The Old Gods Fill Our Sails
Chapter 1: Retribution
Lord Darren Stormbreaker could only look at the bent over form of his former liege lord and once friend in disgust. He could feel his fury dim slightly as he turned his gaze to the burning ruin of Blacktyde Castle in the distance. The smoking skeleton of the wooden keep caused the once clear sky to blacken as ash and smoke obstructed the view of the clear, blue sky. His sparkling sapphire eyes turned back to the man who he could once call brother. With a deep voice he addressed his former lord. "Woe be to those who turn their backs to the Old Gods. With bronze and iron, we will bring low those who break the most sacred oaths of our Gods. We worship the Gods of the river, forest, streams, and stone yet you turned to the foul God of the Drowned", snarled Darren as his lips curled back into a ferocious sneer.
The former Lord Blacktyde could only stare unflinching into the fury filled eyes of the beast before him. " What is dead can never die, but rises again, harder and stronger. You may kill me now Darren, but I will come back. I will slaughter you and all who followed you. The Drowned God will bring me into his halls a hero", said Blacktyde.
The words of the heathen before him caused Darren's fury to reach a crescendo as his thick hand wrapped around the neck of the traitor. His sapphire eyes grew more intense as he began to choke the life out of the scum before him.
His grip intensified as Darren could feel the shaking of the mans throat as he slowly tightened his grip. His eyes were drawn to the slowly purple turning face of the heathen as his eyes were close to rolling in the back of his head.
Darren gazed upon the final visage of his former lord and moved closer to Blacktyde's ear, "You are nothing but reaving scum. You will perish here, and I will deny your god your soul. You will not be sent to his hall your body will remain on land. Your corpse will become food for the soil and animals till nothing remains. I will fight for my gods and will not rest till the islands are purged from this drowned taint".
His words rang in Blacktydes mind as he continued to choke and feel the air leave his body. He would only see the snarling visage of Darren as his fear continued to grow. The large body of Darren morphed into that of a demon to him and we could only gaze at the monster before he died.
With a final snap of Darren's hand, he extinguished the life of his former friend. Darren could feel his body relax slightly as his large frame calmed down a bit. Darren was large for a First Man standing at around six feet eight inches. His large height was filled out with large sinewy muscles that made him seem more bull than man. His face was harden and weathered from the amount of time he spent sailing as all inhabitants if the Iron islands were. His face was square jawed and had the hard features of a warrior. His nose was wide and scarred from a dagger slash though it had not hit an eye. He had long dark brown hair which was in a warriors braid and went down to his mid shoulders. His sapphire eyes grew a little less dim as they gazed at the broken form of his kill.
He could only sigh as he thought of the not so distant past. Blacktyde was one of several lords who continued to worship the Old Gods. They were champions of the Old Gods as those around them started to worship the Drowned God. With the growing influence and conquest of the so-called Grey King many soon turned to the new religion. Darren could only grow solemn as the ways of his people were being perverted into something he grew to fear. While his people were known to raid for supplies on the mainland these new followers of the Drowned God took it to new heights. They would enslave other First Men and had people following the Iron price. While most First Men raided for supplies they did not enslave people and took no more than what was needed.
His House was the last First Men house who stayed true to the gods now. While Blacktyde was once a champion of the gods they too turned their backs to the true gods for the dark god. Darren could only feel older than his two and twenty name days due to his people's actions. They no longer called themselves First Men but Ironborn. His people had turned away from their beliefs and it could only fill Darren with a strong felling of both anger and sadness. The audacity to turn their backs on the gods and all they had done but also a great injustice as they had renounced all they were.
With a heavy heart Darren made a vow that would shape the history of not only his house but also the history of the Iron Islands. He turned to the last weirwood tree on the isle of Blacktyde that overlooked the smoking remains of the castle. He drew an iron dagger and slit it across his left hand. He could feel the weight of the Old God's eyes on him through the snarling face of the weirwood. It's eyes leaked red sap as if angered by the actions of his people. As he drew closer he could feel a great burden upon his shoulders as he finally made it to the weirwoods face. With a great effort he brought his bleeding hand upon the face of the weirwood and joined his blood with the sap and made a vow, "Before the Gods I pledge my blood and iron to fulfill this vow. My House will never rest as long as the Drowned continue to live. My descendants will scour the world till all Ironborn are not but bones before the weirwoods. We will uproot this rot with ax and fire till the land is cleansed. I vow now and forever till this deed is done. If we ever stray smite us down for we have failed the gods".
Darren could feel a great presence gaze at him as he took this oath. He could feel the weight of it upon his body, but he stood strong. He would fulfill this sacred oath or his descendants will as they would destroy those who betrayed their Gods.
Author's Note: Hey guys its Articfox11. It has been a bit since I last updated my stories. I am currently in progress of working on the next chapters for my House Greystark and Roman stories. While I have been working on these I had a spark of inspiration to write this story and see how it goes. In this story the Ironborn were a divergent culture of the First Men who migrated to Westeros from the Arm of Dorne. While these First Men would settle the islands they would have a different culture and religion from their mainland relatives. The story will focus on the Last First Man House on the Iron Islands. I thought this would be interesting to do since not much is known about the earlier first men or even their history prior to the Andal migration. I do not know if this will be a full on story or maybe just some snippets here and there. I hope you guys enjoy it and please leave a review. Thanks again and I hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying life.
Summary: The Ironborn are one of the native cultures of the Continent of Westeros. They primarily are from the Kingdom of the Iron Islands. Though thousands of years ago they spread to encompass most of the western coast of Westeros. Many maesters debate on how these people came to be as they have their own unique culture and religion. Some think the Ironborn migrated from the mainland when the First Men arrived and settled the islands. Thousands of years of separation could have changed their culture and religious beliefs from the First Men who settled throughout Westeros. Some Ironborn say they came from the sea and were blessed with webbed hands and feet and were children of the Drowned God. But what if the theory of them being descended from the First Men was real. This record will follow the Last First Men House of the Iron Islands and their fight to withstand the influence and hostility of their fellow Ironborn.
House Stormbreaker: The Last First Men House of the Iron Islands. They have withstood the growing influence of the new religion which follows the Drowned God. The Stormbreakers were once vassals under House Blacktyde who were the overlords of the island of Blacktyde. For years their overlords kept to the Old Gods and respected the weirwoods on the islands. Yet due to the new growing influence of the religion and the growing power of the so-called Grey King the Blacktydes renounced the religion of the Old Gods and chose to worship the Drowned God. The Stormbreakers grew enraged at this as they felt the actions of the Blacktydes and even the other First Men of the Iron Islands went against the Old Gods. They grew even further enraged at the new practices of these men as they followed the iron-price. While the Stormbreakers would raid their neighbors they would never enthrall people as in the eyes of the Old Gods if one were to enslave another it would be as sinful as kin slaying. With their fury empowering them the Stormbreakers and those who rallied to their cause overthrew the Blacktydes and were now the Lords of the Island of Blacktyde.
House Sigil: A white weirwood tree with leaves of blood red on a field of black
House Words: Fill Our Sails