Torrhen Stark had four sons and one daughter. All of them forged their own path and left a mark on history. Now we shall discuss about them.
The eldest was Lord Rodrik the Reformer. He inherited the North after his father's death in 22AC after he caught an illness while he was coming back from one of his many trade missions.
He continued on his father's reforms and went beyond that. He introduced the famous system which is popularly known as the 'seven-birth-system' to deal with the low population system. We shall discuss it more thoroughly in time.
He also revolutionized the healthcare system of the North. He knew that his seven-birth-system could not work without good health care facilities. The Maester of winterfell at that time suggests that another reason for this was the death of his father and his son Benjen due to a mysterious infliction of the Shivers which killed off a tenth of the population of Winterfell and the death of his wife in childbirth. He invited learned healers from all over the world and bought and freed slaves, to train them in the art of healing.
It was during his time that the contract with Braavos was signed. Braavos doesn't have any trees for wood. Due to this contract, North got exclusive rights to sell wood in Braavos. In time, Braavos became dependent upon the north for wood for ships and firewood.
The second son was Rickard, better known as the Loyal. He got the epithet after the infamous episode with King Maegor the Cruel. Maegor, when his allies were slowly deserting him for Jaehaerys, demanded Lord Rodrik who had remained neutral in the conflict to call his banners and lend aid to him. Lord Rodrik refused. Jaehaerys was the rightful heir and Maegor didn't had the power to defend his throne, he pointed out.
Outraged, Maegor instead contacted Rickard Stark who at that time was the commander of the then called Winter Wolves. He was known to be popular among his men and had a good impression on the Northern Lords. He offered him the North if he rose against his brother.
Rickard instead refused. He sliced the tongue of the messenger and brought him before Lord Rodrik Stark who sent him to the dungeons. It is known that after this incident Rickard led a thousand northerners south in support of Jaehaerys, not Maegor.
He was known to have said, "This is my answer, in blood and steel."
He married Lady Senelle Umber. His descendants eventually founded the briefly founded a cadet branch. And one of his grandsons even became the commander of the Company of the Rose.
Osric was the third brother and also the most rash and rebellious.
He left the North with many of the men (and women) ,who had marched south with his father to fight Aegon Targaryen, and formed the famed sellsword company The Company of The Rose
He quickly rose to fame as a feared commander of the biggest sellsword company at the time (the golden company which was formed two hundred years later, was the biggest).
He supported his father in the First Daughter War, going so far as to betray his employers, tainting the company's record.
He died at the age of 32 fighting another sellsword company with a sword in his hand. It is said that it took fifty men to kill him but the credibility of this myth is unclear.
The chief account of his time as the leader of the company is Mathos Coote, a third son of a miner family of North. He knew how to read and write and wrote the book "The Winter Rose" which is our chief account on Osric Stark's time.
Alys Stark was Torrhen's only daughter. She married Lord Wylis Manderly.
It was reported that she was always a bookish child, liking to spend most of her time in the library. The Maester of Winterfell also reported that she was very curious about everything. She used to gaze in the nightsky and wonder at the mysterious world.
After she married Lord Wylis (then Ser), she got the opportunity to learn more. She used to visit the harbour regularly and consult with the sailors asking them about tales of the world outside the North.
She was very close to her brother Brandon and it is suggested that she also had a part in convincing her father to foster him with the Manderlys.
After Brandon grew up and went on his famous voyages, the first thing he did after returning was to tell everything about his journey to his sister.
She is credited to have laid the foundation of the scholar's guild. It started as her private library section in the library of White Harbour. After some time, she started teaching some local children the art of letters.
These children grew up to be the first scholars of the North. Earlier all the knowledge resided in the Citadel as far away from the North as you can get. Many brilliant minds from the North were unable to learn anything. The Scholar's Guild made it easier for people to learn. We shall discuss about it in greater detail in the upcoming chapters.
Brandon was the youngest child. He was fostered at White Harbour. He grew up watching the sailors from all over the world.
He first went to the sea when he was seventeen. It was a short journey from White Harbour to Saltpans. But this short journey ignited the desire in Brandon's heart to sail the seas.
He became the captain of his own ship at the age of one and twenty. He sailed to all the corners of the world from Ibben to Leng. He was the first person west of Qarth to get rights to trade with Leng.
He was called the Seasnake of the North by Archmaester Willem. However the Scholars of the North disagree, the reason being Brandon came first.
The chronicles of his travels is recorded in The Distant Horizon, written by his sister Alys.
He sailed the world in his youth. When he grew older and his travels became less frequent, his brother Rodrik asked him to finally settle down. It is not known how he was convinced but Brandon agreed to start a new port on the western side of the north. Thus Brandon became the first lord of Starkport and the founder of House Seaborne.
The Seabornes became a wealthy house and housed the western navy of the North and thus North became the only region to have a fleet on both coasts.