The Ironbulls
A/N- Disclaimer i own nothing but the OC's
The Beginning
The Ironbulls are an old family with ancestry dating back to before the wall was built. They were origanally known as the Bull clan for there strength, size and keeping of cows for a stable food source especially in winter. The Ironbulls original home was at sea dragon point till the warg king drove them out by warging into a sea dragon to overpower the Bull clan men. They then migrated down to the stony shore into a small batch of mountains with good natural defenses against the Ryder kings and the Warg king. They later discovered huge vains of iron waiting to be mined.
After the first long night the Bull clan stayed friends with the Kings of Winter House Stark ,so when the huge vains of iron were discovered in the Bull clans' mountains the two families knew they had the blessings from the old gods to conquer The North but to do that they needed smiths and thats where the children came in. The newly christened Lord Ironbull decided inorder to gain the childrens knowledge of smithing and metal working that he would marry a child of the forest, who he was in love with anyway, to get there help in teaching him the ways of metal working. The Ironbull lord took to the forge like a fish to water and started making weapons and teaching others in his family and the Starks the process. It is told that Brandon the Builder helped Sigurd the Smith design Stonefell, the Ironbulls' new ancestral home and seat of power built only slightly smaller than Winterfell but with a Godswood in the heart just like in the Starks seat.
The Ironbulls before the marrying of Sigurd to a child of the forest called Ash, were told to have black hair and brown eyes slightly tall but strong as a bull. After the marriage the apperance changed to what is now associated with the House to this day which is Tall just short of two meters on average, slightly brown skin, bright green eyes but paler than lannister emerald green eyes, and plenty of natural strength tempered by the hammer of the forges and weapons training. The Family sigil is a Iron colored bulls head on a red backround. Their House words are "Iron Will Forged in Winter" an ode to their smithing and iron mines while also showing their frienship to the Starks. It is passed down in the Ironbull and Stark family that the reason that Ironbulls are so loyal to the Starks is because that Brandon the Builder saved Sigurd and his son from the Night King during the First long night, it is also said that it is for this reason that the Ironbulls keep a large cache of dragonglass just incase the Long Night comes again because the North remembers.
When the time was right to take the North Brandon the builder had sadly passed and Sigurd the smith was waning in age and the will to fight as he once did,so the job fell to there sons Osric Stark and Eivor Ironbull and they made a hell of a team. The two of them decided that their first target for a takedown was the Ryder Kings of the Rills. The Ryders were getting ballsier in their foraging of the Ironbulls land and attacks on their mine towns. The Ironbulls were tired of so with the assistance of the Stark cavalry and the Ironbull fierce foot soldiers quickly took the Ryder army out and killing their king. The Ryder KIngs lords were nervous the kings Only two children were a 10 nameday old heir named Rogar and 6 nameday old daughter Barbara. House Ryswell were hoping the Winter King and Ironbull lord would kill them and name his house lord of the rills, but he was thwarted when Eivor decided he would foster both at Stonefell with his children. Eivor's son Sigram would become best friends with Rogar and end up marrying Barbara.
With the Rills under control The Starks, Ironbulls, and Ryder men descended on Barrowton and Barrow Hall in overwhelming force taking the Barrow Kings who hadnt even heard of the Ryder kings fall at the time by complete suprise routing his forces and toplling him to his knees. The Osric liking Eivors idea of taking wards to insure good behavior decided to foster the now Lord Dustins 9 nameday old son William and 8 nameday old daughter Bethany. With such a substantial military victory Osric and Eivor were hoping to suprise another petty northern king but got blocked by a sudden winter coming. To insure the food stocks and winter preperations were ready they put off there conquest till efter winter ended because even if it meant giving up there element of suprise, survival was always paramount.
The winter that stopped Osric and Eivor had thankfully been a short one only 12 moons before it started breaking but by now the rest of the north knew the Starks and the Ironbulls were on a warpath. The Red Kings were especially worried, their practice of flayinghadnt made them many friends so while the Starks focused south the Boltons focused north. They first went and took control of all the villages around the forest and shores of the bay of seals and that roused the concern of the Umbers who knew that the Starks and Ironbulls would be looking south to solidify there hold of the southern half of the North but they did not expect the boltons to get so brazen from fear so they tried to solidify their defences from the Red king but it wasnt enough. The Boltons and their battle hardened men brought slaughter to the Umbers, King Roose even flayed The Umber leader in front of his sons. The victory was harsh upon the Bolton men because even though they killed most of the Umber men it didnt come without casualties, thousands dead and more injured just on the Red kings side alone. Seeing that it would take time to replenish his man power King Roose took the New lord Umbers sister to be married to his son to keep them inline. The Umbers never forgive this slaughter from the Boltons but they will remember just like the North till they get their chance for revenge.
While the Red king subverted the bay of seals and last hearth and subsequent move to recover casualties that take years to get lost man power back the Starks and allies begin they long bloody struggle of placating the Neck under their rule. The Marsh KIng was brilliant with his guerilla tactics, his man taking 2-3 of the Starks men or their allies for everyone of theirs. The battles raged on for moons like this with lots of men getting poisoned or sick in the matshes to compund onto the battle casualties. The war turned around when Eivor's younger brother Bjorn warged for the first time into a crow, with their families history facing against the warg king they knew immediately what happened and how they could harness it for the war effort. With this knew ability to scout enemy positions and safe travel or supply routes the fighting took a steep shift in favour of the Starks. The fighting finally culmianted into the last battle near the entrance of the neck from Cape Kraken, with the Marsh King finally bending the knee to the Starks. To help secure the loyalty of the Reeds the Starks and Ironbulls decided to have Bjorn Ironbull marry Mara Reed the newly made lord Reed's sister creating an offshoot branch of the Ironbulls called the Ironreeds. The Seat will be on the litlle pennisula north of cap Kraken which will come to be called the Iron finger. Their seat is known as the Iron fort and with bronze and silver vains found in the flint cliffs turned the Ironreeds into another loyal high noble house for the Starks their words are "Flying to the Fight" with their banner being a black crow perched on a silver bull skull on a white background.
With the Defeat of the Marsh king the Starks and their vassals decided to slowly campaign up the western of the north sweeping up threw neck along the coast of the bite all the way to castle Hornwood and the Sheepshead hill. While a slow campaign taking over 18 moons to complete this secured the whole of the southern half of the north and most of the best grazing land for Stark vassal livestock. With this done the KIng of winter started building a new castle at the mouth of the Whiteknife river from the bite. This castle will be known as the wolf den and become King Osrics second sons' seat of power because like the Ironbulls he wanted to plant stark seeds as vassals wherever he could. These Starks will be come to known as the Greystarks and would rule over the begginings of a port town called White Harbour for centuries.
During the Starks and Ironbulls campaign in securing the south the Blackwoods had been fighting a bloody civil war in the Wolfswood against the Greenwoods. With their manpower depleted from the war The Blackwood king knew his peoples rivals The Deepwood king and his vassals were getting ideas of an attack, already Border Raiders were bloodying the close the villages. While he wished he could fight both The WoodKing and The Winterking his depleted manpower just wouldn't allow it, so he decided to bend the knee to his wifes' kin overlord, The Starks.
When Lady Ash Ironbull, Eivor's widowed mother and CotF, received the message from her distant cousin, Oak the lady wife of the Blackwood KIng, she was relieved. The fact that the message relayed that The King Blackwood wanted to bend the knee to the Starks, relieved her of the worry of the possible death of her kin and supporters of her people. Lady Ash immediately brought the message to Eivor who was spending time teaching his son and wards the way of the bow. With the conquest broke down for now to rest the men this message came at the perfect time, so Eivor immediately road of with the message to King Osric.
King Osric was pleased when the newly made Lord Blackwood arrived to swear fealty to him, and to stratagize the campaign against The Deepwood King and take his seat of power Deepwood Motte. With the Blackwoods' Rangers and guides navigating the dense Wolfswood find targets will be easy fighting the enemies not so much because of the limitied open space. The war that followed was slow and bloody, but with the experience of fighting the Cranogomen and the Blackwood Rangers home field advantage in the woods the Allied army made steady progress to Deepwood Motte. When they reached the wooden castle the siege that followed was fast because the old Deepwood KIng who was sonless and with only a daughter to carry on his legacy, road out to fight the Allied Army. The Deepwood King and his men fought bravely and valiantly but with the number of warriors in the Allied army the end was innevitable. After a tiresome one on one fight to the death The King of Winter Osric Stark slayed the Deepwood king. With Deepwood Motte needing a new lord King Osric decided to name his longtime loyal vassal family House Glover as the new Lord of the castle. Duncan Glover the eldest son of the family married Roslin the daughter of the dead Deepwood king and the family with no exisisting sigil took Roslin's familie's, a silver fist on a red background.
The latest conquest by the Starks and Ironbulls now had the Red King and Warg King deeply worried, for different reasons. The Warg King was now surrounded in his seat at Sea Dragon Point with a Stark vassal taking over Deepwood Motte and the Damn Ironbulls He drove to the Stony Shore years ago. The Red King was worried because of how much power the Kings of Winter have for conquering so much of the North made them jealous and nervous. After both weigh their options they strike an uneasy alliance to take on the Starks. Before they can execute their attack the weather takes a turn. The Winter that followed was long and brutal. Over 10 years of nothing but ice and snow. Thanks to the Starks and Ironbulls meticulous preparations for winter they and their vassals made it threw with only minor issues it was the cases of spring fever that followed claimed many lives including King Osric and his wife. Lord Eivor was devastated by the lose of his bestfriends but also by the lose of his wife and daughter to the same fever, he was never the same lord or battle commander after. Sigram with his wife Barabara picked up where his father left off at as Lord of Stonefell and his relationships with Lord Ryder and Uncle Bjornn.
King Benjen was a brilliant king to following his father Osric, with a military mind on par with his fathers but with a flair for more agricultural inventions. His two biggest inventions was the water wheel and ducts to bring fresh water to planting fields and the horse pulled plow, that he developed with Lord Ironbull. These innovations brought the marginal crop production up to enough to sustain the North, with Benjen even devising better crop rotations to bring in even better yields to help store grains for winter. King Benjen also was the first Winter King to have some concern of the south so with his improved revenue from his inventions he started plans and laying foundation for the Castle the South will know as Moat Cailin. The mornful but uplifting feelings didn't last long because with their uneasy alliance renewed the Warg King and Red King were coming while dragging the beaten Umbers with.
The attacks started quick and fierce. The Hornwoods and Glovers being the closest Stark vassals were they first targets of the attacks. Sigram hearing of the attack on Deepwood Motte rallied 4000 men he could quickly with instructions for the last 2000 to meet up with Lord Ryder and his 4500 strong army. What he found enraged him, while the suprise attack forced Duncan and his men into being holed up in the Motte being Sieged while his lands were ramsacked and the Blackwoods, who were hit hard by the long winter, barely held off the warg enforced raiders. Deciding that it would be best to free Lord Blackwood first to get some local help in navigating the terain for the best attack to free Deepwood Motte. Sigram and his troops went village to village, settlement to settlement, till he met up with Lord Blackwood and finished driving the Warg kings men back to Deepwood Motte. With Blackwood lands freed up it was time to break the siege of Motte. The Blackwood Rangers proved their worth again when they helped the now 12500 strong army to their choosen spot to launch their attack. From their covered launching spot the day breaking attack was executed in a rout of the 7000 man army with their warg enforcments running with their animal partners.
With Deepwood Motte free and its 2000 men ready for revenge, the combined army of The Glovers, Ironbulls, Ryder, and Blackwood descended on Sea Dragon Point with a fury. While being out numbered almost 2 to 1, even with Bolton and Umber reinforcements, the Warg Kings men harried each step of the Ironbulls and their allies with warg scout reinforced guerilla attacks. By the time the Ironbull army reached the Warg Kings seat they had lost 3000 men to only 1000 losses on the Wargs side, but the time for guerilla attacks were over the enemies were knocking at the gates. The Bloody battle that followed would go down in Northern history as the moment the Ironbulls showed why they're strength and resilience in combat should be feared. It was in this battle that it is told that lord Sigram killed a hundred men and took down the Warg King and his bear companion in single combat. The nickname he earned is said to be one he frowned upon but knew the fear it caused was useful and boy did the name "Sigram the Savage" inspire fear in enemies and allies. With the Warg King Dead his 12 nameday old son and 14 nameday old daughter were all that were left of his house. Sigram and Lord Blackwood decided that the daughter would be married to Blackwoods 15 nameday old son and heir, with her crow companion they thought it fitting. Sigram decided to take Tormund and his bear cub partner as a ward and teach him the resposibilities of lordship.
While the Ironbulls and allies took out the Warg King, King Benjen took his 7500 men with 6000 men from his Dustin In-laws and took them to take out the Red Kings army attacking Hornwood Castle. Since he didnt have to root out raiding parties he could go straight to the heart of the attack, the siege lead by the Red King Ramsey Bolton. The Stark ally army made quick progress towards Hornwood castle but at about half a day ride away from the castle they incountered a 3000 men force in a suprise attack. The attack ended quickly with the force trying to openly bait the army to giving chase. King Benjen acted quickly because he knew the suprise attack and then open baiting to give chase was a lure for a trap and Benjen would not fall for it, they kept moving towards Hornwood castle. They arrived right before the Hornwoods were about to fall and beat back the Bolton and Umber Men. With the Hornwoods safe and ready for revenge KIng Bnejen took his now 16500 strong army to attack the Dreadfort. The battle was fierce and bloody, and with his Umber underlord the Red King gave up quickly after to save his own life against the Starks surperior forces. It also gave the now Lord Bolton a chance to plan a overthrow of the Starks and he will find allies in the North.
With the defeat of the last of the petty kings of the North, the Starks reign supreme with their Strongest and loyalest vassals The Ironbulls. While The Boltons, Skagosi, and GreyStarks chaf under their Stark overlords they wont find a chance at rebelion for centuries. While the disloyal houses toil under the Starks the rest of the North flourish, with the Stark Agricultural innovations the Umbers were able to better cultivate their farmland and with the hardy cattle bought from the Ironbulls they had a better source of meat. There was peace in the North for centuries while a weary eye was kept on the south and it proved prudent when the Andals came.
The Andal Invasion
When KIng Theon heard of the bloody invasion by the Andal warlord Artos Arryn and the subsequent defeat of the Griffin KIng at the Bloody Gate, he was on edge. When the Gardeners welcomed them with open arms and the Lannisters married them into their family, he was alarmed. The coup of the younger Durrandon brother with the support of the Andals from his Andal wife, caused him to raise the banners. The slaughter of the Children of the Forest south of the Neck along with degredation of the acient southern weirwood trees made it a campaign of revenge. The Starks also took in many first men decendents and CotF refugees, with the families of the dead Griffin and Storm King among them. King Theon feeling empathy for the treachery the families endured gave the Durrandons some land by long lake and the Griffins land in the mountains that neighbor long lake with some fishing land around the Bay of Ice. The thankful Dowager ladies set to work rebuilding lives for themselves and their children.
With the Refugees settled and the banners called it was time for King Theon and his good friend and loyal vassal lord Torrhen Ironbull to plan their attack on the riverlands to secure their border. The Duo decided to take control of the riverlands up to Oldstones and building defenses as a first line against the now Andal contolled south. The king and lord figured if they could reinforce the Muds of Oldstones and annex the good fishing and farm land of this portion of the riverlands could hold off any naval or land andal invasion. The Mud King was quick to bend to the first man Starks especially when lannisters were already sniffing the borders and the new Storm King, if rumors were true, was blood thirsty and land hungry. The Northern army needed to act quick to sure up defences around Oldstones to the Salt flats bordering the Vale. With magic from willing to help CotF new moats and river arms broke from both the Green Fork around the Vale to the Bite, then on the Blue Fork an arm broke around Oldstone to Ironmans Bay. Now that the first line defences the Northmen retreated to Moat Cailin to finish preparations for when the Andals came which didn't take long.
Months after the Northern annexation of Oldstones and the shoring up of defences the King of the Rock and the Storm King came to claim territory. This not the only attack front, Argos Sevenstar launched a naval assault from lannisport to the Stony Shore and home of the Ironbulls. With the Western shore lightly defended this couldve been a devastating attack if Ironreed scouts on Cape Kraken spotting the massive fleet sailing toward them and further north. When news reached Moat Cailin the Iron Fort was already under attack, with this new information King Theon Ordered Torrhen to take a third of the army and defend the western shore from Argos and sent Lord Ironreed back with his army to hold the Iron Fort. The Muds orders were to hold the armies back for as long as possible then to retreat to bait the armys further north, they performed briliantly with tactics similar to the Blackwoods they executed fighting retreats all the way to the Neck where the Reeds guided their army to Moat Cailin while employing their own guerilla tactics on the enemy. The Allied Andal Army took hard losses on the march threw the Neck casualties from attacks, disease, and desertion took out 10000 men from their originally 75000 strong, only the knowledge that the Gardners were comming with 55000 reinforcements.
After both armies broke threw the Neck the Gardners had lost 10000 men from the same perils the other army faced, but they still had a sizable force of 110000. Thankfully for the Northern Army the Bronze KIngs were fiercely fighting the Arryns and preventing them from joining the fight with the north.
The Andals were knocking at the gates of the North. The 50000 northmen that remained bolstered with the 10000, so 60000 against 110000 but the walls of Moat Cailin will make the Andals bleed. Ten charges at the southern wall and gate of the moat. Ten times they were repelled with bodies piling up and injured men screaming, the north set several attacks round side that pretty much while suicidal helped thin numbers out great. It is said King Theon lead several counter attacks and came back bloodier each time, but he refused to relent earning the nickname "The Hungry Wolf". 80000 Andal dead to 30000 northmen dead, a massive victory for the North now they needed to finish it.
While Theon did work against the southern Andals Torrhen knew he had to handles Argos and his 35000 men with his 30000 not ideal but not undoable. After this though he have to see about aquiring some ships to stop this ealier next time, maybe a start with Argos' and some gold pillaged from the lannisters. His course clear Torrhen comitted his military mind to taking out Argos quickly and pillaging the rock before the Lannister king returned. With fierce determination Torrhen's forces routed Argos' quickly and with tactic, Torrhen himself slaying many andals and Argos Sevenstar himself. Word also came of Theon's victory at the Moat, so Torrhen sent word of his own victory and plans for the Lannisters and set out on the leftover ships towards the minimal garrison at the rock while clearing out the Iron Fort on the way.
When word reached King Theon of Torrhens' plan it is said he laughed then began his own plans to pillage Andalos for reparations of the short but bloody war. The Andalos excursion as it is known as in the North was bloody but profitable for The Starks, many fighting men were slayed but the women and children were spared with even some men taking wives back home for their beauty. Theon also bought and freed several artisan and craftman slaves from wider essos to increase trade and craftswork in his lands even negotiating with Myr for a couple of glass workers to come to his lands and set up shop. While stopping in Bravos Theon also struck a deal to store a part of the Starks wealth for investments with the Iron Bank in exchange for part of the revenue stored with the bank and part sent for Stark use in the getting poor shipwrights to move to White Harbour to start building the Stark warship and trade fleet.
Torrhen's vessels landed at Lannisport with the remaining Lannister army still a week out and proceeded to loot the life out of the Rock and Lannisport, while making notes how deep the veins of gold the Rock holds. When the KIng of the Rock returned his city was ransacked and his home pillaged with all his ships stolen from port, this started the deep seated resentment the west has for the North. Torrhen returned to Stonefell a Hero and rich while even capturing or persuading many of the Lannister Shipwright Guild to come north with him to start his vision of his own fleet and Port. When he heard the tales of Theons' exploits in Andalos and wider essos he met him at White Harbour to celebrate both there successful campaigns and plan the future.
The Rebelion
After the failed Andal invasion and subsequent enrichment of the Starks and Ironbulls the Boltons jealousy grew massively and drew them to planning a rebelion. They found allies in common and suprising places. The Arryns finally defeated the Bronze Kings now bannermen House Royce, they could bring 30000 men. Skagos' Magnars have growned tired of being under the Starks and wanted to bring their 7000 men to fight. The Greystarks suprisingly wanted to rebel apparently having been forced to accept foreigners on their land years ago after the Invasion left a very bad taste in the Greystarks mouth. The Greystarks brought a strong 10000 man force and Ship power paired with the Boltons 9000 with the 37000 others gave them a very sizable force of 56000.
KIng Eddard was somewhat aware something was going on with the Boltons and Greystarks, his spies have been silent which means theyve either been taken out or turned. Well they weren't gonna catch him unprepared he called quietly called his Western banners to fight his treacherous vassals.
The Boltons were smart they kept the army seperated as best as possible to deny the Starks one large battle. The Greystarks with part of the Arryns forces attacked Barrowton and the Iron Fort to keep the Reeds, Ironreeds, and Dustins busy. The Skagosi and part of his Bolton forces were sent to Last Hearth to weaken the Umbers. The rest of the Bolton forces combined with another part of the Arryn army laid siege to Castle Hornwood. King Jonos Arryn and the rest of his forces lead by local guides provided by the Boltons decided to attack Winterfell deirectly. With 15000 of his finest men King Jonos thought he could take the heart of the North easily, oh how wrong he was. With centuries of coexistence with the CotF and Wargs the North was littered with them and those that volunteered to fight made the best scouts in the land.
King Eddard was furious at the ambition of the Arryn King to attack his home, so with the help of his scouts chose the prime spot to take the 10000 men he had into a suprise attack against the Arryn host. The Invading host was coming upon a path threw a small pair of hills when they heard a horn. In seconds an army was upon to the top of the hills overlooking the Arryn army, another horn and then the arrows came. After the completion of the the suprise attack and battle with a quick tactical retreat called by the Arryn king marked an important first victory in stomping out the rebelion. With King Eddard's return to Winterfell he summoned his assembled lords into a war council where he learned of the situation in the south as well as the Umbers trouble in the North. King Eddard after much deliberating decided to send Lord Bjorn Ironbull in command of the combined force of his and Lord Ryders Men to free the south and take what men could be freed up from the relieved keeps to attack the Wolfs' Den and free up Hornwood Castle from its siege. The King would take the Blackwoods, Glovers and the lords of Sea Dragon Point to drive out the Boltons and Skagosi from the Umbers land.
With his march to Last Hearth moving well King Eddard reflected on how devastating this war was going to be on the North populace and how he was gonna need three new high noble lords. Eddard decided he would send feeliers beyond the wall to see if some reasonable Free Folk clans can come and help repopulate the North. While still pondering those thoughts King Edddard executed a brilliant rout of the combined Bolton and Skagosi forces killing a major portion of the enemy army with the rest fleeing to the Dreadfort. With the Umbers home freed and whats left of its fighting men hungry for revenge the march on the Dreadfort was nigh and with it the destruction of house Bolton.
The Boltons tried to setup the Dreadfort for a siege but King Eddard had an ace for this. A son of one of his Armored Guard named Bon Cerwyn was in contact with a daughter of a bannerlord of Bolton who was holed up with him in the Dreadfort with him and Bon using a hawk he could warg with kept in contact with her. When requested that she open the gates for his army she complied in order to spare her life and set her and Bon up with a keep close to Winterfell. In the dead of night a month into the "siege" of the Dreadfort the main gate was open, the Stark army caught most of the enemy still in bed or drunk an unable to fight. The Bolton lord woke up just in time to get in his armor when King Eddard's brother Prince Rickon found him and a bloody duel followed with Prince Rickon slaying the rebelous lord but being mortally wounded in the process and dying in his brother's arms. King Eddard mad with grief orders the death of every Bolton left including the dead lords 15 nameday old heir and 13 nameday old daughter.
While the Boltons died a bloody death Lord Bjorn lead an even bloodier campaign if possible. No Greystark or Arryn soldier found was spared in Bjorn's march threw the south with the Muds meeting them to clear out Barrowton and the Iron fort their numbers overwhelmed every smaller force they found. By the time Bjorn was sure his allies lands were clear of enemies said enemies had lost some 5000 men a third of their total forces remaining. Now with his south secure it was time for Bjorn to take out the trecherous snakes infecting his home starting with the liberation of Hornwood Castle then the destruction of the remaining Arryn and Greystark army.
Hornwood Castle had seen several sieges since they came under Stark vassalage and to their pride have never fallen, and that wouldn't change now. On a bright warm northern morning the Hornwood defenders who've held out under siege for four moons and wouldn't break soon heard horns approaching and the defenders morale skyrocketed when the Ironbull banner came into view. The Attackers who since the siege began had begun loosing organization from the lax mindset of attack were taken by suprise from the attack with a lot of forces still being in tents asleep. Only a quarter of the rebel forces were able to escape the massacre that their siege turned into. Now with even more men hungry for revenge Bjorn knewn it was time to force out the Andal Arryns and destroy the treasonous Greystarks especially with word of the Boltons destruction reached them Bjorn wanted to finish this fight.
The Arryns were already loading their own ships and steal Greystark ones by the time Bjorn's army arrived. King Jonos who had already lost 20000 men decided to cut his losses while he still could, enraging lord Greystark and his heir. Lord Greystark had a right to be worried his 16 nameday old son and heir is an only child with no wife or child yet so there family legacy was in dire straights, he cursed his stupid decision to rebel especially with Bjorn the Bloody sitting at his gates. After Bjorn broke threw the gate his army swarmed in but he only had eyes to end this with lord Greystark and his heir's heads. After viciously killing lord Greystark his son flew into a bloodrage and fought Bjorn with the might of an animal taking Bjorns' left hand and inflicting other minor injuries but Bjorn won in the end. With the last rebel lords dead it was time ro reconvene in Winterfell and heal and prep for the rapidly approaching winter.
The Rebelion caused major populous damage to the north about a third of the total population was caught in the crossfire and would take years to recuperate compouded with the quickly arriving winter. King Eddard in his final meeting with Lord Bjorn,before The Ironbull lord returned home for winter preparations, relayed his plan to explore bringing open minded Free Folk clans south of the wall. Bjorn supported the idea knowing that the Norths population could use a boost after the civil war, he just suggested to settle some on the lands north of the Durrandons and Umbers to cultivate and farm cattle.
King Eddard also deccided to name the new lords of the now lordless castles. For Skagos Eddard decided on name his good friend and leader of guards Benwick Cassel a hard military man but loyal, the kings only condition was the allowed unlimited use of skagstone a stone found on Skagos in droves that was perfect for castles because of its hardness. The Dreadfort would be refurbished and given to King Eddards nephew Rickard Snow now named Rickard Snowstark. Rickard was Prince Rickon's only child and bastard or not King Eddard needed to honour his dead brothers memory and the newly named Snowfort for his son to be lord over was his way of doing it. White Harbour was a trickier matter Eddard only had one son and his only brother died fighting the Boltons. During his deliberations on White Harbour's future lord King Eddard received a former reach lord looking for refuge. The Manderly's were a Old reach house that had grown rich from trade deals for shipping. The current Manderly lord who came here to the north to beg for sanctuary insulted the current Gardner King Mern the Meek, and was exiled from the reach for it. King Eddard decided with their trade contacts and experience with ships to make the Manderlys the lords of White Harbour, he was also gonna give them the Wolfs den as their castle but the Manderlys decided to raise a new castle as their seat.
As the last lord that needed to be replaced was the North settled in for winter which while tough as usual didn't cause as much strife as normal. King Eddard lived long enough to bring the first few clans and magnars accross the wall and settled on the lands just north of the Durrandons and Umbers. King Brandon continued his father's work with moving and intergrating three quarters of Free Folk south of the wall. The population became so great that King Brandon gave his youngest son Karl, who had put down a Sistermen Pirate inavsion at White Harbour, some land and help building a keep by the Bay of Seals. King Brandon also started the northern road project, a construction project to connect all major and some minor keeps in the North.
While the Starks focussed on assimilating the Free Folk and begining their construction projects the Ironbulls focused on a more selfish project. The last male decendent of the Warg king and current lord of Sea Dragon point was old and with no surviving children to carry on his house. The closest family to the lord was the current lord Ironbull from his grandmother and Lady Mormonts own Daughters since her only son was set to inheret Bear Island. Seeing that his cousin on Bear island wasnt gonna give up her claim on Sea Dragon point easily, so instead lord Ironbull called a meeting between him and lady Mormont to discuss Sea Dragon Points future. The Meeting went well, lady Mormont agreed to marry her eldest daughter to his second son to create a new family for Sea Dragon Point in exchange for Ironbull help in building a better fishing fleet and a squadron of ten warships for defense against Ironborn Raiders. The new Family will take over Sea Dragon Point to this day and is known as the Bullmonts. With this peace reigned in the north for years, discoveries of different grains to grow in the north such as rice for the marshland of the Neck and continued good breeding of livestock continued the Norths self sustaining farming. It wasn't till the Dragons flew over Westeros and began there conquest that the Norths peace was interupted.
The Dragon's Conquest
Aegon Targaryan was looking to lauch his conquest on the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The middle kingdoms did not seem to worry Aegon or his Sister wives, no the two most daunting kingdoms was the North and Dorne for similar but different reasons. Dorne, Sand, Sun, and Deadly the Ultimate guerilla fighting force with both men and women fighting to keep out all foreigners. The North, Vast, Cold and Unforgiving a slight against the North will be met with swift reaction in force with a developed infrastructure of roads to mobilise troops quickly. Their fighters are also very wild from the adopted Free Folk blood that was assimalated a few Thousand years ago into the North from them taking in the friendlier clans from north of the wall. Also with that manpower boost helped the North rebound plentifully after their civil war and subsequent winter. The similar things between the two kingdoms is strking though, Secure loyalty with vassals, Strong fighters for their fighting styles, and a hatred for foreign invaders.
Aegon's landing in the mouth of Blackwater Bay was met with no reception, because no one in this region of stormlands took his threat seriously yet. With Orys sent off to deal with the Storm King Argilac Durrandon, Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya decided to pay back the insult King Harren Hoare gave them by burning his castle Harrenhall down. This burning set every king on edge knowing they and their families werent safe in their castles. This set the stage for the fear driven battle at the Field of Fire wiping out the male Gardener line and almost wiping out the male Lannister line. The Tyrells, Stewards of High Garden, surrender High Garden when the Dragons arrived they were then awarded High Garden and made Lord Paramount of the South. Orys meanwhile took out Argilac and his army and married Argilac's only daughter Argela, bringing the Stormlands underheel. The Lannisters after the slaughter of a good portion of their army and King Loren's two oldest sons death forced the hand in bending the knee to the Dragons while walking away with a lord paramouncy for their troubles.
While the Dragons focused on the middle kingdoms the King in the North Torrhen Stark started a secret correspondence with Dorne and house Martell to develope a weapon to fight the Dragons. Lord Ironbull as an avid metal working in accordance of his families history took lead on the project with Dorne. House Dayne and Martell being the two militarial inclined houses of Dorne took lead on their half, the Northern and Southern Lords Developed a improved version of the Scorpion bolt, not only a with a hand crank to rapid fire ten preloaded with arrows special made for dragons but also an increase in range effectiveness from roughly 100 meters to 350 meters just outside dragon fire range. These Improved Scorpions were immediately put into production and mounted on several Dornish border castles, and in the North at Moat Cailin, The Iron Fort, Barrowton and Winterfell. Every castle also made sure they had escape routes ready just incase of suprise dragon fire attacks.
With his power consolidated in the middle kingdoms Aegon turned his eyes North to continue his conquest, what he found stopped his campaign in it's tracks. They had marched their military might to Oldstones only to find it mostly abandoned with only a light garrison on Old Guard to fought bravely but fell, seeing the castle empty Aegon's continued north. The perils of the Neck hadn't toned down since even with the road made for the Muds to land trade easier with the other southern parts of the North, if anything the Cranagomen fought more harshly to slow down Aegons foot and calvary knowing the Dragon wouldn't risk his men with close a danger close fire attack. When the army finally came upon Moat Cailin the forboding sight of the walls that beat back the Andals now with the new dragon fighting scorpion lining atop walls made the other Westerosi think this was a fools errand, remembering past wars that ended here.
Aegon's men may have had doubts, but Aegon wasn't he didn't think these scorpions were anything special and would't be able to hit his dragons so when Aegon met Torrhen to demand his surrender and was laughed away he was dedicated to humbling the North. Little did he know King Torrhen had an extra trump card up his sleeve to fight the dragons thanks to his bastard brother Brandon Snow, Wargs. Thanks to Brandon and his ability to warg into a Snow Eagle, Torrhen came up withthe idea to gather up the other wargs with bird partners and set them the most important job because when the dragons come to rain fire the bird wargs need to blind and slow them down in range of the Dragon Scorpions. If the Bird wargs can do this Torrhen hoped to be able to decimate Aegon's foot and calvary while taking out one or two of the dragons. The battle was full of ups and downs on both sides. The Northmen scored an early jab with taking out Visenya's dragon but failing to kill her so the men still rallied to fight. After losing one dragon already Aegon and Rhaenys were more careful with theirs. The fighting on the ground was also thick with similar tactics used by the Northmen that were used during the Andal Invasion with King Torrhen doing his best to emulate "Theon the Hungry Wolf" with leading several counter attacks. After hours of fighting and some fire attacks Rhaenys and her dragon were shot down inside the walls of Moat Cailin, forcing Aegon to halt attacks.
After Rhaeny's dragon was shot down and its rider recovered alive Torrhen breathed a sigh of relief, hope filling him that the war might come to an end quickly with a golden hostage. He felt even better when he heard Aegon had halted all attacks after seeing Rhaenys go down inside his walls, so he called a parley. Torrhen drove the bargain against Aegon knowing with the favored sister he held was worth much to the dragon. In the end Aegon was forced to give up Visenya to the North in exchange for Rhaenys which infuriated Visenya who was the better commander and more liked than her admitedly airheaded sister. With this exchange and a non aggression pact signed Aegons beaten army left south with its last dragon. Visenya found a good husband in Torrhen and happiness in being Queen of the North and her children, two sons and two daughters. The North grew to love Queen Visenya for her battle prowess and ideas to help the North.
The Targaryen didnt learn there lesson from the North it took them another dragon that Rhaeny's had bonded with and its and Rhaenys death at Hellholt to finally to get the point threw. Aegon spent the rest of his days gather all of the last dragons eggs he could to secure his families legacy, but it wouldnt save them. The Targaryen Dynasty over its close to 300 years of rule was always turbulent, from numerous excursions into Dorne some semi successful and some disastrous to bastard rebellions. The closest the dynasty came to downfall before roberts rebelion was the Dance of Dragons only resolved by the family that later on caused their dynastic downfall, The Baratheons. Lyonel Baratheon made an alliance with Rhaenyra for a princess for his son Stannis in exchange for his aid in ending the war and serving as her hand. Lyonel finish the war quickly and with blood but it finally got over and the Blacks could breath, and then as hand he held the office with a firm sometimes heavy hand but when it came for Rhaenyra's son to honor his mothers promises he didn't. The Baratheon's took this slight but took half the crowns coffers as recompense, which while angering the Dragon King there was nothing he could do Lyonel was to politically powerful especially since he married his son to a Tyrell daughter giving him a lot of man power for a war.
The Ironbulls following the failed dragon conquest of the North Kept up their trade dominance on the western sea. The Wardens of the Western shore even expanded their trade operations especially with Dorne to aid in their resistance against the dragons. The trade helped fill their coffers but the constant scirmishes with Ironborn was a constant headache. Lord ironbull had petioned the Starks for centuries to take over the Iron Islands not only for their full mines of iron that they lazily refuse to utilize but also for a better naval presence against the Dragon kingdom. With the Ironborn finally getting bold enough to launch major attacks against The Ironreeds, IronBulls, Bullmonts, and Mormont keeps the Stark's finally gave permission for the taking of the Islands. The conquest was quick since most of the Ironborns strength, which were their ships, was taken out in their foolish ealier attacks. All fighting men and women were taken out with prejudice, also all the drowned god priest were also rounded up and executed in a forcful conversion to the Old Gods. The only noble family spared were the Harlaws because they were already Old God worshippers and good trade partners to the Ironbulls. After the subjugation of the islands and the despensement of taken lands to lords that took part in the conquest with Lord Ironbull taking Pyke with the biggest mines for his younger Brother who he betrothed to Lord Harlaw's daughter. This Branch of family will be Known as House Ironlaw.
While the North's taking of the Iron Islands was worrying for the Iron throne the Targaryans were to busy putting down the Final Blackfyre rebelion in the War of the Nine Penny Kings. Bye the time the Southern throne was aware of the attack the islands were already taken and the Noble slaughter bar the Harlaws. Some like the Reach saw this as a blessing to be rid of the savage islanders. Others like the Westerlands didn't like them gaining more power especially remembering what the North did to their home thousands of years ago. The New King Aerys didn't care about what he considered savages taking out more savages, even if one those savages always beat his ancestors invasions, the dragon had no equals he mantra'd. Plus the King and court were to busy with finding the Crown Prince a bride and this suprisingly lead to the Targaryan Dynasties downfall. King Aerys demanded that his heir Rhaegar marry Daena Velaryon, one problem with that though was that lady Daena was already betrothed to Lord Robert Baratheon who was said to be madly in love with Lady Daena, feelings it is said were shared. Rhaegar it is said was so infatuated with lady Daena that it is what drove him to kidnap her after the tourney at Harenhall. This of course drove The Stormlands to rebel with his cousins the Tyrells and foster family Arryns against the Targaryans. With the Westerlands sitting out, because of Aerys treatment of Tywin Lannister during the laters time as hand of the king, quickly put the Crown on the backfoot with Robert taking his Army to fight Rhaegars in the Riverlands. After the Battle at the Trident and Roberts killing of Rhaegar, the Lannisters made their move sacking Kings Landing killing Aerys and Lady Daena, who Rhaegar brought to hide while he went to fight, but the laters murder was pinned on Aerys by burning it.
After the deaths of Rhaegar and Aerys compounded with Viserys and Daenaerys escape to Essos the throne was open for Robert to take, and with his learning of Daena's death and the urgings of taking a Queen he took Tywin's daughter Cersei as his although very reluctantly. The following years for King Robert weren't king, from his large spending on tourneys and pleasures, to be secretly cuckolded by his wife with her own brother the king withered. Shortly after his foster father turned hand of the kings death, Robert decided to appoint his brother in all but blood Taegon Velaryon as hand of the King. Taegon discovered all his brotheres problems and did all he could to hold it together but when Robert died in a hunting accident her packed up and left Kings landing but not before sneaking letters to all lords of the realms denouncing the Dowager Queens children as bastards. These letters convinced many lords to avoid the Lannisters like the plague already hearing of the horrors of the Mad Boy KIng.
Thankfully for dragon loyalists the last Targaryan Daenaerys hatched Three Dragons and began her preparations to re conquer middle Westeros. The War of the Three Kings between Stannis, Renly, and Joffrey lasted for many moons with treachery on all sides. Stannis had a Red Priestes assasinate his brother Renly in his war tent just after a parley between the two. After this the Tyrells followed their ambition and instead of siding with Stannis went to the Lannisters with an alliance. With a failed attack on Kings landing by Stannis the war looked pretty much over till Joffrey's murder by poison. As Tommen was young at Twelve Namedays the Kingdom was unsteady enough for the Dragon who had been preparing during the years of the War of Three Kings was going on, and her Dragons were finally fully grown. The Lannisters realized they were completely alone when Daenaerys landed on Dragonstone, with Tommen to young to marry the Tyrell maid the Lannisters with their power hungry ways alienated all possible allies so they were powerless to stop Daenaerys' attack and retaking of the Iron Throne. The Only Lannister of the main family spared was Tyrion Lannister a Dwarf son of Tywin who escaped the capital after being accused of killing Joffrey. Tyrion also was Daenaerys Hand of the Queen making all of her subtle polictical moves thanks to his intellect. With the return of the Dragon Dynasty brought Middle Westeros peace for years till an acient enemy awoke in the North.
The Second War for Dawn
The North all felt when something shifted in the air, wind grew colder, the summer snowfall more brutal, and the days started growing shorter. King Eddard the Tenth was even more alarmed when these changes coincided with the eldest member of the oldest clan of Children of the Forest in the north. The meeting was not pleasant, with info and visions from the Old Gods shared but one thing was certain the dead were rising again. After the meeting King Eddard called his lords for a meeting to relay what he learnt, all lords as fellow followers of the Old Gods took the Childrens warning very serious, the only question was can the North handle this mounting crisis themselves? Lord Ironbull was the one to suggest an allaince with the south since this affected all people of Westeros. Lord Ironreed and Reed both agreed with atleast trying to get the Dragons in a alliance since fire will be crucial to destroying the wights, the only dilemma is proof to show the southern rulers to convice them of the threat. Unnanouced to them Daenaerys already knew of the undead threat thanks to the Red Priestes confidant she kept as council. She too understood the need for proof for her underlords though, so she decided to wait for the North to come to her with the proof as Melisandre already assured her she saw happening in the flames.
In the North Lord Blackwood voluteered to take a squad of his best rangers north of the wall a too capture a wight while taking guides from the Brothers of the Wall and warg trackers to make it safer and easier. Lord Blackwood left and was gone north of the wall for three whole moon cycles but when his banner was spotted returning with a chained up chest in tow the Winter King and fellow lords knew he was successfull. The Stories Lord Blackwood brought back sobered any thoughts of any easy fight against the undead, with the Warg Scounts help they found a group of three wights that got seperated from the rest, those three wights killed ten of lord Blackwood group with ease before they somehow corraled one into the chest and killed the other two with osidian infuse steel weapons while setting all the dead on fire for safety. Thankfully though they got their proof for the Southerners and Dragon Queen. A chosen group of Lords including lord Blackwood and Ironbull setoff immediately to Kings Landing with and invitation for Dornes rulers to also join sent by messenger hawk.
The Northern Lords arrival was expected and somewhat unwelcome by those not in the know. Dorne's rulers had arrived a week before the Northern Procession reached the capital of middle Westeros, the Northern Lords were mesmerized by the Dragons flying above the city and had pride in their ancestors bloom for fighting the beasts. When the procession reached the Red Keep they were quickly ushered into the Throne Room withthe speical locked chest. Daenaerys and her Prince Consort Wilas Tyrell presided over the meeting. Lord Ironbull quickly began explaining the warning about and the subsequent retrieval of proof of the undead with Lord Blackwood as the lord who performed the capture pitching in where needed, but of course the real ringer being when the chained chest was opened revealing the Wight for all to see. The meeting quickly concluded after the showing with explanations of how to kill the Undead with fire, osidian weapons, or Valyrian Steel and the Targaryan Queen and the Prince of Dorne pledging support immediately.
By the time the Northern lords returned to the North the situation had gotten steadily worse more ranger losses beyond the wall and more unnatural changes to weather. When the Southern armies arrived the Undead were knocking at the Wall almost ready to begin their attack. Battle plans had to be drawn up quickly to keep up whatever advantage possible. Hundreds of shiploads of dragonglass was mined and shipped ot of Dragonstone North. The forges were going Twenty-Fours a day to make enough undead killing weapons for the army of the living. High Command were getting constant updates on the undeads movements from the brothers at the wall and also by warg scouts. When word came that Wall had fallen only half the living army was equipped with proper weapons but time was nigh the undead were coming and the living had to meet them on the field now.
The Night King was feeling more alive than he had in mellenia, with the pitiful built from his element broken the rest of the world was now open for him to take starting with westeros. His army got a nice boost from the dead guards of the livings wall. It was finally time to begin his conquest.
The Umbers, Karstarks, Durrandons, and Northern Magnars were the first to feel the Undead attacks, thankfully with the preparations all non combantants were sent to Bear Island and Skagos with instructions to flee further if these keeps fell. The families knew they had to buy time for the rest of the living army to come to there aid but thankfully they had plenty of undead killing weapons, they just had to hold out.
The rest of the Living army scrambled quickly to reinforce the More Northern Houses and stop the undead army from benefitting from those families deaths. The Dragon Queen left first with her Dragons to safely scout the undead attack on the living holdouts in the north. The Winter King would following quickly with the foot and calvary of the living. The two monarchs aggreed to meet at the Snowfort to make the final plans for the War for Dawn.
On the back of her Dragons Daenaerys scouted that the northern keeps were holding out thanks too the Skagstone all the Keeps walls were made of helped keep the undead out and the archers ontop of said walls firing dragonglass arrows helped more. She could see some of the gates looking close to giving though so the living army had to move fast.
After touching down at the Snowfort and relaying the intel she gained the plan was made and ready to be executed. The night before the march and mini night of revelry was aloud for the men to get morale as high as possible before the fight for the living. At daybreak with a light fog covering the land the army marched out of the Snowfort to battle.
The fighting started fiercely at Last Hearth, dead and living running at eachother for the fight. Bodies quickly started lining the ground while the living tried to start their dead on fire to stop them from coming back added to the undead army. After losses on the livings part all Wights and White Walkers were destroyed at Last Hearth. With Last Hearth liberated and Lord Ironbull doing the same at Winter's End the Durrandons Seat all that was left was the undead at Karhold and the Night King at the rubble of Castle Black.
Daenaerys took her dragons and fast calvary of the army to Karhold quickly but she was to late, what was left of the Karstark men were dead and added to the undead army. Finding her worst fear she did what she could and burnt them all down while only using enough fire to kill the undead but leaving the keep intact. This empowered Daenaerys to want to end this war quickly with as little of casualties as possible. After making sure Karhold was clear of undead after her purge she and her army left quickly to link up with the rest of the livings army.
With Daenaerys relinked with the army a lot of the army breathed easier knowing their best weapon against the undead was back to help against the strongest of their enemy. The Night King was waiting for them in the rubble of the destroyed wall when they arrived. The undead immediately rushed the living on sight starting the day long battle for the fate of humanity. The battle raged with dead piling up worse than any fight any veteran has every experienced. Daenaerys even lost one of her dragons to a javelin made of ice courtesy of the Night King himself, thankfully another of her dragons caught the dead one and drug it off to burn its dead brother. Hours into the battle the living were finally pushing back the dead and finally cornering the Night King into a final fight with King Eddard. The one on one contest between the two kings is a legendary moment in history because after taking a mortal wound from the Night King, Eddard dug deep into his final reserve of strength to disarm the Night king and drive the Stark ancestral Valyrian Great Sword Ice into the Night Kings dead heart. After his final moment of triumph King Eddard died with smile on his face in his sons arms. The living finally won and the others were finally defeated for good, after celebrations the southerners returned to their homes and the Three Kingdoms of Westeros had lasting peace for the next Millenia.
A/N- Hi All first i just wanna thank you if you read this whole story! If you liked it thank you for appreciating my work this is my first written story since papers i had to write for high school years ago. Im sorry if my gramar is terrible i wasnt ever very good at it so again sorry. again thank you everyone idk if ill write another story or not but im proud of this work and hope you do enjoy it thank you- Theajs out