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Celestial smith chapter 58
🕑 Added 2025-04-28 13:03:00 +0000 UTCJust a look into the current future and far future that Owen will leave behind when he leaves Westeros behind to travel the multiverse with his wife and lovers through a historians view. And as was suggested for those who have problems reading pdf or word (Once more, i beg you, your support means a lot to me so don't be afraid to DM here or on discord if you finding it hard to read what you have helped support. i will try to find a way to let you read the chapter.) i will be posting it here just as the whole thing plus the document.
Celestial smith chapter 58: On history of present and Future
Little is known about the man known as Owen Longshore despite having numerous kings, queens, and emperors come from his line with Sansa Stark and his concubines. The archives of both the Citadel and the University of New Braavos contain conflicting accounts of his life, abilities, and accomplishments, rendering much of what we understand about this pivotal historical figure as educated conjecture rather than established fact. Even the most comprehensive biography, Maester Alleras' The Smith Who Forged Nations, acknowledges significant gaps in our understanding, labeling entire years of Owen's life as "the shadow periods" due to his habit of disappearing for months at a time without record or witness.
Of particular historical obscurity are the events that transpired during the war in the East, after the Northern forces separated from King Robert's command. Contemporary accounts are fragmented, often contradictory, and frequently embellished with fantastical elements that modern scholars hesitate to accept without reservation. What can be verified through multiple corroborating sources, diplomatic correspondence, and archaeological evidence, however, paints a picture of one of the most consequential military campaigns in known history – one that would permanently reshape the political landscape of not only Essos but the entire known world.
Following the disastrous siege at Meereen, where Robert Baratheon's forces were devastated by what eyewitnesses described as an "empowered slaver woman calling herself a champion of the Great Harpy," the king's abrupt retreat marked a pivotal turning point in the campaign. The revelation that Joffrey was not Robert's son but rather the product of Queen Cersei's infidelity with her (revealed later) brother and Roberts own Kingsguard Jaime Lannister shattered the fragile political alliances that had held the Seven Kingdoms together. Royal chronicles record that King Robert, consumed by rage and humiliation, abandoned the eastern campaign entirely, taking approximately half his forces back to Westeros to confront the Lannisters and reclaim his honor.
The vacuum left by Robert's departure might have spelled disaster for the remaining Westerosi forces were it not for the unprecedented coalition that formed in its wake. Lord Eddard Stark assumed command of the Northern contingent, with his son Robb and his nephew Jon Snow (who would later be recognized as Aemon Targaryen) serving as his principal lieutenants. The Dornish forces under Prince Oberyn Martell, the Reach armies led by the uncompromising Randyll Tarly, and the Riverlands battalions commanded by the legendary Brynden "Blackfish" Tully united under a common cause despite centuries of regional tensions and historical grievances. Maester Samwell's Chronicle of the Eastern Campaign suggests this unlikely alliance was held together largely through Owen Longshore's diplomatic efforts and the promise of territorial gains, though Lord Stark's respected leadership provided essential moral authority.
Contemporaneous military dispatches recovered from the personal archives of House Tarly indicate that the coalition forces employed revolutionary siege tactics against the remaining slaver cities. While conventional wisdom of the era would have dictated prolonged encirclements to starve the cities into submission, the coalition instead utilized what the documents describe as "northern thunder tubes" – presumably the advanced cannons designed by Owen Longshore. These weapons reportedly reduced stone fortifications to rubble with unprecedented efficiency, allowing for swift assaults that minimized coalition casualties. The Great Temple of Meereen, a structure that had stood for over four centuries, was said to have collapsed after just three days of bombardment, an engineering feat that would have been impossible with traditional trebuchets or mangonels.
More controversial are the accounts of "powerful magics" employed by Lord Owen during these sieges. The personal journal of Ser Gerris Drinkwater, a Dornish knight who participated in the assault on Astapor, describes witnessing Owen Longshore "calling down lightning from clear skies" and "conjuring walls of impenetrable force" to protect advancing soldiers. While modern scholarship tends to regard such accounts with skepticism, attributing them to the superstitious nature of the age or deliberate exaggeration for political purposes, the sheer volume of similar testimonies from diverse and otherwise reliable sources has prevented historians from dismissing these claims entirely. Recent discoveries at the University of Yi Ti have uncovered ancient scrolls that reference similar abilities among certain bloodlines, suggesting the possibility that such phenomena may have had some basis in reality, however incompletely understood.
Perhaps the most strategically significant achievement attributed to Owen Longshore during this period was his acquisition of the Unsullied command whip. According to the memoirs of Missandei of Naath, who would later become a key advisor (and future noble lady) to Queen Daenerys, Owen infiltrated the headquarters of the slaver commanders during the siege of Yunkai. Through means not fully explained in any surviving account, he emerged with the sacred whip used by the Good Masters to control all Unsullied forces. Contemporary Ghiscari records express outrage at this "treachery against ancient customs," suggesting the event did indeed occur as described, though details remain contested. (This account was later revised, as Owen had beforehand taken the whip of command from the Volantene Slaver commanders in Myr)
The consequences of this acquisition were immediate and devastating for the slaver alliance. The recovered letters of Marghaz zo Loraq, a wealthy Meereenese noble who survived the initial siege, describe in horrified detail how "the eunuch soldiers turned upon us like wild beasts, slaughtering without mercy those who had commanded them but hours before." Military histories compiled during the early years of the Targaryen Restoration estimate that approximately 80% of the slaver military leadership was eliminated within a single day of Owen's capture of the whip, effectively decapitating the command structure of the opposing forces and accelerating their eventual defeat.
Contemporary accounts are nearly unanimous in describing the subsequent actions of the freed Unsullied. Having endured lifetimes of brutal conditioning, horrific mutilation, and dehumanizing treatment, they executed a methodical campaign of vengeance against their former masters. The Chronicles of Missandei record that in Astapor alone, over three thousand members of slaver families were executed in what she terms "the accounting," while in Yunkai, the former slaves razed the Plaza of Pride and erected in its place a monument fashioned from the melted chains of their bondage. While some modern historians have questioned the scale of these reprisals, archaeological excavations conducted in the Meereenese catacombs during the reign of King Daemon III Targaryen uncovered mass graves containing thousands of skeletons, many showing evidence of violence consistent with the historical accounts.
Among the most remarkable claims from this period – and one that has generated centuries of scholarly debate – is the assertion that Owen Longshore "restored the manhood" of the Unsullied through magical means. The Testimony of Dark Ox, dictated by one of the Unsullied commanders approximately fifteen years after these events, states unequivocally: "The Savior laid his hands upon us and with words of power returned what had been taken. The pain was like fire, but when it passed, we were whole again." For centuries, such accounts were dismissed as metaphorical or propagandistic. However, genetic studies conducted by the Citadel and the University of New Braavos in recent decades have conclusively demonstrated that numerous noble lineages throughout Essos and Westeros can indeed trace their ancestry to former Unsullied soldiers who somehow regained reproductive capability.
The most extensively studied of these lineages belongs to the Greystone family, descended from the Unsullied commander Grey Worm who married Missandei of Naath. DNA analysis of their great-granddaughter, who later married into House Stark, confirms beyond scientific doubt that she carried genetic markers consistent with direct biological descent from Grey Worm, not adoption or other parental arrangements. Similar genetic confirmation has been established for at least seventeen other prominent houses with Unsullied ancestry, including House Blackspear of Dorne and House Freestone of the Stepstones. The scientific consensus, outlined in Archmaester Ebrose's landmark paper "Genetic Impossibilities and Historical Realities," concludes that "while the mechanism remains unexplained by current medical understanding, the biological evidence affirms that something extraordinary occurred among the Unsullied population during this period."
The fall of New Ghis in the year 299 AC marked the effective end of organized slaver power in Essos. The last major holdout of the old Ghiscari slaver culture, New Ghis had bolstered its defenses with mercenary companies and what remained of the slaver fleets, but contemporary accounts suggest the siege lasted less than a fortnight. The Naval Logs of Admiral Davos Seaworth describe a combined assault by Northern longships equipped with "frost-forged cannons" and Dornish vessels deploying what he calls "fire serpents" – possibly some form of advanced incendiary weapon. When the city finally fell, the victorious coalition forces discovered that many of the defending slaves had already revolted, having heard rumors of the approaching liberators and the whip that commanded Unsullied loyalty.
With the major centers of the slave trade now under coalition control, smaller pockets of slaver resistance were systematically eliminated over the following years. The most detailed account of these "cleansing campaigns" comes from the personal diary of Ser Brienne of Tarth, who commanded a mixed force of Northern soldiers and freed Unsullied in what became known as the "Chain-Breaking Crusade." Her writings describe pursuing slaver caravans across the Dothraki Sea, liberating slave ships in the Gulf of Grief, and dismantling hidden auction houses in the hills of Tolos. "We hunt them like the vermin they are," she wrote, "and with each victory, more former slaves join our ranks, eager to deliver the same justice upon their former masters that they themselves once suffered."
The division of the conquered territories presented a delicate diplomatic challenge that threatened to fracture the coalition. According to the recovered correspondence between Lord Stark and Lord Tarly, negotiations lasted nearly two months, with tensions occasionally flaring to the point of threatened military action. The Memoirs of Willas Tyrell suggest that Owen Longshore played a crucial role in these negotiations, offering generous terms that surprised many of the southern lords who had expected the North to claim all territories for itself. "Lord Owen spoke with impressive foresight," Willas wrote, "arguing that stable, allied governance across these lands would serve the North better than overextended direct rule."
The final settlement, formalized in the Treaty of New Braavos, awarded control of Yunkai to House Tyrell of the Reach, with Willas Tyrell appointed as its first Governor-General. House Martell of Dorne received dominion over Astapor, while House Tully was granted significant portions of the Disputed Lands. House Stark claimed Meereen and New Ghis, establishing Jon Snow (by then acknowledged as Aemon Targaryen) as the provisional governor of these territories, though he would later relinquish these positions upon his ruling over his own castle Wolf crest on the lands of House longshore and later marriage to Daenerys Targaryen and ascension to the Iron Throne. This distribution of power created what scholars would later term "the Western Essosi Alliance," a political confederation that would dominate trade and policy in the region for generations.
House Longshore, represented by Owen retained the most strategically valuable territories: Lys with its naval facilities and wealth, the Stepstones with their control of key shipping lanes, Qohor with its unparalleled smiths and artisans, and Volantis with its central position in Essosi trade routes. This collection of holdings, while geographically dispersed, granted House Longshore unprecedented influence over both continental and maritime commerce. The Economic Records of the Iron Bank, partially unsealed during the reign of Queen Lyanna II Targaryen, indicate that within five years of these acquisitions, House Longshore's annual revenues exceeded those of the Iron Throne itself, creating a financial powerhouse that would fundamentally reshape the economic landscape of both continents.
Governing these newly acquired territories posed challenges beyond mere military occupation. The slave-based economies that had sustained these cities for millennia had been decimated, and the social hierarchies that had organized their societies for generations had been violently overturned. Owen Longshore's approach to reconstruction, as documented in the Administrative Codex of Volantis, emphasized rapid infrastructure development, establishment of representative councils that included former slaves, and implementation of public education systems. Most controversially, he instituted what became known as "justice tribunals" – courts specifically tasked with addressing crimes committed under the old slaver regimes, which modern scholars have compared to the truth and reconciliation commissions of much later historical periods.
The elimination of the slavery mentality proved to be a more formidable challenge than the military conquest itself. Generations of cultural conditioning had instilled both masters and slaves with deeply ingrained perspectives that resisted change. The Chronicles of Missandei describe numerous instances of former masters attempting to reassert authority, underground slave markets emerging in remote districts, and even some former slaves seeking to return to their previous positions out of fear of their newfound freedom. Owen Longshore's solution, as outlined in his surviving correspondence with Sansa Stark, was ruthlessly pragmatic: "The old generation cannot be fully reformed; they must simply be contained until time renders them irrelevant. Our focus must be on the children, who can still learn a different way of seeing the world." To this end, he established what became known as the "Free Schools" – educational institutions specifically designed to teach egalitarian values to the younger generation while providing practical skills that would allow them to thrive in the new economic order.
The success of these measures varied considerably across the different regions. In territories directly administered by House Longshore, primary sources indicate relatively rapid social transformation, attributed by many historians to Owen's direct involvement and the application of what contemporary accounts vaguely describe as "enhanced methods." The Qohorik Census conducted fifteen years after liberation shows that approximately 78% of former slaves had established independent businesses or entered skilled professions, while the children of former masters had largely integrated into the new social order, many even intermarrying with families of slave descent. By contrast, regions under other houses' administration showed more uneven progress, with Astapor under House Martell achieving similar success rates, while Yunkai under House Tyrell experienced multiple counter-revolutionary uprisings before stability was finally achieved.
Most impressive among Lord Owen Longshore's achievements were the unprecedented innovations he established throughout the territories under his control. Contemporary administrative records recovered from the Volantene archives document the creation of a standardized educational system modeled loosely on the Citadel, but with crucial differences that would later revolutionize learning throughout the known world. Unlike the exclusively male Citadel, these "Common Schools" accepted students regardless of gender, social origin, or former status, and focused on practical skills alongside traditional knowledge. Within five years of their establishment, literacy rates in Lys rose from an estimated 15% to nearly 60%, according to the census conducted by Maester Wendel, who had been assigned to assist Lord Owen's administrative efforts despite the Citadel's growing wariness of Northern influence.
The healthcare reforms instituted under Lord Owen's direction proved equally revolutionary. The Medical Codex of Qohor, compiled during this period, describes the establishment of what became known as "Houses of Healing" – large facilities staffed by trained physicians who provided care without regard to wealth or status. Most controversial were Lord Owen's stringent hygiene protocols, including mandatory hand washing with specialized soaps, which many traditionalists initially mocked as superstitious nonsense. However, when mortality rates in these institutions dropped dramatically compared to traditional healing centers, resistance quickly faded. Archaeological excavations conducted during the reign of Queen Sansa II Stark uncovered extensive water purification systems beneath these ancient hospitals, utilizing filtration techniques that would not be independently rediscovered for nearly two centuries.
Perhaps most transformative was the creation of a unified policing force, documented in the Enforcement Statutes of Volantis. This organization, initially called the "Guardians of Order" but later simplified to "The Order," replaced the chaotic patchwork of private security forces and noble house guards that had previously maintained a semblance of justice. Lord Owen's insistence that all members of this force be drawn equally from former slaves and former free citizens initially generated fierce resistance, but the detailed training protocols he established – which emphasized de-escalation techniques and proportional response – eventually won widespread support. The recovered journals of Joracho, a former slave who rose to become Commander of the Order in Lys, note that "the Lord's insistence on justice over vengeance was difficult for many to accept, yet proved essential for healing the deep wounds of our society."
The agricultural innovations attributed to Lord Owen remain the subject of heated scholarly debate even in modern times. Contemporary accounts describe glasshouses of unprecedented size appearing virtually overnight throughout the territories, producing harvests "with unnatural frequency and abundance." The Agricultural Records of Volantis claim these structures yielded fresh crops "near weekly in quantities sufficient to feed thousands," defying established understanding of plant growth cycles. Modern historians have generally dismissed such claims as exaggeration, yet archaeological excavations at seventeen separate sites have uncovered remnants of these structures, including peculiar crystalline fragments that the University of New Braavos has conclusively dated to this period. These fragments exhibit properties inconsistent with natural materials, leading some contemporary researchers to reluctantly acknowledge that some form of advanced technology or, more controversially, magical enhancement may indeed have been employed, though the precise mechanisms remain unexplained.
Lady Sansa Longshore (née Stark) proved herself no less revolutionary than her husband, though her efforts focused primarily on social rather than technological transformation. The Women's Codex of Lys, which bears her personal seal, established unprecedented protections for women throughout the territories, most controversially for those engaged in what contemporary documents delicately termed "the pleasure trade." Lys, long infamous for its pleasure houses and sexual slavery, became the testing ground for Lady Sansa's most radical reforms. The codex explicitly prohibited forced prostitution under penalty of death, while simultaneously establishing legal protections for those who chose such work willingly. Modern scholars have noted the remarkably progressive nature of these laws, particularly given Lady Sansa's noble upbringing in the relatively conservative North of Westeros. The personal correspondence between Sansa and her sister Arya, partially preserved in the Winterfell archives, suggests that her experiences witnessing the brutality of court life in King's Landing significantly influenced her perspective on the vulnerability of women in patriarchal societies.
Particularly revolutionary were the healthcare and educational provisions Lady Sansa established for sex workers and their children. The Lyseni Guardian Houses, as they came to be known, provided comprehensive medical care, safe housing, and educational opportunities specifically tailored to this vulnerable population. Archaeological evidence from these facilities, particularly the largest example in Volantis, indicates they were equipped with advanced bathing systems, private sleeping chambers, and extensive classroom spaces. The Memoirs of Madam Doreah, a former pleasure house operator who became the first administrator of the Guardian House in Lys, describes Lady Sansa personally interviewing candidates for teaching positions, insisting that "no woman's child should be denied opportunity due to the circumstances of their birth or their mother's profession." Census records from approximately twenty years after these institutions were established indicate that children raised in Guardian Houses achieved educational outcomes and professional placements comparable to those from merchant families, representing an unprecedented level of social mobility for this previously marginalized population.
The cumulative effect of these reforms, coupled with the infrastructure development and economic policies implemented under Lord Owen's direction, created what contemporary chronicles universally acknowledge as a period of extraordinary prosperity and social advancement throughout the eastern territories. The Economic Records of the Iron Bank document a 300% increase in trade volume across these regions within the first decade of Longshore governance, while population censuses indicate a dramatic decrease in mortality rates and a corresponding increase in life expectancy. The term "Golden Age" first appears in the writings of Valyrio of Lys approximately forty years after these initial reforms, suggesting that the full impact of these changes became apparent only with the benefit of historical perspective. Modern historians generally concur with this assessment, with Archmaester Marwyn's landmark work The Transformation of Essos concluding that "no period before or since has witnessed such rapid and fundamental improvement in the material conditions and social opportunities available to ordinary citizens in these regions."
While Owen Longshore and his allies consolidated their victories and implemented these transformative reforms in the East, the southern regions of Westeros descended into chaos and conflict. King Robert Baratheon's triumphant return from the eastern campaign quickly soured as he discovered the full extent of the betrayals that had occurred during his absence. According to the Chronicles of Ser Barristan Selmy, one of the few Kingsguard who remained loyal throughout this period, the king "roared like a wounded bear" upon learning that Queen Cersei had fled the capital with her remaining children, Myrcella and Tommen Waters, taking refuge in Casterly Rock under the protection of her father, Lord Tywin Lannister. The royal rage only intensified with the discovery that nearly half the royal treasury had disappeared, along with Lord Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin, and Lady Lysa Arryn, the widow of Jon Arryn. Recovered correspondence between Robert and Stannis Baratheon suggests the king initially suspected mere theft, unaware of the deeper conspiracy that had claimed his Hand's life.
The full extent of these machinations was revealed by Grand Maester Pycelle, who, perhaps calculating that honesty might preserve his position, disclosed that Jon Arryn had been poisoned by Lysa Tully and Petyr Baelish after discovering the truth about Cersei's children. According to the Testimony of Ser Arys Oakheart, who witnessed the encounter, the Grand Maester professed ignorance of the murder itself but admitted to suspecting the truth about the royal children's parentage for years. This confession, rather than earning the king's gratitude, sealed Pycelle's fate. In what would become one of the most cited examples of Robert's infamous temper, the king reportedly responded by personally executing the elderly maester with a single blow from his warhammer, Stormblood. The royal steward's accounts note laconically that "considerable expense was required to remove bloodstains from the throne room floor and restore the damaged wall where the maester's remains impacted." This violent episode, coupled with the disappearance of Lord Varys, the Master of Whispers, left the Small Council effectively decimated at precisely the moment when stable governance was most desperately needed.
Consumed by rage and humiliation, King Robert immediately called his banners to march against House Lannister, determined to bring the Westerlands to heel and personally execute those who had betrayed him. The royal proclamation, preserved in the archives of Storm's End, declared Cersei Lannister and Jaime Lannister guilty of treason, adultery, and conspiracy against the crown, while demanding that Lord Tywin surrender both his children and grandchildren for "the king's justice" or face destruction. The document notably refrained from naming Tywin himself a traitor, suggesting either a diplomatic calculation or, as some historians have argued, Robert's reluctance to directly confront the man who had once been his most powerful supporter. Whatever the king's intentions, the proclamation effectively demanded that Lord Tywin choose between his family and his loyalty to the crown – a choice that, for a man who had built his entire reputation on family legacy, was no choice at all.
The response to Robert's call to arms revealed how profoundly the political landscape of Westeros had shifted during the eastern campaign. The Military Records of the Master of War, compiled during the subsequent reign, indicate that while the Stormlands rallied to their liege lord without hesitation, and the Crownlands forces had little choice but to follow their king, support from other regions proved surprisingly limited. The Vale forces, still recovering from their losses in Essos and lacking clear leadership in Lady Lysa's absence, contributed only token forces under Lord Yohn Royce, who made no secret of his reluctance to participate in what he termed a "family quarrel blown beyond all reason." More alarmingly for Robert's prospects, the Reach and Riverlands – whose combined forces might have guaranteed victory – responded with diplomatic equivocation rather than military support. House Tyrell's formal declaration of neutrality, preserved in the Citadel archives, cited "the pressing need to attend to reconstruction and governance of our newly acquired eastern territories" while obliquely suggesting that "matters of royal succession would be more appropriately addressed through a Great Council rather than bloodshed."
House Tully's position proved particularly problematic for Robert's war plans. Lord Hoster Tully, already in failing health, found himself in an impossible position: his daughter Lysa stood accused of regicide, his goodson Eddard Stark had all but declared independence, and his remaining allies in the Riverlands were deeply divided over which side to support. The Private Journals of Maester Vyman reveal that Lord Edmure initially favored supporting Robert out of personal loyalty, while the Blackfish counseled alignment with the North, arguing that "the time of Baratheon has passed, and winter comes for us all." The resulting declaration of neutrality, which the Blackfish reportedly termed "the coward's path that satisfies no one," effectively prevented Robert from accessing the strategically crucial river crossings that would have allowed his forces to approach the Westerlands from the east. This limitation would prove critical in the subsequent military campaign, forcing Robert to adopt a more vulnerable approach through the mountains.
Most surprising – and most damaging to Robert's prestige – was the response from Dorne. Prince Doran Martell's message, delivered later by his brother Oberyn who had recently returned from the eastern campaign, was remarkable for its dismissive brevity. The single parchment, displayed in the Royal Museum of King's Landing until its destruction during the Great Fire, contained only two sentences: "Dorne wishes you good fortune in delivering justice that should have been done years ago. We will watch with interest what becomes of Tywin Lannister's legacy." The pointed reference to Tywin, rather than Cersei or Jaime, underscored the Martells' primary concern: vengeance for the murder of Princess Elia and her children during Robert's Rebellion, crimes widely attributed to Tywin's orders. This response, while technically not a refusal, made it clear that Dorne would offer no assistance to the crown, dealing another blow to Robert's hopes for a unified campaign against the Lannisters.
The North's position during this crisis marked perhaps the most significant shift in the political order that had governed Westeros since Aegon's Conquest. While no formal declaration of independence was issued, contemporary accounts suggest that the northern territories had effectively ceased to recognize Robert's authority following the confrontation in Braavos over Daenerys Targaryen's fate. Lord Eddard Stark's response to Robert's call to arms, preserved in the Winterfell archives, exemplifies this subtle but unmistakable change in relationship: "The North remembers our friendship and the battles we have fought together, Your Grace, but we must now look to our own lands and people, and to the governance of the eastern territories entrusted to our care. We wish you wisdom in resolving these difficult matters of your realm." The careful wording – referring to "your realm" rather than "our realm" – did not escape notice in the Red Keep. According to the Memoirs of Ser Davos Seaworth, Stannis Baratheon reportedly remarked upon reading this message that "Ned has not rebelled; he has simply walked away, which may prove more damaging in the end."
This "silent revolt," as contemporary chroniclers termed it, extended beyond the Stark territories to encompass a significant political realignment throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The Diplomatic Correspondence of Highgarden reveals that during this period, Houses Tyrell, Tully, and Martell all sent representatives to Winterfell, ostensibly to discuss trade agreements and the administration of their eastern holdings but almost certainly to coordinate their political positions vis-à-vis the Iron Throne. These meetings occurred without royal sanction or participation, representing an unprecedented level of independent diplomatic activity among the great houses. The economic dimension of this realignment proved equally significant; the Customs Records of White Harbor indicate that trade between the North and these kingdoms increased dramatically during this period, while commercial exchanges with the Crownlands and Stormlands correspondingly diminished. This pattern suggests the emergence of what modern historians have termed "the Northern Faction" – not a formal alliance, but a loose confederation of interests organized around economic cooperation and tacit political alignment.
The most colorful – and most disputed – episode in this deteriorating relationship between the North and the crown involves the infamous "Deez Nuts" letter supposedly sent from Ice Crest to King's Landing in response to Robert's call to arms. This document, which has not survived but is referenced in multiple contemporary sources, allegedly contained a series of increasingly juvenile insults, culminating in the crude phrase that has since entered common usage in historical discussions of this period. Modern scholarship has largely concluded, as suggested in the Chronicle of Grand Maester Gormon, that this message was almost certainly a forgery, possibly created by enemies of House Longshore to discredit them or simply by court wits seeking to amuse themselves during this tense period. As the chronicle correctly notes, Lord Owen had not yet returned to Ice Crest from his expeditions in the far East when Robert's call to arms was issued, leaving only the heavily pregnant Lady Sansa in residence – and, as Gormon dryly observes, "even in these troubled times, one struggles to imagine the daughter of Eddard Stark addressing the King of the Seven Kingdoms in such terms."
The alleged "Deez Nuts" letter has become the subject of extensive scholarly debate, with the original document long lost but its contents preserved through oral tradition and contemporary references. Recovered fragments from Maester Willem's Chronicles of the Post-Eastern War suggest the missive contained such crude phrases as "Cant kill the Lannisters on your own? Skill issue!" and the now-infamous declaration, "You can suck on DEEZ NUTS, Robert!" Though most serious historians maintained for centuries that such language could never have emanated from Ice Crest during Lord Owen's absence, the discovery of Lord Longshore's personal journal in the hidden vaults beneath the Citadel has forced a reevaluation of this conclusion. The journal entry, dated shortly after his return from Valyria, includes the admission: "I sent instructions to Jon regarding Robert's demands before my arrival. Perhaps my choice of words was... intemperate. The frustrations of Valyria and concerns for Sansa's condition left me with little patience for southern entanglements." This revelation suggests that while Owen may not have physically written the letter himself, he did dictate its confrontational content via magical communication methods referenced elsewhere in his journals.
Robert Baratheon's reaction to this unprecedented diplomatic breach defied all expectations of courtly protocol. According to the personal accounts of Stannis Baratheon, preserved in the Storm's End archives, the king read the message in his brother's presence, snorted with unexpected amusement, and simply continued preparing for his campaign against the Lannisters without comment. Later that evening, after consuming considerable quantities of wine, Robert reportedly declared to his assembled commanders, "That northern smith has bigger balls than all the lords of Westeros combined. If half my bannermen showed such honest spine instead of honeyed words, perhaps my reign wouldn't be this fucking mess." This grudging respect, documented in multiple contemporary sources, explains why no punitive action was ever taken against House Longshore or the North for what would otherwise have constituted treasonous disrespect. The Memories of Ser Barristan Selmy suggest that in Robert's mind, the betrayal of the Lannisters so overshadowed all other concerns that Owen's crude defiance registered as little more than a momentary diversion—perhaps even a welcome one, given the king's appreciation for unvarnished speech.
With the Iron Islands effectively depopulated following the brutal campaign that left House Greyjoy extinct and most of their vassals executed or exiled, this strategically significant region presented both an opportunity and a challenge for the crown. The official records of the Small Council, partially preserved in the Royal Archives, indicate that Stannis Baratheon initially advocated for the islands to be placed under direct crown control, effectively establishing them as a royal province. However, King Robert, impressed by the loyalty and practical wisdom demonstrated by Ser Davos Seaworth throughout both eastern and western campaigns, made the unprecedented decision to elevate the former smuggler to Lord of the Iron Islands. The royal decree, issued in 301 AC and preserved in its entirety in the Seaworth family archives, specifically cites Davos's "uncompromising honesty, practical knowledge of maritime affairs, and demonstrated capacity to transform disadvantage into prosperity" as justifications for this remarkable elevation. The decision scandalized traditional nobility throughout the realm, with Lord Randyll Tarly reportedly declaring that "a common criminal might as well be named Hand of the King"—ironically, a position Davos would indeed hold decades later under another monarch.
Lord Davos's transformation of the Iron Islands stands as one of the most remarkable economic and cultural revolutions in the history of Westeros. Rejecting the Ironborn philosophy of "paying the iron price," Seaworth established what he termed the "honest price"—fair compensation for goods and services rendered through productive labor rather than raiding. Within a decade, the Islands had developed the most sophisticated fishing fleet in the known world, utilizing innovative techniques imported from the North and Essosi territories. The Maritime Records of Pyke document the introduction of deep-sea fishing vessels capable of remaining at sea for months at a time, revolutionizing both the scale and efficiency of the industry. Equally significant were the mining reforms implemented under Seaworth's direction. The Technical Manuals of Lord Davos, compiled during this period and later donated to the Citadel, describe improved ventilation systems, safety protocols, and extraction techniques that doubled iron production while dramatically reducing worker fatalities. Archaeological evidence uncovered during the reign of King Eddard II Targaryen confirms that these improvements incorporated certain elements of design identical to those found in Owen Longshore's northern mines, suggesting a degree of technological sharing that neither realm officially acknowledged at the time.
With his available forces—predominantly drawn from the Stormlands, Crownlands, and supplemented by mercenary companies hastily contracted from the Free Cities—King Robert launched what contemporary chronicles termed "The War of Cuckoldry" against House Lannister. The conflict would last three brutal years, characterized by sieges, atrocities, and destruction that would leave the Westerlands economically devastated for a generation. The Military Chronicles of Ser Addam Marbrand, who fought for House Lannister during this period, describe a campaign of extraordinary savagery, with Robert personally leading many of the assaults and reportedly shouting Cersei's name as he cut down Lannister soldiers. The king's legendary battle prowess, which had diminished during years of peace and excess, returned with terrifying intensity. The Testimony of Ser Arys Oakheart recounts witnessing Robert kill seventeen men during the Battle of Oxcross, including Lord Leo Lefford, whom the king reportedly executed by crushing his skull with Stormblood after the lord surrendered, declaring, "Your gold bought my wife's betrayal. Fair exchange that your blood pays for it."
The unprecedented brutality of this conflict stemmed not merely from Robert's personal rage but from his explicit orders to his commanders. Recovered military dispatches, preserved in the Royal Archives, show that the king authorized tactics that violated longstanding conventions of warfare between noble houses. Most notoriously, after Lannister forces executed peasants who had provided supplies to royal troops, Robert formally sanctioned what became known as the "Harvest of Lion's Blood." This proclamation, which even Stannis Baratheon reportedly opposed, declared that "as the Lannisters have made common cause with treason and incest against the natural order, they have forfeited all protections of noble standing." The practical consequence of this declaration was a campaign of systematic destruction that targeted not only military assets but the entire economic infrastructure of the Westerlands. The Agricultural Records of Casterly Rock document the burning of fields, destruction of mines, and poisoning of wells throughout the region—tactics that would haunt the collective memory of the Westerlands for generations and engender a bitter hatred that would ultimately contribute to the collapse of Baratheon rule.
While Robert's rage focused primarily on the Lannisters, his desire for vengeance extended to all who had betrayed his trust. The royal proclamation issued from his field headquarters at Deep Den in 300 AC established a bounty of fifty thousand gold dragons each for the capture of Petyr Baelish and Lysa Tully—a sum that, adjusted for modern currency values, would exceed twenty million gold dragons today. The document, which survives in the archives of the Royal Treasury, formally stripped Lysa of the Arryn name, declaring that "through her murderous conspiracy against Jon Arryn, Hand of the King and her lawful husband, she has forfeited all rights and privileges associated with that noble house, as has her son, the product of her treasonous union with Petyr Baelish." This declaration, while legally dubious given the king's limited authority over matters of noble lineage, effectively delegitimized Robin Arryn's claim to the Eyrie and the Vale. In the resulting power vacuum, the king appointed Lord Yohn Royce as "Protector of the Vale," bypassing the Arryn cadet branch from Gulltown who might otherwise have pressed their claim. Historical records suggest this decision was motivated less by legal considerations than by Robert's personal trust in Royce, who had demonstrated loyalty during the eastern campaign despite his reservations about the conflict with House Lannister.
While southern Westeros descended into brutal civil war, the North experienced unprecedented prosperity and population growth. The Census Records of White Harbor, compiled by Maester Theomore shortly after this period, document a 73% increase in the city's population over just five years, with similar growth patterns observed in Winterfell, Bear Island, and particularly Ice Crest, which transformed from a modest seaside castle to the second-largest urban center in the North during this period. Contemporary accounts attribute this demographic explosion to three primary factors: the influx of southern smallfolk fleeing the violence and economic collapse caused by the War of Cuckoldry; the arrival of freed slaves from the eastern territories seeking opportunities in the lands of their liberators; and the North's remarkable material prosperity, which created demand for workers across all sectors of the economy. The Customs Records of White Harbor indicate that during this period, grain prices in the North remained stable despite shortages elsewhere, while the widespread implementation of glasshouse technology ensured that fresh vegetables and fruits remained available even during winters, eliminating the seasonal famines that had historically plagued the region.
The North's prosperity during this period extended far beyond mere subsistence, creating what historians now recognize as the first true consumer economy in Westerosi history. Archaeological excavations conducted at Wintertown during the reign of Queen Lyanna II Targaryen uncovered extensive evidence of luxury goods in modest households, including silk garments, spiced wines, and decorative metalwork—items that would have been utterly inaccessible to commoners in previous generations. The Guild Records of Winterfell document the establishment of over thirty new craft associations during this five-year period, including specialized trades that had never before existed in the North, such as clockmakers, lens grinders, and mechanical engineers. Most remarkably, the Banking Ledgers of White Harbor, partially unsealed during the reign of King Brandon IV Stark, reveal that approximately 40% of northern households maintained some form of savings account or investment position—a level of financial inclusion unprecedented anywhere in the known world at that time. This broad-based prosperity created not merely economic growth but a fundamental shift in social structures, as traditional feudal relationships evolved toward what modern scholars term "industrial patronage," wherein skilled laborers enjoyed unprecedented social mobility and economic security.
The North's transformation from a remote, harsh region to a center of innovation and prosperity soon attracted attention far beyond Westeros. The Diplomatic Registry of Ice Crest records the arrival of emissaries from realms as distant as Yi Ti, Asshai, and the Summer Islands, all seeking trade agreements, technological exchange, or simply to verify the extraordinary reports that had reached their lands. Most notably, the Chronicles of the Azure Emperor document the dispatch of Prince Wei from the court of Yi Ti, who arrived with a fleet of treasure ships bearing jade, silk, and spices as gifts for "the Smith-Lord who has wakened the sleeping dragons of the world." The Trading Records of the Jalvathi, a prominent Qartheen trade cartography, reveals that merchant vessels began altering century-old shipping routes to include stops at White Harbor and Ice Crest, despite the navigational challenges posed by the narrow sea. This international recognition brought not only commercial opportunities but also a remarkable cultural exchange, as scholars, artisans, and adventurers from throughout the known world converged on the North, creating what the historian Maester Kennet would later term "the First Northern Renaissance"—a period of artistic and intellectual flowering that would fundamentally reshape northern culture and eventually influence the entire continent.
No aspect of this cultural transformation proved more controversial—or more consequential for the future bloodlines of Westeros—than the unconventional marital arrangements of House Longshore. The Marriage Registry of Winterfell records only the official union between Owen Longshore and Sansa Stark, conducted according to northern tradition before the heart tree in 297 AC. However, contemporary accounts and later genealogical research confirm that this primary relationship expanded to include numerous additional partners, most formally documented as "concubines" but treated in practice with status nearly equivalent to Lady Sansa herself. This arrangement, while scandalous by Westerosi standards, reflected both Owen Longshore's unique position beyond the traditional constraints of feudal hierarchy and, more surprisingly, the active participation of Lady Sansa in expanding their household. The Private Correspondence of Catelyn Stark, recovered during renovations to Riverrun in the reign of King Aemon II, reveals the Lady of Winterfell's profound distress at these developments. In a letter to her sister Lysa (which evidently never reached its intended recipient), Catelyn laments that "Sansa has embraced customs that would make even the Dornish blush, not merely tolerating her husband's wandering eye but actively encouraging it. Ned insists we must respect her choices as a woman grown, but I cannot reconcile this behavior with the daughter I raised."
Perhaps most surprising to contemporary observers was Lady Sansa's active role in these arrangements. According to the Memoirs of Willas Tyrell, his sister Margaery initially visited Ice Crest in 301 AC as part of a diplomatic mission to negotiate expanded trade agreements between the Reach and the North. The delegation departed three months later with these agreements secured—along with Margaery herself, who remained as a "permanent ambassador" to House Longshore. Willas recounts receiving a letter from his sister explaining her decision: "Lady Sansa herself approached me, not Lord Owen as one might expect. Her proposal was as unconventional as it was compelling—a place in a household that will shape the future of both continents, with guarantees that any children born of this union would receive lands, titles, and opportunities comparable to what House Tyrell might provide." Similar accounts appear in the Secret Archives of Sunspear, which document Princess Arianne Martell's integration into the Longshore household later that same year, ostensibly as part of a mutual defense arrangement against potential aggression from the Iron Throne, but evidently with more intimate dimensions. Prince Oberyn's correspondence with his brother Doran, partially preserved in these archives, notes with characteristic dry humor that "the daughter of Winterfell proves to have more Dornish blood than anyone suspected. She negotiates in the solar and seduces in the bedchamber with equal skill, leaving one uncertain whether one has been diplomatically outmaneuvered or merely thoroughly bedded."
The expansion of House Longshore's unorthodox family continued beyond the noble houses of Westeros. The Customs Registry of White Harbor documents the arrival of Val, a prominent spearwife from the Free Folk, who had reportedly impressed both Lord Owen and Lady Sansa during negotiations over land grants for wildling settlements south of the Wall. Similarly, the Diplomatic Records of Braavos note that Bellegere Otherys, the famous "Black Pearl" who claimed descent from Aegon IV Targaryen, visited Ice Crest ostensibly to discuss shipping agreements but remained as a permanent resident of the castle. Perhaps most diplomatically significant was the arrival of Princess Lin-Wei of Yi Ti, whose Personal Chronicles, translated and preserved in the University of White Harbor, describe her initial mission to secure technological exchange between the Azure Empire and the North, followed by her decision to remain as a "bond of flesh and blood between two great realms." The pattern established in these relationships became increasingly clear: women of exceptional beauty, intelligence, and political significance being formally incorporated into House Longshore through arrangements that combined diplomatic, economic, and personal dimensions. While polygamous and polyandrous arrangements existed in various cultures throughout the known world, the scale and systematic nature of House Longshore's approach—and particularly the active participation of Lady Sansa in identifying and recruiting these partners—represented a unique social experiment without clear historical precedent.
The consequences of these unconventional unions would fundamentally reshape the bloodlines and power structures of both Westeros and Essos for generations to come. Genealogical records compiled during the reign of Queen Elenei Longshore-Tyrell confirm at least twenty-seven legitimate children born to Owen Longshore and his various partners, each of whom received significant lands, titles, or commercial enterprises as their inheritance. The Succession Treaties of House Longshore, drafted with unprecedented detail and legal precision, established what modern historians term a "distributed inheritance model," wherein traditional primogeniture was replaced by a system that assigned specific assets and territories to each child based on their individual abilities and interests. The Citadel Genealogy confirms that within three generations, descendants of Owen Longshore had married into every major house in Westeros and established ruling dynasties in Lys, Volantis, and two provinces of Yi Ti. Most notably, the later Targaryen restoration occurred through the female line descended from Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow (Aemon Targaryen), whose granddaughter Rhaella married Owen Longshore's second son by Arianne Martell, combining these two exceptional bloodlines. The cultural impact of these unions was equally significant; the Religious Chronicles of the Faith document the emergence of what Septons termed "Longshore heresy"—the practice of plural marriage among certain noble houses claiming descent from Owen, which persisted despite official condemnation well into the following century.
Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of House Longshore's unconventional family structure emerges when examining the death records of Owen's partners. The Burial Registry of Ice Crest, which meticulously documents the interment of castle residents from its foundation through the reign of King Aemon III, contains no entries for Lady Sansa, Lady Margaery, Princess Arianne, or any of the other prominent women who shared Owen's bed and bore his children. This absence is particularly striking given the exhaustive nature of these records, which account for every other member of the household staff down to kitchen assistants and stable hands. The Death Records of Winterfell similarly contain no mention of Lady Sansa's passing, despite covering the period well beyond her expected natural lifespan. This curious omission has spawned numerous theories among historians and smallfolk alike. The most prosaic explanation, offered by Archmaester Perestan in his Examination of Northern Burial Customs, suggests that House Longshore may have practiced private burials in some undiscovered location, perhaps as a security measure to prevent desecration of their remains. More fanciful interpretations emerged among the descendants of House Longshore, who for generations maintained that "Lord Owen always returned for them when their time in this world was complete, taking them beyond to continue their lives together in realms unknown." This legend gained such prominence that it entered the folk traditions of the North, with popular songs such as "The Smith's Gathering" and "Beyond the Final Forge" celebrating the supposed immortality of House Longshore's founding generation.
Throughout the following centuries, House Longshore's influence spread across continents with the inexorability of the tides they were named for, their bloodlines interweaving with royal houses both ancient and new. Archaeological evidence from the Great Expansion era (circa 700-900 AC) confirms their pivotal role in the technological revolutions that transformed society—from the steam-powered automatons that built the transcontinental railways to the crystalline communication networks that eventually connected Westeros with Essos, Yi Ti, and even the distant shores of Ulthos. The Global Census Records compiled by the United Citadel during the Millennium Celebration quantified what historians had long observed: approximately 42% of the world's ruling class carry some measure of Longshore blood, their genetic markers distinctly traceable to Owen and his various partners through modern blood-magery techniques.
While ancient houses like the Starks and Targaryens still maintain their ancestral seats—albeit with significantly reduced territorial holdings and political influence—it is the Longshore Imperial Line descended directly from Owen and Sansa that holds true global authority. The current rulers, Emperor Torrhen Longshore IX and his wife Empress Visenya (herself a distant descendant of both Targaryen and Martell-Longshore branches), preside over a world where airships cross oceans, mechanized dragons patrol skies, and their citizens access knowledge instantly through spell-crystals that would have amazed even Owen himself. Perhaps most remarkable is the preservation of certain magical traits within the Imperial bloodline—the distinctive silver-blue eyes that appeared first in Owen and Sansa's recorded transformed forms, the uncanny longevity that sees many Longshores live beyond 150 years, and the inherent affinity for techno-magical crafting that led the popular press to dub them "The Family That Forged Tomorrow." As we celebrate the Emperor's centennial this year, one cannot help but reflect that the greatest legacy of Owen Longshore was neither his weapons nor his wealth, but the dynasties of exceptional individuals who continue to shape our world, just as he shaped theirs. Long live Emperor Torrhen Longshore and Empress Visenya of Planetos!
—Maester Aver, 2030, Ice Crest College of History
Comments
Tyler Karp
Thank you for the chapter
Jar Jar Bingus
Thank you for posting the chapter inside Patreon; very appreciated
Rachel N
MAGNIFICENT CHAPTER!!!
rockus4
Why would they doubt his magic it should be fairly obvious especially with plenty of respected first hand accounts
