Chapter Text
Winter Wars: Being a History of the Stark Kings and Queens Following the Reforming of the Realm by King Robb of House Stark.
Written by Archmaester Laegos of the Citadel of Oldtown 505 AC.
While Aegon the Conqueror may have forged the Seven Kingdoms into a realm, it was his descendent Aerys Targaryen, the Mad King, who broke the realm. However, it was just prior to Robert’s Rebellion that a discovery would be made in the North that would empower another house to re-forge the realm. While the realm would not be the same as it once was, it would be hard to deny that the time since the Winter Wars has been the most prosperous time in the history of Westeros.
The Starks of Winterfell had always been a powerful house, but they had never been known for being exceedingly rich. That was until 281 AC when rare gemstones and platinum deposits were discovered in the Northern Mountains. The largest deposits were discovered in the southern tip of the Northern Mountains just north of Winterfell itself. These deposits were so dense that they made the Starks the richest house in the Seven Kingdoms. Although, no one would know this by looking at them. House Stark never claimed to be wealthy, nor did they live lavishly. Still to this very day, House Stark of Winterfell continues to be known as a humble house despite their rather extreme wealth.
While the ignorance of the realm to this wealth would normally be inexcusable, in this instance it is understandable. A year after the discovery of gemstones and platinum, Robert’s Rebellion began in earnest. Rather than describe this war, I will simply point you to any of the other well documented sources on the matter.
House Stark was particularly bloodied by this war and the new Lord of Winterfell immediately set to recovering his strength in the North. The soldiers who had come home alive from the war were paid, but not just for their service in the war but for the work they would soon do for the North. Lord Eddard Stark began several ambitious projects starting in 285 AC with the construction of the Northern Navy. The Northern Navy was but a dream in the mind of Eddard Stark at the time. Not since Brandon the Burner had there even existed a standing navy in the North, let alone what Lord Eddard had in mind. He first needed to find shipbuilders who could build ships strong enough to survive northern winters.
Lord Stark found his answer in White Harbor where he saw Ibbenese ships for the first time. Their ships were stout, powerful, and large. Although not particularly fast compared to the Iron Fleet, the Ibbenese ships were as fast as southern war galleys and stronger by an order of magnitude. Not since the Century of Blood had Ibbenese ships been used for war. Their ships were mostly for whaling but many Ibbenese shipbuilders took up the challenge of teaching the Northmen how to build these stout ships. It also helped that they were paid handsomely for their teachings.
The navy would consist of 500 warships, the largest single fleet of any house in Westeros. This grand armada would be split into two separate fleets. The Shivering Sea fleet and the Sunset Sea fleet each with 250 warships. It would take nearly eight years to complete the whole navy, but some ships were able to participate in the Greyjoy Rebellion. The Northmen also built hundreds more ships meant for whaling and fishing during the winter to aid in maintaining food supplies.
It was also in 285 AC that Lord Eddard set forth building the most extensive road system in the North’s long history. The Winter Roads aided in the movement of trade goods and supplies. The roads also made it easier for troops to be moved across the massive territory.
These troops would also be rearmed with the best weapons and armor available. Each Northern man-at-arms would be given a spear, three throwing axes, a castle forged long sword, a round oaken shield, chain mail, plate armor covered in boiled leather, and a halfhelm that featured a protective nose guard and eye holes with a sheet of chain mail attached to cover the neck and shoulders. Lord Stark also expanded his cavalry forces to be able to compete with southern knights.
Moat Cailin was also rebuilt to secure the entry into the North. While Lord Eddard was sure that even the ruin could hold the causeway in the event of an attack from the south, he set forth the ambitious plan to rebuild the castle. Stonemasons rebuilt old towers and replaced wooden walkways and keeps with stone ones. In only five years Moat Cailin transformed from being a ruin to a fortress once again. Though curiously, Lord Eddard did not name a lord to the new fortress, only a steward.
Finally, Lord Eddard began expanding Wintertown and Winterfell. The town was made larger and buildings were built that were designed specifically for housing large amounts of people during the winter. Winterfell was given a refurbishment. The castle grounds were paved save areas like the yard that were frequently used by horses. The Broken Tower was rebuilt, the First Keep was made livable, and a third sixty-foot-tall wall was added with a dry moat between it and the second wall. The castle’s stone work and towers were all refurbished.
These and many other acts by Lord Eddard became known as ‘Lord Stark’s Investments’. A curious name as records from Maester Luwin at the time do not indicate that Lord Eddard saw these as investments but rather as necessities. Although, it should be noted that he did make significant ‘investments’ in Northern infrastructure making winters easier on the North. It also should be noted that these investments would pay for themselves in the decades to come, both monetarily and militarily.
The growing wealth of the North would very quickly attract the attention of southern lords. One house in particular saw an opportunity in the North to grow strong.