Neck, Greywater Watch
Greywater Watch is the ancestral castle of House Reed, and it's also the most mysterious castle on Westeros. Because there are no Maesters here, naturally, no news or records have been spread.
Historically, the Citadel and the southern nobles have all tried to find Greywater Watch, but in the end, they all got lost in this intricate wetland and swamp, and never even saw a shadow of Greywater Watch.
Under the guidance of the Three-Eyed Raven, Marco and his party found the location of Greywater Watch very smoothly. Marco finally understood why outsiders couldn't find this place.
Because Greywater Watch was built on the back of a Giant Turtle. The Greywater Watch fortress, which occupies about 3,000 square meters, only accounts for 1/3 of the Giant Turtle's body. When the dragons landed on its back, they looked only as big as a piece of its shell.
After sensing the abnormality of Marco and his party, the Giant Turtle raised its huge head from the mud. Its pale green eyes seemed to carry a hint of curiosity.
Mud and clear water flowed out of its mouth from time to time. This water looked very clear, and there was no disgusting stench in the falling mud, which made everything around seem so fresh.
At this time, the white raven possessed by the Three-Eyed Raven landed on Marco's shoulder and explained to him:
"This is Marcus of the Giant Turtle clan. He's lived here for over a thousand years. After Neck was created by magic, he stayed here, purifying the filth of Neck.
He's of the same race as the Giant Turtles in the Rhoyne River on the eastern continent. They are a powerful race that has been around since ancient times, but most of those on our side died in wars. Marcus is the last of his kind in this group."
Marco looked at the Giant Turtle, hearing this. This big guy looked terrifying, but in reality, it had no combat ability. It just relied on its hard body and huge size to fight enemies.
That's why they were burned to death by the dragonflame of numerous dragons when they were on Essos. After coming to Westeros, they were wiped out by the White Walkers' sea of corpses tactics.
In the final analysis, this kind of Giant Turtle survived until today entirely by relying on its huge body. Apart from the magic to purify water and land, they had no means to protect themselves.
And there was one more important point: this kind of Giant Turtle could only survive in places with fresh water. Without water, they couldn't last long.
"No wonder they ended up becoming mobile foundations. This guy is completely useless except for the ability to purify water and land! However, that doesn't mean they're useless. Once they're in my hands, I'll definitely put you to good use."
Marco thought silently in his heart, then Marco turned his gaze to the Giant Turtle, pondering in his mind how to put their special abilities in the most useful place.
The Giant Turtle looked at Marco and couldn't help but shiver. This was the first time in its thousand-year life that it had felt fear.
Just as the Giant Turtle was considering whether to get rid of Marco, a gentle consciousness connected with it, quickly calming its agitated emotions.
It turned out that Moonshadow was very curious about the Giant Turtle and had used her ability to establish a connection. While they were chatting excitedly, a large group of people emerged from the distant fortress.
Greywater Watch wasn't actually built by the Crannogmen. Like other fortresses in the Neck, these were built jointly by the ancient First Men and the Children of the Forest in order to fight against the White Walkers.
Later, with the end of the war, many small fortresses were abandoned, while the large ones were kept and became the castles and homelands of the Crannogmen.
This group of people approached Marco and the others. The leader was not tall, appearing to be in his forties. He wore the distinctive attire of the Crannogmen, with a trident and a longbow on his back.
He had a pair of green eyes and long brown hair. His physique was quite strong for a Crannogman. His dark green cloak swayed in the wind, making him seem very mysterious.
Behind him were more than twenty people, all wearing the unique clothing of the Crannogmen. Among them, a pair of siblings walking side by side caught Marco's attention.
Because Marco felt a familiar fluctuation of magic on them, it seemed they had become Druids. With Marco's skill in controlling magic, he sensed that these Crannogmen all possessed varying degrees of the special energy fluctuation typical of Druids.
"I've been teaching them how to use these new powers, but then things started to pile up with the Empire, so I didn't pay much attention to what was happening here. That was until I received Jojen's request for help a while ago.
I didn't expect them to be this powerful when I saw them again. These Crannogmen might be advancing so quickly in the Druid way because they have our bloodline. Once the Neck is completely recovered, they will likely all become masters."
The three-eyed crow on Marco's shoulder transmitted, its tone subtly proud. It also wanted to introduce Marco to the Children of the Forest in this area as soon as possible.
The Children of the Forest in the Neck are the largest remaining group on Westeros, and they are also a large clan among the Children of the Forest.
However, the three-eyed crow hadn't contacted them for a long time. Due to the decrease in life energy, most of the Children of the Forest have been sleeping to slow down their power's decline.
Just as Marco was about to ask about what happened, a strong magical fluctuation came from Aegon Targaryen's necklace. Marco turned his head and saw Lyanna Stark, in her ghost form, appear between the two groups of people.
"Long time no see, Howland Reed, you've gotten old!"
Lyanna said softly, her voice filled with reminiscence. Once upon a time, they, a group of young men and women, had met at the tournament in Harrenhal. But no one could have predicted how everything would change after that event.
"It's... it's been a long time, Lady Lyanna. You... you aren't... Oh, right. No wonder I always felt something following us back then, but it vanished after returning to Winterfell."
Howland Reed spoke in shock. Though the Crannogmen knew some simple magic, the person standing before him was someone he had witnessed die. How could he not be surprised?
"Aegon! Come and greet Lord Howland Reed. He is your uncle's savior, and he also knows your true identity. To keep your secret, Lord Reed hasn't left Greywater Watch since returning to The North."
Lyanna said to Aegon, who stood beside her. Her words were filled with gratitude toward Howland Reed. In her eyes, Howland Reed had sacrificed much for Aegon's safety.
"No, Lady! It was all guided by the Gods. You saved me from humiliation, and you punished those evildoers for me. This is what I should have done."
Howland Reed spoke emotionally. At that moment, he seemed to recall the humiliation he had suffered. That unwillingness and distress, he would never forget.
"Although you hid it well, Lord Brynden and I recognized your figure and movements. It was because of your agility and spirit that I gained courage, learned to believe in myself, and defeated those who were enemies of The North."
Howland Reed still remembered the day of the tournament at Harrenhal. He'd been humiliated by three young squires, and it was Lyanna who had come to his rescue. The Northerners urged him to seek revenge, but Howland Reed was not skilled in mounted combat, and his small stature only added to his frustration.
Lyanna, seeing all of this, had secretly become the "Knight of the Laughing Tree," using makeshift weapons and armor to defeat the knight to whom the three squires were sworn. She then exposed the squires' misdeeds to the assembled crowd.
In Howland Reed's eyes, Lyanna had given him enough respect and support, and it was Lyanna who helped him regain his fighting spirit, allowing him to kill the famed "Dawn," Arthur Dayne, during the battle at the Tower of Joy.
In Howland Reed's view, this was something that would never have happened to him, and it was because of Lyanna's unyielding spirit that he had the courage to swing his sword at "Dawn," saving his friend and liege lord.
"Lord Reed! Thank you for your contributions and protection. You are a true warrior, and a noble soldier who kept his oath."
Aegon thanked Howland Reed. He and the Stark children had always believed that Eddard Stark had killed "Dawn." They never expected that it was this "unknown" leader of the Crannogmen who had killed the strongest Kingsguard in the legends.
"You all guessed it. No wonder my brother said I didn't smile well back then. I never understood. It turns out he was talking about the emblem I drew."
Lyanna said, a little dazed, and her heart was also filled with thoughts of her brothers.
After reminiscing, Lyanna gave a slightly apologetic bow to Marco and said:
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty! After seeing Lord Reed, I couldn't control my emotions and ran out, affecting your affairs. I am truly very sorry."
Marco waved his hand, indicating for her not to mind. Then, Marco turned to Howland Reed, who was bowing to him, and said:
"Alright, let's talk about the problems you've encountered! I don't really understand the situation here. The Three-Eyed Crow told me that his perception is blocked here. What exactly is going on? What are these servants of the alien gods you're talking about? There don't seem to be any White Walkers around here."
"The things that have appeared here are related to our people, so the Green Seer didn't notice anything unusual. Many creatures have been corrupted, and this time, they seem to be even stronger than before, some of them are even immune to the 'Fire of the Gods'. We're almost at our wit's end."
Suddenly, a Children of the Forest speaking Deep Speech descended from the sky and appeared before everyone. Immediately after, an eagle's cry rang out, and everyone looked up to see a giant golden eagle circling in the sky.
"Who are you?"
Marco asked this mysterious Children of the Forest. Marco's Deep Speech was filled with magical power, and the surrounding water and air were also influenced by this force.
Since Moonshadow learned to use the common tongue, Marco hadn't spoken Deep Speech for a long time. He hadn't expected such a wondrous change this time.
"You are truly strong. No wonder the gods are answering your call. You are indeed the god-king acknowledged by the gods. Our people are saved."
This mysterious Child of the Forest spoke to Marco. She was a Child of the Forest in a dark state, unlike those under Marco's command who had been transformed by the system.
So, when she saw Moonshadow, this Child of the Forest named "Sand" was quite excited. She believed that Moonshadow and her companions had found the future of their people.
Sand was a Child of the Forest from Neck. Their tribe originally had a "Green Seer," and they had always been guarding the seal of an ancient god.
During the war with the First Men, the Green Seer here had borrowed the power of this god, which led to the corruption of their people. Many of the tribe turned into terrifying crystal monsters.
These monsters were covered in blue crystals and were almost immortal. It was only through the sacrifice of other tribesmen that they managed to seal these monsters.
But on the day the Red Comet appeared, the seals suddenly loosened. The corrupted tribesmen reappeared. Sand and her people barely managed to use magic to seal them again.
Although they had sealed away those monsters, some powerful crystal creatures still managed to escape. Consequently, Moonshadow was forced to appear before the Crannogmen, requesting assistance from her distant blood relatives.
Initially, Howland Reed, who had awakened mysterious powers, intended to lead troops to support Robb Stark. However, these suddenly appearing monsters threw the entire Neck into chaos. Forced to abandon his plan to avenge his friend, Howland Reed instead turned his attention to the crystal monsters.
With a heavy heart, he joined the fight against the crystal creatures. They had already eliminated many of the monsters when they were unexpectedly confronted with an invasion by the Ironborn.
The Ironborn were engaged in burning, killing, and looting at Salt Spears and the Fever River. They burned forests and slaughtered anyone who dared to resist, leaving desolation in their wake.
Subsequently, the seal shattered again, and a large number of crystal creatures escaped, engaging in battle with the Crannogmen. If it weren't for the fact that Howland Reed and his people had awakened powerful abilities, the entire Crannogmen population might have been wiped out in this battle.
Later, internal conflicts among the Ironborn provided the Crannogmen with a brief respite. With the help of Moonshadow and some of her kin, the crystal monsters were sealed away once more.
Yet, just a few days ago, another group of monsters arrived from the west. They led the fish-monsters in an attack on the sealing grounds, once again releasing a large number of monsters.
After risking everything to perform the awakening ritual for Jojen Reed, a semi-finished Green Seer appeared on the battlefield. The Children of the Forest were finally able to send out a distress signal and, relying on Jojen Reed's power, temporarily suppressed the monsters' combined forces.
"You mean those five guys were using water magic? No wonder I couldn't find them. They escaped here, and it seems they're all underlings of those guys."
Marco said, suddenly understanding. Since the Gods of Edd had wiped out one civilization after another, they had fallen into endless infighting.
They lured the other side's followers to betray them, and they confused the races the other side had created. The endless infighting of the gods led to the rise of the Valyrians, but it also weakened their strength.
Although the Valyrians inherited magic, they didn't inherit the corresponding civilization. The nomadic concept of the strong preying on the weak made them only plunder and oppress.
The destruction of magical civilization by the Gods of Edd turned many races who had inherited magic into barbarians who only knew how to oppress and kill. They couldn't reach the height of the Ailing people at all.
Although the rise of the Valyrian civilization was built on blood and death, the accumulation of power made the gods feel afraid.
In the end, the magistrates of the Freehold of Valyria united and fought against the subordinate races of the Gods of Edd. At the same time, the slaves under the Fourteen Flames also revolted.
In the later stages of the battle, the gods instructed their followers to destroy the magical array that suppressed the Fourteen Flames, which led to the collective eruption of the Fourteen Flames and completely destroyed the entire Freehold of Valyria.
The reason the Valyrians sealed the Fourteen Flame Peaks was to harness the powerful life energy within, transforming it for use with dragon glass and gemstone mines.
This is also why Dragonstone has dragon glass mines. The Valyrians could use dragon glass to cast magic, and when the life energy was active, they could even…
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