“Not long after King Joffrey lopped off Stark’s head; Stannis Baratheon declared himself the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms and left Dragonstone to assault the walls of King’s Landing. He took the city, executed Joffrey, and had the High Septon crown him King. At the same time you have the Lord of Sunglass harassing small folk of Rook’s Rest. Then word reaches Stannis that Joffrey’s younger brother, Tommen, was crowned King by the Lords of Duskendale and Rosby and that Arys Oakheart is marching on King’s Landing with a Crownland army. Stannis leaves King’s Landing in the hands of a up jumped smuggler, confronted Lord Oakheart’s army, and sent the survivors scurrying for the Antlers. And Stannis chases after him because Oakheart was marching with the Boy King at his side. Can you believe it? Well four months after Joffrey’s death, you have Stannis as King of all the Crownlands just in time for his younger brother to declare himself King of Storm’s End.”

“The Gods were clearly displeased with Stannis’ crowning. While Stannis was campaigning down in the Stormlands, a plague broke out in Rosby and spread to Duskendale. Lord Sunglass was the first victim. The last was the King’s own daughter, the Princess Shireen. I heard that when the news of his daughter’s death reached Stannis, he was without words. However by then Stannis had a son who was safe and sound on Dragonstone being looked after by its castellan, Axel Florent.”

“Stannis sends a raven to the Stark boy saying he will send the bones of the boy’s father back, his great sword, and the Stark sisters back to him. He does this while raising a new force from Dragonstone and Sharp Point. As soon as he has a large enough force, he sails straight down to Storm’s End. Come the midpoint of the next year, Stannis has defeated Renly in every battle and usurped the loyalty of the Stormlands from him – probably out of fear than love, I have to say. Anyway, Renly tries to evade Stannis by hugging the Blackwater coastline to join a Tyrell army marching on King’s Landing. But Stannis catches him and hauls him to Dragonstone. The Tyrell army keeps on to King’s Landing where Tarly – he was in command you see – is killed. Wild Fire, I’m told. Horrible, horrible stuff, I don’t know where Stannis found it. Maybe there’s some truth to those old stories about Dragonstone, and dragon magic.”

“All the while King Stannis is campaigning against his brother, word comes south that the Greyjoys crowned themselves King of the Isles and Rivers, and were mounting an invasion of the Riverlands. With the Lions and Wolves wrangling in the Westerlands, Balon thought now would be a good time to take a step above reaving and try his hand at conquering. And since Stannis was busy putting down the last of the Stormlanders who were rallying behind Robert’s bastard, he was in no position to help. And so as soon as he puts down the bastard boy, he returns to King’s Landing just to hear his Onion Knight tell him that the Stark boy has crowned himself King of the North and the Trident. Stannis does not take to his kindly.”

“With the Tyrell’s brooding in Highgarden, and Dorne and the Vale sitting on their asses, King Stannis sailed north with an army of Stormlanders to retake the North. He left King’s Landing under the auspice of his Onion Knight and gave command of the Crownland’s defense to the Bastard of Night Song. Sailing up the Shivering Sea, he took Widow’s Watch then ripped apart Karhold with wildfire. While the King of Winter was busy sating his vendetta against the Lannisters, Stannis was able to defeat the northern rabble mustering at Last Hearth and claim the Umber castle has his own. But by then the Young Wolf had turned away from the Lannisters – Lord Tywin had died of old age and the his brother Lord Kevan of Lannisport had made peace – and was coming back home. How many times did the Young Wolf attack the walls of Last Heart? A half dozen, I heard. Thousands of thousands of Northerners calling out “The North Remembers” and “For the Young Wolf!” while screeching for King Stannis’ blood. And by the thousands of thousands they died. Robb Stark fought every battle against Stannis with tooth and nail, and like a dog ran away with his tail tucked ‘tween his legs.”

“And where is King Stannis now? Last I heard a message came in from Widow’s Watch was that Stark forces were attacking it. Rolland Storm was sailing north with sellswords to reinforce Stannis. I don’t think Stannis will break. A Rose or a Wolf, it does not matter. Stannis will sooner die than give up. And he’s never lost a battle. But the north is a desolate place, and it is getting colder with each passing month. What are the Stark words? Winter is coming.”


Month 2, 301:
  • Stannis ambushes two Bolton armies in the Wolfswood. Ramsey with his 600 men and Castellan Rodrick with his 1100. Ramsey surges ahead with Whoresbane Umber to smash Stannis winter-beaten force. But Stannis outsmarts Ramsey and wipes his force out. Rodrick tries to join Ramsey and sends his archers ahead to try and pepper the flaming stag with arrows, but arrives too late. Remnants of the two armies flee to Winterfell where Stark loyalists oust them. The survivors scatter and Stannis takes Winterfell without a fight.

Month 7, 301:
  • Davos returns with Rickon but Manderly refuses to join Stannis’ cause. He declares Rickon Stark his king and stays neutral in Stannis’ war with the Bolotons. Davos, disheartened, moves to rejoin Stannis who claims Winterfell as his capital.



  • The Frey’s release GreatJon to the Umber’s for a ransom. He returns to Last Hearth and declares for Rickon, refusing to kneel to Stannis. Stannis sends Mors Umber with several hundred Northern levies to retake the castle. Mors refuses, not wanting to fight kin. Stannis assure shim Axel Florent and Karhold men will take the castle. He needs Mors and his levies to hold the castle. He has strict orders that the GreatJon not be killed.

· Storm’s End falls.
Month 8, 301:
  • Siege of the Dreadfort.



  • Meryn Stark, 16 years old hailing from a minor cadet branch of Knights of the Stony Shore, seeks to join Stannis. A proven commander – fended off Ironborn – smart, handsome, loyal, and ambitious. He wants lordship of Winterfell. Stannis, not wanting to alienate the North with Rickon still alive, refuses. He does make Meryn Master-of-Arms of the Dreadfort (when it is captured). Meryn is disappointed but does not complain – much.

Month 9, 301:
  • Edric Storm, conqueror of Tarth, tries to take Rainhouse. His force is assailed by Jon Connington, and killed.

Month 1, 302:
  • The Dreadfort falls. Axel Florent is made its Lord.



  • Shireen is married to Devan Seaworth.

Month 4, 302:
  • Tarth falls to Tomnen’s forces.

Month 7, 302:
  • Bolton loyalists occupy Deepwood Motte. Devan is tasked with retaking it.

Month 10, 302:
  • Word arrives that Ser Massey has arrived with an army of sellswords. Stannis tasks him with bringing Manderly to heel. One North for One King.

Month 6, 304:
  • Word reaches Winterfell that an army led by Jaime Lannister smashed the host of Aegon the False. His doom was caused by the heroism of Ser Gilbert Farring who led the stalwart defense of Storm’s End. Over the course of the previous year he defeated three attempts by the Golden Company to take the castle. Of those attempts, two were led by Aegon the False himself who won the final battle only because of a mutiny among Farring’s starving men.

Month 2, 308:
  • House Bolton is destroyed.



  • Massey’s Sellswords sack White Harbor.