Prelude[]
Loras I Baratheon, first of his name, took the throne from his father in 331AC. He moved to meet with The Iron Bank of Braavos. For thirty years the Iron Throne had paid their debts to them following massive debts from Robert Baratheon’s rule. However, Master of Coin Lord Prester discovered that a majority of remaining debts were owed to a past Master of Coin Petyr Baelish, a member of an extinct House of the Vale.
With this knowledge in mind he met with representatives of the bank to attempt to persuade them to transfer debts to the Kingdom of Winter. The Iron Bank had been trying and failing to make inroads towards business in the region, with the best they had being a massive loan on repayment from the Night’s Watch following the brutal Winter that last from 299AC-308AC.
The Iron Bank agreed to Loras’ terms, promising to transfer fifty percent of the Iron Throne’s remaining debts to House Stark and the North. The representatives then travelled North, arriving at Harrenhal, which was held by a Lord Redsmith. Lord Redsmith did as the Representatives and sent word to King Stark of the representatives coming to meet with him. King Robb I Stark was apprehensive of the meeting but told Lord Jason Redsmith to send them forth.
A month later they meet in Winterfell. The Representatives explained that the Iron Bank felt King Stark and Lord Arryn should repay the Iron Bank as Littlefinger was of their kingdom and it had emerged during the War of the Seven Kings Lord Baelish had used the loans for malicious intent against House Baratheon.
Robb, who had done his best to avoid debts to foreigners like the Iron Bank and refused the Iron Bank their dues. The Iron Bank left.
Factions[]
- The Kingdom of Winter: Comprised of the North, Riverlands and the Vale
- The Iron Bank: Comprised of the Guild of the Blue, Turmoil's Blade, The Crimson Company, The Black Wings, The Bright Banners, The Lost Legion, The Stormbreakers, The Burning Fleet, Wolves on the Wind, and The Red Hands
The Sacking of White Harbor[]
Two months later, White Harbor was blindsided by a massive sellsail invasion. The city was seized and Lord Manderly taken hostage. Robb was alarmed by the news, ordering his armies raised and to assemble at Winterfell, he sent word to Lord Frey to hold Moat Cailin. The Stormbreakers descended upon the Karstark soldiers moving west, slaughtering them all. Workers of the Iron Bank stole all the riches of White Harbor.
Fighting Intensifies[]
The Sellswords besieged Karhold with the more ambitious fighters moving north to Last Hearth. Robb Stark and his army assembled and Robb ordered them to march for the Dreadfort, declaring it must be held to give them a foothold in the east.
Near Last Hearth, Smalljon Umber and his men clashed in the field with the sellswords, earning the North their first victory. Robb heard word of this, motivating him further to capture The Dreadfort.
Karhold continued to hold out against the siege. Robb and his men marched on the Dreadfort. Lord Bolton sent outrides to meet them. On their way back they were ambushed by a cavalry unit. The army took heavy losses but fended off the attackers.
The Vale and Riverlands join in the fray[]
In the Vale, Lord Ulysses Arryn ordered his fleets to sail to liberate White Harbor. They engage the sellsails in a massive battle off the coast of the North. Lord Arryn’s Fleet is defeated and returns home in tatters. Robb sends word from the Dreadfort to Frey to have Tully gather men and march north. Robb then orders Smalljon to make for Karhold and liberate the Keep.
Word reaches Robb of the failures of the Arryn Fleet. Knowing the North Fleet will fair no better and that most was moored between Karhold and White Harbor, Robb concludes a land assault is the only way to defeat the sellswords. He sends Lord Bolton and Lord Glover to assist Jon in liberating Karhold and holds at the Dreadfort.
The Parlay[]
A letter arrives from White Harbor, once again requesting a meeting with Robb from the Iron Bank. Robb agreed and met in neutral ground between the Dreadfort and White Harbor. The Bankers explained their cause and offered Robb a new deal. They had reclaimed most of what they were owed thanks to the riches of White Harbor. If Robb would pay the wages of the sellswords hired for the invasion and the remaining balance they would leave The North. Robb refused the terms and a battle commenced upon the field. Both sides took heavy casualties and the battle ended in a tie. Robb and his forces retreated to the Dreadfort.
However, upon arrival they were blindsided by the sellswords who had been holding Karhold, having been defeated by Bolton, Glover, and Umber. Robb’s forces rallied but were once again dashed, sustaining heavy losses as the sellswords fell back to White Harbor. Robb himself maimed in the battle.
The End of the War[]
Smalljon Umber and his forces arrived sometime later, taking control of the remaining army. Tully and his forces arrived in the North, marching to the West Bank of the White Knife opposite White Harbor.
Smalljon ordered a two pronged attack on White Harbor. He marched his forces from the Dreadfort. Three weeks later, Robb received a raven from White Harbor. Smalljon lay dead, Tully and most of the commanders in chains. A final offer for peace. Robb reluctantly met with the representatives again, agreeing to their terms, less forgiving now. The sellswords left the North.
Robb sent word to Aeron, son of his recently deceased friend Theon and his sister Sansa. Ordering the Ironborn to commence raids in the Summer Isles for loot and profit in order to funnel the funds into the payments now owed to the Ironbank. Robb died from his wound three years later and his son Eddard succeeded him as King.