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Lord Cregan Stark, known as the Old Man of the North or The Wolf of Winterfell, was the head of House Stark and the Lord of Winterfell during the Dance of the Dragons. He briefly served as Hand of the King for Aegon III Targaryen after the end of the Dance.

Appearance and Character[]

According Archmaester Gyldayn, Cregan was a stern and formidable lord. Like most Starks, he was a good friend of the Night's Watch.

History[]

Cregan was born in 108 AC, the eldest son of Lord Rickon Stark and Gilliane Glover. He had a younger brother, who died in 119 AC, and, according to Mushroom, a bastard half-sister, Sara Snow. Cregan became the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North in 121 AC, at the age of thirteen, after the death of his father, though his uncle Bennard ruled The North as his regent.

In 124 Ac, after Cregan turned sixteen and came of age, his uncle was slow to release his power. The relationship between the two grew strained, as Cregan chafed under the limitations imposed by his uncle. In 126 AC, Cregan finally saw fit to seize power completely, imprisoning Bennard and his three sons. Shortly after, he would marry his childhood companion Arra Norrey. She died in 128 AC, whilst giving birth to Cregan's first child, who he named Rickon, in honour of his father.

The Dance of the Dragons[]

After the death of King Viserys I Targaryen, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon flew Vermax, his dragon, to Winterfell, in the hopes of securing the support of House Stark for his mother, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Mushroom claims that, whilst Jacaerys was present at Winterfell, he fell in love with Lord Cregan's bastard half-sister, and supposedly the two were wed.

The Pact of Ice and Fire was agreed between Cregan and Jacaerys, whereby Cregan would support Rhanyra's claim, provided that Jacaerys' firstborn daughter be promised to marry Rickon, Cregan's firstborn son.

Cregan placed Lord Roderick Dustin in command of the first Northern force to march south, known as the Winter Wolves. He commanded a second army that followed after, mostly consisting of men who were childless, homeless or unwed, or younger sons who wished to spare their families an extra mouth to feed. Cregan's men were denied combat, however, as King Aegon II Targaryen was poisoned. Lord Stark had intended to punish the leaders of the Greens, the opposing faction in the war, but Lord Corlys Velaryon had already sent envoys seeking peace.

Cregan arrived at King's Landing, and held court there for six days, a time which became known as the Hour of the Wolf. After being named Hand of the King by Aegon III targaryen, Cregan arrested twenty-two men for the murder of Aegon II, amongst them Lord Larys Strong and Corlys Velaryon himself. Most of the accused, led by Ser Perkin the Flea, opted to join the Night's Watch, but Ser Gyles Belgrave, of the Kingsguard, and Lord Larys instead opted for death. Cregan agreed to accept the pardon of Lord Corlys, in exchange for the hand in marriage of Lady Alysanne Blackwood, who would become his second wife. After this, he resigned his position and returned to Winterfell, though many of his men stayed in the south.

After the Dance[]

Due to Prince Jacaerys' death during the Dance of the Dragons, a Targaryen princess never did marry into House Stark, with Rickon instead marrying Jeyne Manderly. King Aegon III did, however, bestow plenty of honours upon Lord Cregan.

At some point, Cregan would match swords with Ser Aemon Targaryen, who claimed that Cregan was the finest swordsman he had ever seen.

After Alysanne's death, Cregan would marry a third time, to his distant cousin, Lynara Stark. His eldest son, Rickon, perished under the walls of Sunspear during the attempted Conquest of Dorne, meaning that his eldest daughter, Serena, became Cregan's heir. Despite this, Cregan would be succeeded by his second son, Jonnel Stark, upon his death. Cregan's long life led to his nickname of the Old Man of the North. After his death, he was interred within the crypts of Winterfell.

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