To go a Viking...(Asoiaf AU)

Continuing.

Brandon Stark, Prince of Winterfell, the Exile, Seawolf, Lord of the Summer Sea, Master of the Volantene Coast. unmarried, fostering two children, though a case could be made that he has adopted them. HRH Viserys Targaryen, (Prince of Summerhall by custom) and HRH Daenerys Targaryen, Princess.

Eddard "Ned" Stark, The Quiet Wolf, Warlord of the North, Prince of Winterfell married to two women, Catelyn Tully and Barbrey Glover. Father to eight children in order of age, Robb(T), Elaena(G), Sansa(T), Alysanne(G), Brandon(G), Rickon(G), and twins Jeor(T) and Arvor(T) fostering his sisters son HRH Artos Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone.

Harlon Stark, PoW, Master of Ships in the North and until Theon's release and ascendance Lord Marshal of the Iron Isles, working in concert with Alannys Harlaw. Married to Elizabeth Harlaw, one son Rodrick.

Lyanna Stark, PoW, Married Rhaegar Targaryen, perished in childbirth. one son Artos.

Beron Stark, PoW, Lord Marshal of the North, married to Bella Dustin, no children as yet.

Sansa Stark, PoW, Married to Smalljon Umber, two children Jonella and Lyanna.

Barbrey Stark, PoW, Married to Garron Greystark, Heir to the Wolfsden/White Harbor. no children.

Wilhelm Stark, PoW. Currently leading a regiment of Vaering to Sothorys to work there for five years.

Robb Stark. PoW, Heir to the North, Married to Rhaenys Targaryen. One Child expected.

PoW = Prince/Princess of Winterfell.
 
6

Tzaphquiel said:

Baelor was revising the "wisdom" of a northern bethrothal, as during his regime a strong note of discontent with the "northern heresy" had reared it's head and was in fact not stamped out until the reign of Aerys I and Maekar I.

Stannis is married to Janna Tyrell, so as to ensure a measure of loyalty from Mace to the new regime. Edric Storm lives in this TL by alittle entente cordiale, between Robert and Mina Tyrell, however in this TL the speed of northern ships meant that Ned was there and he rather severely and very privately together with Jon Arryn disciplined Robert, a fact that caused the bedding ceremony to be suddenly shifted into a different room, Stannis did find this out later, and has agreed that he is quite gratified to Ned and Jon for it, as he has come to have a very happy marriage, as witnessed by his four children, three daughters and a son. They are in order of age; Cassana, Olenna, Rhaelle and Orys. All four of them have Baratheon colouring, though Olenna has inherited Tyrell Curls.

Viserys II is known in the North as the Golden Dragon, and is greatly revered by the merchant classes and the lords with greater demesnes, so yes Viserys will have heard of him and been inspired by the statecraft, though this Viserys has never claimed the throne for himself.

Samwell Tarly has indeed been sent North, as Randyll was forced during the Battle of Ashford to face Greatjon Umber, Leader of the Northern Vanguard, a mountain of a man wielding two battlehammers that constantly sparked with magic and rang like thunder on steel. The men had later spent time drinking and joking together at Stannis Baratheons weddingfeasts leading to an unlikely friendship between the two men, based often times simply in the fact that they considered War and it's pursuit a vocation if not a calling, and had swiftly become westeros' first pen-pals playing Cyvasse by Raven.

What Randyll had hoped would happen has however not really happened as the Greatjon has been propping up the Nights Watch for the last four years against the increasing numbers of wight assaults, so Samwell has been set to schooling at the Temple as he knew his letters and some runes and has found Religion..The Cult of Thor the Thunderer, to be specific and is learning how to be a priest. Thor's Priests are known in others lands as Warpriests if one is polite about it if one is a resident in Slavers bay or Ulthos, Thor's Priests more well known as "Those Crazy Bastards with the Thunderhammers." Most priests of Thor however demand anti-slaving raids as they view slaving as anti-ethical to the ideals of Thor, Friend of Mankind. they are also restricted by faith to wielding runed one-handed warhammers into battle.

Catelyn has had some difficulty acclimating yes, however Barbrey was very swift in pointing out that Winterfell and Environs produced far more work then a single women could deal with by herself, unless like fabled Elaena she was a monster of mathmatics and that as ladies in the North running the household and it's immediate environs was their job and how did she want to split it up?... there were of course adjustments to be made during times of pregnancy, as southron mores and morals are quite odd to the northern mindset...
 
TheLunarWolf said:
Thor's Priests more well known as "Those Crazy Bastards with the Thunderhammers." Most priests of Thor however demand anti-slaving raids as they view slaving as anti-ethical to the ideals of Thor, Friend of Mankind. they are also restricted by faith to wielding runed one-handed warhammers into battle.
I absolutely 100% dig this. Please tell me you're going bring a few of them into this story at some point.
 
Jonnoda said:
I absolutely 100% dig this. Please tell me you're going bring a few of them into this story at some point.
well the mentality for them is tricky, they're abolisionists with the mindset of Holy Total War against slavery and the wights beyond, think John Brown meets Torquemada and they both have a chat with Ruhollah Khomeini. Then give them a Viking morality, and the idea that any sentence that carries a punishment of enforced servitude, would be better off having punishments like flogging with corded steel whips, maiming or execution.

They grudgingly accept the Ting Enforced thralldom, only because there are Wights and Others to battle.
 
The Norse Magic is small in scope, and quite well backed by the Old Gods. The infusion a powerful awe inspiring mythology to the Old Gods and a slow merging with parts of the Seven, has caused a feedback loop on a metanarrative plain.

Giants weren't Jotun but over two thousands of magical forces looping into them and the environment has caused them to become Jotun and the Others have been conflated with the Dokkalfar, of the powerful, powerful dark magics and undead things.
So magic is now being kept on life support by the Faiths of Westeros and the Red Faith in Essos as Rh'llor has been connected to Surtr(Fire Giant carrying a giant flaming sword). It will run out eventually, however if the dragons awaken in that time it'll come back full force.
 
syed said:
I wonder if the casket o ancient winters in hidden beyond the war/beyond the wall*.
Seeing as this is not an MCU/Marvel cross it wouldn't be, however what the CoAW was supposed to contain, the Fimbulwinter, will of course have made it's appearance in myth, especially in recent times as the Fimbulwinter denotes a very long and very harsh wintertime, immediately preceding the wars of Ragnarök.
 
Trivia Freak said:
Yeah, but summer and winter are screwy in the land of Westeros.

It's said that the Long Night lasted for a generation (which would've been, what... 10, 20 years?) and the winter to come by 300 AL arrives on the heels of a summer lasting nine or ten years...
The Fimbulwinter isn't "oh we're supposed to have spring now, oh well" it's more on the lines of "was that glacier there last week?" and lets remember that they've had two millenia to get used to three year winters, which i've gathered is the westerosi norm.
 
Gruntjerka said:
The Fimbulwinter lasts for three years, during which the world will be haunted by war and bloodletting. Sounds like normal for aSoIaF.
Immeasurable war and bloodletting where ties of blood would mean nothing and brother would slay brother to be precise, but yes the OTL Fimbulvetr does sound pretty normal to a westerosi, we can therefore presume that in the two thousand years that have passed the legend's been updated accordingly, presumably to something that sounds far worse then the Long Night.
 
TheLunarWolf said:
Immeasurable war and bloodletting where ties of blood would mean nothing and brother would slay brother to be precise, but yes the OTL Fimbulvetr does sound pretty normal to a westerosi, we can therefore presume that in the two thousand years that have passed the legend's been updated accordingly, presumably to something that sounds far worse then the Long Night.
Don't forget Fimbulwinter also means the dawn of a lot of incest. So even more business as usual in Westeros. Did Odin steal a respawn hax scheme from D&D binding him in an endless cycle of Ragnaröks?
 
True, enough. Something Melisandre and the Red Priesthood hasn't considered is that by the standards of the North ITTL, Lightbringer would be Surtrs Sword of Doom to Herald the beginning of Ragnarök.
 
I'm pretty sure, that Surtr kills Frej and sets the world on fire. (though not in a 1950's tune) which although Ragnarök has been called is what kicks off the "Final Battles" as he also breaks the bifrost.

That said, as this timeline has access to Valyrian magi and northern lords with a more pragmatic view of how to support the NW, every man in the NW has a magically forged sword edged with Obsidian and runed with a complete galdr invoking the elemental fury of sunfire. Colloquially these swords are known as the Blades of Dawn.

The Blades of Dawn were commissioned by the Jarls and High Lords of the North at the reappearance of the Wights/Jotunn after the Doom, each sword is passed down from member to member, and the only ones allowed by law to have one anywhere but the wall are the "wandering crows", stealing one and thus killing a NW Recruiter carries a mandatory Death Penalty. It's the One crime you can't Take the Black for.
 
7
Rhaena Targaryen, was a pious woman, however with the death of her brother Daeron and the ascension of her other brother Baelor to the throne, and the subsequent confinement she had grown disillusioned, with the Seven, because if they would condone Baelor's follies and Elaena's unhappiness then surely there was something wrong.

So when Artos Stark, came with his crew of raiders to rescue his bethrothed and to take her back North to Winterfell, she had followed her sister and the Northmen. Elaena had been fostered at Winterfell as part of her bethrothal until Baelor had called her back south as the Septons grew ever more stringent taking inspiration from older texts from the hills of Andalos. Rhaena had asked Artos for an introduction to the northern holy men and women. Rhaena then spent nearly two full years with intense studies learning the northern ways, studying in the safety of Winterfells Temple to The All-Father, Odin. She laid down her books when her sister neared the six month of pregnancy and put her new learning to use caring for her sister, the Völva, court wisewoman/healer put her to use ensuring her sisters more personal needs during the last months of pregnancy. Consequently she was the first person to hold her new nephew, before handing him to his tired mother. Over the next few years she learned the other art of the northern temples, the art of a gods armament, which at Winterfell meant learning the art of the spear. But these were not like the Dornish spears, these spears were works of art and devotion to the gods, each one made from ashwood with a stylised steel head, in the form of a raven.

At age twentyfour, Rhaena Targaryen was ordained as a priestess in the North. That same year she met and grew quite enamored with Vhaegar of House Marannys, a merchant man of Valyrian heritage who worked as factor for a family enterprise out of Wolfsport on the Saltspear.
They married that following year with Artos Stark, ensuring that Rhaena was amply represented by familial interest. It was not until she reached her fortieth year that Rhaena left the North, that time to go with one of her daughters to Pentos, her daughter marrying into a magisterial family in the city. She returned to the Religious Riots of White Harbor, where followers of the Seven due to an unfortunate decision by Master Manderly, Lord of White Harbor, mightiest of the houses sworn to the Greystarks of Wolfs Den had been whipped into a frenzy against the Northern heretics by a new southern Septon. It was in those Riots that Rhaena, The Lady of Valkyries was born. Witnessing the rapine and violence carried out by the rioters she had grasped the symbol of her office, her ravenspear and she had set about restoring order.

Witnesses of the events claim that Lady Rhaena fought with the Fury of the Valkyries themselves, ending the riots by striking down the Septon and his agitators herself, then overseeing the city guards work restoring justice to the city. Returning to Wolfsport she told her husband and sons of her intent and though they were perturbed by her new attitude and the stories coming from the east, they supported her, and so was born the Valkyrie Cult.

The cult was the result of Rhaena's pleas to the temples for help in organising her new idea of a sort of schooling for mainly young ladies though by no means exclusively for females, though many young women had basic selfdefence training just as many did not. Her first students were her nieces and daughters, but soon enough the daughters of merchants and freemen joined her classes learning basic arms training, healing and in many cases their letters and ciphering(maths).

By the time Rhaena died in her old age, Maekar was king, had abolished the last of Baelors Andalian Reforms on the Faith and as part of his re-conciliation with the North had invited the young mistress' of the now sizeable Valkyrie cult to start their work south of the Neck. A decision by Maekar that would have grave consequences for House Lannister of Casterly Rock, but would prove quite the benefit to the crofters daughter Tysha.
 
syed said:
So the norse elements are being imprinted here, but are the norse elements also being altered by being here. SO surtur is being altered by the mantle of the god of fire.
Yes. Sort of, but not in critical mythology, mainly in the fact that Rh'llor is no longer a formless deity of Flame and Shadow. And Surtr, is now a god neither Aesir nor Vanir, made of flame and shadow, a being like but unlike Loki's people of Fire Giants or the Utgard Frost Giants beyond the wall.
 
And in other news, the bandit population in cities where the Valkyrie cult were based suffered freak cases of population drop.
 
Night_stalker said:
And in other news, the bandit population in cities where the Valkyrie cult were based suffered extensive cases of population drop.
Fixed that for you. No, but what saves Tysha is that over the past fiftyfive years every girl and boy in the kingdoms be they smallfolk or children of a lord paramount have learned that if you see a Raven headed spear, when you are in trouble and fearing for your life, crying out the word "Ravenspear" will grant you, well in the articles of law it's called a "Temporary reprieve while the matter of that moment is adjudicated" and that if you've done something wrong, it's not a sure bet, but if you haven't done anything wrong... you'll get help.

And if your problem, doesn't go away for at least abit at the call, to allow the adjudication... then well each member of a VC cell does carry a spear and shield, the spearheads usually worked as a ravens body, like the Templespears of Odin, though with a different "wing configuration"; Temple spears have backswept wings, while the Valkyrie Cult has forwardswept wings, creating a stylized trident of the beakpoint and wingtips. The Valkyrie Cults schools are run by between six and ten Mistresses or Masters of the cult

The outfit of choice for the members of the VC is a Steel Laminar, burnished bronze and gold, with a white tabard portraying an ashtree.

Though the Cult has been banned by The Rock from operating in the Westerlands for the past decade, they continue to do so, in blatant defiance of Tywin Lannister, this defiance includes a newly built schoolhouse in Lannisport proper and for older children who wish to serve in the Cult, they have built a substantial forgeworks near the ruins of Castamere stronghold. Aswell as having established a training hall at Clegane's Keep, now known more commonly as Ravenhold, any guards or soldiery that comes upon them and tries to enforce that particular edict quickly learns why they shouldn't have. Though rarely with lethal force.
The greatest champion of this defiance is Sandor Clegane, who joined the organization as a laybrother upon the death of Gregor Clegane, though he has since risen through the ranks of the martial side of the order.

This issue has led to Tywin Lannister advocating at least thrice to the King that the VC be branded outlaws, though King Robert has simply told him, "If I did that the smallfolk would rise and have my head. So no." Though even Tywin's detractors point out that while the Old lion might want them gone, he is aware that the debt he owes them for the life of his wife Joanna can not ever be repaid. And as everyone knows Lannisters pay their debts.
 
8
Captain Hunt said:
Please let me know your answers to each of my questions. Thank you. :)
Where to start...

Giants, Not all of them have been caught in the backlash of the Old Gods newer narrative, some survive in the Old Gift and near to the wall, running their herds and trading, mainly with the watch, though these barely number into the hundreds as opposed to the far more numerous and violent Jotun population.

On the Wildings; at the time of the forced relocation no man or woman would kneel to a "Southern" Lord, so they rebelled, and time and time again they were broken, now of course it wasn't all onesided one of these rebellions killed Cregan and Willam Stark, and massacred a very large force of their Bannermen, though that loss forced the other houses to speed up their marches, and the rebellion was put down, however since the Wilding Clans refused to pay a weregild for the death of the Stark Banners and more importantly for the two lords, Artos having a fairly depleted force himself, had the leaders of the rebellion publicly drowned in the blood of their bodyguard before having them quartered and each piece of sent to different villages among the clans, as a tit for tat, for the wilding treatment of the two Stark lords and their Direwolves having been mutilated and torn apart. Since then, an extensive and oppressive system of education was put into place and by the time Rickard Stark, sat the Wolfseat, Wilding Culture was no more. The Cannibal Tribes were outright slaughtered Men, Women and Children then burned to ash, utilizing massgraves and burning pitch.

The Children of the Forest have free reign in the wooded regions, in accordance with the Old Pact, and have due to their being highly attuned to the Old Gods, gone through changes over the past two millenia, they are rumored to inhabit a vast system of caverns under the Wolfswood. But no one knows for sure, as the last time the CotF actually contacted Humans was before the Doom, however they are believed to be alive due to the stories told by children who lose their way in the woods, of a kind but strange folk living far below the woods.
No child has ever died lost in the woods of the North, all are returned safe to their home villages.

The Vale and The North have had as in OTL, a rather tempestous relationship, mainly concerning The Bite and later on the Sisters so no not in a million years would they've allowed such a contract.

The Watch is currently on a full warfooting and has made it clear to the Kingdom that it will take no more prisoners, but any hedge knight or second son who wishes can join as a laybrother for the duration of the wareffort, however not taking the oath, does mean no fancy sword.
It is also still Understrength with six thousand members, though only one thousand sworn brothers, these forces are bolstered by the Northern Houses and Armed contingents form the every Temple bringing the total number on the wall currently, to sixteen thousand men. They are holding but not advancing as is. The Lord Commander is at Winterfell to appraise Lord Stark that the full might of the North might be needed to head to the Wall for the first time since The Reappearance.

The Valyrian Enclaves, though formally Exclaves as though they recognise the authority of Winterfell they are formally remnant parts of the Freehold and as such do not sit in the Ting, however each of the four settlements do have representatives at Winterfell are of course on a very good footing with Velaryon and Celtigar.

Dorne is in a Love/Hate relationship with the North, on one hand you have the history on the other you have Rhaenys, as far as culture and religion goes, both parties are of the opinion that the counterpart is "sensible but not quite right"

Iron Islands, Balon Greyjoy and his attempt to return the Old Way has brought a defeat unlike any other upon the Isles, to wit they've been de facto ruled by a Stark as Advisor to Alannys Harlaw who was de jure regent for Theon for the past 9 years, they are in limbo now upon wether to accept a New Way.

Reach lords are none to fond of the North, viewing them as Heretics at best, and truly evil at worst. As far as the Faith Militant revolt goes, Maegor did not spend his reign as Lord Regent, not King in this timeline having been fostered in the North his first wife was from one of the enclaves, battling the Faith and putting bounties on Priests, no he called upon the North, who's Lord had wed his Half-sister aswell as the Valyrian magi of his Wife's family, then he waged a five year campaign rooting them out completly, even going to so far as to burn Starry Sept to the ground for harboring the agitators. Maegor's actions broke the back of any resistance to the rule of the Dragons. The rebuilt Starry Sept was completed during the reign of Jaehaerys I, who took the throne once his uncles campaign had finished, and it contains a huge mural of Balerion burning the Old Sept, as a reminder.

Storm Lands, Martial tradition is all well and good, however the Stormlands don't truly care as long as the North can hold the Wall, not sure on Brienne's part to play.

Vale. partially covered already, however most of the Lords in the Vale of Arryn despise the North, due to the continous wars that were fought for the Bite, prior to the Targaryen Regime.

Westerlands, Yes afew times, however it has been considered only as part of trade contract renegotiations. ie the north wants the trade, however your terms we don't like, give us abit better or we loot lannisport, thus not paying for the stuff we want. it's a remarkably effective tactic for ensuring a continous tradeflow....

More during the Weekend.
 
heavyneos said:
I have to ask how is valyrian steel viewed in this version of Westeros?
By the fact that it on it's own does all the stuff you need spells, runes and reagent materials for, it's still extremely highly prized. And with the lack of certain materials, for the spellwork, among them Dragonsflame for the forging of that kind of steel there's no more being made, until somebody manages to wake up the dragons.
 
Yes, but on one hand, you have Mythic Dragon Villains and on the other hand you have the Valyrian connection. so Dragons are generally viewed in a positivish light
 
9


Sandor is currently, Lord of Clegane Keep, Master of Arms for the Western Order and Bearer of the Sunset Hrafnsmerki(Raven Banner). Due to witnessing the full power of a greenseer priestess and her use of both martial training and an entire wolfpack against Gregor, (a great many people took offence to Gregor lifestyle before and during Roberts Rebellion) he swore himself to her service, a mere boy of fourteen years. What he did not know about this old woman who had done the nigh impossible and slain the Mountain, was that she was the priestess in charge of the rites of burial a position she held within the Temples of Odin, similar to the Silent Sisters but different in that she worked solely after battles.
This was the old woman who had prepared Elia Martell for burial on the word of Eddard Stark, and when the Wolfborn Lord had asked for the aid of Geirskögul (Spearshaker, one of the Valkyries) to chose a slain man, that slain man was Gregor Clegane who did not infact know he was slain in battle just quite yet, the old priestess had performed the rites, gathered her arms and armour then she painted the runes and signs upon herself and hunted Gregor from Kings Landing all the way to that field on the Gold Road, mere miles from Payne Hall.

Sandor Clegane then spent the next five years of his life learning to read, write (runes), how to teach and he spent two years on the wall as bodyguard for the odinic priests serving there at the time, where his warhelm earned him the name Garmr, after the giant hound that guards the gates to Niflheim, eventually choosing the Valkyrie Cult through the Temple of Odin and volunteering his own Keep as a base for them in the Westerlands. It was his return party that came upon two young Lannister Lordlings after rescuing a crofters daughter, after entreating the party of three to be his guests for some days, accompanied them with two of his own charges to The Rock, to introduce them to the Lord and Lady in the West.
Joanna Lannister had gleefully greeted Sandors two charges, as if old friends, and much to Sandors amazement they actually were, they had apparently been responsible for saving the life of Joanna during Tyrions birth. On the second day a frantic cry of help caused a stir as Sandor found several guardsmen attmpeting to commit a rather horrible crime on Tyrions new wife. They were guardsmen, he was Garmr on the Wall, even before his years up North he could have slain them all, here it was simply unfair.
After ensuring Tysha's wellbeing, he was confronted by Lord Lannister, though that confrontation did not go quite as his lordship had intended seeing as the Lady overheard his rather horrific plan, whereupon she proceeded to slap him so soundly the courtyard echoed. She then explained in excruciating detail what she thought of his brilliant idea, or at least Sandor thought it must have been excruciating considering the marks her ladyship left in Tywins forearm.

As her ladyship garaunteed Tyshas safety and wellbeing even against her husband from then on, Sandor left the Rock with his two charges and returned to reestablishing Clegane Keep. He was told some years later that Lord Tyrion had been granted Castamere and several hundredthousand golden dragons to restore it and that Lady Joanna was a frequent visitor sometimes staying for several moons at a time at the home of the Castamere Lannisters. The Children of that household have light brown hair and Lannister green eyes, they are all their grandmothers pride, the only one of them Sandor has ever met though is the boy, Gerion, as quick of mind as his Lord Father, and even at ten years of age showing promise with the sword...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are four Ravenbanners utilized by the Military Commanders of the Valkyrie Cult. Each named as much for their geographical locations as what they depict, all are personal for the current commander except the one at Queenscrown.

Sunrise Banner - Held on Dragonstone, at the VC School in Drakeport. Current Holder; Valarr Celtigar, depicts a stylized red raven in flight above a white crab on a black background.

Sunset Banner - Held in Clegane Keep, Current Holder; Sandor Clegane, depicts a stylized white and bloodstained hound rampant on a red and blue quartered background, blue top left quarter contains a golden raven.

Snow Banner - Held in Queenscrown Temple, Current Holder; Thorvald Thenn, depicts a stylized black raven in flight on a white background. (Original Temple Banner given to Rhaena Targaryen)

Summer Banner - Held in Planky Town, Current Holder; Gerald Dayne, depicts a purple ravenspear over a shooting star on a dark green background.

The Military Commanders are subordinate in day to day to the local Priestess of the Valkyrie Shrine, who all are autonomous but subordinate to Queenscrown Temple.
 
Kavris said:
Technically, Garm guarded the gates to Helheim, not Niflheim. Though one version I read made it sound more like the hall was surrounded by a moat and Garm sat in front of the bridge.
True, however im employing a deviation in myth. As the ATL priesthoods in the north has been going "Beyond the wall is Niflheim!" Sometimes followed with a "Niflheim has evil giants!!!" As supportive argument.
 
Back
Top