House Wilder

## Overview

House Wilder is a Riverland house that is well known for its army strength, despite being a relatively small house its capable of being fierce and respected on the battlefield. Though for many the battlefield is the only place to fear it as there also known for having little presence in politics and being reliant on others in its economics the house nevertheless maintains a presence throughout its history, especially in the Brightflame Era where its involvement in several key moments in the various wars was crucial to how the Kingdom grew from them.

## The Beginning

House Wilder started from House Subare, one of there greatest rivals was at first an ally of sorts. A rumor had popped up in a village from House Subare, of a mill wench who had an affair with the Lord or Knight of the Subare's of Trident's Point, and that this affair had produced a son. The wench told the story of how her boy was really a Subare, and while bastards are hardly anything uncommon Lord Subare was in the middle of courting another Lady of a prestigious house who wouldnt stand for such rumors being true and there daughter being treated like a second fiddle to a random women. But if the women was threatened or silenced then many would feel the rumors were true anyway. Ser Ben Subare, Lord Kent Subare's brother took it upon himself to take the kid himself and leave for some time placating the wench into ceasing her stories since her son would be cared for by a respected knight. whether the rumors are true or not can never be said but what can be said is that Ben took a shining to the lad who proved to be a promising fighter and began to legitimately train him in the arts of warfare which he took up better then reading or other things, and his demeanor made him actually welcome with the Subares themselves, he almost felt like family to them. When the Dance of Dragons broke out, the young lad Norbert served in the war, nervous as any young man could possibly be in such a time when Dragons fought dragons. Helping the Riverlands for the Blacks Norbert had his first real taste of battle trying to combat the Brackens, helping in the Taking of Stonehenge and forcing the Riverlands to fully commit to the Blacks. Norbert would soon have his first real taste of defeat at the Battle of the Red Fork before he would come back alongside the subare's and help in the Battle by the Lakeshore where he was wounded saving Ben's life and knighted while healing. Taking his time to rest in the Riverlands while avoiding the occasional raids by Aemond One eye scorching the land Norbert befriended the young Kermit Tully in his time given both of them being relatively young and would eventually be brought onto his host for the rest of the war. Norbert wouldnt see real combat again until he made it to Tumbleton where he nearly died during the battle between dragons that followed. The Last battle would be on the Kingsroad before the war finally ended, and Norbert was forever changed by the events that followed.

When he returned home Norbert looked more of a man then before, rather then the plucky and slightly eccentric child that was marched off to help fight it, and he felt great whereas most were understandably shaken by the brutality of the horrific war. He would soon find a new boon in the castle of House Borkos Gallow's Den, the last lord fought for the Green's alongside the Brackens and was killed shortly before the Bracken's submission, and with no heirs or even a wife to speak of. So the matter of who would take the castle became a point of contention but no one dared make for the claim of it while there were other matters to be made, but now that the new King had been crowned and the winner decided people started to turn there sights to who should take Gallows Den, of the people who had the position to do so many attempted to press there claims through any marriages into the house between them both families of the Subare's pressed there's through there previous ownership of the castle and through political maneuvering they more or less overshadowed any other candidate that the new Lord Tully had to choose between them...but he chose a solution he thought most appropriate and instead under the rumor of Norbert being a Subare bastard appointed the new knight the castle instead. He knew the Subare's were friends with him and assumed that they would be happy for his ascension as a landed knight, Norbert was ecstatic and actually planned to pledge himself to the Subare's as a vassal with his own castle, but both were proven wrong. The Subare's as a whole shunned Norbert for what they perceived to be treachery, even Ben who Norbert had grown to love like a brother didnt seem pleased and when they talked subtly tried to goad Norbert into turning down the offer and instead taking up service with the Subare's as a house knight, claiming that trying to rule a castle was work he'd never accomplish and he'd be much better off with them then on his own. After all his hard work, the man was not pleased by this, he had a chance to make a better life for himself and his family so he refused to let the moment pass him up but knowing the Subare's would never respect his rule over the castle if he pledged to them he remained separate vowing he would make due on his own. To add insult to injury he started giving himself his own name, Norbert Wilder after the infamous Wilder Subare who took the Subare's valued Valyrian steel sword to Essos when he had a falling out with his brother, the insult was clear and the rift was obvious between the two families. Norbert started to set up in castle which he renamed Wild's Den.

## Norbert's reign

Soon into his control he soon found that Ben no matter how condescending he was to him had a point on one matter, many of the River Lords were not so keen on someone who was not even 5 years ago a peasant squire being a landed knight, and given how young he was (Being only 19) he had many hurdles to overcome that he seemed ill fit to accomplish. But he did receive a great deal of help from the Maester of the castle, Oron a man in his 60's with a great deal of knowledge to provide Norbert, guiding him through trying to win favors from his people and slowly securing some semblance of alliances, he made good ground as well especially when he performed well in a tourney meant to help raise morale impressing others with his combat skills, 2 years into his rule he was courting a noble women, though was still facing some blockades from the man's father who was unsure of how good it was to allow such a marriage. Norbert soon convinced him but not by words but by blood. A man calling himself the last living relative house House Borkos Keany Borkos, a son of a son that went to travel the world had come back to reclaim his throne and called Norbert a poor excuse for a ruler, he had brought with him a sellsword company and his families sword (One they had stolen from House Subare no less) as proof of his claims and began spreading rumors about Norbert and his family before declaring that he would take his come back by force. Keany tried to rely on the fact that the Subare's still hated Norbert to gain them as allies for himself, offering to pledge himself to there service if they removed him, but the Subare's refused sending him a letter telling him that if he was so confident that Norbert was unworthy of the seat he should have no need for help taking it. Kermit Tully offered to help Norbert not wanting some upstart to take a reward he himself had given but Norbert turned it down wanting to prove his worth himself as he marched out with his armies to deal with this man. Keany Borkos never even made it to the castle he called his own, instead when he heard Norbert was coming for him he set up a defensive camp to try and hold him off at the pass, but he underestimated how much time he had, or how fast Norbert was willing to end things, falsely assuming the young man would be too hesitant to strike so soon. Norbert instead went as fast as he could without exhausting his men, never stopping expect to rest and caught his forces before there defense was ready, rushing them immediately the sellsword army was smashed into and in some areas scattered rather then die that day. Keany himself attempted to rally what he could but was killed attempting to hold the line and the rest of his army was smashed and beaten into submission by Norbert.

The victory did everything it needed to for the lad, as it impressed some of the more skeptical Riverlords that Norbert could at least defend his home, most important was Lord Wode who finally allowed there marriage to be accepted, thus Norbert married May Wode and was looking more and more like a lord by the day. He took the family sword Keany held so importantly and with this was advised to return to the Subare's knowing that it was theres first and might help mend the bridge his taking of Wild's den started. In this Norbert refused instead placing the sword on the wall of his main hall as a trophy of his victory, needless to say this did not go over well with the Subare's who Norbert in his youth and bitter arrogance was now trying to make a public enemy of. Soon his marriage produced sons, Colt, Jarek, and Crispin and Norbert felt content in his life and where he was knowing that he had truly improved his life for the better. Though the itch for action always called to him, and when King Daeron I called his men to war agaisnt Dorne Norbert was there to answer it. He and his two eldest sons, Colt and Jarek marched out with him, fighting in two battles that helped push out the enemy before they marched on Sunspear to force the Martells to surrender, proving that despite there boasts they could very much be bent and broken. Sadly it was the last battle Norbert would fight as he suffered a wound that he would spend the rest of the year recovering from and later succumbed to a sickness that many attributed to some poison caused by the Dornish, The First Lord of Wild's Den was never the same after the painful procedure it took to heal but he was proud of his boys, the issue with Dorne wasnt over though as the rebellion caused King Daeron marched out again to quell the rebellious Dornish and while three Wilder's marched out to help him It was Norberts three sons as the Lord was still too sick to do much more then walk and stroll with a horse, he was in no condition to fight. Though he got no bad signs he was devastated to hear how the conquest had gone, once again Daeron won every battle but he soon died by treachery of the Dornish in a ambush disguised as peace talks. And during the battles he won his eldest Colt had fallen to a Dornish spear, ending his young and promising life. King Baelor allowed the Dornish to remain independent, further upsetting Norbert he had gotten injured in Dorne, lost a son and they had gained nothing for there effort. While he recovered from the scars and wounds he had gained from his time there he heard that his old friend ben Subare passed away in Dorne. They had not spoken to each other pleasantly since Norbert was given the castle and he expected he would feel indifferent but Norbert was devastated by the news, for all he felt of the man now he knew none of it wouldnt have been accomplished without his training and he regretted never making amends with him. He decided to start then and offered the sword he had kept from them to the Subare's though they were slow to take his offers of friendship they slowly warmed to him despite the protests of his sons who felt he was the one they should be apologizing too. Norbert would hear none of it and maintained his approach to mend the bridge between them until his death a few years later, attributed to the sickness that had taken him since the Conquest. His son Jarek took control after that.

## Jarek's reign

Jarek started his reign as lord in 165AC at the age of Seven and Twenty. Like his father he was considered charming, skilled with sword and spear and had a sound military mind. Unlike his father he lacked any capacity to forgive slights, and thus he harbored a hatred for all of Dorne for the death of his brother Colt and poisoning of his father which he blamed for Norberts change in character near the end of his life. He quickly set about planning a means to get back at the Subare's in a more decisive means training his men he spent the next few years molding the Wilder Elite guard known as the Bloody Honor's, based off there house name. He also built up alliances and soon married Jenny Butterwell, who gave him his first son Sam in 172 AC to further his houses influence before he and Crispin organized a plan of attack and provoked a war with there rivals in the Subare in the year 179. The first Wilder-Subare war saw Jarek and Crispen lead two small armies to try and overwhelm the Subare's. Jarek beat the initial army Lead by Lord Titus Subare before Connar Subare later pushed him back when Jarek was trying to raid there villages, he was saved from being trapped by Connor's vanguard when Crispin reinforced his men leading to the final battle where the Subare line was penetrated by the Bloody Honor's surprising fortitude allowing the Wilder Calvary to rally and overpower the opposition and catch Connor from behind and force a surrender. Jarek was harsh in his peace terms forcing the Subare's to return the sword Norbert gave them and paying them for the next few years, this gave the Wilder's a rather brutish reputation but Jarek was confident that this only strengthened there power.

Jarek would soon give birth to several more children, his twins a boy named Jonos and a girl named Alys in 174 AC, then a third born son in 180 AC named Matek, and finally his last child, a girl he named Myla and lived in relative peace participating in tourneys and melee's where he could and maintaining friendships with many houses, and rivalries with others and his hatred with the Subare's grew after Connor in a joust killed Crispin, though he swore it was an accident Jarek nearly had the men killed and likely would have lost his head if not for his wife calming him. Like many others he also took to the warrior Daemon Blackfyre over the bookish King Daeron especially because of his lingering hatred for the Dornish that were in his court for the deaths to his family they caused, decades after the fact. When the issues finally lead to the Blackfyre Rebellion, Jarek wasted little time pledging to there cause and like his father before him he marched off to war with his two eldest sons, eager to prove there valor on the battlefield and finally put a king worth fighting for on the Iron Throne. When House Tully pledged for the crown Jarek fought his way out of the loyalist territory leaving his commander at arms with a garrison to defend his castle from potential sieges, though either because of the castles lack of strategic value no such siege ever came and instead followed under Fireball securing victories in the Westerlands, fighting in 4 battles before moving to accompany the rebels forces in the Riverlands to fight alongside King Daemon. Sadly the only battle he would get the honor to do so was at Redgrass Field where Jarek and his sons fought fiercely for there King and Jarek killed 2 Loyalist lords at the battle but he watched as his son Sam was killed on the battlefield, Jonos was injured and then Daemon, the king he had sacrificed so much for was killed by the Raven's Teeths archers while he tended to an enemy. Jarek was forced to take his surviving son and retreat, his nephew Thorin fled along with Bittersteel and would retreat to Essos escaping any persecution. Jarek and the rest of his family weren't as lucky, under Daerons harsh punishments they lost many of the land gains they made from the war with the Subare's and his eldest son, Jonos was taken as a prisoner, at the behest of his rivals who convinced the king that taking a son would rightly hurt Jarek more. An accurate declaration as Jarek knew he had well and truly lost both of his sons, leaving just Matek of his remaining boys.

Near the end of the year his loving wife passed away and Jarek soon pushing 60 years old felt broken, his eldest daughter Alys did his best to take care of him but this only angered Jarek more, rather then the proud man who felt he had created a boon in there life he now felt like he had destroyed House Wilder more then he thought the Dornish ever did, it was too much for him to bear and when the Subare houses turned against one another Jarek in anger marched out to assist one of them. At his age he knew it was likely a death sentence but dying on the battlefield felt more fitting then withering in the castle, true to this belief Jarek only survived one more battle before he finally fell, slain by a younger and faster axemen in 197 AC

## Matek's Reign

Matek wasnt sure he was actually going to become lord even when Jarek died, he initially assumed his older sister would rise up to the task but Alys was not one for leadership and the first month made that apparent, broken up by all the loved ones she had lost and not as skilled in politics and lacking the skill to gain friends through the tactics of her father Matek soon found himself in the role, there was never a specific point it became official but after the first year everyone knew that he was going to be the lord for the foreseeable future. And being only 17 when he started he was the youngest lord of House Wilder's young lifespan and looked rather vulnerable. Lacking the build or skill of his father or siblings he knew he could never take the respect Norbert or Jarek did through skill at arms, instead he would need his wit. And if there was anything Matek could do, it was use his head when he needed to, navigating politics with what little influence he had after the war Matek slowly brought House Wilder back up, making the right deals with the various houses both in and out of the Riverlands, still despite being much more pragmatic he wasnt immune to the hatred of the Subare's that plagued his father and wasnt above slighting them if he knew he could get away with it. But one thing Matek could be praised for above all was his patience, his actions never bore fruit immediately but Matek stayed on course and slowly watched them work in his favor, his sister Myla even saying that his foresight was unmatched even by the visions of those with dragon blood.

The most interesting thing about Matek was the rumor of his participation with the vanishing of Jonos Wilder from the Capital. When he was missing from the city a search was sent out for him but nothing came of it and then naturally when the crowns forces came knocking on his door, seeing as he was first suspect, but Jonos couldnt be found in his keep either something Matek laughed at when first questioned about it. "My Lord, I have the family history equivalent of dirt with specks of nobility in me, no history of magic tricks or special blood. How could I possibly pull the wool over the eyes of dragons? And assuming I could accomplish such a feat my castle would be the last place I bring a fugitive." Though after he had satisfied his guests its been noted he spent a lot of time with a random guard who no one could recall seeing after the fact, with the common idea that he sent him to Essos to be with his nephew in the Golden Company. Matek was later married to Mella Bracken while Alys would become smitten with a sellsword/Hedge Knight Matek hired named Zelos and Myla would later marry Derrick Darry thanks to her older brother. But Matek struggled to produce an heir, he and his wife tried for years with no luck and when she finally got pregnant the child didnt survive childbirth, soon the odds of them claiming kids seemed to become a pipe dream but Matek understood the fear of being unable to have heirs, something vital for his house, though Myla did give birth to a son, who she named Lief this did little to alleviate his fears that the house would die out due to lack of breeding as he took the name of a Darry rather then a Wilder, and he would finally give birth to kids of his own in 219 AC, the same year the Third Blackfyre Rebellion broke out.

Matek had no desire for war, the First Rebellion having soured his taste of it from watching it destroy his family but he understood the need for it and more importantly how much it benefitted to fight for the winning side and thus he donned his armor and marched off with Zelos to fight in it. While Matek did very little to stand out, it should be noted Zelos who had taken to training the soldiers of House Wilder secured a few big victories to tie to his families name and thankfully if Thorin or Jonos were still part of the Golden Company they never had to cross paths and fight before the war ended in victory for the crown. Doing much to cement the Wilder's reputation and goodwill back. When he returned he focused on taking care of his sons Axel and Damon Wilder. He taught both politics and reading and horse riding, all passions of his while Zelos taught them how to lead men in battle, how to fight like a knight, and how to hunt. The two were in relative peace for 15 years before in 234 Matek's life was taken unexpectedly by heart pains, and he passed away in his sleep before the Maester could discern the issue.

## Axel's Reign

The Lords of House Wilder seemed to get younger and younger, as Axel took over at a age 15, which he claimed by virtue of being born first. Zelos and Alys had no business leading the house, and Myla spent more time with the Darry's then she did at Wild's Den leaving them to hold it. Axel's reign was mostly about trying to prove themselves and keep the gains Matek had gotten there house, but thankfully they faced little issues by this point despite there position and there mother was still around to provide advice to her sons in how to get through the trying times they found themselves. Axel and Damon participated in a tourney at Maidenpool where Axel made it to the semifinals before being unseated and Damon performed well in the melee, and they spent the rest of his time mingling with fellow lords and courting women before the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion broke out. Axel saw this as there chance to prove themselves the way Matek did and they took a small force with them to go assist King Aegon in quelling the Rebellion.

At the first and only battle in this war Axel and Damon attacked the enemy head on trying to crush the Golden Company and there king in fell swoop. Axel commanded the Wilder Calvary well but seeing a chance to kill the leader he foolishly took it before his horse was dropped by a sword to hits leg, sending him tumbling to the ground where trapped against the horse he was trampled by the retreating enemies. a devastated Damon found his corpse after the battle and was comforted by the Bloody Honors and of all people, the King and his Lord Commander, who gave him words of encouragement. Damon was grateful for it even as he brought the tragic news to his family.

## Damon's Reign

in 236 AC Damon was only 17 years old and no more experienced then the previous lord was. Training hard under Zelos he strived to be a better fighter then the best of them and smarter then his own father, he succeeded on one end in comparison to his father, he married soon after the battle to Carla Smallwood and a year later he had his first born son Athos Wilder in 237 AC. There was a slight fear early on as Athos was born rather sickly and weak but he survived nonetheless though Damon was disappointed by his lack of interest in martial prowess or skill with any weapon, though he was a bookworm. The skill with weapons would come with his second son born in 240 AC Adin Wilder, while Damon was weak and sickly, Adin was born fit as a fiddle and as soon as he was able took to Zelos combat training like he was meant for it. Damon loved both of them but without knowing it or not he paid more attention to Adin, causing some tension between siblings who were otherwise rather close. When Adin was 18 Damon allowed him to leave and travel the world, something he always desired to do but never had the chance to do so due to his duties as a lord. Athos meanwhile took to learning how to rule in his fathers stead and he appreciated the time Adin was gone as Damon spent his days with him instead now no longer dividing his attention between them, and Adin enjoyed his time in Essos making friends with a man named Nezak, though he also noted the issues with the Band of Nine and how they were growing power which he was concerned about given the last of the Blackfyres was with them.

This proved to hold merit as Soon the Band took the Stepstones and Adin returned back to Westeros to warn his father, just as the King made the call to war. Despite his age Damon joined Adin in leading the Wilder forces to join the River lords to fight in the War of the Ninepenny Kings while Athos was the acting lord of Wild's Den. Father and son fought in many battles during the long campaign, killing pirates and sellswords alike before Barristan killed the last of the Blackfyres and ended there threat to the Seven Kingdoms. Adin and Damon returned as hero's and Adin was knighted by his father, and soon met Mylene Dedding who he was immediately taken with. He tried courting her at the same time she was being courted by Hagen Subare, leading to resumed hostilities between families, but not to the extent that it was before. While Adin and Hagen were at odds, Athos and Dilliane Subare were not and were equally smitten with each other instead but had little time to talk to the other between the clashing of there families, Hagen and Adin would duel at a melee where Hagen was beaten soundly and two weeks later Mylene chose Adin though she insisted it had nothing to do with the results of the duel. When the wedding was announced Athos made a bold move and sent a raven inviting Dilliane to it, something the rest of her family got to first and took as an insult, all except the youngest of the siblings Dennis Subare who was more then happy to let the matter rest and actually went in his sisters stead, while this could have been the beginning of another attempt to mend this feud it sadly didnt pan out. Dennis was never seen again, he never showed up at the wedding nor was his body ever found but it was obvious he was killed, the question was where and by who?

Hagen was the first to suspect the Wilder's and soon after the wedding marched with a number of men demanding they face him for there crimes. Against there better judgement Adin and Athos stomped out to meet him and clear things up but the bitter rivalry between the two knights lead to an exchange of swords rather then words, a few casualties came between them, one of them being the long respected Hedge Knight Zelos who came to there aid before Hagen fled with his forces to avoid the full brunt of House Wilder. War felt on the horizon but knowing Lord Tully wouldnt tolerate it Damon and his wife would leave to make there case to there Liege Lord, on the way there the caravan was attacked by bandits and Damon's wife was killed. This angered all of the Wilder's, Carla was a kind soul who did her best to help anyone and Lief Darry returned to Wild's Den fully committed to helping the Wilder's in the ensuing war. Athos and Adin were convinced that Hagen organized the attack and marched out with an army of there own agaisnt there dads orders and better judgement to attack the Subare's Keep. Hagen didnt meet them but his older brother Nikos did, with a force bigger then there's but Adin fought nonetheless as did Athos surprising many with his own ferociousness when angered. During the battle Nikos was slain before Hagen arrived with reinforcements and forcing the Wilder's into retreat. When Damon returned with Lief in tow he was irate, while he understood there anger they had cost them valuable men and now the Subare's were moving in for the kill before the Tully's intervened, meaning the odds that this war ended peacefully were unlikely. Still the 4 men spent the day and night organizing a plan to counter the Subare forces. When Hagen and his father's army finally arrived the Wilder's met them on the battlefield and after a tactical battle, Lief and Lord Subare were dead and Hagen had been bested by Adin a second time and forced to yield while the Subare's had been soundly routed. After discussing peace terms between Lady Maven and her last surviving son, both houses sealed an alliance with the marriage of Athos Wilder and Dilliane Subare seemingly putting a permanent end to the feud.

After this war there was peace again and in 272 Athos and Dilliane gave birth to a son, who they named Lief, a month later they suffered a tragic loss in the family when Mella Wilder, wife of Matek Wilder finally passed away. Having helped Damon through adulthood after the death of her husband and her son Axel and the shame of losing her firstborn in childbirths he feared for the future of House Wilder but with the birth of Lief and seeing how they have continued to grow under her son and lived to see her first grandson its said she died with a smile on her face content in her belief that her family would be just fine. She would be further vindicated in 277 AC when the firstborn of Adin and Mylene would be born, Adin named him Zelos after the lover of Alys Wilder and the trainer who he looked up to till his death. Adin took his wife and his son to Essos where he introduced them to the friend he made in Essos, the slaver named Nezak before returning. The house's time of peace would continue for a time with Adin competing in the Tourney at Harrenhall and though adin performed admirably in the jousts he was eventually unseated, before he and many others were shocked by Rheagar's win and subsequent crowning of Lyanna Stark over his own wife. The year 282 was a year that started off great for the house before growing tragic, early on Seles Wilder was born, the second born of Adi and Mylene before Robert's Rebellion broke out. The Wilder's had learned there lesson from the last time they fought agaisnt the Targaryeans and once again backed the crown as they had done in every other war besides the First Blackfyre Rebellion, sadly this was not every other war, The Wilders under Damon made the mistake of endangering the Tully's with there attacks and earning there ire, and as Robert and the rebels gained more power and won battle after battle they began to realize just how out of hand the rebellion had become.

Adin and Damon joined Jon Connington's campaign to the Stony Sept but they were pushed back at the Battle of the Bells where they remained at Wild's Den as the River Lords started to siege there castle. They had hoped to be relieved as they tried to hold out as long as possible but soon they learned of the Trident where most of there allies and the Prince died in the failed battle, the rebellion was lost and for houses like them there would be little mercy. The Siege of Wild's Den lasted for days and eventually some guards snuck into the castle and made there way to where Mylene and Dillaine were keeping the kids and the two river knights busted down the door looking to force the Wilder's to surrender by taking a hostage, Mylene and Dilliane would not let there kids be harmed if they could help it and the two attacked the knights with more ferocity then they were expecting from two women, one died by a knife from Mylene, and another was killed by a crossbow Lief picked up and fired at him but not before he had fatally stabbed Mylene in front of her son. Zelos went cationic and Adin rushed in seconds too late to save his wife. Its said the proud man collapsed and wept like a child next to the body of his wife. Later in the night Damon lost his life to an arrow defending the castle from an assault from the besiegers.

## Athos' Reign

Lord for 2 days Athos woke up the day after the loss of his sister in law and his father to find his brother was gone, as were his children leaving behind the house sword Symphony Red in Adin's room and his son and wife. It was clear to Athos that they had used the tunnels under Wild's Den to slip out and Athos encouraged his wife to do the same and take Lief but she refused to abandon her husband and the siege continued. Athos held off the first day of attacks but on the second day the castle finally fell when the enemy got on the walls and forced the gate open. Lord Tully demanded to know where Adin was and Athos answered honestly...long gone from where he could be reached, just like he wanted them to be. Athos surrendered to Lord Tully's Will pleading for his family to be spared..Lord Tully agreed but only if Athos took the black, something Athos reluctantly took after saying his final good byes to his wife and son before he left. Wild's Den was sacked and destroyed and the House seemed to be gone with the wind. And for over a decade It was.

## Zelos' Reign

Years after the fact the extinguished house would return when Zelos Wilder, the son of Adin who was taken with his father when he fled had grown up in Essos and joined with the Golden Company, joining King Aegon he would land in the Stormlands with the rest and slowly start to take control of the area alongside his king. House Targaryean would prove to be one of the toughest challenges House Brightflame endured but eventually they fell as well and Zelos would be one of the few who transitioned there allegiance to Daeron Brightflame after the destruction of the Company. He would serve under the King's army from then on until shortly after they defeated Tywin Lannister before he was pulled out of the main forces to do specific tasks, it was here Zelos started to make connections and friends with former enemies before eventually marrying Gilliane Starkwood, it was here his wife and father in Law brought him to Athos Wilder who they met at the wall a few times and the two family members talked about the past, and where Athos gave him the family sword. With the knowledge of how his house came about Zelos requested the land to rebuild the castle from King Daeron and was accepted. This allowed him to slowly bring the area and the castle to a bit of its former glory over time and Zelos was slowly trying to integrate himself amongst the nobility, though with his marriage to Lady Gillaine and his partnership with the Master of Laws he had an easier time then he expected.

Helping the King's forces take the Iron Islands and part of the Westerlands before he was fully committed to his appointment as the Commander of the City Watch in King's Landing. Still even if he served in King's Landing he found himself still apart of many of the conflicts within the city and out of it, He participated in many of the Siege's of Hen Hill, fought in the Black Rebellion, travelled North of the Wall, The Battle of Broken Arm, and helped Haywin secure the Stepstones, all of which helped further cement his mind as a respected military mind. Though the more he got involved in outside matters, the less he was focused on his duties in the city something that was taken for granted by Jon Black leading the Battle of the GoldCloaks and Zelos becoming a problem for Haywin Darkspear that lead to the next few months of trouble for House Wilder that was still trying to grow. After a brief exile Lord Zelos would end up being a key general in the Darkspear Rebellion and killing Haywin Darkspear personally before helping Ian deal with Tywin Lannister in Essos. From there he spent some time being a father to his children Athos and Maya, helping re-secure the Wall for the Night's Watch and being more involved in politics then before. He was only partially involved in the Dornish skirmishes after this and was a major player in bringing the Baratheon's into power. The last major war he fought directly in was the infamous Winter War where Zelos' experinces beyond the wall gave him all the time he needed to prepare how to deal with the Others and there army of Wights and even then the battles proved to be ones that felt like they tested every ounce of his abilities where thankfully he can say he didnt come up lacking. Killing a few Others and many wights he would participate in the final campaign before the War ended, and after that he was grateful to survive the winter, helping his kids learn to lead and rule Wild's Den before offering tactical advise to the army that marched out to deal with the Vulture King, especially his nephew Caiden Wilder who became a King'sguard for his work in the war. Though Zelos wouldnt fight in a battle again and lived the rest of his life an active lord of his house, he'd be remembered for many of the wars he fought in while striving for peace.