closed starter for karlon stark @hauntedcvll on the road from the westerlands
It felt wrong to question it. To question the choices of the gods, and yet here she stood. Waiting for some kind of message from the wind, the earth from the gods. Yet none came. Lyanna would apologize later, kneel in front of the heart tree and beg the gods forgiveness for questioning. Only for questioning their choices, never doubting them. Should there ever come a day Lyanna doubted the gods she would throw herself from the highest point in Karhold. The creatures would not feast on her body, the winds would not take her ashes. She would stay and rot where she fell.
A gasp tore from her throat when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "your grace!" Quickly she stood, her hands gripping tightly to her tunic. "i didn't hear you. i was... praying."
closed starter for alina grafton @romanceur during the masquerade ball
Be Kind. The sound of her sister's voice played in her head. No matter what they were truly doing there, what the plan actually was, she had to do it. Meera and Dacey both told her she needed to be more understanding. They had allies who were of other faiths. They had family who worshiped the seven. It was a test of herself to not try to scream the falsehoods of the new gods to her cousins. Let alone strangers.
Though she could try. She had to try. It was important to speak with those who'd shown up for House Stark. Once that had a true solid foundation she would make sure they heard the word of the true gods. The gods who chose the one they called King. That was why she was near Alina Grafton. Lyanna had waited until she heard a name before she spoke to someone, assurance that they were someone worthy of speaking to. "lady grafton, a pleasure to see you again."
closed starter with arnolf stark @solwinters on the road from the westerlands
It wasn't her right to question the word of gods chosen. Whatever choices were made by House Stark was what the gods demanded. Lyanna knew this, it had been from her lips that the most fervent of praises came. Leaving Gilliane behind had to be a declaration of the gods. Just as the dragon had to be. No matter how the creature made her stomach churn. She had to keep the faith.
Questioned plagued her, hesitance surrounded her with every breeze, with every touch of the gods. Lyanna's hands were clasped tightly when she noticed Arnolf walk past. The hesitance couldn't hold her and she followed after him. "arnolf..." It felt wrong to question, but she had to ask. "i must speak with you. please."
Rayla could barely believe her eyes. A dragon! Now! Commanded by the North! Half of her was in awe, and half of her was angry that she was left in the dark about such a thing. She was also from the North, espionage reasons aside Rayla thought she had a right to know a giant fire-breathing monster was being raised right besides her home!
She sat in the infirmary frustrated, sling around her neck. In the ensuing chaos, Rayla's arm was crushed and broken. Not only that, Lord Lewys ordered all the Northerners to be arrested. The rough treatment from the guards only damaged her arm further. Erryk could have at least let them know what she looked like so she would receive better! The joke would be on The Master of Whispers, though. Her writing arm was broken so he shouldn't expect any messages from Rayla until her bones set! That fact almost made Rayla cackle out loud.
Her imaginary laughter was interrupted by the sharp pain in her arm making her yelp. The maester approached with a flask of the poppy “If you approach me once more with that, I’ll be sure to shove that flask up your-” She was interrupted when a liege arrived by her cotside. “Have you come to mock me for my fall, my liege?” Rayla questioned sharply. “I’m sure there’s plenty of other prisoners to ridicule besides me”
Arguments with her family over the gods were often, her Manderly cousins worshiped the wrong gods she knew. And yet she could not help but love them. Hearing that Rayla had been hurt set her heart pounding. There had been much confusion when everything started and watching anyone in particular had been impossible.
Sneering at the maesters insistence at bothering the woman, Lyanna nearly pushed the old man aside to reach her cousin. "i would never mock you." Holding their unbroken hand she picked apart her appearance. "i've prayed to the old gods for you." The biggest complement from the young winter sun. "are they hurting you? are people coming in here to mock you? i will do whatever i can to stop this." Truly she had no power, but there had to be something to be done.
who: open ( to northerners on their way back home ) !
the lady of karhold stares off, aimlessly, as she rides atop her horse. not her usual steed, of course, but this will have to do. she has been in somewhat of daze ever since they'd left, luckily having escaped without any injury. at least to her body. her heart? well, that is a different matter.
gilliane is back there.
and though the last time the two of them had spoke had been… well, tense, that did not matter. though the distance between them had only grown, no love had been lost – at least not on her end. so with her gone, she is simply… not well. the pace of her horse slows, eventually barely more than a crawl, before stopping altogether.
“st – stop,” she calls out weakly to the others alongside her. “sorry, i just… i need a moment,” she clarifies, voice a bit more stern now. she manages to guide her horse off to the side of the road, and hops down, the leans up against a tree. leaning her head back, she lets her eyes flutter shut for a moment.
Leaving the way they had, had torn at the woman. Why it had to be Gilliane who stayed they wouldn't understand, but the gods demanded it. That was the truth she'd been given. Lyanna would never dare to argue with the gods, they knew all and she accepted all. Even still she felt the brutal sting of their choice.
Dacey's word catches her off guard, the whispers of the wind busy filling her ears, leaving little time for the words of the world. If it hadn't been her sister she may not have heard. There had been a time where Lyanna glared at her sister from afar, a jealous child who wanted what the other had.
"i'm sorry." She breathes, her hand reaching to her elder sisters. "can i help?"
[ anamaria vartolomei. karstark c. twenty-three. cis-woman. she/her. ] the king welcomes lyanna of house karstark of karhold ! all of court has heard that they are spiritual and dauntless, but whispers claim that they are also vengeful and phlegmatic when no one is looking … how much of that is true, we will soon find out. asking around, we are told that they remind people of standing alone on a rocky cliff looking over the lands below, hands clasped tightly kneeling at the heart tree, fingers blistered from pulling a bow string, and a longing for what's beyond the wall ─ that should give the bards something to sing about ! unbeknown by most, gathering support for the north and spreading the word of the old gods. is the real reason why they answered the call of the king, but with so many rumors flying around, who is to say what the truth is ?
trigger warnings: injuries, fanaticism
i. statistics
name: lyanna karstark. age: 23. date of birth: march 4th. place of birth: karhold castle. gender: cis-woman. pronouns: she/her. sexual orientation: pansexual. religion: old gods. title: lady of karhold. languages: common tongue. affiliation: house karstark and house stark.
faceclaim: lily rose depp. hair color: brown. hair style: straight, long and worn in northern braids. eye color: brown. height: 5'5. distinguishing characteristics: slight discoloration in fingers and toes from healed frostbite, calloused fingers, small scar on the right side of her chin. signature scent: lavender and grass.
mbti: infp. character alignment: chaotic good. positive traits: spiritual, dauntless, reliable, meticulous, reverent and astute. negative traits: vengeful, phlegmatic, fanatical, sanctimonious, opinionated, and sly. primary vice: wrath. primary virtue: diligence. character parallels: jayne eyre, katara, melisandre, rhaenys targaryen, and torvi.
mother: su karstark nee wull (deceased). father: varly karstark (deceased). sibling(s): two older siblings. others: ruling lord robett karstark (grandfather), myranda manderly nee karstark (aunt/deceased) & house manderly (maternal cousins)
ii. background & personality
the youngest child of varly and su karstark you're kept close to your mother. spirited and happy you're loved and cherished. but you're a karstark, your mother is from the mountain clans of the north. you have to be strong. you have to survive the winter and you have to survive karhold. you're soft but not delicate. your father hands you a bow and tells you, you have to learn. so you do.
your grandfather and father fight in the war, they spit on the ground as he go but they still fight. your father tells you to pray to the gods that he returns. that the men of the north return from the south and pray you do. you're in the godswood more than anyone, hands pressed firmly on the face of the hart tree. begging the old gods for their safe return.
robett karstark had left to die in war, it was the oldest ways, to not burden the family the elderly go to fight to have an honorable death. when he returns unharmed you rush to tell him you prayed to the gods for hours every day. the people of karhold thank you, they smile and say your prayers worked. you see it as a sign. the old gods listened to you, they brought men home safe, others died but you simply didn't pray enough for them.
you burry yourself in the stories of the old, the children of the forest, wargs, skinchangers, greenseers. you wish that was you. you wished you could be connected to the gods as those people are. so you keep praying. you always pray. but nothing awakens. you never give up, you could never give up. not on the gods.
when you're sent to white harbor you love the city, you love the sea and you love being with your family. white harbor is a new world. the septs are a new world. you turn your nose up to the septa when she speaks to you, you have no need for their new gods, the false gods. some of the people explain that it's just the way it is in white harbor, that house manderly still respects their gods and they're undyingly loyal to the starks.
you understand, you tell her it's fine. but whenever you can, you speak the words of the old gods to the people in the city. you wouldn't offend your family by disrespecting them, they've never disrespected you. but you wish they would see the truth, you want them to see how the old gods save the north, they save them. especially wylla, you want her saved the most. they're your best friend.
when word of an accident befalling your grandfather reaches white harbor you leave for karhold. lord robett was attacked by some creature, his side is open and he has a deep cut on his face. they grow infected and you run to the godswood. you pray to save him, you pray for him to live. and live he does. he's not the same, but he's alive. he's still the head of house karstark. only now your father has to speak in his place.
you're in white harbor again, your father traveling to speak to your cousins of your grandfather's injury in detail with your uncle wyllis. again you choose to stay. you invite people to the godswood with you. but this only lasts for a short time. winter comes and pulls you back to karhold. every northern house knows how to survive a winter, winter is in your blood. but this one is harsher than the others. for a short time the crown sends supplies across the realm. eventually that stops. and it seems the winter gets even harsher when this happens.
help comes only from those in the north, houses have little to spare and karhold is a harsh place to reach. even house manderly can only send so much. it's so cold outside that you can't make it to the godswood, you say it will be okay. people of karstak lands start dropping, your father dies and your mother dies shortly after. you run to the godswood and you stay there. you're not sure how long but when you wake up you're in the castle again. frostbite has started eating at your fingers and toes, your body is cold. you don't leave the bed for over a month.
but then, spring comes. spring comes, your grandfather is alive and it was because of your prayers. the old gods heard you, they blessed you. you know one day they'll see you and truly let you join them in their magics. but for now you have to wait for it, you have to help spread the way of the old gods back to westeros. and you have to stand by house stark. they're the only ones who've ever truly cared about their people, they're the ones who the gods have blessed. house karstak has always supported house stark.
house stark must rule again. and you must be the voice in the wind. if you can spread the word of the old gods you can spread the word of those they wish to rule.
iii. wanted connections
oldest sibling and acting liege: torn between loving their grandfather and not being respected as head of their house when their grandfather can't speak more than two words at a time.
people who know she's dangerous: she's a fanatic, it's for the old gods but she's still a fanatic. she could very well become dangerous. and is at sometimes.
a lover? she's a lesbian so it would have to be a woman. but there are a lot of ways this could go if anyone was interested.
people who want to hear about the old gods, close friends, she is open for everything.
"The north, or the North, or the winterlands is one of the constituent regions of Westeros and was a sovereign nation ruled by Kings in the North before Aegon's Conquest. The largest region of the Seven Kingdoms, the dominion of House Stark extends from the border of the New Gift, which is controlled by the Night's Watch, to the southern edge of the Neck far to the south.
The north has been ruled by the Starks for thousands of years from the castle known as Winterfell. The only city in the region is White Harbor, while the most prominent northern towns are the winter town and Barrowton. Notable bannermen of the region include Bolton, Cerwyn, Dustin, Flint, Glover, Hornwood, Karstark, Manderly, Mormont, Reed, Ryswell, Tallhart, and Umber. Bastards of noble origin raised in the north are given the surname Snow."
