The largest of the seven kingdoms of Westeros, some believed them capable of raising up to
45 000 soldiers, including thousands of Strong Northern Cavalry, a rank considered equivalent
to the Knights of the South.
And while their warriors had a reputation for ferocity in combat, the size of their
territory, lack of roads, harsh terrain, and spread out population, meant they were slow
in gathering together their forces.
The North was also one of the poorest Westerosi realms, with the snows and cold weather making
agricultural production difficult, leaving them to trade in timber, wool, furs and hides,
with only the port city of White Harbor as a reasonably lucrative source of wealth.
As a result, their nobility lived in conditions that may be considered modest by the Lords
of the South, while the small folk of these lands often lived in extreme poverty, with
the old and weak dying off during the years of Winter.
Though life could be difficult, the challenges they faced simply to survive in this environment
made their people strong, proud and resilient, able to greatly influence events across Westeros
when united in common cause.
And so it was that the North played a pivotal role in ending the reign of the Targaryen
kings, after House Stark was betrayed by the royal family.
In 282 AC, word began to spread that Lyanna Stark, daughter of the Lord of Winterfell
was kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, son of the Mad King Aerys II.
In response, Lyanna's eldest brother Brandon Stark, heir to Winterfell, rode to King's
Landing, searching for the Royal prince only to be arrested by the Mad King.
His father Rickard, was then summoned to court where he too was captured, leaving both father
and son to be tortured and killed as a spectacle for the King's amusement.
After the executions, a letter was sent to the Vale, where Lord Jon Arryn was ordered
to arrest and kill Lord Rickard's second born son Eddard Stark, as well as Lord Robert
Baratheon of the Stormlands, who was the betrothed of Lyana Stark, and a close friend of the
Northmen.
Yet Jon Arryn had fostered both of these men from a young age and refused to obey the order,
leading Houses Baratheon, Star and Arryn to raise their banners in rebellion, plunging
the continent into a civil war.
In need of more allies, the rebels reached out to their friends in the Riverlands, arranging
marriages with the daughters of Lord Hoster Tully, having Catelyn marry the new Lord of
Winterfell Eddard Stark, while Lysa married Lord Jon Arryn of the Vale.
Throughout the war, the Rebels won a great number of confrontations, eventually leading
to the Battle of the Trident, where Prince Rhaegar was killed by Robert Baratheon, and
the great Targaryen host was defeated.
Following this battle the Iron Islands and Westerlands joined the Rebellion, with Tywin
Lannister marching an army to King's Landing and sacking the city, and even murdering Princess
Elia and Rhaegar's children, to secure the throne for Robert Baratheon.
With the war won, Eddard Stark travelled south to the Tower of Joy in Dorne along with 6
companions, hoping to rescue his sister Lyanna.
Opposed by 3 kingsguard they engaged in a viscious battle leaving all dead but Eddard
Stark and his friend Howland Reed.
Unfortunately they were too late to save Ned's sister, finding her dying in a pool of blood,
where she spoke some final words to her brother, asking him to make a promise and then passing
away.
Ned then took the Sword Dawn, which was carried by the kingsguard Ser Arthur Dayne and brought
it to the man's family, before returning North with the body of Lyanna, accompanied
by Howland Reed and a baby boy, claiming he was Jon Snow, his bastard son with a wetnurse
named Wylla, refusing to speak further on the issue.
Although Robert Baratheon was now King, and Jon Arryn his Hand, Eddard Stark wanted nothing
to do with the politics of the south, and returned to Winterfell, where lived in peace
for a time, until the Greyjoy Rebellion of 289 AC, when the Iron Islands attempted to
declare independence.
In order to support his friend and King Robert Baratheon, Lord Stark led a host to join the
royal forces which swiftly defeated House Greyjoy, with Lord Balon's last living son
Theon taken as a ward and hostage back to Winterfell.
Having quelled the revolt, the North saw nearly another decade of peace, until 298 AC when
Jon Arryn, hand of the King was poisoned to death.
Robert Baratheon, unaware there was foul play involved, then named Lord Eddard Stark as
his new Hand, forcing the Northman to travel south and engage in the politics he so hated.
In order to seal the bonds of friendship between House Baratheon and Stark, the king's first
born son Prince Joffrey Baratheon was betrothed to Ned's eldest daughter Sansa Stark.
Unfortunately, while the Northmen were always ready for honest battle, they proved ill prepared
for the games of deception being played between the Lords of the South, and soon House Stark
found themselves in a terrible position.
Sometime after returning to King's Landing, Robert Baratheon died in a hunting accident,
leaving the realm to his son Joffrey.
However Ned Stark had learned that all 3 of Robert's children were actually fathered
by Jaime Lannister, brother to the Queen.
Considering himself a man of honor, Eddard attempted to seize power in the name of Stannis
Baratheon, Robert's younger brother, and true heir to the Iron Throne, but was betrayed
by Petyr Baelish, and arrested.
Against the advice of his advisors, the new King Joffrey Baratheon had him beheaded, leaving
the Eddard's eldest son Robb Stark as the Lord of Winterfell.
At the age of 15, the young wolf as he became known, marched a northern army of nearly 20
000 south to war, and was soon proclaimed King in the North and the Trident, declaring
independence from the Seven Kingdoms.
As the once united realm fractured in the War of the Five Kings, Robb Stark proved himself
an excellent commander, never losing a battle, yet he was ultimately betrayed and killed
by House Bolton and Frey, who sided with the Lannisters in exchange for being given the
Lordship of the North, and Riverlands.
However many were appalled by the betrayal of the Starks and violation of guest right,
which was an honoured tradition in the north, and so the territory fractured, with some
choosing to support Stannis Baratheon as he marched to Winterfell, promising justice and
retribution against their shared enemies in House Bolton.
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