[CENTER][img]https://i.imgur.com/MZpRyQR.png[/img] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWKi7mVMbfQ]♫ The North Remembers ♫[/url][/CENTER][h3]House Information[/h3][hr][hider=My Hider][indent] [b]Synopsis[/b] [indent][color=gray]Founded in the Age of Heroes by Brandon the Builder, the Starks have ruled in the North for thousands of years- first as the Kings of Winter and now the Wardens of the North. Having narrowly survived the War of the Five Kings and the Long Night, the Starks have spent the last eighty years in relative isolation from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, attempting to deal with their own internal squabbles. They've invested a great deal of resources into shoring up the Neck and rebuilding their fleet at White Harbor, and have begun securing alliances with other Great Houses to ensure the North never falls again. [/color][/indent] [b]Head of House[/b] [indent][color=gray]Lord Theon Stark[/color][/indent] [b]Seat[/b] [indent][color=gray]Winterfell[/color][/indent] [b]Demesne[/b] [indent][color=gray]House Redstark of Dreadfort House Manderly of White Harbor House Glover of Deepwood Motte House Umber of Last Hearth House Reed of Greywater Watch House Hornwood of Hornwood House Ryswell of The Rills House Flint of Flint’s Fingers House Mormont of Bear Isle House Thenn of Karhold House Dustin of Barrowton House Redbeard of Sea Dragon Point [hider=Family Tree][url]http://familyecho.com/?p=NBDJ1&c=pyo4alc0ja&f=117377167389635944[/url] [/hider] [/color][/indent] [b]Recent History[/b] [indent][color=gray][hider=Rickon Stark 306 - 340 AC] After the ascension of Queen Daenerys Targaryen to the Iron Throne and the death of Jon Snow during the Long Night, House Stark was left to lick its wounds and pick up the pieces of what remained. Not all of them felt up to the task, however: Brann had to return Beyond the Wall to continue his duty as the Three-Eyed Raven, and Arya sailed back to Braavos for reasons unknown. Rickon and Sansa were all that was left to guide the North into a better future. There was much rebuilding to be done first. The Long Night had ravage d the North, all the way from the Last Hearth down to the tip of the Neck. Even Winterfell had fallen to the armies of the dead, forcing the Northmen to ride south of the Trident until the Night King was eventually defeated. Returning home brought no shortage of monumental challenges, and without the support of the other kingdoms and the Iron Throne, the North might never have returned to its former glory. Rickon, being the last male heir, was declared Lord Paramount, with Sansa acting as his regent until he came of age. When he was old enough to inherent Winterfell, Rickon gave his sister the Dreadfort as a reward for all she'd done for the North and their family- and because every other House that might've been worthy of the honor was dead. Sansa formed House Redstark, naming it in the same fashion as the Greystarks of old. Together, the two branches of House Stark worked in tandem to see their home rise from the ashes to greatness once more. It was not a task they could accomplish alone, and they were lucky they didn't have to. Men helped for as long as the memory of winter remained. Compassion and unity rebuilt many of the fortresses, towns, and villages that the dead had torn apart, but it couldn't last forever. As time ran on and the years passed away, the apocalypse became a distant recollection, and aid came in smaller and smaller supply until it eventually ran wholly dry. Rickon, now an old man with graying hair and a litter of children to call his own, begged Daenerys for further gold dragons to complete reconstruction- to see the dream come to life- but he was denied. The Queen could only spare so much, as times were tumultuous and the whole realm was suffering. Bitterness and a few measly coppers were all Rickon brought back to Winterfell, and House Stark would not soon forget when the rest of Westeros turned their backs on them.[/hider] [hider=Jon Stark 340 - 378 AC] Rickon took ill not long after returning home from King's Landing, and though he fought the disease for weeks, eventually succumbed. Jon, thirty-one at the time of his father's passing, took poorly to the news that the Iron Throne had abandoned them. He set to work finding the necessary resources elsewhere: new, harsh taxation on his vassals brought in the dragons he needed, but also a sleuth of consequences. The newly christened houses of Thenn and Redbeard, unused to such burdens, pushed back hard against their new lord's legislation. Jon attempted to persuade them with diplomacy but found such methods inadequate with the former Wildings. Rather than concede to them, however, he chose force. He personally rode to Sea Dragon Point and Karhold with a small company of veteran warriors to see the collection done at the tip of lance and sword. Both Houses complied, but they wouldn't soon forget how their Lord responded to disagreement. Reconstruction continued briskly with the newly acquired coinage. Every fief and holdfast was returned to its former glory over the decade's long project, and a number of new villages were built up with some of the excess to make room for the new Freefolk immigrants. The worst of the afflicted noble Houses, the Umbers, were ecstatic to see their land refurbished and their halls ring with the joy of feasting once again, and their relationship with House Stark quickly flourished. A betrothal between the young heir Dorren Umber and Jon's sister, Jocelyn, was set up, and they were wed in the spring of 354 AC. That wedding was not without incident, unfortunately. Lords from all across the North had ridden to Last Hearth to attend, including the hot-blooded Lord of the Redbeards, Bael, son of Gerrick Kingsblood. Bael got considerably drunk during the feast that followed the wedding and went on a long and angry tirade about the Battle at Long Lake that had claimed the life of his ancestor, Raymund Redbeard, and many other members of his family. His words were met by the ill-placed goading of one similarly young and drunk Lord Osric Umber. The two came to blows in short order, and soon enough their retinues joined into the brawl. No one knows who drew the first blade, but blood was drawn between the Redbeards and the Umbers. The melee was quick, chaotic and brutal; Osric was heavily wounded and succumbed to his injuries later that night, while Bael was able to escape back to Sea Dragon Point with the surviving members of his entourage. Jon took his brother, Willam, and a collection of bannermen and warriors to drag Osric from his keep to see justice for the murder of Lord Umber. They were ambushed in the woods before they'd even arrived at the holdfast, and a series of violent skirmishes ensued as Jon and his men pressed toward the keep. There they found Bael and his men held up with the gates barred and ready for a fight. Rather than risk more bloodshed in either storming the keep or besieging it, however, Jon attempts to negotiate with Bael. It took several days of back-and-forth, but the Lord Paramount and his vassal eventually reached an accord. In exchange for relaxed taxation and forgiveness for his murderous and treasonous acts, Bael must swear that neither he nor any of his descendants would ever again take up arms against House Stark, on pain of death. Bael's youngest son, Joramun, was taken hostage by Jon and raised at Winterfell as leverage to ensure the Redbeards would never defy him again. The decision was...controversial, to say the least, and Jon continued to receive harsh criticism for the way he handled the rebellion until the day he died.[/hider] [hider=Theon Stark 378 - 379 AC]And die he did in 378 when the front axle of his carriage came loose and he was sent careening off the side of the road. Theon was among the riders that pulled Jon's body from the wreckage. He returned his father's body to the crypt under Winterfell, and was crowned Warden of the North shortly after. His untimely death has left the North in equal parts mourning and chaos as unruly vassals look to challenge Theon's authority now that his father has passed. Whispers of Theon's ill temperament travel across the North, and more than a few wonder if he'll be able to hold the region together. [/hider][/color][/indent] [b]Realm Relations[/b] [indent][color=gray][b]House Tyrell[/b] Relations between the Starks and the Tyrells have been tense, to say the least, since the Tyrells formed a marriage pact with the Lannisters. The existing ill-will made it [i]quite[/i] surprising when Lord Jon Stark chose to marry the third son of Alys Tyrell, the woman oft accused of being nothing more than a puppet of her husband's family. Jeyne Stark's presence in Highgarden has done little to alleviate the tension between their two houses. [b]House Martell[/b] House Stark has no strong feelings about the Martells one way or the other. [b]House Tully[/b] House Tully was among the principal Houses that provided aid to the North after the War of the Dawn, sending food, supplies and gold to assist their beleaguered Northern cousins. Such aid and the memory of their fight together during the War of the Five Kings is not easily forgotten, and House Stark has continued to consider House Tully a valuable friend and compatriot. There was even talk, potentially, of joining their Houses during Jon's reign- unfortunately that never came to fruition and Jon ended up marrying his daughter, Jeyne, to Amory Tyrell. [b]House Baratheon[/b] There is only one Great House in all of Westeros that boasts the trust of the Starks, and that's House Baratheon. Ever since Lyonel warded under Jon the two families have grown inseparably close, with the Baratheons often going to painful lengths to visit Winterfell as often as they can. Theon looks to Lyonel as something of an older brother and a pseudo mentor, and someone he can trust to have his back no matter the circumstance. Though the two don't always see eye to eye, Theon's loyalty to his family remains steadfast and unshakable, and he considers Lyonel as much a part of that family as anyone with Stark for a surname. [b]House Targaryen[/b] Though Jon and Daenerys's love was strong, for a time, the loss of the last King in the North during the Long Night brought a swift end to their alliance. Rickon served the queen as best he could yet found himself scorned all the same, and no Stark since him has bothered to ask anything of the Iron Throne. Isolationist tendencies continue to go on strong under Theon with no end in sight. [b]House Lannister[/b] The hate between the Lannisters and the Starks runs deep. Even with the deaths of Twyin and the whole of his line, the Red Wedding is not easily forgotten, and never forgiven. Their relationship is tense in the best of circumstances, and near-violent at it's worst. Attempts were made to mend previous hatreds under Jon Stark, even going so far as to offer them [i]Oathkeeper[/i] back as a 'show of good faith.' That move has been widely criticized across the North, and his son and successor, Theon, has made it abundantly clear that he plans to rectify his father's mistakes. [b]House Arryn[/b] An age old ally of the Starks, House Arryn has stuck by their cousins in Winterfell for generations. They fought together during the War for the Dawn and the Arryns continually supported the Northern Reconstruction efforts in every manner they could. They've only grown closer since as the heir to Winterfell, Harlon Stark, has recently traveled to the Vale to squire under Walys Arryn. [b]House Greyjoy[/b] The Ironborn and the Northmen are traditional enemies and rivals with a long and storied history of conflict between them. Rickon did what he could to [i]correct[/i] history by effectively scrubbing Theon's dishonorable acts and placing much of the blame on the Boltons- a strategic move to repair relations with the Ironborn and Asha. The two Houses aren't particularly close, aside from some periodic trade between them. [b]House Velaryon[/b] House Stark has no strong feelings about House Velaryon one way or the other. [b]House Hightower[/b] [/color][/indent] [b]Storyline Premise[/b] [indent][color=gray]Duty, honor, loyalty and family have all been central themes of House Stark's story. I intend to continue each of these threads in my own way, testing them all against one another. The conflict created by these themes contradicting one another will be critical to Theon's progression and development as a character, and in the end he'll be forced to abandon some of them so that he may pursue others to their logical end.[/color][/indent] [/indent] [/hider][h3]Character Information[/h3][hr][hider=Theon Stark][center][img]https://assets.cdn.moviepilot.de/files/be5b349f0dee8b611d6f5903b2b0ef45378db7b8c3e762459f5cebe8e0ad/limit/960/600/gottes-wege-sind-blutig-mit-jon-bernthal.jpg[/img][/center] [indent][color=878787][color=white][b]Identity[/b][/color][indent]Lord Theon Stark [/indent] [color=white][b]Age[/b][/color][indent]32 [/indent] [color=white][b]Role[/b][/color][indent]Warden of the North Lord of Winterfell [/indent] [color=white][b]Characterization[/b][/color][indent]Theon Stark has only recently taken his father's place as Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell. As such, he remains untested, though he's eager to prove himself. He had plenty of time to study the ways of lordship under Jon- he's well-read, particularly in matters of statecraft, warfare and history. He's taken an interest in his family history in particular, ranging all the way back to Brandon the Builder, the Kings of Winter and everything before and after them. Even at a young age he seemed taken by the legends of the mighty heroes and conquerors that built his House. He looks at the sorry state of his family now and yearns to see it brought back into glory- to see that it's name is as feared and respected as it was in the days of old. His ambition and zealousness are not tempered by patience as they should be. Theon never quite lost the fire of youth, and it's carried with him in the form of both great passion as well as ill-temperament. Quick to anger and reveling in loathing, he's known to bear grudges for great lengths of time, and his forgiveness is a rare and precious thing. The only thing that's ever proven to keep him in line is the wisdom and advice of those few people he truly respects. The things he chooses to respect in others are informed, primarily, by what his family's best known for: honor, duty, and loyalty. True men of loyalty, who stick by their brothers no matter the personal cost, are seen as a precious commodity by Theon. He feels quite strongly that many of his bannermen are only loyal when it suits them, and that they would turn on the Starks the moment things became difficult: as proven by the betrayal of the Boltons and those that bent the knee to them so long ago. Duty is loyalty of a different form. It is loyalty to an ideal rather than any individual, and for that reason Theon holds it quite highly too. Holding to one's cause even in the face of death is the truest test of a man's character, and more often than not men fail that test. Those that don't, however, must be men of great character and quality. Honor is the one value of Theon's family he is unsure of. To hold to a personal code of conduct is, in a way, a form of loyalty or duty; but it entails with it a number of traits that Theon believes led to the downfall of many of his ancestors, namely Robb and Eddard. Aspects of honor- such as compassion, honesty, and chivalry- created a weakness in his family that was exploited by honorless men and traitors alike. Honor nearly wiped his family off of the map. And yet, at the same time, it could be argued that honor was the reason the Starks rose to prominence in the first place. It's a confusing and often contradictory thing that Theon continues to wrestle with, and likely will do for a long time to come. [/indent] [color=white][b]Attributes & Talents[/b][/color][indent] Theon Stark is well-trained in every aspect of lordship. From riding to swordfighting and statecraft to diplomacy, he spent the first two and a half decades of his life preparing to eventually become the Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell. He's became quite proficient in most of those areas, taking well especially to those skills that gave him an outlet for his anger- swordsmanship in particular. Though not a master at much at all, he's a well-rounded man, capable of acting with competency in almost any situation, bar those where delicate diplomacy is required. [/indent] [color=white][b]Immediate Family[/b][/color] [indent][url=http://familyecho.com/?p=GS5CS&c=j89nkfnh4x&f=117377167389635944]Family Tree[/url] [/indent] [color=white][b]Personal Relations[/b][/color] [indent][b]Lyonel Baratheon[/b] Lyonel Baratheon is one of the best men Theon has ever had the pleasure of knowing. The two grew up together due to Lyonel warding in Winterfell under Theon's father, Jon, and they've continued to maintain a strong kinship over the decades. It was this bond that keeps their Houses so close, echoing the relationship of their old patriarchs, Robert and Eddard. There's no one else Theon trusts as much, and he's more than willing to give his life for his friend's just cause. [/indent] [color=white][b]Storyline Premise[/b][/color] [indent]House Stark has seen many wrongs done to it in recent history, from the infamous slaughter at the Red Wedding to the execution of Eddard Stark, and even Daenerys's unwillingness to help them in their time of need. Theon sees these injustices as failures on his family's part- he believes it is his duty to see these debts paid in blood. The North might remember, but it does not forgive.[/indent] [/color][/indent] [/hider] [hider=Arwyn Redstark][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/iqPfn2B.png[/img][/center] [indent][color=878787][color=white][b]Identity[/b][/color][indent]Arwyn Redstark [/indent] [color=white][b]Age[/b][/color][indent]26 [/indent] [color=white][b]Role[/b][/color][indent]Exiled Heir of House Redstark [/indent] [color=white][b]Characterization[/b][/color][indent]Arwyn Redstark is a flippant, penniless drunkard with a penchant for violence and whoring. She puts on a veneer of whimsical rebelliousness and uncaring to hide her bitterness and malcontent at the hand the Seven have dealt her. She hadn't always been this way, however. Once upon a time Arwyn was a lady-in-waiting, meant to marry the handsome son of a prominent lord when she came of age. Her father, Lord Hother, made it no secret that he was trying to remove her from the line of succession so that her younger brother, Duncan, could inherent, the new inheritance laws be damned. It angered her to be deprived of her birthright, of course, but she didn't have the power or will to oppose her father. Not openly, at least. Her turned her toward the drink, and the drink emboldened her to make advances on household servants- male and female alike. Arwyn was cunning enough to keep such activities under wraps, for awhile, but secrets rarely remain buried for long. Hother discovered what was going on and, horrified, was forced to break off the betrothal and ordered his daughter sent to the Silent Sisters to save his house's honor. Arwyn chose to flee rather than be made a prisoner of the Faith. The last decade of her life has been spent in exile, travelling across the Seven Kingdoms in search of purpose and safety. She spent much of those early years in a troupe of mummers, first as a stage hand and eventually as an actress herself. It was a difficult life, especially compared to the one of luxury she'd grown up in- but she learned the value of lying and sleight of hand, and the master mummer taught her how to protect herself. That same troupe brought her to Sunspear, where the seeds of her destiny could finally took root. It was there that Princess Ashara Martell took notice of Arwyn, and the two quickly hit it off. It didn't take long- or much wine- for Arwyn to reveal the sad truth of how she came to be in Sunspear, and how the position that was hers by right by stolen away from her. Taken by the story, Ashara welcomed Arwyn into her court as a guest until the day would come that Lady Redstark could take back what belonged to her. [/indent] [color=white][b]Attributes & Talents[/b][/color][indent] [u][b]Professional Liar[/b][/u] A mummer is little more than a paid liar, and after ten years in the trade, Arwyn's gotten quite adept at it. She's able to slip in and out of character as easily as someone else might change their shirt, allowing her to adapt to different situations and people to maximize her personal benefit. It's gotten so easy for her, in fact, that at times she finds herself altering her personality or beliefs almost subconsciously. [b][u]Charmer[/u][/b] Her early life as a lady-in-waiting equipped Redstark with the skills necessary to move through a lordling's court with elegance and grace. She's well-versed in the art of manners and diplomacy, able to seamlessly integrate herself into the upper echelons of Westerosi society. [u][b]Water Dancing[/b][/u] Though she'll never compare to a Braavosi swordsman, the master mummer Arwyn learned under was at least familiar with the style. She's skilled enough to defend herself in a street fight if she's run out of other options, but she won't be dueling the Queensguard or unseating a full-fledged knight anytime soon. [/indent] [color=white][b]Immediate Family[/b][/color] [indent] [url=http://familyecho.com/?p=X540Q&c=gcik2cxxyi&f=117377167389635944]Family Tree[/url] [/indent] [color=white][b]Personal Relations[/b][/color] [indent] TBD[/indent] [color=white][b]Storyline Premise[/b][/color] [indent]Forced from her home with her birthright stolen from her, Arwyn Redstark has spent the last ten years of her life struggling to survive. She has suffered at the hands of her family's hyper-traditional beliefs, and Daenerys's laws have done little to change that. Much of her new life has been spent wallowing in self-pity, but her arrival in Dorne has the potential to change that: she might finally have the opportunity to take back what is rightfully hers.[/indent] [/color][/indent] [/hider] [hider=Jeyne Tyrell][center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/474x/a0/37/e9/a037e9b334d1f3b1365e7207ce9dc035.jpg[/img][/center] [indent][color=878787][color=white][b]Identity[/b][/color][indent]Jeyne Tyrell [/indent] [color=white][b]Age[/b][/color][indent]22 [/indent] [color=white][b]Role[/b][/color][indent]Wife of Amory Tyrell Secret Informant for House Stark [/indent] [color=white][b]Characterization[/b][/color][indent]TBD [/indent] [color=white][b]Attributes & Talents[/b][/color][indent]TBD [/indent] [color=white][b]Immediate Family[/b][/color] [indent][url=http://familyecho.com/?p=SXQMO&c=104bw1uwyl7&f=117377167389635944]Family Tree[/url] [/indent] [color=white][b]Personal Relations[/b][/color] [indent] TBD[/indent] [color=white][b]Storyline Premise[/b][/color] [indent]TBD[/indent] [/color][/indent] [/hider] [hider=Willam Stark][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1PIiPlU.jpg[/img][/center] [indent][color=878787][color=white][b]Identity[/b][/color][indent]Willam "Great Wolf" Stark [/indent] [color=white][b]Age[/b][/color][indent]50 [/indent] [color=white][b]Role[/b][/color][indent]Veteran warrior of Winterfell Retainer to Lyonel Baratheon [/indent] [color=white][b]Characterization[/b][/color][indent]Willam Stark, sometimes known as the Great Wolf, is renowned as the greatest living warrior in the North. He spent his youth gallivanting from Winterfell to Last Hearth to White Harbor, fighting in melees, dueling everyone that would dare cross swords with him and gaining a reputation for his skill and braggadocios nature. There came a time when none could match him, and when none would ever risk a fight with the Great Wolf. Legend tells that he had cut through three men at once during the Redbeard Revolt of 354 AC. Yet those days are long behind him. Some incident he doesn't speak of in 365 gave Will a new scar aside his eye and a new perspective on life. He was growing old, and he could feel his body weakening from constant wear and tear. Desperate to prove himself still skillful and growing restless in the North, he set out south toward a tournament of some renown he'd heard rumor of. Willam had proven himself a force to be reckoned with in his home region, yet never truly tested his sword against other well-regarded fighters. He'd won the day there as well, but the victory had been harder fought than any melee he'd previous dominated in. Thus began his career as a tourney fighter and wandering sword. During those days he stayed in inns and guest rooms across Westeros, but he made his true home in Storm's End with Lyonel Baratheon, the boy that had warded under his older brother, Jon. The two had gotten on well together while Lyonel stayed in Winterfell- even after Lord Baratheon return home he still visited surprisingly often, giving the two men a close enough prior relationship that Lyonel had little problem allowing Willam to stay under his roof. It was in 369 AC that Willam, resting in Storm's End after a near defeat at a tourney in Oldtown, that word of Aegon Velaryon's failed kidnapping attempt on Queen Daenerys and his subsequent defeat at the hands of the Ironborn reached him. Stark took up arms and joined Lyonel in traveling to the Stepstones, where they were subsequently bogged down in a several months-long rebellion. He proved his mettle there on the battlefields of Bloodstone and Estermont, and his kinship with Lyonel was made stronger than Valyrian Steel. Will has spent the last ten years acting as a retainer for Lord Baratheon in King's Landing, only ever leaving to follow the tourney circuit with Lyonel's sons Axel and Brus, both of whom he's formed a close kinship with. Said to be a man of good humor and character, Stark is well-respected by peers and rivals alike- both for his honorable nature and masterful skill at arms. Inwardly, however, he continues to hold an intense insecurity in regards to his aging body and his...[i]personal curse[/i] that keeps him from ever siring children, something he's desired since he was little more than a boy. [/indent] [color=white][b]Attributes & Talents[/b][/color][indent] [b][u]Skilled Warrior[/u][/b] The Great Wolf has earned a reputation for his power and skill at arms. Given his great height and strength he can wield a greatsword as easily and fluidly as most men do an arming sword, and his purposed feats of strength border on the mythical and impossible. In his golden years he was confined solely to fighting in Northern melees, but it has been speculated that, had he fought against the premier warriors of that time, Willam Stark could have beaten any one of them. Time, however, is a soldier's greatest enemy; it has stolen the stamina from his lungs and slowed his movements, as if he'd been dunked in a mud pit prior to every fight. Younger men can outlast him and, if they're quite quick, outdo his reaction time, making Will less formidable than he used to be. Still, only a fool would ever fight him head-on, for even time could not take away the wolf's great might. [u][b]Reliable Tactician[/b][/u] Though he may not look it, Willam possesses a keen mind for tactics and battlefield strategy. He gained valuable combat and leadership experience during the Redbeard Revolt and the Stepstones Rebellion, and he spent no small amount of time studying historical battles in the library of his cousin, Grand Maester Torrhen. Company level tactics are where his specialty lies but even on larger battlefields Willam is a valuable adviser and ally for anyone looking to defeat their enemies on the field with resounding success. [/indent] [color=white][b]Immediate Family[/b][/color] [indent] [url=http://familyecho.com/?p=N9QZC&c=brgv05h2h6&f=117377167389635944]Family Tree[/url] [/indent] [color=white][b]Personal Relations[/b][/color] [indent] TBD[/indent] [color=white][b]Storyline Premise[/b][/color] [indent]Willam Stark is a man running out of time. He has spent much of his life chasing after glory and the satisfaction of victory, yet in his old age every fight has grown all the harder and the high he once felt in triumph has grown numb, and continues to grow number still. He curses the gods for denying him the ability to raise sons or daughters of his own, believing himself unable to have the family he's wanted since he was a boy. The only thing he believes he has left are his niece and nephew, and the Baratheons that so graciously took him in- if he can have no joy of his own, the best he can do is ensure what family he has is well taken care of.[/indent] [/color][/indent] [/hider]