Alaric Stark

In 49 AC Alaric traveled to King's Landing with his father, Lord Brandon Stark, and his older brother Walton, for the Golden Wedding. Brandon died after returning to the North and the title passed to Walton, who died the following year putting down a rebellion by two Night's Watch brothers who had previously served in Maegor I's Kingsguard.

Alaric inherited Winterfell and the office of Warden of the North, and blamed his brother's death on King Jaehaerys I.

Alaric married a woman of House Mormont, with whom he had two sons and a daughter, Alarra. She died in 55 AC.

When Queen Alysanne Targaryen arrived at Winterfell in 58 AC, only Alaric and his children came out to receive her. He warned her that her dragon would not be staying inside the castle, and that there wasn't enough food for her whole retinue, with winter close.

The queen proposed finding southern wives for his sons. Alaric refused at first, but changed his mind on learning there were southern houses that still worshipped the Old Gods.

The longer he spent with Alysanne, the more he indulged her: he took her hunting, showed her a giant's bones, opened his library to her, and came with her to see the dragon Silverwing up close. With Jaehaerys I, by contrast, he stayed distant and showed him Walton's tomb in the crypts of Winterfell. According to Archmaester Gyldayn, it was Alysanne who talked him into granting the Night's Watch the Gift.

Alaric skipped the tournament in King's Landing for the tenth anniversary of Jaehaerys I's coronation, sending his sons in his place. Ahead of the winter of 59 to 60 AC he ordered his bannermen to set aside half their harvests; not everyone obeyed, and that fed later famines.

Alaric died in 72 AC and was succeeded by his grandson, Edric Stark, as Lord of Winterfell.

In the North he was described as a hard, severe, implacable man, without humor or joy, almost always clench-fisted. He was respected, but few of his bannermen loved him.

Alysanne, after her stay at Winterfell, told a different story: careful with money but not stingy, sharp-humored, and loved by his family and by his own household.