North

The North is one of the constituent regions within the Seven Kingdoms on the continent of Westeros. Historically ruled by House Stark, the land was once home to the Kings of Winter prior to Aegon's Conquest, where Kings became Wardens.

Famous for being a place of little comfort, the North is as rigid and frozen as the people who work it's land. The Old Gods are primarily followed with those who follow the Faith of the Seven few and far-between. The North is easily one of, if not the largest region under the purview of the Iron Throne, stretching from the Night's Watch's New Gift all the way to the Neck in the south. White Harbor is the only city to speak of in the North, and the center of sea-based trade. Bastards born in the North take the surname 'Snow'.

Geography
To say the North is cold is to say that Dorne has sand. Famous for snow even in the times of summer, the lands past the Neck are varied and rural. Ranging from dense forests like the Wolfswood to the swamps near Moat Cailin to the barrows of the First Men to the rocky and unwelcoming shores where keeps like Deepwood Motte rest, one could take a turn in the North and not see the same landscape twice.

The Kingsroad is the primary route through the North, and runs through the swampy Neck and Winterfell straight to the Wall.

Seasons
The north is strongly affected during the long winters, with thousands of people killed and famine a common occurrence due to poor harvests before winter or the inability to raise crops during the longer winters that last for years on end. Some greater lords maintain greenhouses at their castles, such as the glass gardens of Winterfell.

Once autumn is declared by the Citadel, the lords of the north store away a part of the grain they have harvested. How much is a matter of choice; between one fifth and one fourth seems prudent, however. Additionally food is smoked, salted, and otherwise preserved ahead of winter. Coastal communities depend on fish and inland ice fishing is common on the rivers and Long Lake. Poor harvests before winter will mean famine, however.

In winter, snows can fall forty feet deep. Rain falls cold and hard, and sometimes turns into hail that can send men running for cover and ruin crops. Even during summer, snowfalls are not unusual but tend to be brief and not particularly damaging to agriculture.

Culture
The people of the North value tradition, loyalty and legacy deeply. There is no better example of this behavior than the conspiracy between Northern Lords that saw a Stark returned to Winterfell, even amidst a war of their own. Often called 'wolves' themselves by their neighbors, many northmen know that they have a pack that spans the continent and act like it. The southern rituals of knightship, court and politicking are often lost this far north, along with their gods, as Northern denizens follow Heart trees and nameless deities. Ancient givens like Guest Right are sacred to Northmen, which made indiscretions like the Red Wedding especially egregious.

There are some Northmen who are even less connected to civilization than their noble counterparts, with the cultural subgroups of crannogman, Skagosi and the mountain clans permitted their own ways of living so long as they remain loyal to House Stark. They are often likened to the Wildlings moreso than Northmen, but garner the same respect from their peers.

The Night's Watch is viewed very highly in the North, with the spare sons of noble houses choosing to serve quite often and the lords and ladies of the North sending gifts and patronage to the brothers in black. The southeron regions are viewed with an air of distaste due to the vast differences between, though the North finds amicable fellows in the Vale and occasional enemies in the Iron Islands.

Economy
As the north is largely uncultivated, there are few roads of import there. Most of the inland trade passes by either the kingsroad or the rivers. Trade items from the north include wool, hides, and timber. White Harbor contains silversmiths and the Old Mint.

History
131 AC

Arriving late to the war, the might of the North, under the command of their Lord and Warden, Cregan Stark, alongside the added might of the Lads of the Riverlands, marched on King’s Landing, with but one purpose; smash the siege, see the Baratheon dogs thrown back, and see the Blacks victorious.

And so it was, when the Stark host, aided by the Lads reached King’s Landing, they beat back the Baratheon host, rescuing the Queen in her darkest hour as she had been pushed back to the final hold of Maegor’s Holdfast, as Stormlanders ran amuck throughout the city. With the city liberated, and Rhaenyra’s Crown secure, in what some would consider an unfortunate turn of events, and others a most fortuitous one, Lord Corlys Velaryon was found dead in his cell beneath the Red Keep.

In payment for their service in the Crown’s most dire hour, the North are granted a permanent seat on the Small Council.

132 AC

Once returned North following the Dance of the Dragons, Cregan Stark would go on to sire a number of offspring, both with Alys Blackwood, and Lynara Stark, the latter a distant cousin from whom the future Wardens of the North descend. With both these marriages, the Pact of Ice and Fire would remain undisturbed.

157 AC

In 157 AC, the Pact of Ice and Fire was once more left to sit, to wait, as the heir to Winterfell, Rickon Stark, turned his eye on a young Jeyne Manderly.

160 AC

In 160 AC, the young heir to the North, Rickon Stark would perish during a viist to Castle Black, in events that would come to be known as An Heir's Black Death. Suspicion would fall on House Ryswell, though blame was never assigned.

177 AC

Lord Cregan Stark dies of old age at nine-and-sixty, his second son, Jonnel Stark succeeds him in events that become known as the Silence of the Snows.

182 AC

Sansa Stark, deemed too trouble and tormented to seat the throne of Winterfell is passed over and left to live in peace with her Manderly kin. Barthogan Stark, the thirdborn son of the late Lord Cregan Stark succeeds to the throne of Winterfell.

183 AC

Barthogan’s rule would fast become one defined by trouble. Not a year into his inheritance, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch Zachery Hill declares himself a King. The rebellion was fast put down, in a most bloody manner, earning Barthogan the moniker of “Barth Blacksword”. These events would come to be known as the Day of the Blacksword.

187 AC

Discontented with a perceived betrayal by the Crown, Barthogan Stark begins to work to try and see the Pact of Ice and Fire finally fulfilled. The Blacksword wishes to see his House finally repaid for their service and begins writing south about the matter. Continually rebuffed, Barthogan eventually raises a host. The Blacksword is then defeated in single combat by the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Olyvar Oakheart north of Darry, and a vow is sworn that when Barthogan’s son sires an heir, the child will be sent to the Capital for warding. These events come to be known as the Blacksword's Folly.

205 AC

The young heir to Winterfell and the North, Teora Stark, is sent south at the age of ten to fulfil the terms of the vow sworn in the aftermath of the Blacksword's Folly.

206 AC

Tensions begin to grow across the North over the next few years, regarding the presence and warding of the heir to Winterfell in the south. These events continually come to refer to the young heir as the Stark in the South.

210 AC

The North would send a selection of ships, departing from White Harbour, to participate in the Dornish Conquest, carrying any from the North who wished to fight.

Major Houses of the North

 * House Stark of Winterfell
 * House Stark of Moat Caitlin
 * House Bolton of the Dreadfort
 * House Cerwyn of Castle Cerwyn
 * House Dustin of Barrowton
 * House Flint of Widow's Watch
 * House Glover of Deepwood Motte
 * House Hornwood of Hornwood
 * House Karstark of Karhold
 * House Magnar of Kingshouse
 * House Manderly of White Harbour
 * House Mormont of Bear Isle
 * House Reed of Greywater Watch
 * House Tallhart of Torrhen's Square
 * House Umber of Last Hearth