"The north hasn't seen a dragon in centuries. They turned to ice during the first true winter after the conquest."
"Foolish child, the last dragon of the north walks among us."
game of thrones
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— IN the midst of a gentle summer, as the rest of the realm reveled in the sun's warmth and the mild breezes it brought, a different world existed hidden within the shadowed mountainw valleys. Here, in isolation, loomed the formidable fortress of Silverpeak. Its grandeur rivaled even that of Winterfell.
The heart of Silverpeak, its stone walls seamlessly melded with the rugged mountains, cast a looming shadow over the villages it sheltered. But the fortress wasn't the only spectacle in the north beyond Winterfell. Towering behind it, the snow-clad peaks served as a natural boundary, marking the line between the North and the savage north, lawless wilderness between the realm and the wildlings beyond the wall. It was a realm where chaos ruled, a refuge for marauders and thieves, forever eluding the grasp of the southern crown and even the Warden of the North.
For generations, House Valnor had held sway over Silverpeak, establishing themselves as one of the most enduring noble families in Westeros, second only to those who could trace their lineage back to the First Men. Their origins lay in the remnants of Old Valyria, a heritage marked by the visionary Lord Valarius Valnor, known as the Master of Dragons and the Dragon of the North. A man of unwavering honor, he had ridden his dragon, Sylverscale, hatched from the same clutch as the fearsome Balerion the Dread, side by side with King Aegon the Conqueror and his queens during their momentous conquest.
Although Lord Valarius had vowed to oversee the North and ensure the loyalty of those who had pledged themselves to King Aegon, he harbored no desire to supplant House Stark as the rulers of the region. Instead, he forged a profound alliance with the North, a bond sealed when he took a Stark daughter as his third wife, solidifying their loyalty.
Over the centuries, House Valnor gradually adopted the customs and traditions of the North, leaving behind many of their own ancestral practices. They proudly served as loyal bannermen to the Warden of the North and acted as the vigilant eyes and ears for House Stark, ensuring that nothing, and no one, reached those under the protection of House Stark in the north.
For generations, their dragons soared through the northern skies and roamed the mountainous terrain, a symbol of House Valnor's power and heritage. However, as time passed and the harsh winters of the North descended, a chilling fate befell their cherished dragon eggs—they failed to hatch. The already scarce food supply drove their oldest and largest dragon, Volcanar, to violent outbursts, leading him to attack northern villages and their livestock. This tumultuous period culminated in Volcanar's unprecedented sentence to death in the North, marking the end of dragons in House Valnor's dominion.
Yet, House Valnor remained steadfast in their pride, deeply connected to their northern roots. Their words, "Winters Fire" spoke of the fiery legacy of their dragons that had once safeguarded the North. Even without the presence of dragons, the knights of House Valnor stood as a formidable force, serving with unwavering honor and loyalty to the North, putting their allegiance to the realm before the Iron Throne.
