Story Concept Expansion and Assisstance

Greetings Friends, Lords, Ladies and Maesters.

\*FULL SPOILER: MY IDEA LENDS AND TAKES A LOT OF TYPICAL FANFICTION PLOT POINTS, SUE ME!*\**

Well, um...as I've been clearly shown in my previous post, a canal past Moat Cailin was...EMPATHICALLY unadvised. So, following that, I would love further suggestions and help regarding a more grounded way to improve the North before the events as seen in the Canon timeline.

But allow me to first add context of my story concept so some of these ideas make (hopefully) a lot more sense. One thing I always wondered about is why Bloodraven and the CotF (who knew the true threat that was coming), never did anything to prepare the world or the North for the coming of the Others. I feel regardless of how we feel about the ruling families and the politics of the Realm, a strong and prepared North/Watch is needed regardless to rebuff and fight back against the threat of Winter an the Horrors it brings. Thus, the very start of my story idea begins with Bloodraven having a more...active hand in preparing the Realms.

And the start of my story, where he starts to speak to Ned as he rides towards the ToJ, is not his first attempt. He has great power and is a great schemer/planner, but he is still a mortal and has his flaws. His hatred for the Blackfyres, bias for House Targaryen etc. He, like any other character is flawed and his intervention actually helps cascade/domino the events that lead to Robert's Rebellion and the fall of House Targaryen. I love the idea that he first spoke to Rhaegar after seeing a child's budding fascination with prophecy and the old journals of Targaryens past. He shows him dreams, whispers and visions of the true threat to come and how his line will be the one to defeat it, thus prompting his realization that HE is not the PTWP but his children instead. Unfortunately, this interference sparked an obsession from fascination. This leads to his searching for surviving eggs, missing heirlooms and also explains his immediate "love" he had for Lyanna upon barely meeting her at the Tourney of Harrenhal. What I like about this take (LET ME EXPLAIN), is that it gives a reason for Rhaegar and Lyanna's sudden love story that I felt came out of nowhere without absolving Rhaegar completely of the blame he justly deserves. Lyanna and him might have been in love at first, but after she hears of how their spur-of-the-moment actions got her father and brother killed and sparked rebellion, she wanted to leave and see Ned to explain. Rhaegar, partially driven by love (or rather the happiness she made him feel) and partially by prophecy obsession, knowing she is with child; he thus orders the Kingsguard we see to protect her and her child against ALL rebels that can harm her. (This will lead to the tension we see at the ToJ).

ALL OT THAT ASIDE, Ned hears Bloodraven speak to him, warning him to push for diplomacy despite his anger. He doesn't know this voice, and thus ignores it for now, but it does at least get him thinking. This leads to the arrival, the chat where he acts a tad more diplomatic, appealing to them as a brother there for his sister and not as a Lord, which gets to Arthur who thinks of his own sister. But, story is story and the fights still breaks out due to conflicting loyalties and raised tensions. Arthur disarms Ned, but holds back on a killing strike because of the earlier conversation. Thus, he reacts a tad more to Howland sneaking up on him, getting him in his right shoulder with a poisoned blade instead off the neck, which he survives but loses use of his right arm. (I want him alive as both liaison with House Dayne and Dorne in general and be a sword instructor to Jon/Robb without being the fanfiction nuclear swordsman I usually see him portrayed as).

Lyanna dies, tells what she can to Ned, extracting the promise before she unfortunately passes. Ned holds her baby boy whom she named Jaeherys to honor his Targaryen heritage. A boy that is black of hair...and with amethyst eyes. Shit.

Ned returns below, sees Arthur alive and asks Howland to save him. He survives, but is weakened but can still speak. Ned (understandably angry) demands answers from him and he says what he knows. Lyanna was attacked near Riverrun by men loyal to Aerys, they killed them and ran of with her. Lyanna and Rhaegar were enamored with each other (each for their own reasons). Lyanna is obviously hesitant due to his marriage to Elia, but Rhaegar swears they are getting an annulment (a lie that Arthur knows) so he can marry her and have a 'legal' child with her. They marry before the Godswood of Harrenhal. (thus creating a fun dichotomy for Jon later who struggles with his status as a bastard. He will be a trueborn, despite extenuating circumstances, in the North. But, he is certainly seen as a bastard in the South IF he goes for the throne.) He explain later on their journey how his faith in Rhaegar started to waver because he kept talking about undead monsters and the coming winter, something Arthur thought malarky but Ned and Howland take a bit more seriously.

Details can certainly be discussed, but Ashara might live here and be Jon's "Mother" in protection of a poor babe and the affections she held Brandon (I believe he is the one that 'disgraced' her at the tourney). Caitlyn will be told...eventually. Ned returns via King's Landing, and the voice is stronger, proven right by actions to come. Perhaps it advises him to ask reparations in gold from the Crown or the return of the Lands of the gift if with the blessing of the Lord Commander or both. The North must be stronger for the threat to come and to protect his nephew and larger family, as advised by both the strange voice and those in the know around him.

Now we actually get to the meat: How to improve the North. I have a few ideas, and please, for those EXTREMIST fanboys amongst you, I am open to advice and opinions. No need to be dicks. A few concepts that came to mind is:
- They discover gold in the Northern mountains among the clans. They need to mine it to be more flush with cash and the Clans only really trust the Starks. Thus, Benjen can become the new lord of the keep and operations overseeing the mining and processing of the gold.
- Benjen obviously is told, and finds his own cadet branch over this area. House Goldthorne is the name I thought of. Sigil ideas WILL BE more than welcome.
- Restoration of Moat Cailin, the Gate to the North. Prime military base to house future troops and supply them in the South. Lands north of the moat can perhaps be farmed? Also, I was suggested the brilliant idea that it is NOT inherited, but owned by house Stark and an appointed general/commander/lord will be chosen to hold it under the Starks, akin to the Knight of the Bloody Gate.
- A new keep and naval Base on the Stony Shore. Before I hear bitching about Ironborn, that's the entire point of the naval base being situated with a keep. It will make it's money by quarrying and exporting the high quality stone/marble/granite from the nearby rocky hills and lands through out the North for the rebuilding/improvement of keeps including Queenscrown, Deepwood Motte (which is still mainly wood), expansion of wintertown into the city of Starkmore (a multi-year plan), rebuilding the Moat and stone for road improvements and expansions.
- The building of two seperate Eastern and Western fleets. Thus far, I have thought to make House Manderly and White Harbor into the drydocks where the Eastern fleet is built, but a Manderly-Karstark alliance/union that can command it perhaps? Eastern naval bases will be built on the coast of Karstark lands and established at Oldcastle to make more use of poor House Locke.
- The Western fleet can have their drydocks at Bear island, where the lumber from them as well as some imported from House Glover to build those ships. A naval base at the Stony Shore and at either Cape Kraken or at Rillport to appease vassals and better repel Ironborn attacks before they come. Perhaps build a small port at the end of the River Fever, thus an easily place via ship to deliver stone from the Stony Shore to the Moat.
- PERHAPS the establishment of a standing army? This one might be far more difficult to do, because the pretense for it as well as the place to train them and arm them might be difficult. The most people of the North are farmers, so perhaps a deal with the Riverlands to soothe Hoster's ass and also feed his people while his new army is being outfitted and trained. Men and women preferably, but this is more grounded so the criticisms or alternatives will be welcome.
- Finally, what marriage alliance can ensure further Stark loyalty, appease Houses that lost so much and also include those that are not getting an immediate slice of the new pie?