House Crowl

House Crowl is a large Gothic House that dominates the castle of Deepdown and the surrounding region while being loyal and a member of the Kingdom of Bolten.

Conflict in Westros
Main Article : First Bolten-Lucerne War


 * Domeric_Bolten1.jpg"The Kingdom of Bolten was the first time we were ever met agressively by an oponent, and at first we were shocked at their actions. I determined quickly that they had to be stopped at any cost, and this led to our promise to defend our two major allies in the region, and a massive influx of our troops into the region."
 * -William Lovie III.

With the taking of Westbrige the region of Bolten became more interested in its own growth and in particular they really wanted to get the Lucernian army involved in pitch battles which they had the numbers to survive. In order to do this they begin threatening several allies of Lucerne in western Westros in the form of Koenisburg, and the town of Jeutenburg. While these threats rancheted up the Kingdom of Lucerne did exactly what the Boltens hoped they would do when they brought huge forces to bear on the defences of the Westros river crossing of Levin. The Lucernians also made it known that any action taken against their allies in Koenisburg, or Jeutenburg would be deemed a decleration of war against Lucerne itself. This promice to defend meant a lot to the two towns, and most believed that with that the conflict would be ended before any blood was spilled. This idea changed quickly when the Kingdom of Bolten sacked Jeutenburg in a massive siege that took place in the guise of a peace mission.
 * Sack_of_Juetenburg.jpg"Jeutenburg was still on fire as the army of the Boltens moved towards the city of Koenisburg, and if not for our earlier speed it would have been the white marble of Koenisburg burning next."
 * -Jon Snow

Jeutenburg was given very little quarter with nearly half the city killed, and the survivors forced to live under the occupation of House Urnet of whom spent their time ransacking the city of its ancient wealth and history. As the army of Bolten did this their was devision as the forces under the command of Domeric Bolten, and House Hornwood would protect several areas within the city, and were the main reason the entire city wasn't massacred. With conflict between this force, and the more chaotic forces of Ramsey Bolten looking likely a raven arrived from Roose Bolten who tasked them with quickly moving towards Koenisburg before the Lucernians could react. Following this the army of the Boltens moved very quickly to camp itself outside the walls of Koenisburg thereby threatening the survival of the city for the first time in its history.

Siege of Koenisburg
Main Article : Siege of Koenisburg
 * Hedrik_Clegane_III_4.jpg"I think to a man we all thought that the Bolten's would have listened to our warnings. Noone at the top thought they were actually going to call our bluff and burn an entire town to the ground."


 * -Hedrik Clegane III.

With Jeutenburg fallen this was a huge indicator that the diplomatic message wasn't going to be enough so William ordered House Starke, as well as House Clegane to send their forces to assist in the defence of Koenisburg if it came to it. At the same time as this was going to happen William sent one of his greatest generals in Jamie Lannister to the small town of Grandlen where if the Boltens besieged the city of Koenisburg Jamie was to move southwards from Grandlen and hit them from behind and destroy the Boltens before this got out of hand. Jamie would arrive a week after leaving in Grandlen alongside a force of some two thousand cavalry, and they would make camp a days march east of Grandlen and await word from Koenisburg. While this was happening Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Hedrik Clegane III. would arrive in Koenisburg well ahead of their full forces but with a large contingent of flags, and honor gaurd that mounted themselves all along the walls of Koenisburg, and gave a very clear impression that House Starke, Clegane, and Lannister had arrived in force.

Devision

 * House_Karstark1.jpg"I think that was one of the last strings to go that let Domeric really go about ending Domeric. While from my point of view, and anyone who had a sane mind, what Domeric was saying was completely correct, that wasn't the equation. It was always his great weakeness that Domeric couldn't ever accept that rational behavior would get him no where in a land filled with ingrates, and morons. Domeric would have spent his entire life having statues built to him if he was born a few weeks march away from Dreadfort in any direction. But fate fortold that he was going to be born to House Bolten, and it was in that birth that he was fated nearly at birth to die. I told him once that he needed to kill his brother at some point. I tried to make him understand that being known as a kinslayer was the only way he would survive, but he was adament that his brother had something inside of him that was good. He probably believed that all the way up to the moment when his brother pushed the sword into his chest. Good men die quickly in Bolten."


 * -Rickard Karstark

The moment the flags went up on the walls of Koenisburg their was a severe amount of panic amongst the leadership of House Bolten, and Ramsey Bolten would call the commanders together and go on a mad rant about the need for the army to retreat before they were overwhelmed. In this moment Domeric would step forward and heavily push that they should attack the city right away as he argued their was no way that the Lucernians could have massed enough troops in the city to stop them. As he was almost finished talking Ramsey would take a knife out and lunge at Domeric attempting to kill him. Domeric was the more skilled warrior and dodged the knife before wrestling Ramsey to the ground, and only the interference of the other commanders stopped Ramsey from being killed right there. With Ramsey losing his mind in the tent it was Rickard Karstark that would suggest that they meet with the Lucernians and atleast gauge the forces of the Lucernians from the meeting. Ramsey would reluctantly agree to this plan, and with that a messenger was sent to the wall making it known that they wanted a meeting.
 * "That was the first chance I had gotten to meet the so called bastard of Bolten and I had assumed that the terrible things I had heard of him were going to prove to be overblown. I was wrong."


 * -Britt Lancave

The two forces would meet with Ramsey and Domeric Bolten followed by Rickard Karstark, and John Cole on the Bolten side and on the Lucernian side it was Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Hedrik Clegane III. alongside Britt Lancave. As the two forces rode out it was a quiet moment for both sides as both believed the other side was going to break the honorable truce of a white flag meeting. Meeting together they would barely be starting to discuss the issues when Ramsey Bolten would intervene and begin insulting Tyrion Lannister for being a dwarf, and Jon Snow for his bastardy birth.


 * I marched out onto the field, and I could see that Bolten's were already there waiting for us. Seeing the red flags of their gaurds blowing in the wind made me almost uncontiously grip my horse's reigns tighter. I looked around for a moment and saw Tyrion riding just behind me on his little pony followed closely by his squire Podrick Payne. Alittle to his left was Britt Lancave who looked like an angel riding in her white armor with nothing but her servent girl with her. I turned back and looked to my right for a moment to see Hedrik Clegane and his cousin Fredrick who looked ever piece the image of nobility. I tried to feel strong in that moment. Surrounded by so much nobility it was never more clear to me what my place was. Before I could spend another moment isolated in my mind we reached the Boltens and I followed Hedrik's suit and got off my horse. Walkign towards them I got my first glance of the Boltens. As they walked forward I knew which one was Ramsey almost immediatly due to the sheer evil that flowed from him. I'd seen lots of evil men in my day. From Maron Scorpian, to Dan Scott you thought you knew it but, this man was something else.


 * "So the mighty Kingdom of Lucerne has so little going for it that all it can send is a bastard, a dwarf, a girl, and a child?" It was exactly the kind of a greeting I would expect from someone like him.


 * "This is a peaceful meeting there is no reason for this to go into hostilities." His armor was still red, but when the man stepped forward I knew almost immediatly that it was Domeric Bolten.


 * "You burn a city to the ground that was protected by our realm and you speak of forgoing hostilities? I believe your house lost the right to speak of honor long ago but atleast let us speak with honesty for a moment." Tyrion was always the firebrand, and as he told me once, you had to be your own flag bearer when you had a weakeness as obvious as ours.


 * "Juetenburg is gone. That conversation is over. The only conversation to be had now is how long before we burn Koenisburg to the ground." Ramsey clearly wasn't one for tactics, and from the looks many in the party were giving eachother they wished he was reacting differently.


 * "Behind these walls stand an army larger then your own, with more arriving each day. Koenisburg will not burn, and unless you leave your entire force will be destroyed."


 * "I'm truly sorry but where I come from the freaks and women didn't speak for our house. So unless your here for the terms of your surrender I don't see why this should continue." Ramsey turned his back to us, and started walking back to his horse followed by several of the men who clearly were following him.


 * "Turn and run that is all your good for isn't it. No wonder you are such a disapointment to everyone in your land. We have had quite the laugh at how pathetic you are." Hedrik Clegane wasn't usually one for such dramatics but even he I guess had enough of Roose Bolten's bastard. The moment after he said the words though Ramsey let go of the horse, and walked back towards us followed closely by Domeric. I don't know what any of us expected but it wasn't him pulling a knife from his side, and lunging at Hedrik. As he jumped though it was Domeric that pushed him to the ground where he slammed hard against the ground before quickly getting to his feet and looking at Domeric with more hate in his eyes then I had ever seen. Ramsey would spit in Domeric's face before he stomped his way back to his horse and rode away followed by everyone but Domeric. Domeric leaned against the side of his horse and sighed.


 * "I don't know what I expected from this, but it wasn't this." He sounded tired, and I wasn't suprised when Britt stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.


 * "This isn't on you. We all know who you are, and this would be the moment you should come with us brother." Her voice was caring, and held every ounce of truth that I know she felt about it, but even her kindness wasn't going to fix what was wrong.


 * "I'm not your brother. You just saw the only blood brother I have in this world."


 * "We are all the children of Glaurung and that includes you Domeric."


 * "I wish all of you the best. Tommarow we shall all die I suppose." With that there was nothing else to say and he mounted his horse and rode back to the Bolten lines.

With these insults the meeting begin to fall apart and it nearly came to violence when Ramsey took out a knife from his side and only the quick movement of Domeric Bolten stopped the situation from completely falling apart. Despite this Ramsey and Domeric would nearly come to blows but only Ramsey's knowledge that he couldn't defeat Domeric stopped him from attacking him right there. Ramsey would spit in his face before leaving with everyone else in the party outside of Domeric who remained behind. Britt Lancave would attempt to convinse him to come back with them, but he was loyal to a fault and returned to the Bolten lines.

Retreat

 * Ramsey_Bolten1.jpg"I returned to a camp in complete turmoil. When I got off my horse it was John Cole that approached me and told me that Ramsey had spent the ride back screaming how I was to be killed in the most violent and painful way he could devise, and that he planned to retreat back to Karhold. All that remained now was to make it there."


 * -Domeric Bolten

Following the fight between Domeric and Ramsey Bolten and the collapse of the meeting with the Lucernians it was Ramsey's hatred and madness that led him him to decide to put nearly the entire Bolten army into a full retreat back to Karhold. Ramsey was at this point beyond any sort of rational thought and noone dared resist him despite the fact that many believed that Koenisburg was there's for the taking and Roose Bolten wanted the city taken at all costs. While he planned to have nearly the entire army do this he would force his brother Domeric to return to Karhold from a different direction with only House Hornwood and its loyal vassals. As the armies made their retreat back to Karkhold, it was Ramsey that put into work his real plan when he split from the main army and moved north with a large force of cavalry and planned to burn the town of Pomlet to the ground and thus force Domeric to come to its aid, where he would then say he was responsible for the act and ambush his brother's force. After hearing Ramsey talking about his plan to Reek it was Jordin Bolten that snuck into the force of Ramsey as it split off from the main army, and he would send a Raven to Grandlen telling Jamie Lannister of the change.

Massacre at Green Creek
Main Article : Battle of Green Creek


 * Reek.jpg"The fool camped for an entire day on the words of a man he hated. He deserved what came on him that night."


 * -Jordin Bolten

What Ramsey did not anticipate was the fact that the moment that Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Britt Lancave and Hedrik Clegane returned to Koenisburg they sent a raven to Jamie Lannister telling him to move against the Boltens. Ramsey had not realized that Jordin Bolten had joined his army but discovered his presence and begin to plot to kill Jordin. Before he could do this Ramsey was fed falce information by Jordin Bolten about a scouting party from Grandlen nearbye which caused Ramsey to camp for an entire day and gave Jamie Lannister enough time to catch Ramsey's force on the bed of the River Creek. Jamie Lannister and his three thousand cavalry would smash into the camp of Ramsey Bolten and in less then twenty minutes nearly the entire force was massacred. It was as everything was falling apart that Ramsey Bolten would switch clothes with his servent Reek of whom he would smash the face of beyond any recegnition so that he could not be found to be not him. When Jamie entered the tent of Ramsey attempting to kill Ramsey or take him prisoner he found nothing but the supposed Reek standing over the destroyed body of "Ramsey Bolten". In that moment Jamie went to kill Reek but was stopped by Jordin Bolten who said to let Reek go as he was nothing but a slave they had captured from the Greyjoy's years past. Trusting Jordin Jamie would let "Reek" go and thus Ramsey Bolten escape the battle and made his way back to the Dreadfort.