A deep, satisfying rumble echoed through the vast, new lands of the Winter Kingdom. It was the sound of progress, but a primal, ancient kind.
Three years. That's how long it took Alaric Stark to transform the icy wilderness beyond the Wall into a beacon of power and plenty. He wasn't content merely with walls; he wanted life, and life, in the North, meant strength.
Alaric used enhanced potions for the livestock. These weren't temporary boosts; they were catalysts for evolution.
The mammoths, once merely large, now increased twice in height, their tusks massive, their hides thick as castle gates. The Giants no longer had to walk; they rode. Perched high atop their colossal mounts, a single Giant on an enhanced mammoth could look down on the largest castles of Westeros.
The horses became new breeds of war steeds—larger, faster, and tireless. And the poultry... well, the kitchens of the Winter Kingdom were feasting. The meat yield was astonishing, securing the kingdom's food supply for generations and making it the most well-fed land in the known world.
The key to it all: these traits were now **heritable**. His magic had rewritten their very blood.
One of his trips south of his growing civilization brought him face-to-face with the true heart of the North: a pack of twenty Direwolves.
They were wary, fierce, and beautiful, but in Alaric's presence, they felt something ancient, a kinship. He tamed them not with chains, but with respect, and then he enhanced them.
The leader, a magnificent male Alaric named Akela, stood out even among his fearsome brethren. Akela's fur was the color of a winter twilight—a striking **dark blue**, and his intelligent eyes glowed with an otherworldly emerald green. He was the leader of the pack and now a sworn protector of the Winter Kingdom.
Alaric dedicated a sizable forest to them within the massive middle wall, a natural sanctuary where they could roam and hunt.
To ensure their freedom and the flow of commerce in the kingdom, Alaric had used wood release to sprout elegant wooden bridges across the three rivers, soaring high enough for the North's growing fleet of ships to sail beneath.
Despite building a kingdom beyond the world, Alaric was no exile.
The small, silver-framed two-way mirror in his study often flashed to life, and the face of Deria Martell would appear, her eyes bright and filled with Dornish fire. They discussed everything—trade routes, Dornish politics, and the latest mischief of their son, Ares Nymeros Martell, the unique blend of Stark ice and Martell sun.
Every six moons, without fail, Alaric would leave the fortress. Using a hoverboard to ride, he would appear at his wife and son's side in Dorne, exchanging the cold air of the North for the arid, loving warmth of Sunspear.
The Winter Kingdom was his masterpiece, his promise to the Free Folk, but Dorne held his heart. With the world kept at bay by his strength and his contracts, Alaric Stark had the rare luxury of being both a king and a family man.
The first and most crucial trade route ran south from the Winter Kingdom to the traditional, independent North. The Winter Kingdom exported bulk quantities of enhanced meat from its super-poultry and livestock, securing the food supply for every Northern house against the threat of a long winter—a priceless commodity.
In return, House Manderly of White Harbor acted as the central hub for purchasing salt and fine goods from Essos, such as sugar and spices.
The trade with Dorne, facilitated by Alaric's personal bond with Deria Martell, was one of pure, dazzling luxury and strategic exchange. North-bound ships sailing from Sunspear and Planky Town carried the rich bounty of Dorne: fiery Dornish Red wine, the exotic sweetness of blood oranges and lemons, valuable spices (especially the coveted dragon peppers), and rich olives and olive oil. In exchange, Dorne received furs and wood from the North.
The pinnacle of the Dornish trade agreement centered on the enhanced horses bred in the Winter Kingdom. As Alaric's new breed of horse retained its augmented strength and size, the Prince of Dorne acquired breeding stock.