Chapter 3: Rise Of The North - Reign Of Cregan Stark.
Rise of North's Military superpower under the rule of Cregan Stark, The Wild Wolf Of Winterfell.
While the North prospered and reached its economical height under the rule of Torrhen Stark and I then under his son Brandon Stark. Nobody could deny that it was under the rule of Lord Cregan Stark that the North reached its true Military potential.
Cregan Stark, also known as thewildwolfof Winterfellin the south, took the title of lord of Winterfell and warden of the North at the age of 13 when his lord father, Rickon Stark mysteriously passed away due to a certain illness.
During his minority his uncle, Bennard ruled the north as regent. When Cregan turned 15 and came of age in 120 AC, Bennard was slow to surrender his powers. Relations between Cregan and his uncle grew strained as the young lord of Winterfell chafed under the limits imposed on him.
Finally in 121 AC, Cregan rose up against his uncle and imprisoned him and his three sons, taking the rule of the north in his own hands.
It was later discovered that Cregan's father Rickon Stark didn'tdie from illness but he was poisoned by his Uncle Bennard, whose whole plan was to remove Rickon and and his two sons Cregan and Harrion from power, so he can install himself as the new Lord of Winterfell with his eldest son as heir.
Cregan immediately ordered the execution of his uncle in charge of Kinslaying and his sons, Cregan's cousins,to take the Black and become members of the infamous Night's Watch who manned the Great Ice Wall in the North and protects the North and the Realm of men from Wildling raiders who live North of the Great Wall and frequently raided villages to pillage livestock and steal daughters of both the lords and farmers.
But Bennard escaped from the prison along with his two eldest sons before the execution can take place. It was later discovered that a servant under the service of Bennard helped him and his two eldest sons to escape the dungeons of Winterfell's.
Bennard's youngest son Beron, whom his father left behind, was angry that his father had abandoned him at his cousin's mercy. He quickly bended the knee to Cregan and swore eternal service to him, if Cregan will let him live.
Cregan let Beron live after he saw that he had no part in his father's schemes in usurping him from his birthright. He took him in his service but he also warned Beron that if he found out even a single hint of treachery or proof that he will betray him then he will take Beron's head himself.
A moon after his uncle's escape, Cregan found out that his uncle Bennard and two of his sons had gone to Barrowlands, where with the help of House Dustin, the gouse in which his Uncle had married into, and Whitehills and Rsywells had assembled an army of 7000 and we're now currently marching to Winterfell.
Knowing that while Winter City's Grey cloaks (the Northern equivalent of the Red Cloaks of Lannisport and Gold Cloaks of Kings Landing) can easily resist an army double its number, but nothing was stopping the rebel army to sow chaos and destruction in the surrounding lands. And knowing that the he cannot let this act go unpunished, Cregan assembled his own army to meet his uncle in the battlefield.
With such short of time Cregan faced a serious challenge to gather an army strong enough to oppose his uncle, and while the Winter Roads helped the gathering of the army easier the roads also helped the enemy army to cross the vast distance of land between the Barrowland and Winterfell in short amount of time.
Even with the reinforcements from the Tallharts and Cerwyns, Cregan's army remained under strength, only 5000 men had assembled to fight for their true liege lord.
Many had believed that the battle will be an easy victory for Bennard's forces, as his army not only outnumbered Cregan but was also commanded by experienced leaders.
But Cregan surprised the entire North when he crushed his Uncle's Army in the battle, using a decisive pincer manoeuvre and striking his uncle's host in the rear and overwhelming the army.
Lord Bennard and his two sons were killed in the final charge as they refused to surrender and fought to their last men.
Seeing the defeat, Lord Dustin and Ryswell quickly bended the knee to Cregan, recognising him as the true Lord of Winterfell.
Even though the battle was a overwhelming victory as the enemy lost at least three men for every one of his, it did came at a coast in form of his younger brother Harrion, who took an arrow in his neck, and Young Lord Rodrick Tallhart, who was one of Lord Cregan's closest friend.
Cregan after seeing that he doesn't have any more true born siblings who can take the mantle of Lord of Winterfell if he died childless and knowing he cannot make his half sister Sarah Snow as his heir without antagonising his bannermen, he named his cousin Beron, who has fought with him with loyalty and against his own father, his heir until a son was born to him.
After the end of the Northern conflict, which the southerners had started calling the Battle of the wolves, Cregan started the to pay attention to military power of the north.
After seeing that even with the Winter Roads assembling the army is hard, Cregan started the creation of theWinterwolves.
The Winter wolves will be a mounted force made of heavily armoured elite cavalry at least 2000 strong.l This mounted force will be professional soldiers well drilled and equipped for war and they will be the first permanent professional army in Westeros. During peace time their man job will be to patrol the North the and deter any Bandit activity and wildling raids in villages.
Next Cregan ordered all his Lords that all their men at arms be trained and drilled in the ways of war. And while this will not be the all time professional army like the Winter Wolves, they will still be trained at least 2 days a weak so their they remained in their peak condition for battle.
These troops will also be armed with the best weapons the north can provide. Each Northern men at arms would be be given a spear, a castle forged long sword, a round oaken shield. For armour they will wore chain mail, plate armour covered in boiled leather and a half helm that featured a protective nose guard and eye holes with with a sheet of chain mail to protect the neck and shoulders.
Cregan also took measures to expanded the Northern cavalry, especially heavy cavalry, which can compete with southern knights. He brought Dornish sand steeds and breed them with Northern horses to produce a new breed of powerful warhorses than can fight in any climate and can march for days without fainting or dying of exhaustion.
He also created specialised troops like skirmishers, who are expert javelin throwers perfect for disrupting enemy cavalry chare and Berserkers who carry huge Greatswords and Axes with them and are very good at breaking tight enemy formations.
But the troops that will get the most recognition is without a doubt the famous Northern Horse Archers, which Cregan had created after seeing the efficiency of Dornish Horse archers during the First Targaryen invasion of Dorne.
Cregan will also hire Ibbenese and Volantis ship builders to create the first northern fleet since the time of Brandon The Burner. The new northern war galleys were a hybrid of Volantine and Ibbenese ships, they are as strong as the Ibbenese war galleys and as fast as Volantine longships.
Cregan new reforms in the Northern Army and new Northern Navy will see there results during the Skagosi Rebellion.
The island of Skagos has been subjects to the Starks of Winterfell, since Theon Stark, also known as the Hungry wolf, subjugated the island. The island is ruled by many Skagosi clans but they all answer to House Magnar, the most powerful Clan in Skagos.
While the skagosi were mostly an isolated society even to the Northmen. The still trade a little with House Stark. They pay tribute to House Stark in form of raw materials like leather, timber, and unrefined iron ore and coal and in return House stark offers them protection and food for winter.
So when the House Magnar under Ska the Magnar refused to pay the tribute and renounce their oath of fealty to the Starks, Cregan swiftly invaded the island with at least 8000 Northmen, half of them being cavalry.
The rebellion was over within 3 moons, with most of time being taken to ferry the north army in the island with the help of their of new Northern Fleet . And while the Skagosi resisted the island ferociously they felled to the superior northern army who had better training and tactics than the skagosi clansmen. It was said that for every one northmen soldiers dead, the skagosi lost at least ten of theirs.
But the Legend of North's fighting prowess will not end there. During the Dance Of The Dragons the seven kingdoms saw the armies of the North, being led by Cregan, in action for the first time since the days of Theon Stark.
At the battle of Red Fork, the Northern army decimated the combined armies of Lannisters and Hightowers with suffering negligible casualties at his own side.
They also crushed the Florents at the Battle of Lakenshore and then took kings landing with ease.
The Northern Army will also go on to fight at Dorne, under the leadership of Rickon Stark eldest son of Cregan. It was also said that the Northmen were the first to charge and climb the walls of Sunspear during the Siege of Sunspear.
During his last days as lord of Winterfell Cregan will lay the foundation of one of the most ambitious project in the North's history. The first was to improve the defences of the North by repairing Moat Cailin to it's former glory. But instead of twenty towers, it will have forty towers. This improvement will help defend Moat Cailin from attacks from both south and the North.
Cregan also repaired the keep of Wolf's Den which guards the White knife. He wanted this castle as a base for the new Northern navy and patrol the vast Shivering sea and deter any ironborn raids in the North and protect the merchant vessels and traders from sudden pirate attacks.
Cregan gifted the repaired Wolf's Den to his cousin Beron as a reward for his loyalty. Beron became lord of Wolf's Den and took the name of Beron Seastark, starting a cadet branch of House Stark just like the the Karstarks of Karhold.
Cregan will take his last breathe in 180 AC, dying a peaceful death in his sleep and his son and Heir Rickon, named after his father, will take title of lord of Winterfell at the age of 20.
While Cregan Stark is dead, he had created a legacy that will be remembered by every Northerner, be it a noble Lord or common folks, for a thousand years. It was for his action that turned the North from a backwater kingdom of westeros to a military and naval superpower, and all of this within a time of only five decades. His actions will pay for themselves in the coming centuries and always will carve the way in the time of the fall of their dragon overlords and rise of the Starks name, in the seven kingdoms of Westeros.
And Done!
This chapter explained the rise of the North as a military superpower under the rule of Cregan The Badass stark. One of greatest military minds in the Dance of Dragons.
Now many people who have read the books knows that the Northmen didn't take part in the Battle of Lakenshore but I just added it to add more Northern Badass moment.
Hope you like this Chapter and don't forget to leave a comment because remember reviews are food for a writer's soul.