalon and the North. Unfortunately, while warrior women were not frowned upon (as many join the Legion Auxilia), there was still stigma for women who join the core legionaries in the form of higher expectations. Gender was considered irrelevant so citing you were a woman didn't matter to the male legionaries, but they were expected to fight as good as they did and stand their ground with their fellow legionaries.
The Iron Island Interregnum
"Clearly I have done too much talking and not enough damage…" - attributed to William Aurion during the Ironborn Rebellion, reported to have said this when offers to surrender have been denied
"Monster…" – Garlan Tyrell upon the seeing impaled corpses of Ironborn being set up by the Avaloni at the front of Castle Pyke
"Ugh, my sister is playing her damn games again." – Attributed to William Aurion talking to his wife and Lord Eddard Stark in the aftermath of the Ironborn Rebellion after Avalon was granted ownership and fealty of Harlaw
By the end of the Greyjoy Rebellion House Greyjoy had been defeated. Due to their reaving the nobles of the other kingdoms were screaming for blood.
At the time House Greyjoy was stripped of it's lord-paramountcy and ownership was given to Lord Tywin Lannister. Many were baffled by the idea that the Old lion would be granted such lands, that King Robert would surrender something to the Lion's of the Rock or that the Northerners who played no small part in supressing the Rebellion were silent.
More baffling was that Lady Elaena Aurion and Lord Eddard Stark did not oppose the action but rather Lady Elaena supported it on the condition that Harlaw be surrendered to the North. Not particularly caring at the time no one batted an eye to her request for ownership of the island.
Lord Tywin benefited greatly for but a few months as he was able to use the Ironborn Shipwrights to rebuild the Lannister Fleet and improve it. Unfortunately, due to the harsh rulership of his vassals. The Ironborn began revolts four months after the Lannister's occupied the Islands. At first they were negligible, small skirmishes that were easy to put down. But as the years went on the revolts become more frequent and the Lannisters had gotten harsher in their attempts a supressing them House Lannister had started bleeding all sorts of resources, from manpower, weapons, to coin.
In the meantime Lady Aurion had left the administration of Harlaw to her brother William. Due to the fact that most of the Houses had surrendered William had only produced several edicts for Harlaw. He set all thralls free and let them relocate from Harlaw if they so wished. Most assumed he would leave it at that, but he had then compensated the owners for the loss of thralls with coin while forbidding the practice at the same time. It was suspected that he provided monetary compensation placate the thrall owners, regardless of his motives it worked as most thrall owners did not rise in revolt or sow dissension against their new rulers.
Why the inhabitants of Harlaw were so compliant to their new 'Greenlander' lord was a mystery to most much to the confusion and ire of Lord Tywin Lannister, but to those who were aware of Ironborn Culture had come up with several theories. When William Aurion had attacked Harlaw in during the Rebellion he had already razed Blacktyde and captured Orkmont. It was only at Harlaw that he faced any stiff resistance. It got to the point that he had to personally take to the field for the rest of the Campaign. When he reached Ten Towers he had bloodied most of Harlaw it was at that point that it's defenders had chosen to surrender.
As far as the inhabitants were concerned William Aurion had paid the Iron price for Harlaw so when his sister left him in command the nobles and smallfolk of Harlaw they were more willing to comply. It did not hurt that William had chosen to invigorate the infrastructure of Harlaw. He started several projects to build larger docks, roads from Villages to castles and convinced the local sailors to join up with the Avalon's Western Fleet. The result was that he improved the lives of the Ironborn at Harlaw compared to how Tywin Lannister had oppressed the Ironborn of the other Islands. This stark contrast in living conditions on the isles further fueled the revolt's. Thanks to the efforts of House Aurion, Harlaw became a new hub of commerce and trade. With Harlaw fleet integrated into the Avaloni fleet and patrolling the waters, Traders were emboldened to create new shipping routes increasing commerce in places like Seaguard and by extension Lannisport and Fairmarket. Unfortunately places such as Lannisport and Oldtown did not fully benefit from this as ships sailing from the North to the South still faced raiders as revolting Ironborn had taken to the sea. That problem would be resolved somewhat years later.
Eventually Lord Tywin had convinced King Robert to give back ownership of the Isles to House Greyjoy. This had mixed results. For Tywin it was a major loss of resources that would take a few years to recoup, the Ironborn provided fierce and stubborn resistance. It also forced him to become a customer of the Iron bank, not that many knew this fact. For Balon Greyjoy he faced an unruly people. It would take time for the Ironborn to accept the Greyjoy's as their rulers again.
Overall the situation was a mess, both the Greyjoy Rebellion the southern oppression left most of the Ironborn disillusioned by Outsiders and the Old Ways, especially since Balon did not take back the Isles the old-fashioned way. Chaos would reign in the Iron Isles and would do so for years. A rare few in the South suspect that it was all part of some sort of plot by Northerners…
Brief entry on the Inhabitants of the Lands Beyond the Wall
Those who live in the Lands Beyond the Wall can be divided between two different groups, the Wildlings and the Free Folk. Though some may argue that all of them are free folk, it would depend upon the definition. By the Definition of the Northern Realms the 'Freefolk' were several tribes that allied together, Notable groups include the Thenn's, giants and several tribes. Notable individuals or leaders of this Free Folk confederation by modern time included Styr of the Thenns, Karsi of Whitetree, Tormund Giantsbane of Ruddy Hall and Val of the Frostfangs.
This 'Confederation of Free Folk' has better ties with both the Night's Watch and the Northern Realms. Strong enough that Rangers can often find haven among the free folk should they ever be driven off their course of their Ranging in the Lands Beyond the Wall.
The Nights Watch
"There is no shame in taking the Black." - Northern Saying
"Why is the Wall so large and why is it made of Ice?" - Elaena Aurion to Benjen Stark upon her first visit to the Wall
The Nights Watch is an Ancient order that manned the Wall. What most forgot was the original intention of Watch's formation.
Months before his death Laenor Aurion had visited the Wall to meet the Ancient Order. Like many things, very little was recorded or possibly erased or locked away in terms of what had transpired. What is known is that years later his daughter would visit the Wall and pledge support to the Nights Watch in the form of volunteers, laborers and tools. One such notable tool was the compass, a device used for someone to orient themselves in a specific direction, it was acquired during the period when House Aurion has spent time in Yi Ti. In combination with maps, the rangers of the Night watch were able to traverse the lands beyond the wall with greater ease than before.
The Lands beyond the Wall were often used as a sort of training grounds for new recruits in the Legion. In most cases it was used to drill the concepts of forced marching and help in providing them survival training.
By modern time the Night's Watch is seen as a respectable organization, while support for it had diminished in the South it still had significant support in the North. With the Northern realms having become both prosperous and having a growing population it was not uncommon for some to take the black. While often used by the South as a dumping ground for criminals afraid of execution, While those guilty of minor crimes such as poaching or petty thievery have little to fear, those guilty of crimes such as rape or cold-blooded murder find their lives cut short in 'accidents', it is often said by members of the Watch that it is a "long way down the Wall."
The Bracken-Blackwood Feud
"Damn Northerners" - a common curse from members of House Bracken
Both Houses have been at each others throats since the time of the Andal Invasion. The feud was often nothing more than a bloody stalemate. It would stay that way until House Aurion had landed. Being goaded by the actions of the Knights House Bracken harassed the Valyrian Exodus only to meet dragonfire as response. The Head of House Blackwood meet Laenor Aurion and let stay a Raventree Hall under the guest right. The Head of House Blackwood would explain the political situation in Westeros as thanks Laenor Aurion had done a service for House Blackwood, not much is known other than the fact that the Dead Weirwood Tree had somehow been restored to life.
Another boon for House Blackwood was that they were first and for a long time only trade partner of House Aurion, thanks to House Aurion's ties with House Mallister, the two Riverlord Houses would establish an alliance, permanently throwing the balance of the ancient Bracken-Blackwood feud in the favour of House Blackwood. One instance of this alliance bearing fruit was Robert's Rebellion, while Hoster Tully was showing a degree of reticence in joing the rebels, House Blackwood and Mallister did not hesitate to support House Aurion when they joined the rebellion. After the Ironborn raids in Avaloni lands, the two Riverlord Houses would establish a mutual defensive pact against the Ironborn, both River Houses had opted to honor their ancient Alliance with House Aurion as they set off to support William Aurion's assault on the Iron Isles.
AN: A bit of a Retcon but i'm altering the aesthetic reference of the Legion Riders to being closer to that of Poland's Winged Hussars at least the ones who fight in melee.
In the aftermath of the Ironborn Rebellion the Seven kingdoms strip the House Greyjoy of it's rule and Elaena subtly pushes the idea of handing the Iron Isles to Tywin Lannister in an attempt to weaken his influence.