House Stark
House Sigil
House Motto
House Colors
Head of House
Titles
Seat Region
Founded
Founder
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A grey direwolf on a white field
"Winter is coming."
Grey and White
(Open)
Lords of Winterfell
Wardens of the North Lords Paramount of the North Winterfell
The North
Age of Heroes
Bran the Builder
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History
The Starks are an ancient house, descended from Bran the Builder, a legendary figure from the Age of Heroes, who raised their ancestral home at Winterfell thousands of years in the past, as well as the Wall. They are descendants of the First Men and still follow some of their ancient traditions and the Old Gods of the forest. The Starks were Kings of Winter in the North for many thousands of years from the Age of Heroes, possibly beginning with Bran the Builder. Ever since Bran constructed the Wall, the Starks have been friends of the Night's Watch, and have manned the Wall for thousands of years. The Night's King, the attainted 13th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, is said to have been a Stark, among his many possible origins. The Starks also helped repel several major wildling invasions, such as when they and their Umber bannermen defeated the Kings-Beyond-the-Wall like the brothers Gendel and Gorne, as well as Bael the Bard, who both sired and fought a Stark.
For several millennia, the Starks were not the uncontested Kings of the North, but their primary antagonists the Boltons of the Dreadfort swore fealty some 1,000 years ago, ending their flesh-flaying ways. Meanwhile King Jon Stark drove pirates from the White Knife, and the Wolf's Den was built at its mouth. This stronghold and the city which grew up around it (White Harbor) was often granted to sons and grandsons of the King in the North or other bannermen before finally being granted to the Manderlys, a house exiled from the Reach and taken in by the Starks. King Jon's son Rickard defeated the Marsh King and married his daughter, bringing the Neck into Winterfell's realm under the lordship of House Reed. The Karstarks were founded when Karlon Stark, brother to the reigning king, helped crush a revolt of the Boltons and was granted a keep for his service. Finally, The Mormonts were granted Bear Island when King Rodrik Stark won it from the ironborn in a wrestling match. The Starks fought the Arryns of the Vale for the Three Sisters, eventually ceding control of the islands.
Aside from the Karstarks, the Starks of Winterfell may have distant relatives elsewhere in the North, possibly in White Harbor and Barrowton.
The last Stark King of the North was Torrhen, who submitted to Aegon the Conqueror at the end of the War of Conquest. Since that time the Starks have held the North for the kings of the Seven Kingdoms as Wardens of The North.
Around 213AL, House Stark faced a difficult succession. Several Lords of Winterfell had perished fighting wars in the North against rebellious Skagosi, the wildling king Raymun Redbeard and other threats, leaving Beron Stark as the lord of the house. As he too lay slowly succumbing to wounds he received fighting Dagon Greyjoy and his ironborn, his wife and four other recent Stark widows struggled over who would succeed him. There were a number of potential heirs, with some ten Stark children about.
For several millennia, the Starks were not the uncontested Kings of the North, but their primary antagonists the Boltons of the Dreadfort swore fealty some 1,000 years ago, ending their flesh-flaying ways. Meanwhile King Jon Stark drove pirates from the White Knife, and the Wolf's Den was built at its mouth. This stronghold and the city which grew up around it (White Harbor) was often granted to sons and grandsons of the King in the North or other bannermen before finally being granted to the Manderlys, a house exiled from the Reach and taken in by the Starks. King Jon's son Rickard defeated the Marsh King and married his daughter, bringing the Neck into Winterfell's realm under the lordship of House Reed. The Karstarks were founded when Karlon Stark, brother to the reigning king, helped crush a revolt of the Boltons and was granted a keep for his service. Finally, The Mormonts were granted Bear Island when King Rodrik Stark won it from the ironborn in a wrestling match. The Starks fought the Arryns of the Vale for the Three Sisters, eventually ceding control of the islands.
Aside from the Karstarks, the Starks of Winterfell may have distant relatives elsewhere in the North, possibly in White Harbor and Barrowton.
The last Stark King of the North was Torrhen, who submitted to Aegon the Conqueror at the end of the War of Conquest. Since that time the Starks have held the North for the kings of the Seven Kingdoms as Wardens of The North.
Around 213AL, House Stark faced a difficult succession. Several Lords of Winterfell had perished fighting wars in the North against rebellious Skagosi, the wildling king Raymun Redbeard and other threats, leaving Beron Stark as the lord of the house. As he too lay slowly succumbing to wounds he received fighting Dagon Greyjoy and his ironborn, his wife and four other recent Stark widows struggled over who would succeed him. There were a number of potential heirs, with some ten Stark children about.