Winterfell

The ancestral castle of House Stark and the political capital of the North.

Winterfell is the ancestral seat of House Stark, ruling over the vast and frozen territory known as the North. The castle was built over a natural hot spring, whose scalding water runs inside the castle walls and warms its halls and rooms. During the era of the Dance of the Dragons, this stronghold remained a crucial bastion for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, with Lord Cregan Stark pledging his house's loyalty to her cause despite the distance from King's Landing.

Quick Facts

Location: The North
Seat of: House Stark
Status: Standing

Lore & Background

The castle has a glass garden, a godswood where the old gods are worshipped beside trees with faces carved in their bark, and the Stark family crypt. It represents the enduring power of the First Men's legacy within Westeros. During the civil war between Rhaenyra and Aegon II, the North remained largely isolated but politically vital. The Stark lords traditionally hold the title Warden of the North, granting them command over all Northern forces.

Reader's Guide

During the Dance of the Dragons its lord, Cregan Stark, agrees to uphold his father's oath and support Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim to the Iron Throne. Lord Cregan Stark controlled this strategic location, ensuring the region remained under Black allegiance while King's Landing burned further south. Though distant from the war, the North sends an army of over two thousand men known as the Winter Wolves while Cregan musters the rest of his forces.