Rumor Mill (The North)
Barrowton Foolishness: A shipyard is slowly, slowly built in Barrowton, while a concrete factory, built with the aid and permission of House Stark, is labored on day and night. Technically, this is obeying the orders King Torrhen gave, but many lords condemn them for playing such games to their benefit, especially other lords with land on the western coast and House Reed, who have the most to fear from an attack by Ironborn. Even some of the vassals sworn to House Dustin are speaking in protest of their liege lord's decision, although they are being more circumspect.
-According to Snow: The other barrow lords are displeased with House Dustin's decisions, and some are starting to shift their allegiance, but most are watching and waiting to see what your reaction is. Several rival power blocs are pushing for them to be harshly punished.
First Fleets Built: Long ago, Brandon the Burner destroyed the fleets his father built in an outpouring of grief. Since that day, the western coast has been bare before Ironborn. King Torrhen has invested gold and men in defending what his forefather neglected, building strong towers and vast numbers of holdfasts, but with two fleets of ships on the western coast, he has done something no king has done for a long time. +75 Prestige
-According to Snow: The west will be yours for a long time, Your Grace. They are well-aware of who built the wooden and stone walls that they shelter behind.
The Arrival of the Devout: The arrival of a member of the Most Devout with several dozen Warrior's Sons has stirred up a great deal of chaos in White Harbor. The Green Men and the Septwood Faith are both greatly alarmed, as are the septons of the Snowy Sept, who are doing their best to hide their confusion and keep everything going like this is perfectly normal. The Most Devout is speaking in many quiet meetings with the septons of the Snowy Sept.
-According to Snow: The Most Devout wants a meeting with the Green Men and is desperately begging for one while Septon Willem is delaying, both to gain more leverage over the Most Devout and to gain permission from Lord Manderly to arrange that meeting.
The Great Birds: It was not dragons that were seen soaring across the skies, but birds. Dozens of them, many with immense wingspans. No one knows where they came from, except the south, but they have found roosts in the highest trees of the Wolfswood and in mountain peaks and lonely cliffs and other isolated places.
-According to Snow: One dropped a piece of rock with the Old Tongue carved into it. It says "You're welcome."
Rumor Mill (Beyond-the-Wall)
Still Winter: Despite the slackening of winter weather, there are still near-constant blizzards at the Wall. Hours are spent every day clearing away snow, and for weeks at a time, the only way to travel is through tunnels. Little stirs at the end of the world, and we hear of less.
Rumor Mill (The Riverlands)
Friendly Fey: Scattered around the many godswoods guarded by the Horned Men are circles of stones and toadstools, where many minor fey have made their home. Homely brownies and fearsome sprites lay claim to the fairy circles. Many farmers, advised by old stories and Green Men, have offered them bread, milk, and salt and gained useful helpers in turn. Some have failed to listen and quickly regretted their intransigence as their neighbors prospered. Some were idiotic enough to attack the circles and suffered retaliation both brutal and petty. Cows dried up or kicked farmers, milk turned vile or poisonous. The wrath of the fey is unpredictable.
-According to Snow: These…creatures will apparently start appearing in the North at some point in the spring, but those old tales are far more prevalent here. As are Green Men. We will be fine. Admittedly, we have our fair share of idiots who will destroy the circles as well, but I expect they will find some way to give recompense and avert some of the wrath of brownies and sprites. What worries me is the bigger fey…
Blessed Blade, Blessed Bow: Branches were carved from the weirwood tree at Raventree Hall and shaped into stout bows, while the smiths of Stone Hedge labored day and night, forging steel that had been blessed at the sept seven times for seven days. Both sets of weapons were gathered and given to a small but elite force of warriors who have sworn to guard the young king and House Justman. Rumor speaks of blades slicing through Ironborn armor and arrows always finding the gaps in their foes protection.
-According to Snow: The rumors are true. Hostile fey and Ironborn raiders have both fallen before these sacred weapons in great numbers, and it seems that some of them enhance the skill of their wielders along with everything else. Seems like the Seven are good for something.
Winter Raids: After taking Wayfarer's Rest, Harren sent out his men once more. Led by their black-armored champions, accompanied by vicious, inhuman monsters and twisted creatures from the bottom of the sea, Harren's raiders were fought fiercely by smallfolk, armsmen, the sworn warriors of House Justman, Horned Men, fey…even the weather seemed to turn against them. Many raids were defeated, the monsters burned and buried in blessed graves or strung up on weirwoods to invoke the favor of the gods.
-According to Snow: And yet Harren's army seems endless. Admittedly, he is filling his ranks with monsters more and more now as they swarm out from Harrenhal. I am just glad he failed at whatever he was trying to do at the God's Eye. Imagine if that lake became a spawning ground for horrors…
Rumor Mill (The Vale)
Great Falcons Soar: In the highest peaks of the Vale, where the remaining beastmen gather in vast hordes, seemingly feeding off their own savagery, enormous eagles and hawks and falcons soar, slaying vulnerable beastmen when they get the chance, screeching their defiance to the storm-tossed skies. A few brave men and women have sought to climb the peaks to tame them. So far, they have been unsuccessful.
-According to Pyrite: Except for my dear Lady Lya, when a giant eagle decided the tower of our holdfast looked like a good place to nest. This was most definitely not something I planned or anticipated. Honest. Even though she said she would take my flying if she got one. Using the ritual to make sure my wife got a giant eagle would have been wrong.
Shattering Storms: The weather has been foul on the coast of the Vale, immense storms battering castles, waves taller than men sweeping down onto the rocky shores. Many boats have been found smashed on the shore, some with corpses still inside them. All manner of odd sea creatures have been found on the shore as well: small squid with crab claws on their tentacles, two-headed wish, urchins with shark mouths, and stranger things as well.
-According to Pyrite: Flying is terrifying. I don't recommend it. It's especially bad when a giant storm appears out of nowhere. But I think I found what I needed…
Witch Island Plague: A devastating plague ripped through Witch Island, killing the maester, several members of the noble family, clan chiefs they had been entertaining, and numerous smallfolk as well. It was sudden in origin, so sudden that rumors of some foul spell of the Ironborn being the cause have spread. It seems as good an explanation as any. House Royce and House Grafton have established a quarantine as best they can, but the storms have made it difficult.
Rumor Mill (The Westerlands):
The Redeemed: A large band of those miserable penitents who have long labored in the Westerlands. have been judged to have proven themselves worthy. Calling themselves the Righteous Redeemed, they have cloaked themselves in ragged garments and taken up simple weapons as they charge into battle with berserk fury to bring the wrath of the Seven to the unrighteous. Knowing neither pain nor fear, they are unceasing and unrelenting in their holy duty.
-According to Snow: The worthy are taken into the same septs the chains that bind the Blessed Beasts lay. I don't know exactly what happens there, but I can guess.
Battle at Fair Isle: The Ironborn once more gathered a fleet of longships, many made of planks that seemed to belong on the bottom of the sea. They swept south to Fair Isle, with heavy chains and scorpions. When the enormous turtle rose to meet them, barbed shot connected by chain was fired into its flesh and then it was pulled apart. But their arrival at the Fair Island was met by House Farman armsmen, Blessed Ones who slay the monsters of the Ironborn with ease, and the Righteous Redeemed. Together the Ironborn were driven into the sea.
-According to Snow: Actually, they were driven into their ships, which they then took to sea. It's a fairly important difference.
Rumor Mill (The Reach)
The Wild Hunt: The Great Hunt continues to roam along the Mander, slaying any who cross their path or forcing them into the shape of the enormous black hounds who howl and help drive forth pray. Led by the terrible Green King, his antlered head and pale green eyes are the last sight for many unfortunates. From Coldmoat rides the Feybane Knights, Lord Osgrey at their head, to answer the challenge that this hunt offers. Their lances are bright iron with hafts of rowan wood, bags of salt rest on their belts, the juice of rowan berries, holly berries, and ground rose petals circles their eyes to ward away fey glamour.
Murder in the Sept: In what is no longer a shocking turn of events, someone has been killed in the Starry Sept and their blood used to make an obscene painting of a septa and two horses. While the streets of Oldtown are patrolled by the Changelings, who keep the cruelty and mischief of their parents to a minimum, they dare not enter the blood-soaked sept, nor are they allowed to intervene in the siege of the Hightower. Despite the hordes of fey and wild things, the docks of Oldtown still bustle with trade, although many leave with passengers they did not expect.
Gawen's Glory: Once more Prince Gawen triumphed in a hard-fought duel against one of the fey lords, slaying it in single combat with his blade half of bronze and half of steel, rescuing the children it had trapped in a tower and returning them to their grateful families and securing the loyalty of the fey lord's strange vassals, who he sent to defeat the Green King, or steal his cloak failing that.
