Rise of the Grey Wolf

by ArticFox11

On the eve of Robert's Rebellion the Greystarks raise their banners against the Targaryens. In response to the deaths of their Lord and his heir. The North remembers and will not let this slight go unanswered. Seeking to reunite with Rickards second son Eddard they prepare their fleet and army to join the new Warden of the North in his campaign of vengeance and justice.

8. House Manderly

House Manderly Overview

House Manderly is a house that originated in the Reach. There were formerly vassals of the Gardener Kings before being driven out of the Reach and their ancestral lands by House Peake. They fled the Reach to be away from their enemies and the Kings that refused to help them in their time of need. The Manderlys traveled throughout Westeros begging to receive protection from the Kings in the South, but they were turned away. With the last of their wealth House Manderly turned their gaze North. The Winter King accepted the Manderlys as vassals and gifted them the lands and overlordship of Seadragon Point. While at the time it was sparsely populated due to the population of the western coast moving more inland and under constant threat of Ironborn raids. The Manderlys saw an opportunity for Seadragon Point to grow into something much more as they were unchallenged by other noble houses due to only a few remaining and the wealth of the region being mostly untouched. They erected the small settlement of Seadragon Sound which would grow to become one of the more populous and wealthy settlements in the North. For over a thousand-year House Manderly has served as overlords of the western coast around Seadragon Point and have grown wealthy from their endeavors. For the Manderlys trade with the western kingdoms and coastal settlements in their lifeblood. The point is rich in fish and other aquatic life which has proven to be bountiful. The Point is also rich in lumber which has been greatly used for both fleet expansion and the timber trade. The settlement of Seadragon Sound is of a comparable size to the city of White Harbor. It has seen much expansion over the centuries as it grew from a small village to a thriving city of trade. The city itself has stout black walls surrounding the whole city in its thick walls. The walls themselves are made of basalt and are around 20 feet thick and 20 feet wide as the Manderlys spared no expense for the safety of their new home. They rule from the castle of Dragonpoint which is in the center of the city proper. It has high walls around 15 feet thick and 15 feet high to withstand a siege in case the walls of the city are breached. The Manderlys are also much more militant than when they were in the Reach as they face countless Ironborn raids due to the amount of trade they receive. House Manderly has adopted a much more violent mindset to attack these curs. They will actively hunt any Ironborn raiding parties that threaten their domain. An interesting side effect of this has seemed to fully Northernize House Manderly. They have renounced the gods of the south and have worshipped the Old Gods for a few centuries now. Whenever they return from a counter raid the Manderlys and their vassals will gather and execute the Ironborn to a weirwood. They are one of the few Northern houses to still participate in the tradition of hanging a sacrifice and gutting the person on a weirwood. The Manderlys have also taken up the practice of adopting the iron price as for centuries they have saved and even released thralls from Ironborn ships, especially those people from the Iron Islands themselves. It seems there is a pseudo culture that has formed due to the influence if the Ironborn and native Northman culture. The Manderlys, while having a sizable fleet, focused on having a very mixed one as well. The Manderlys fleet consists of carracks, cogs, a few dromonds, and heavily on longships. The heavy focus on longships was adopted as it was the fastest ship to counter Ironborn raids. While the Ironborn themselves hate the Manderlys there are some that do indeed trade with them as the reforms of Quellon Greyjoy have seen some houses being enriched by trade coming from the western coast. The Manderlys have made many enemies out of the Ironborn, but many have a deep respect for them as they have considered the Manderlys one of their own in some respects.

Authors Note: I wanted to at least post something since it may be a bit before I post the next chapter. I plan on the first battle to be coming soon as I am almost done building up before the war really takes off. The next chapter will finally introduce Eddard into the story as I have always loved his character. I will also be fine tuning the Manderlys as I want to go into more depth about them and how they are different from the original timeline. I will be having the first battle happen after the next chapter since it is something I am trying to fully iron it out. Please make sure to leave a review as hearing back from you guys has really helped me make this story possible.