Winterfell was the center of the North on the continent of Westeros. With the Neck's natural defenses to its south, it had never been conquered, not even during the Andal invasion.
It had also become a territory inhabited mainly by the descendants of the First Men.
House Stark ruled Winterfell and was also the King of the North. Eight thousand years ago, their ancestors had built the Wall.
As a result, they held great prestige among the descendants of the First Men.
After they had joined forces to overthrow the Mad King, Eddard Stark had even had the chance to sit on the Iron Throne, but he had yielded it to his friend Robert.
Eddard Stark embodied nearly every positive quality of the nobility. In some ways, he could even be called old-fashioned, but that was also why he enjoyed such a high reputation throughout Westeros and was so worthy of trust.
Recently, however, the entire North had been somewhat unsettled. The Night's Watch had been sending frequent requests for aid, and Eddard Stark could sense a storm brewing...
"The wildlings are moving south in large numbers. They seem agitated, almost willing to pay any price..."
Eddard Stark listened as his younger brother Benjen Stark, who had joined the Night's Watch, reported back. His brow furrowed tightly.
As the Kings of the North, the Starks had sent one of their own to join the Night's Watch in every generation. Benjen Stark was the representative of Eddard's generation.
A king's road ran directly between Winterfell and the Wall. In a sense, Winterfell had originally been established as a support base for the Wall.
But for thousands of years, the White Walkers had been nowhere to be seen, and the Wall had not sounded its three horns.
Instead, the wildlings—also descendants of