THE CONQUEST OF THE NORTH
Ten years after the freefolk and the giant came south of the wall and bend the knee to king Brandon the breaker. Was spend preparing for the stark conquest of the north, the stark expansion was started by brandon grandfather who expanded the stark family holding by annexing both the wolfwoods and the land near brandon gift.
To cemented the allegiance of the freefolk Brandon married joramund oldest daughter val a spearwife and one of the most beatifull woman in either side of the wall. She was called the winter rose since like the rose she is both beatifull and dangerous.
With the combine force of freefolk, giant and northerner the stark now have the biggest army in the north. But other than man power and labour force the freefolk and the giant provided the stark they also brought with them the mammoth and the yak. While the mammoth was a massive creature that was good for building massive construction project, maintained the massive farm land that the stark build in their land, they were also use as living engine of war. While the yak look like a strange cow with long and thick fur that provided them protection event in hardest winter. The yak was use for almost everything form beast of burden, food sourches, cloth sourches and event their shit was use as fertelizier. This would make the stark have a stable food source something that both their biggest obstacle in the Bolton and the barrowking didn't have.
The other petty king in the north could be dealth easily enough after this two was conqueror. The stark has already conquer the wolfwood in the west, sea dragon point, the northerner mountain and the land surrounding the wall. some of the petty king that used to rule here was destroy or bend the knee went the stark come.
Houses like the umber and the glover choose to bend the knee after they were defeated by the stark while houses blackwood rather choose exiled rather than submitting to winterfell. But only one house bend the knee to the stark event before they meet in the field of battle and that is house greywolf. The greywolf use to rule sea dragon point as the wargking but went brandon marches the army of the stark and the freefolk the wargking surrender to him. The reason the wargking did this was becouse he was advised by his allies the children of the forest that if he faces the stark in battle than his family will end. Choosing to save his family rather than keep his crown he then bend the knee to brandon. Brandon knowing that the greywolf was a powerfull houses and could be a potential powerfull allies to the stark since they are warg. Engage his first born son with the wargking daughter cementing the loyalty of the greywolf to the stark and making sure future generation stark be able to become skinchanger.
Having the greywolf aparth of the stark army prove to be a massive advantange to the stark since other than the man power they have. They also brought with them the warg and greenseer that use to serve the wargking and now serve the stark. The warg and greenseer would be use as scout by the stark army making sure that the enemy couldn't try to sabotage them. after conquering sea dragon point brandon the breaker would return to winterfell to plan his move againt the Bolton and the barrow king.
The plan was to split the stark army in two, one will be lead by brandon and attack the barrowking to end the two hundred years was the stark and the barrowking have. While joramund will lead the other half of the army and attack the Bolton. The conquest of the north was a use success with the aftermath being the stark becoming the undisputed king of the entire mainland north and both the barrowking and the Bolton being destroy and their land being given to new magnar.
Joramund would be gifted the land the Bolton use to held and created a new house, house winterhorn with their sigil being the legendary winterhorn that was return to the stark as gift during the wedding of brandon the breaker and his daughter val. Joramund would also created a new castle in the ruin of the dreadfoth that was destroy during the war the castle would be name the winterbane and was built using the help of the children and giant.
The giant clan would be gifted land near the long lake and in there they would raise a massive stronghold called erabor with their former king thor being name the magnar of erabor. The other freefolk clan would spread out throught out the north but most of them would live near winterfell since the land that winterfell was built in was much warmer than the other land in the north except for the neck. Most of the freefolk would life in village that was spread through out the north and only answear to no magnar except for the stark. there were some freefolk clan that created a new house like the theen, ryder and frost but they were only a miniority.
The children of the forest that was allies with the greywolf would be given land in the center of the wolfwood and in there they would be the first children city forestden. The children would also become one of the stark biggest allies event thought they wouldn't truly join the north until the andal invasion.
Brandon the breaker would be known as one of the most influential man in northern history and the world and would be credited as the founding father of the north.
The foundation of an empire
After the dead of Brandon'' the breaker'' stark his descendant would continue to finalised the stark family conquest of the north. his son King Jon Stark would create the wolf den in the mouth of the white knife after pushing out the sea raider that use to control the area he then gifted the castle to his brother who would created a cadet branch of house stark house greystark. His son, Rickard Stark would conquered the Neck from the Marsh King and married his daughter, he would then gifted the neck to house reed with their title being the gate keeper of the north and magnar of greywater watch. Rickard would also be the first stark to be born a warg and the first stark to have a direwolf companion that was gifted to him by the children of the forest who would also teach him how to become a skinchanger.
Then his son Rodrik Stark would won Bear Island from the ironborn in a wrestling match. Rodrik stark would also created the order of the huntsman this order was exclusively created for the men and woman in the north who was capable of warging and loyal to winterfell and the stark. They would be the stark eyes and ear in the north, their training was said to be brutal since they were train for reconnaissance, espionage, assassinating enemy leader, bodyguarding the stark family or otherwise fought alongside conventional soldier, They also only answear to the kings of winter.
It wouldn't take another thousand of years before the north would face another change. With the introduction of the mammoth, giant, and the yak. The stark was able to have a powerfull labor fource and stable food source. Using the help of the mammoth and giant the stark and the north in general was able to soften the hard northen soil making farming much easier. While the yack and the mammoth would be use to plow the north farm land. With the yak mostly use to plow the smallfolk farm land. While the mammoth was use to plow the massive farm land that most of the noble and giant have.
This change started happening during the reign of king Rickard ''the greath wolf''. Rickard was born form the marriage of king Benjen stark and Dalla winterhorn, he was the eldest of three children making him the heir of winterfell. And like every other stark that was born after his name sake he was gifted a direwolf as a companion after his birth. Rickard was said to be a genius that hasn't been seen to the stark family since the time of Brandon''the builder''. He was also a prodigy in learning skinchanging since he was able to learn it from a young age and was able to master it went he was only twelve name day old.
The dangerous thing about rickard isn't just his mind but his ambition and his drive to make his family and the north as powerfull as he can be. He know that the stark and the north in general now has larger farm than the gardener king of the reach or the petty king that rule the trident, so they didn't need to think about not having food or starving during winter since the crop that they yield now was more than enough for them to survive winter and not starve and event if they don't have enough crop to eat they can kill the yak for food since every village in the north now has a herd of them living in the land as both labour and food source.
He also know that his family and kingdom can't only depend on only one resouches. Since he didn't want the north to be dependent in only one resources like the reach and the trident have. Since event with the reach being the second largest kingdom in the land and have more men than any southern kingdom the reach was always embroiled in war either form the petty king of the rock, the storm king or form the iron king, the trident was the same and was always embroiled in war.
so went he took the winter throne form his father after his father abdicated the throne. He order his men to scout the north for resources form gold mine, jewels, and other valuable jems since it didn't make sense form him for the north to not have any precious metal since they have as much mountain and as big as the mountain in the rock. And he found out that he was right, most of it was concentrated in the northern mountain but their also some jewels and gold veins near winterfell and some other mine that was spread through out the north.
But knowing that his men didn't understand how to mine since most of them work as farmer. He then send some of his men to casterly rock since house casterly own the largest mine in the rock and the rest of his men to the other petty kingdom that was in the rock. He order them to try to recruit some of their miner to work in the northern mine. The task took almost five years before they were able to return to the north with the miner and their family.
Rickard then order the miner form casterly rock and the other petty kingdom in the rock to teach the northerner how to mine. While some of the north mountain clan and Thenn was use to guard the mine or working in the mine, most of the mountain clan resisted at first but after he offer to give them home, weapon and food he was able to make them accept the change, while the Theen accepted easily since they use to work as miner and blacksmith went they life beyond the wall . Using his new wealth Rickard then started to design of what would be known as wintercity the capital of the north. Rickard was able to own most of the northern mine as property of house stark and under the stewardship of house Goldstark a cadet branch of house stark that was created by his brother Robert stark.
Rickard also created the northern mountain road that connect the northen mountain to wintercity directly making all gold, jewels, metal and other precious mineral flow through wintercity, Making wintercity and the stark very rich. The bulding of wintercity will not be completed by the time of Rickard stark dead but will be finish during his grandson Benjen Stark time.
After the dead of Rickard stark, his son Brandon stark then took the winter throne. Brandon was a smart child not a genius or a prodigy like his father but he was smart. He would go on to built the northern fleet. The reason he did this was to protect the north coast line form iron born raider, sea rider and pirate.
He would split The northern fleet in two one in the eastern coast of the north and the other in the western coast of the north. The eastern fleet will be station in the wolf's den and in Ramsgate. While the western fleet will be station in cape kraken and in sea dragon point.
While the stony shore was use for their fishing vessel and would one day be litter by fishing village, the northern shipyard will be in bear island and sea dragon point, the reason they were choosen was of their close proximity with both the wolfwood and the haunted forest.
The other reason for cape kraken and sea dragon point was choosen of becouse of the creature that live there. He was told by the children that both cape kraken and sea dragon point hold there name sake creature in there. The creature that he was talking about is the kraken and the sea dragon. While the kraken was spotted sometime by sailor in the sea. The last time a sea dragon was spotted was during the reign of the grey king of the iron island who slay the sea dragon and used her bone to formed parth of his hall.
To make sure that the western coast of the north never fell he order the children to make a device capable of controlling this creature. The children agreed and created two massive horn one form a bone of a kraken that they accuaired and the other form the bone of a sea dragon. Both of this horn is massive with many rune covering it and was covered with bronze.
He gifted the horn of sea dragon to House Greywolf while the horns of kraken he gifted to his bastard brother who founded a cadet branch of house stark at cape kraken House Sailstark. They were only allowed to use this weapon if the north fleet was defeated and the enemy was about to land making it their last option if they were about to be overrun form invading force.
After the dead of Brandon stark his son Benjen stark would take the winter throne. It was in his time that wintercity would be finish being city was built using grey stone form the nearby quarry, And the city was built surrounding winterfell and was split to four section the first was the merchand districk that was built near the wolf roads a broad stone highways that benjen stark created that connect winterfell to the entire north so that transpoting good and army become much easier, the resident area was where the local live.
The second section of the city was the resident are whre most of the people of the city life in. The third was the entertainment section where most of the whore house and the bath house was established. The bath house was created using the underground natural hotspring that exist in the area surrounding winterfell they then use pipe to delivered the water to the bath house. There were also tall wall and tower that was built surrounding the city to protect the city. The road in the city was paved using the grey stone the same stone that was use for the building, A massive system of drains and sewers was constructed to carry the waste from the city. There were also many park and godswood built in the city to make sure that the population have a place to play in and a place to pray.
The center of the city was winterfell itself the castle it self has been renovated with it now having three wall the first and the most outer wall was where the stark private farm was located, which was to make sure they never starved during siege and winter. The second wall was were the training yard, armory and barrack was located. The last wall was where the greath hall and the inner keep was located. there were also a moat in front of each of the wall and there were also tall tower in each of the wall to spot and attack enemy force. In time wintercity would be known as the grey hearth of westeros.
after the dead of king Benjen stark his grandson king Eddard Stark would built moat cailin a massive castle in the neck only dwarf by winterfell it self. the castle it self was built in a hill that overlook the march land of the neck and was made using blackstone, with twenty tower and a great basalt curtain wall as high as that of Winterfell's. the reason he created moat cailin was becouse of where it was built, it was built in the causeway the only safe road for any invading army to travel through the swamp of the neck. Many noble wanted to become the magnar of moat cailin since the castle command large area of land so that they can have a much larger forces since there were many village and small city that litter the area.
But knowing this king Eddard Stark proclaim that moat cailin and it domain fall under House Stark juristriction he did this by proclaiming his son and heir apparent to the winter throne as prince of moat cailin and making moat cailin his seat before he took the winter throne went he die or abdicate the throne. Many noble try to make king Eddard change his mind since in there mind it give house stark more power and advantage than they already have, But king Eddard would not have it making many noble dislike him.
A thousand later during the reign of king Rodrick'' the expansion wolf'' stark, the stark and the north would have another expansion age. It all started went Dacey Mormont the second child of the current magnar of Bear island went to the frozen shore and establish a fishing and whaling center, in the frozen shore she would also created House Frostbear with their castle being the watchtower the castle would also served as a loockout for any movement the other make in the land of always winter.
This would started the north expansion to the true north as many of the freefolk clan and house that descend form the freefolk that join the north during the reign of king Brandon'' the breaker'' still call the land beyond the wall. Many noble also wanted to expand their power beyond the wall since the land beyond the wall still have many untap resourches that the north may not have since most of the land hasn't been explored and they also espically wanted the mountain in the true north since most of the mountain in the land beyond the wall was as massive and as many as the mountain in the north and the mountain in the land beyond the wall haven't been exploited making most of the mountain resources still inside it .
Another colony was also made in the tip of the peninsula of Storrold's Point on the Shivering Sea. This colony was built by king Rodrick stark eldest daughter Lyanna stark went she went to explore the land beyond the wall to expand the Stark holding beyond the wall.
This colony would then evolved to being the city of Hardhome the biggest settlement in the land beyond the wall. Hardhome sits on a sheltered bay and has natural harbour deep enough for the biggest ships afloat. Wood and stone are plentiful near there. The waters teem with fish, and there are colonies of seals and sea cows close at hand. A great cliff looms above the settlement, pocked with cave mouths. Lyanna stark would then started a cadet branch of house stark in the city house Froststark and their castle winterheath that was built overlooking the city.
After the dead of king Rodrick'' the expansion wolf'' stark, his son and heir king Dorren'' the just'' stark would finally conquer Skagos. The island of Skagos has been the bane of many of the magnar in the eastern shore of the north since they are no better than the iron born who raided the mainland taking everything they want before leaving. The other reason to attack Skagos other than them being a menance to the magnar of the eastern coast was becouse of the rich fishing ground, the mountain in the island and the other unknow resources the island posses.
The invasion called for almost ten thousand men and a thousand giant to invade the island skagos with half of the eastern fleet to be used to destroys the skagosi navy. The plan was to destroy the skagosi noble family, their navy and then killing everyone who opposed the stark rule on the island.
Later that the year the invasion started with the easten northen fleet smashing the skagosi fleet, the eastern fleet then started to blockade the entire island. The land attack would be split in three with Rickard karstark leading the attack to house crowl of deepdown. The Karstarks family descend from Karlon Stark, a younger son of that time winter king. Karlon put down a rebel lord and was granted lands for his valor. The castle he built near the Grey Cliffs was named Karl's Hold, but that soon became Karhold, and over the centuries the Karhold Starks became Karstarks.
While Robert umber will lead the attack to house stane of driftwood hall. The final attack would be lead by king Dorren stark himself to house magnar of kingshouse the family of styr magnar the self title king of skagos. The conquest of skagos was said to be one of the most brutal campaign the stark has lead since the unification of the north. The skagosi fought viciously in every battle they participated in making the stark and their army bleed for every inch of land they conquer. Using their unicorn that covered in armour as a miniature mammoth to deathly effect.
In the final battle of the conquest of skagos the losing skagosi fought more viciously and more brutal than any time during the campaign. The skagosi fought like man being posses with event if you stab them they would brush past it and would continue fighting. The stark would only know how they were able to do it after the end of the battle, went they discovered that they were able to do it by eating a mushroom that was native in skagos and has a property in them that make the eater numb to pain and experience hallucination.
The conquest of skagos was won by the stark and their ally but the cost of victory was high during the final battle many of their men and magnar die with event king Dorren stark himself kill by styr magnar the self title king of skagos but the king didn't die alone he took with him styr magnar and five of styr magnar guard.
After the death of king Dorren stark his younger brother Rickard stark would usurp the winter throne form his infant nephew. He was able to do this becouse many noble dislike his brother becouse of the law that his brother created that restrict the power of the noble and give more right to the smallfolk. And since many of them dislike his brother they supported him since he promised to remove the restriction his brother made .
The late king wife Lyarra Greywolf escape winterfell fearing for the safety of her infant child and seek asylum with her brother the current magnar of sea dragon point. But event he know he can fight and survive the combine power of the other noble, so he advice his sister to sent her son to forestden to be raised by the children since event the usuper wouldn't dare to attack forestden, since if he attack the children they can destroy him using their magic and becouse the promise that king Brandon'' the breaker'' stark make to the children went they aggred to become allies that should the stark attack forestden than the line of winter king would end and if the children break the alliance then the children would die.
The dowager queen with heavy hearth would send her son to forestden to be raised by the children like her brother advised. Before she surrender herself to Rickard stark who would then kill her to cement his hold on the throne since she wouldn't tell him where her son is event after she was tortured.
The young child who was name Theon stark by his mother would have the classic stark look with grey eye and long face but his hair would be different form other stark since he have white hair rather than the usual brown hair the stark posses. The reason for his white hair Is becouse of the magic that inside his body mutated his gene and changing it to white, in the future this would mark any stark that have white hair stark would have powerfull magic inside them. Theon stark would grow up to be a very powerfull greenseer. The children event tought him how to use their magic, and would also give him the monicker of the witch king. to thank the children for protecting him and raising him as one of their own he then took a children of a forest and his own bestfriend as his wife a beautiful children of the forest and quite a young one for their kind with her being only fifty years old name leaf during their wedding he proclaim her to be the queen of the north. During his fostering with the children other than learning their magic they also how thought him to forge winterbronze, bronze that was imbuded with magic with rune written in it and was blessed in front of a hearth tree. Armour that was made using winterbronze was capable to better protect the wearer than regular armour. while weapon that was made using this metalwork was sharper than any castle forge weapon, also weapon that was made using this metal work was capable of killing an other.
He would created the first weapon make from winterbronze a two handed greath sword and with the handle of the sword make form a branch of a hearthtree that he would call winter, this sword would be given to his heir went he took the fist of winter and ice form his uncle, this would start the tradition that the heir of the stark would be given winter while the king would use the fist of winter and ice. He would also created an armor set form this metal (daedric armor form skyrim for appearance).
So after his wedding the now twenty name day theon stark would leave forestden and try to reclaim back his rightfull throne. Many noble rejected him went he try to recruit them since under the reign of his uncle they were able to have more power than went they were under the reign of his father. But while the noble prosper the smallfolk suffer since the law that protect them was revoked by his uncle.
So went he finally have the men power to fight his uncle only a small porsion of his army was made up of noble. The noble that supported him is only House Greywolf, Winter, Umber ,Glover, Mormont, Karstark, and House Dustin . While the bulk of his army was made up by the smallfolk who wanted the right return to them and the clan of the freefolk who was now treated like dirth. He was also was able to have the support of the giant and the children of the forest since his uncle only saw them as beast that should work for there better. The order of huntsman also join forces with him since many of them rejected his uncle claim to the throne, and went his uncle found out about it his uncle than order the disbanded of the order and then ordering member of the order to be kill.
The war of the direwolves as future scholar would call the stark civil war was the most brutal and bloody conflict in the history of the first men before the coming of the andal. Since many family was destroy and split in two, castle, village and city being reduced to ruin and horrible atrocities being committed by either side.
During the start of the war many people assumed that Rickard stark would came on top since most of the noble supported him and the noble command both the financial and military aspect of any kingdom. But they were wrong with the help of the smallfolk that supported him Theon stark was able to cripple most of the noble that supported his uncle event before they were able to muster their men. He was able to this becouse of one simple reason the men that fought for the noble army was only smallfolk that was force to fight by their noble and since most of the smallfolk hated how the noble now treated them they turn againt's them and join him.
To counter this his uncle and his allies would torch and destroy every village and town that supported him. While he would sacrifice any noble he found or capture to the weirwood. So after a long and brutal war he was finally able to push his uncle and his supporter back to winterfell. But knowing that a siege to winterfell and wintercity could take years or event decade. He order his men to throw the dead body of his uncle troop to the city. While he order the warg and greenseer to use rodent to destroy and poison their supplies. He did this becouse he know that the dead bodies if not buried or burnt will rott and that would couse disease to spread among the defender. The rodent was also used to help spread the disease more faster.
The plan work as only in a few months the defender open the gate for his army before surrendering to him. Many of the noble tought that he would forgive them after paying a fine or sending one of their children to be held hostage to make sure they remain loyal. But he didn't do that no he order the entire family that supported his uncle be destroy every member of it kill men, woman and children, their wealth would also be taken for the crown. This shocked many of the noble since something like this never happen but Theon didn't care this people let his uncle take his rightfull throne and kill his mother for him dead is mercy to this people.
After finally wining the civil war Theon stark would started rebuilding the north since many of their Infrastructure was destroy during the war. It was also during this time that he would also reconquer skagos since during the civil war the surviving skagosi declared their independent from winterfell. Theon would finish what his father started and butchering every skagosi before bringing northerner, freefolk men, woman and children to the island to repopulate it. The control of the island of Skagos and Skane was gifted to his daughter who will created House Stonestark high magnar of Skagos and Skane. He would also conquer the three sister giving control of the island to house Sunderland who would become magnar of the three sister. The reason he conquer the three sister was to stop their continue pirating in the eastern shore of the north and for the resourches that the island have.
Theon stark would become the longest reigning king of winter since he rule for five hundred year by using magic to increase his life. His reign would be called as one of the most prosperous reign in the history of the north, since the north now traded heavily with the petty king in the south making the north more rich. He would also created the northern law that was made to protect the smallfolk while also decresing the power of the noble, the law would also increase the power of the crown the other law inside the northern law also forbade incest, slavery, and kinslaying this law was sacred for the followers of the the god of the stream, forest, and stone but he still put it in it to make sure that anyone who did it know that they will be punished by the god and by men. He would also created the northern army since he didn't want to depend on the smallfolk that was force to fight since this is counter productive for him since if the smallfolk was forces to fight than who would take care the field or the mine the north has. Sure it was easier and cheaper to order the smallfolk to fight rather than having to train men and women to fight but for him it was worth it for two reason first he didn't need to be dependant to the noble and second he can easily go to the offensive if someone try to attack him since it took quite a long time to call upon the smallfolk to fight.
The northern army would become one of the first professional train army in the world and would be one of the reason the andal failed in invading the north. During peace time the army would be sent to protect the north form internal attack like form bandit or rogue noble. To lessen the money the north spend to maintain and train the men the spoil for any attack during both peace and war time would be split half, half for the north and the other half for the men. The army would be armed using winter bronze weapon and armour. The northen cavalry would also be created during this time the cavalry would be split in two the heavy cavalry and the light cavalry. The heavy cavalry would use the unicorn that was native to skagos as their steed since the creature can receive heavy punishment and also giving heavy punishmet. The light cavalry would use horse since they mostly be use for fast attack, both the heavy and light cavalry would also use winterbronze armour for their steed and weapon for the rider. The other thing Theon stark created was the wintercity mages school, this school was created for one reason and one reason only to teach man or woman capable of perfoming magic how to use magic, after they finish their studies they would then join the order of the winter mages, this order like the order of the huntsman would only be loyal to the king of winter the only difference between them is only the mages was capable of doing magic while the huntsman is a warg.