In prehistoric times, the lands of Westeros are inhabited by a mysterious race of diminutive
humanoid creatures known as the children of the forest, as well as giants and other magical
creatures.
Around 12000 years ago, The First Men, a human ethnic group from Essos, invades Westeros
by crossing the Arm of Dorne, bearing weapons of bronze.
The First Men are more numerous, larger, stronger, and more technologically advanced than the
children, who try to resist the invaders using their magic and obsidian weapons.
It proves unsuccessful and the First Men gradually push deeper and deeper into Westeros, establishing
hundreds of petty kingdoms.
After 2000 years of warfare, the First Men and children of the forest come to a standstill
and finally agree to a peaceful coexistence, signing the Pact on the Isle of Faces.
This pact gives the First Men dominion over the open lands and lets the children keep
control over the forested areas.
In time, the First Men adopt the worship of the old gods of the forest.
The era following the pact is called the Age of Heroes.
The Pact endures for nearly four thousand years, and in that time, the children of the
forest and the First Men grow closer.
In time, the First Men set aside many of their cultural differences to embrace the ways and
customs of the children of the forest.
This was the time when many historical figures are said to have lived, such as Brandon the
Builder, who was the founder of House Stark; Lann the Clever, the founder of House Lannister,
who captured Casterly Rock from the Casterlys; and Garth the Gardener, who found the House
Gardener of the Reach.
About 8000 years ago came the Long Night.
In this time, night seems to last for a generation, and the longest, coldest and darkest winter
descends on Westeros.
The ice spreads down from the north, and under the cover of darkness, the White Walkers invade
Westeros from the uttermost north, marching, killing and raising up the dead to be their
servants and nearly destroying all men in Westeros.
The Long Night comes to an end with the Battle for the Dawn.
The children and the First Men unite to defeat the White Walkers with dragonglass weapons,
with the Night's Watch pushing them back into the frozen reaches of the far north.
Legendary figures from this time include the Last Hero and Azor Ahai, who wields a great
sword of fire, the Lightbringer.
With the White Walkers defeated, Bran the Builder with the aid of giants, the First
Men and perhaps the children of the forest, raises the Wall, a monumental fortification
of ice and ancient magic to shelter the realms of men from the menaces of the north.
The Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch guards the Wall.
Bran the Builder also builds Winterfell, becomes the first King of Winter, and founds House
Stark.
Not long after the Wall is complete, the thirteenth Lord Commander of the Night's Watch breaks
his oath.
He is seduced by a White Walker woman from beyond the Wall.
He declares himself the Night's King, and rises in rebellion with the Watch with his
personal army.
During the dark years of his reign, horrific atrocities are committed, of which tales are
still told in the north even after several millennia.
The Starks of Winterfell and the King-beyond-the-Wall, Joramun, join forces to defeat the Night's
King and thus restore honor to the Watch.
The Night’s King should not be confused with the White Walker Night King as both are
different characters.
While Westeros was recovering from the Long Night, in Essos, the peaceful sheep-herding
folk of the Valyrian peninsula find dragons lairing in the Fourteen Fires, an immense
chain of volcanoes extending across the neck of the peninsula.
The Valyrians tame the dragons with magic, which gives them the means to gain influence
over the area.
The Valyrian Freehold is established.
In its capital, Valyria, magic flourishes, topless towers rise toward the heavens where
dragons soar, stone sphinxes gaze down through eyes of garnet, and smiths forge swords of
legendary strength and sharpness. 2000 years after the Long Night, a new religion,
the Faith of the Seven is found in the Hills of Andalos on Essos.
Supposedly, seven deities appear to Hugor of the Hill, inspiring the Andals for their
invasion of Westeros. 4000 years ago, The Andals cross the narrow
sea and make landfall on its eastern shore at the Fingers in the Vale.
They come under the banner of the Faith of the Seven, with seven-pointed stars carved
into their chests, wielding weapons of steel.
They fight both the First Men and the children of the forest, sweeping the land much like
the First Men did thousands of years before.
For centuries, the Andals war with the First Men and the children in an attempt to drive
them out.
One by one, the six southern kingdoms fall and the weirwoods are burned.
Only the north remains under the rule of the First Men, in large part due to the strategically-located
fortress of Moat Cailin.
Even though the north remains secure, the children of the forest begin their slow withdrawal
from the lands of men, retreating deeper into their forests and north of the Wall.
After a thousand years of their invasion, The Iron Islands fall to the Andals, ending
the line of the Kings of the Iron Islands, which originated from Urron Greyiron.
This is also when the free folk unite under the brother Kings-beyond-the-Wall, Gendel
and Gorne.
They manage to evade the Night's Watch and bypass the Wall in great numbers using a network
of tunnels that extend under the Wall.
However, they are met by the Stark king on the other side and are eventually thrown back.
Meanwhile in Essos, Valyrian Freehold expands its territories by defeating the Old Empire
of Ghis. Old Ghis is utterly destroyed after five wars.
After the destruction of Old Ghis, a series of wars between the Valyrian Freehold and
Rhoynar takes place, starting around 950 BC with the First Turtle War, which lasts for
some two hundred and fifty years and ends with the Second Spice War.
Following the defeat of the Second Spice War, Nymeria, a Rhoynish warrior queen, evacuates
the survivors on ten thousand ships across the narrow sea, seeking refuge in Dorne.
There, Nymeria forms a marriage alliance with Lord Mors Martell and together they finally
organize the land into one kingdom, establishing House Martell as the ruling house of Dorne.
This is the same time when House Stark finally subdues House Bolton, their primary antagonists
for dominance in the North.
Later Karlon Stark would defeat sea raiders from the east and found the cadet branch House
Karstark.
In 100 BC, Valyrian Freehold is completely destroyed in an event called the Doom of Valyria.
On the night of the Doom, Fourteen Fires erupt in rapid sequence accompanied by earthquakes
and tsunamis.
The Doom is followed by a hundred years of war and chaos called the Century of Blood.
Targaryens, occupying a Valyrian outpost Dragonstone, are the only Valyrians that survive.
Thank you for watching.
If you liked this video, please share and subscribe.
If you didn't like it, please comment your feedback below.