5 Chapters further in all my stories here:
patreon.com/NiflheimA
[A.N: Two chapter release, sorry they are just exposition interludes to kind of summarize the end of this Arc.]
Chapter 59
An Excerpt from Maester Robin's "The Second Conquest" circa 311 A1C
The restoration of the Weirwood Bastion— formerly titled Harrenhall, was undoubtedly the turning point of what is known now as the War of the Five Kings, and is considered by scholars of this day as the first, albeit unofficial, proclamation of King Robb's will to conquer Westeros.
Especially, as it made for a certain lighter mirror to Aegon the Conqueror's darker destruction of said castle roughly three centuries prior, which was a proclamation of conquest in itself.
More importantly, it was the first sighting of the higher mysteries since the death of the Targaryen's dragons. Once again creating a parallel between the two, as not only was the Bastion's restoration marked by the notable presence of weirwood roots, but Robb Stark had arrived to his coronation with a company of green men, a mythical order of First Men legend with mystic abilities.
And as if the signs couldn't be more apparent, the next day saw the appearance of the Red Comet, which also was thought of as a sign of legitimacy.
All in all, the Restoration was an event that granted Robb Stark an unrivaled reputation, one that made the thought of him being King of the Seven kingdoms not seem ridiculous at all…
Whether that whole debacle was intentional months before or simply due to what he experienced in the Isle of Faces is unknown.
It is my duty as scholars to study history, and history rests on factual evidence, rather than assumptions. Therefore, we must work on what we know, and we know is that the Restoration brought forth a new paradigm in this war.
It brought King Robb Stark the momentum he needed to conquer the realm.
*-*-*
An Excerpt from Archmaester Perestan "Religion under Stark" circa 302 A1C
One would have thought that after the Restoration, many of the worshipers of the seven would paint said feat with a taint of dark magics and barbaric rituals, yet it would be Robb Stark's reaction that would swiftly end all doubts before they began.
For one, it needs to be known that in the Riverlands, and in many other parts of the southern part of Westeros, Weirwood Trees, not to be mistaken with the Heart Trees used to worship the old gods, were often thought as a spiritual tree, one capable of communicating with the dead, and any higher powers one might believe in.
Indeed, many lands bereft of septs to worship use Weirwood Trees carved with seven pointed stars to worship the gods, and even in the Starry Sept, members of the Old Devout hold staves made of weirwood, due to that same correlation,
This can be attributed to how the early Andals deformed their own culture to match the First Men's in order to more easily assimilate them, and a remnant of First Men beliefs. One of many, such as the hatred for slavery and kinslaying, the law of guest right, and the heraldry and words used to distinguish between noble houses, and much more.
Secondly, there was King Robb Stark's distancing from the matter. The new king would make sure to mention his twin heritage, of the first men from his father, and of the Andals from his mother. He also never mentioned which religion he believed in explicitly, even if he visited the Godswood much more than he did the Sept.
That same ambiguity was matched by the Order of Green Men, staunch supporters of the king and a symbol of his authority, they were an order of mixed beliefs, as while the majority were believers in the Old Gods, a non-insignificant portion of them prayed to the seven, and held pendants made of wood depicting a seven-pointed star.
Finally, none of the bigger lords and septons of the land wished to voice discontent against Robb Stark, as his reputation at the time was sky-high, and any who wished to do so feared a veritable riot against themselves, not only from the smallfolk, but also a significant portion of the nobility that began to genuinely believe in his rule.
The consequences of this dichotomy would extend to the present day, where….
*-*-*
"The Weirwood Crown"
(as sung by Tom of Sevenstreams)
Come gather 'round, good gentles all,
And hear the tale I weave,
Of Harren's hall, of blackened walls,
And roots that would not leave.
No dragon's flame, no craven lord,
Could break the stone apart,
Till came a wolf with crownless brow,
And iron in his heart.
Oh, rise, rise, Weirwood Crown,
From ash and curse and flame!
The roots have bound the blackened stone,
And sung the builder's name.
The dead may sleep, the halls may stand,
And all the realm shall know,
What good men do when banners call,
And northmen southward go.
Seven chains upon his arm,
A monster at his heel,
Its heart of night, its breath of wrong,
He split with northern steel.
The light ran wild through weirwood veins,
And crimson sap did flow,
Till roots rose up like winter's wrath,
To bind the stones below.
Oh, rise, rise, Weirwood Crown,
From ash and curse and flame!
The roots have bound the blackened stone,
And sung the builder's name.
The dead may sleep, the halls may stand,
And all the realm shall know,
What good men do when banners call,
And northmen southward go.
The ghosts of masons, maids, and smiths,
Walked proud in pale-lit grace,
Their work restored by living wood,
Their curse at last erased.
And in the hall, 'neath branch and star,
The young wolf claimed his due,
With Greatjon's hand and Septon's prayer,
For old gods and for new.
They say that Harren's seat was doomed,
That none could hold it long,
But roots grow deep where oaths are kept,
And good men still stand strong.
So rise, rise, Weirwood Crown,
Let lords and smallfolk sing!
The Bastion stands by builder's hands,
And by the wolf-king's ring.
The dead may sleep, the halls may stand,
And every heart shall know,
What good men do when banners call,
And northmen southward go.