The Great Hall of Pyke was a tomb of damp stone and broken pride. The sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs below echoed the hollow thud of boots as King Robert, Ned Stark, and a pale, bandaged Karlon faced the remnants of House Greyjoy.
Balon Greyjoy knelt, his crown of driftwood shattered on the floor. Beside him, his eldest son Rodrik, propped up on his cauterized stumps, glared at Karlon with a hatred that could set the sea on fire.
"The line of the Kraken ends in a puddle," Robert boomed, his warhammer resting on his shoulder. "Lord Eddard, what is the North's price for this rebellion?"
Karlon stepped forward, his left arm bound tightly to his chest. "The North does not want your titles, Balon. We want our people. I demand the immediate release of every Northern thrall in the islands. Furthermore, as reparations for the burning of the Stony Shore, I claim the Iron Throne's share of the Greyjoy treasury."
Jon Arryn stepped forward, shaking his head. "The thralls shall be returned, Lord Karlon. But the treasury... the Crown has debts to the Iron Bank and the Lannisters for this fleet. We cannot hand over the coin of the islands."
Tywin Lannister sneered, his eyes flicking to the crippled Rodrik. "You have already taken enough 'unaccounted' spoils from Harlaw, boy. The Crown will grant the North one thousand gold dragons for your 'troubles.' No more."
The insult was calculated. A thousand dragons wouldn't even cover the cost of the Manderly grain Karlon had burned.
Karlon's violet eyes turned to Robert. "The North bled first, Your Grace. We held the flank while the South debated. If the gold is too heavy for the Crown to part with, then perhaps the burden of the North's taxes is too heavy for us to carry."
Robert looked at the crippled Rodrik, then at Karlon's mangled arm. He saw a boy who had fought like a demon for a King who was currently haggling over pennies.
"Enough!" Robert roared, silencing Tywin. "The boy is right. Keep your thousand dragons, Tywin. I'm the King, and I say the North shall be exempt from all Royal Taxes for the next ten years. Let the gold stay in Winterfell where it belongs!"
Tywin's face turned the color of old parchment, but he could not overrule a royal decree made in the heat of victory.
"As for the prisoners," Robert continued, his voice darkening. "Balon, you have broken the King's Peace for the last time. And your pup Rodrik is too dangerous to keep alive, legs or no legs. Execution for both."
"And the boy?" Ned asked, gesturing to the young, trembling Theon Greyjoy.
"The North has seen enough Ironborn," Karlon said, his voice cold. He didn't want the liability of a Stark-hating Theon in Winterfell, nor did he want to deal with Rodrik's lingering presence. "Send the last kraken south. Let Casterly Rock play jailer. If he lives or dies in the Lion's den, it is no concern of ours."
As the Ice was unsheathed by Ned to carry out the King's justice on Balon and Rodrik, Karlon turned his back on the throne of salt. He had secured his people, a tax-free decade for the North, and a hidden Valyrian blade already sailing for White Harbor.
The council chamber in Pyke's Great Keep was thick with the smell of damp wool and old blood as the terms of the Iron Islands' surrender were finalized.
Karlon stood his ground, his pale face reflecting the flickering torchlight, his one good hand resting on the table.
"There is one more matter," Karlon said, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the Southron lords. "The North has lost ships in this rebellion, Manderly galleys and Northern transports burned at their moorings or lost in the storms off Blacktyde. I want reparations in timber and hull."
Jon Arryn leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "We have already granted you a tax-free decade and a thousand dragons, Karlon. The Crown needs every captured vessel to patrol these waters and ensure Balon's kin do not rise again."
"The North doesn't want your patrols," Karlon countered, his violet eyes locking onto the Hand of the King. "We want our own security. I demand thirty of the captured Ironborn longships and galleys. Not for reaving, but for trade. We need to move the grain and timber our tax-exemption will provide. If the North is to be the shield of the Sunset Sea, we must have the wood to build the wall."
Tywin Lannister's eyes narrowed. He saw the play immediately, Karlon wasn't just asking for ships; he was asking for a standing Northern navy capable of challenging Lannisport's dominance in the west.
"The boy is asking for a fleet," Tywin remarked dryly. "Under the guise of 'merchants'."
"I'm asking for what was stolen from us!" Karlon snapped, turning to King Robert.
"Your Grace, my pikes took the port. My men secured the bridgeheads. If the Reach and the Westerlands get to keep the glory, surely the North can keep the scrap-wood."
Robert let out a booming laugh, his mood buoyed by the prospect of the executions to follow. "By the Smith, let him have them! Thirty ships is a drop in the bucket compared to what we've sunk today. If the lad wants to turn reavers into traders, let him try! Ned, your nephew has the soul of a Braavosi moneylender and the heart of a warrior. I like it!"
Jon Arryn sat back, a hollow feeling in his chest. He felt profoundly undercut. Between the tax-exemption and the gift of thirty warships, Karlon had effectively decoupled the North's economy and maritime defense from the Crown's control for the next ten years.
As the council adjourned, Karlon watched the scribes record the decree. The Manderly sailors were already marking the best Ironborn vessels with the white merman.
30 Ships: A new Northern Western Fleet.
10 Years of No Taxes: Pure profit for the North's expansion.
The Thralls: A workforce loyal to the Stark name.
Nightfall: Hidden in a crate, its ripples waiting for a Northern hand.
Karlon turned to his uncle, who was watching him with a mixture of pride and profound wariness. The war was over, but the North's rise had only just begun.
System Status
Name: Karlon Stark
Age: 10 Years
Born: 282 AC
Bloodline: Stark / Dayne
Position: Son of Brandon Stark and Ashara Dayne, Heir of Winterfell, Future Lord Paramount of the North
Physical Condition: Perfect
(Magically Attributed Body – Appears 14)
Combat Experience: Active Veteran (Minor Campaign)
Attributes
Strength: 32
Agility: 27
Wisdom: 44
Charisma: 48
Luck: 72
Vitality: 350
Willpower: 72
Attribute Points Available: 30
Bloodline Traits
Stark Bloodline - Awakening (Stage I)
Extreme endurance Cold resistance Heightened battle instincts
Dayne Bloodline - Awakening (Stage I)
Sword mastery affinity Superior reaction speed Noble presence
Magically Attributed Body - Active
Accelerated growth High magical compatibility Rapid recovery
Talents
Supreme Martial Talent - War Prodigy
Rapid weapon mastery Natural battlefield awareness Tactical combat instincts
Skills
Language - MAX
Swordsmanship - Level 5 (18%)
Tactics - Level 4 (30%)
Leadership- Level 3 (12%)
Compulsion - Level 10 (4.2%)
Works only on targets with weaker mental strength
Mind Fortress - Level 4 (9%)
Cultivation Manual - Level 3 (14%)
Combat Record
Campaign: Iron Islands Suppression
Confirmed Kills:
Lord of House Harlaw Rodrik Greyjoy
Battles Participated:
Assault on Harlaw Island Campaign I Island Campaign II Island Campaign III
Battle Reputation: Feared among Ironborn Raiders
Reputation
North: Rising Prodigy
Riverlands: Recognized Noble Heir
Iron Islands: Ironborn Killer
Dorne: Blood of Starfall
Titles
Wolf of Starfall (Primary Title)
Earned after victories during the Greyjoy Rebellion.
Represents the union of Stark ferocity and Dayne heritage.
Heir of Winterfell
Young Northern Commander
System Utilities
Territory Monitor - Partially Unlocked
Army Monitor - Partially Unlocked
Resource Monitor - Locked
Pocket World Interface - Active
Pocket World
Status: Bound Dimensional Realm
Environment: Stable
Exploration: 2%
Bound Creatures
Fire Dragon I - Egg Stage
Fire Dragon II - Egg Stage
Ice Dragon I - Egg Stage
Ice Dragon II - Egg Stage
Bond Status: Linked to Host
Growth Stage: Dormant
System Evaluation
Host Rank: Elite Prodigy
Potential: SS+
Future Projection:
Lord of Winterfell Warden of the North Dragon Commander