House Mormont

House Mormont of Bear Island is a noble house of the North and one of the principal families sworn to House Stark. Their seat is Mormont Keep on Bear Island, a wood-walled castle surrounded by an earthen palisade. Legend tells that the ancestral seat of the Mormonts' was won in a wrestling match between Rodrik Stark and an ironborn king, who gave it to House Mormont.

Their sigil is a black bear stood upright on a green field, and their words are *"Here We Stand".*

## History

### Third Century AC

#### Third War of the Kraken

Winter had already hit Bear Island hard when news of Hrothgar Ironshod and his attempt at conquest in the North reached the island. Frostbite had taken the lives of many smallfolk due to the harshness of the winds blown in with winter and if the ironborn were to launch a surprise attack, casualties would be even heavier. Under the command of Lord Bennarion Mormont, soldiers were rallied on the island and longships were readied should they need to meet the ironborn in the sea. The Mormonts' took a much more laid back approach to the ironborn, however, and the rallied soldiers remained on Bear Island for the duration of the war. The cold had already taken many, and would without a doubt take many more with how far north they were; marching into battle under such conditions would only bring about more death, so they waited. The ironborn would come to them, like they always do. Unlike the rest of the northern houses who had to rely on food caravans imported through White Harbor, Bear Island and its smallfolk were able to continue fishing for food, despite it being an unreliable source in the winters. Those unable to catch fish turned to hunting in the wooded areas of the island below Mormont Keep, and those who couldn't do either of the two resorted to more questionable ways of surviving: stealing. Lord Bennarion did what he could to keep the problem minimal, often taking a hand from those brave or stupid enough to try.

When the ironborn finally sailed into view under Sigrin Blackarm's command, the Mormont forces were ready and offered a vicious resistance, repelling the invaders with relative ease. The fighting was brutal, with minimal casualties for the Mormonts' and heavy losses for the ironborn as almost all were killed including the Blackarm himself. Amidst the chaos on the shores as surviving ironborn attempted to flee back to their ships, Edmyn Mormont fought against Sigrin in a fierce battle. The man fought and moved well, for someone with one arm. Steel met steel as the two met blades until finally the ironborn captain had been fell by Edmyn, who with a mighty swing of his battleaxe brought him to his knees in the mud, near cleaving him in two.

In the end, many lay dead on the southern coasts of the island, blood and mud staining the armour of those who had fallen. The Bear Islanders burnt their dead in a proper funeral that day, while the remaining bodies of the ironborn had merely been tossed into the sea and left to be taken away by the tide. If they would live by their Drowned God, then they would die by them too.

When winter had finally ended, starvation had its toll on many and left them desperate or dead. It would take many moons, possibly years for the island to truly recover from the devastation left by a harsh winter.

#### The Northern Intercession

Like most of the North, Lord Bennarion saw the construction of the Winter Palace an encroach on their territory - to demand that the northerners kneel after having been banished from Westeros in the first place was already asking enough, and then to build a palace in the middle of the place they weren't welcome? He saw it as a mockery. Instead of trying to intervene, however, he waited with the hope that they might simply call off the construction. When the royals were sent to pacify the northerners and hold court in Winterfell, Lord Mormont spat on their court and remained at home. He would not have anything to do with the Targaryens, out of spite for their invasion of the northerners' homes. That was, until the princess showed on the island. Those living on the island believed that had Lord Bennarion had fair warning of her arrival, she'd have been greeted by an army of soldiers and sent off. Rather than show his true colours, he reluctantly welcomed her into Mormont Keep and regaled her with tales of history and tradition among the Bear Islanders. By the end of her visit to the island, his faith had been partially restored in the Targaryen dynasty.

With the announcement of Helaena's pregnancy and the celebratory feast, Lord Mormont and his family travelled to the Winter Palace to attend and see the building themselves. Brandon the Black's defiance was well-expected, after having both heard of his sentiments and at one point even shared them with him. However, when Lord Stark called for them, the Mormonts sent a contingent of men-at-arms to march with the rest of the Northern army against Brandon. Lord Bennarion was present when Brandon was made an example of in front of the North and watched as the flesh was melted from his bones by Viserion's sheer power.

#### The Great Famine

When the Great Famine arrived, it hit Bear Island hard. Of what little crop could be grown there, none of it survived and thus meant that those who were unable to fish had to rely on those who were skilled in the trade. The desperate few who were willing to risk it would try their hand at poaching in the forests of Bear Island, although many were caught and punished with the loss of fingers. While the Bear Islanders had it hard, however, the wildlings had it harder and raids from the Frozen Shore were a common occurrence. The wildling invasions led to the unfortunate and brutal demise of Lord Medrick Mormont.

#### War of the Three Thieves

Upon the King's call to arms and news of a northern host gathering at White Harbor, Lord Jakob Mormont rallied the Mormont fleet and sailed to White Harbor with over thirty longships filled with troops. The first conflict the Mormont forces had taken part in was the Battle of the Gulf, a bloodbath by all accounts, but nowhere near comparable to the Battle of the Broken Arm where it was said that Lord Jakob fought with the ferocity and courage of an enraged grizzly, slaying many men. It was here where House Mormont saw the most casualties and at least a dozen longships sent to the depths of the sea. In the final battle, the Gallows, Lord Mormont was one of the first through the breach of the castle leading a contingent of Northern forces, swinging his greatsword wildly. Dragon fire proved a great deterrent to the charge from the Blue Demon himself and for the first time the true power of dragons had been witnessed as men fell to the ground blackened remains as Arranax and Stormsong fought high above Grey Gallows.

### Fourth Century AC

#### The Scarlet Winter

Once more, winter was upon Bear Island, this time far worse than the winter of seventy years ago. The cold had taken its toll on the seas surrounding the island, practically cutting off their source of food. Frostbite and sickness ran rampant among the smallfolk, scarring many and killing even more. Hunting was heavily relied upon to provide for food, although it wasn't enough. Thieves were not at all unheard of, often breaking into others' homes and taking what they had just to survive. Wildling attacks were all too common as they suffered the same problems as Bear Island; animals had gone into hibernation, the ground wasn't fertile, and the fish were in the deepest depths of the ocean. Several times, the wildlings came looking to steal food, and each time over Lord Jakob sent them back out of spite for their actions ten years prior.