Time at Winterfell

"This is why Lord Stark" as I roll out the full map of the World I bought from the System. "This is the work of generation of my ancestors it is a complete map of the World, and I want the North to be the First to gain its resources. But I have only one thing to ask do not let this out till we are already expanding. This is the future of the North trade coming from all over the world directly into The North all being used to better the lives of her people and this is only the beginning."

Lord Glover/Stark-"By the Gods....." Both Lords just sat their slacked jawed at what I showed them. Then Lord Stark Spoke "This map changes everything, with this we can established outposts throughout the world, but how this looks like an impossible task. It would take decades to travel these routes let alone years."

MC-"That is wrong Lord Stark. My people have new knowledge of better ships and food preservation. Lord Glover has seen them, we have ships being built that can hold 50 tons and travel over 1,000 nautical miles in 30 day with out magic with we can cut it down to 20."

Lord Stark just sits there and thinks processing what I said then Lord Glover speaks trying to shift the topic.

"Halvard, tell Ned here about the ward stones he will most likely want some here for Winterfell. They are nice Ned, they made traveling here a breeze we did not have to deal with misquotes or wolves all the way here. I even commissioned a stone for Deepwood that will be done by the time we return. "

"Ah, yes wards, how to explain this. Wards are a way of protecting ones property, whether that be from the inside or out. The simplest ward is intruder wards, where if a person not listed as a guest or displays hostile intent the Wards will alert the owner. They all scale from their for example my home has mapping wards tied to a map. See here this is a map of my home you can see where people are and what they are doing. Those names their are the Black Sisters, they are a sister from a magical family with as much history as yours do Ned. We do of course have ones meant for protection, the anti siege ones will repel any missile back at the attacker. All the Wards have to tied to a Ward Stone the more wards you want the bigger and better quality of stone is used. Mine are tied to a massive Slab of marble."

Ned-"That does sound useful, I know the warming ones would be welcome here during the cold months. I would be interested getting them here at Winterfell how much will it cost for the same wards as your home and better."

Mc-"I will have to inspect the castle first, but I will only charge you for the stone as with most of those who travel with me have a degree of experience with wards, so it should be a quick job. as just a guess with the size of the castle it will probably be a very large stone most likely marble or crystal but if you have a location with a lot of natural magic it will be a lot cheaper. so give a day to look around and I will get back to you."

Ned-"Now lets head to dinner we can talk more tomorrow."

Glover-"Aye, and we have entertainment with Hal and Lydia they have a great voices and new songs and stories HAH."

Ned just gives him a laugh and says "Do we now, well as my first acts as your Lord Paramount, Halvard you shall have to sing and tell us a story for us after dinner."

Mc-"Alright, but you have to tell Lydia."

The feast is a nice one, it did not have the same flavor that we have come to have in Eskigarðr as I made sure to have more modern spices and herbs be used. It was mostly deer, boar, and rabbit. But the feeling of the place was nice to be in as it had a more jovial feel.... well exempt Catelyn Tully who avoided us like the plague but thankfully kept her mouth shut. Lydia was enjoying it as she said it reminded her of home in Dragons Reach. Then Lord Stark announced.

Lord Stark-"I am glad you all enjoyed the feast, but we have on more event to announce The New Lord Halvard Maelstrom leader of Clan Maelstrom and his sworn shield Lydia have agreed to Sing us a song and tell us a story." This was met with whoops and halers from the crowd.

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Mc-"Since the little ones have to go to be ill tell the story first. This is a story and legend that has been told by my people for countless generations."

[Tale of Three Brothers imagen the animated part from the deathly hallows part one, That the MC is making with Illusions]

[Three brothers, travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight reached a deep treacherous river where anyone who attempted to swim or wade would drown. Learned in the magical arts, the brothers conjured a bridge with their wands and proceed to cross.

Halfway through the bridge, a hooded figure stood before them. The figure was the enraged spirit of Death, cheated of she due. Death cunningly pretended to congratulate them and proceeds to award them with gifts of their own choosing.

The eldest brother, a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. Death granted his wish by fashioning the Elder Wand from a branch of a nearby elder tree standing on the banks of the river. The second brother, an arrogant man, chose to further humiliate death, and asked for the power to recall the deceased from the grave. Death granted his wish by crafting the Resurrection Stone from a stone picked from the riverbank. The third and youngest brother, who was the most humble and wise, did not trust Death and asked for something to enable him to go forth without Death being able to follow. A reluctant Death, most unwillingly, handed over her own invisibility cloak.

The three brothers took their prizes and soon went on their separate ways.

The eldest brother travelled to a village where a wizard whom he had quarrelled lived. He sought out a duel and fought the wizard using the wand, instantly killing the latter.

Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the eldest brother walked to an inn not far from the duelling site and spent the night there. Taken by his conscience and lust of the Elder Wand's power, the eldest brother boasted of this wand gifted by Death and his own invincibility.

That very night, a murderous wizard killed the eldest brother. The unknown murderous wizard crept to the inn as the eldest brother slept, drunk from wine. The wizard slit the oldest brother's throat for good measure and stole the wand. That was when Death took the first brother.

The second brother returned to his home where he lived alone. Turning the stone thrice in his hand the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him, much to his delight. Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, committed suicide by hanging from his house' balcony so as truly to join her. That was when Death took the second brother for her own.

Death searched for the youngest brother as years passed but never succeeded. It was only when the third brother reached a great age, he took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. Greeting Death as an old friend, they departed this life as equals.]

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The Hall was deathly silent, as the whether that be from the illusion or the story I do not know all watching and listing till the end. I then spoke

"Some of my ancestors have traveled all over the world in search of these items, my own father even passed in the search for the stone to be able to speak to my mother again. But none of truly know if these thing are even real but heir are whispers among my people that if a wizard finds and holds them they shall become the master of death."

"Now Lydia will sing a song, for us a song called (I See Fire)

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[I see Fire cover by Celtic Woman]

Oh, misty eye of the mountain below

Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls

And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke

Keep watching over Torrhens sons

If this is to end in fire

Then we should all burn together

Watch the flames climb high into the night

Calling out for the rope

Stand by and we will

Watch the flames burn on and on

The mountain side, hey

And if we should die tonight

Then we should all die together

Raise a glass of wine for the last time

Calling out for the rope

Prepare as we will

Watch the flames burn on and on

The mountain side

Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire

Inside the mountain

And I see fire

Burning the trees

And I see fire

Hollowing souls

And I see fire

Blood in the breeze

And I hope that you remember me

Oh, should my people fall

Then surely I'll do the same

Confined in mountain halls

We got too close to the flame

Calling out for the rope

Hold fast and we will

Watch the flames burn on and on

The mountain side

Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire

Inside the mountain

And I see fire

Burning the trees

And I see fire

Hollowing souls

And I see fire

Blood in the breeze

And I hope that you remember me

And if the night is burning

I will cover my eyes

For if the dark returns

Then my brothers will die

And as the sky is falling down

It crashed into this lonely town

And with that shadow upon the ground

I hear my people screaming out

Now I see fire

Inside the mountains

I see fire

Burning the trees

I see fire

Hollowing souls

I see fire

Blood in the breeze

I see fire

Oh you know I saw a city burning out (fire)

And I see fire

Feel the heat upon my skin, yeah (fire)

And I see fire (fire)

And I see fire burn on and on the mountain side

———————————Ned's POV—————————

When Lord Glover sent word that a wildings raid had been repelled by a clan of warriors not just warriors, wizards of all things I thought the mans age had caught up to him.

But then the news that they were expanding into trade, news of new ships fishing at sea bringing in massive catches, trade ships faster than anyone had seen and more tales of men and women using magic to raise home out of the dirt, fields of wheat that are massive.

The thing that forced my hand to have then brought here was the missing girl in the woods. If I had witnessed it with my own eyes I would not have believed it, one of the local children had gone missing in the Wolfswood most thought them dead. Till as the search party went out then a 8 foot tall thing made of moss and wood holding the hand of the girl walked out of the forest, it then knelt down beside the girl whispering something in her ear and disappeared in the forest.

When we asked the girl who or what that was, she told us that she was walking through the the woods and got lost. While she was alone and cry it no he came and helped her find her way home. While walking home he told her about the forest and met things that were like him, he told her stories about his people spirts she said had been asleep for a long time and a wizard had woken them up. She then told us about all the other spirts all looked different and could do amazing things some could disappear among the woods or make flowers out

When we asked what he told her as he left she said that if she wanted to see him again all she had to do is sit in the clearing again and tell a story, as all spirts love stories and traded in stories.

It was terrifying and amazing magic was coming back, spirts in the woods, people dreaming of the old gods, and the gods tell us their names that we had forgotten.

So when sent word for Lord Glover and this wizard to come here I did not expect him to be like this, he was charismatic and was impressive to say the least. But when he showed us that map and explained just what his magic could do I knew that no matter what he is going to change the North.

Catelyn then interrupts your thoughts, "I want them gone Ned, magic they are evil Ned they have magic the seven said magic is evil. I do not want them near the kids."

"Cat I spent half the day with the man and he is not evil they are just different, if what a fraction of what I have found out to be true they will be changing forever."

She became frantic at this point"NO Ned I won't have it I'll send for the faith to get them, I'll send it to the high sept, I'll-I'lll".

"It is going to be fine Cat just come to bed."

————————————Mc—————————————

We spent 2 and half weeks at Winterfell, the first couple of days I explored the castle with Ned. The castle is a thing of beauty you can feet the history, Ned guided me around the place. The best part of the castle the weirwood tree was magnificent you could feet the magic radiating off it.

"Ned, this place is as pure magic as you can get, if we were to place a ward stone here it would be neigh impossible to break in, give a week with my men and we will have this place ready. The wards will be tied to the tree here and some Marble Standing Stones at each of the Cardinal directions."

Working on the Stones I was usually joined by the occasional guest to watch me work, the one who liked to me watch me the most was a young Jon snow (7) would sit on a stump and would silently sit their enraptured by me using my wand to carve into the marble. Till one the lastday of carving he asked a question.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, that is a complicated question. I was asked to by your Father to make something to protect you and your family. See, this part of the castle is one of the oldest part and with the Weirwood tree and they give off a lot of magic. So this stone and the words on the stone guide that magic to protect the land and its people. Understand?"

He just nodded "Can you teach me?"

"Sure, sit beside me here and I'll explain."

"The first part of runes and wards is the words themselves, to work with runes you must truly understand what they mean. For example, this word here *Eldur* means fire now when you think of fire what do you think when you think of fire."

"Hmmmm, heat, burning, and wild."

"Interesting choice, you are along the right path. The ward here its purpose is to prevent uncontrolled fires. Now we carve the *Takmarka* to restrict, and *Aflinn* means hearth this make the fire restricted to the hearth of the castle. Got it?"

The last stone me and Jon worked together on finishing up on the last wards, it took the longest time but it was worth it in the end as Jon had a huge smile on his face the entire time.

"AAAnd we are done Jon I'll send for your dad and we can finish this up. And Jon if you want to keep learning this I will happily keep teaching you so long as I am here."

"Really!! Thank you Lord Halvard."

"Call me Hal Jon, you father is almost here lets show off what you did. Lord Stark we finished the Wards and I'll let my assistant here explain what you need to do to tie them to you."

He gives a smile as Jon starts to explain. "Lord Stark, first these wards are very powerful you will feel mildly sick after tie them to you. Second, now that Ward crafter Halvard has completed the wards all you need to do is cut you hand and place it on the Wierwood tree." He then looks up at me with a huge smile and I whisper to him "Good job Jon, as my assistant said you will be slightly overwhelmed at first as you will become aware of everyones location in the castle."

When Ned placed his hand on the tree anyone in the castle felt the world shift for a second as all the magic went from free to guided, Ned suddenly became aware of every persons location in the castle, the previously unknown cache of gold in the crypts, and a couple of secret entrance and exits that had been forgotten.

That evening Ned, Glover and I had out nightly discussion and Ned brought up Jon and his kids.

"Hal, this afternoon with Jon made me remeber i have been meaning to ask can any of my kids do magic like you can?"

"I am pretty sure yes for Robb and Sansa maybe but for your future kids and Jon a mixed yes. He is a natural at runes and wards he did great work on the runes, he just gets them. He is so good I am going to teach him all I can while I am here to see how far he will go. As for wand waving and shooting spells probably not. His magic is more along the lines of my Martial wizards who strengthen themselves to improve their spell craft. For your future kids, with the addition of the wards they will most defiantly have magic but as for their abilities that will depend on them and your ancestors. For example with the rumors of your bloodline abilities Wargs and Greenseers they could have amazing abilaties to see the future, turn into animals the list is extensive. But if they do have magic or these abilities let me know and ill send people over."

Ned-"Good to know, as for those Blood line abilities what can they manifest as."

Mc-"Hmmm, that is complicated question they can vary greatly, My steward Andromeda Black for example her daughter is a Metamorphmagus meaning that with training she can turn into person. But for those who do not come form wizarding families but noble ones that will be interesting. The Glover will most likely be able to manipulate plant life, The Reeds probably something along the lines of Metamorphmagus but more with camouflage, Manderly water breathing or something like that if the house does not go through rituals to gain these abilities it is tied to there lands as the magic has an impact on them after so many generations.=, so mostly Guess work."

Glover-"That will be interesting to see, I hope it will manifest in manifest in my Grandkids it will be a sight to see."

The rest of our time in Winterfell was just more questions, trade deals, and planning between us all. Jon's lessons where progressing well but it takes a lot of time to be able to truly work with runes. the wards of the place held good and even began to fix the place, the walls were sturdier and the place felt cleaner. But with heartfelt good byes we made our way home to Eskigarðr with deals in hand and plans made.

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Name: Halvard Maelstrom

Age 20 (Fixed Age)

Strength: 25

Agility: 25

Intelligence: 25

Stamina: 25

Magic Power: 50 (Dumbledore level)

Avg: 10 for all stats

Knowledge: A complete Hogwarts education, Wards (7th), Mediwizard (5th)

Special Skills: Parsaltounge, Animagous (Eagle), Master Smith (Mg/M), Master Axe man, Music (Old World)

Spells (Custom):

Store: skills, items, knowledge, and summons.

Gold: 300

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[Eskigarðr]

<Keep/Castle-Basic Jarls Home>

<Wards: Mapping, Master level protection form weather and fire, anti-scrying, Ect>

<Stewards: Black Sisters>

<Soldiers-5 War mages, 5 Warriors,>

<Literacy Rate: 25%>

<Population: 300 Native, 60 magic users>

<Food availability: Relying on brought supplies and fishing>

<Navy: 2 Fishing ship, 1 Large Trade ship>

<Goods: Varity of Alcohols, Soaps and Medicines. NO glass as of yet.>