Editing House Bolton (section)

==History==
===Red Kings===
[[File:T Jedruszek BringersOfDread.jpg|thumb|350px|Bringers of Dread, by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The Boltons are an ancient and powerful house of the [[north]] who once ruled as [[Red King]]s from the [[Dreadfort]], with their land reaching from the [[Last River]] and the [[White Knife]] to the [[Sheepshead Hills]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|1}} It has been suggested that the legendary [[Night's King]] was a Bolton.{{Ref|ASOS|56}} Some Red Kings allied with [[Marsh Kings]] to defend against [[southron]] invaders.{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|1}}

The Boltons have a sinister reputation{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|1}} because of their tradition of [[flaying]] their enemies,{{Ref|ACOK|50}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|4}} with the skins then hung in a room of the Dreadfort.{{Ref|AGOT|53}} After the [[Long Night]], the Red Kings were bitter rivals of the [[King in the North|Kings of Winter]], the [[House Stark|Starks]] of [[Winterfell]]. The Boltons achieved some successes against the Starks, with Kings [[Royce II Bolton|Royce II]] and [[Royce IV Bolton|Royce IV]] burning Winterfell.{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|1}} According to rumor, some Boltons wore the flayed skins of Stark princes and lords, such as the son of [[Bael the Bard]],{{Ref|ACOK|51}} as cloaks{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|1}} during the [[Age of Heroes]].{{Ref|ASOS|62}}

The last Red King, [[Rogar Bolton|Rogar the Huntsman]], submitted to Winterfell when the [[coming of the Andals]] to [[Westeros]] was beginning. King [[Theon Stark]], the Hungry Wolf, and the Boltons defeated [[Argos Sevenstar]] and his [[Andals]] in the [[Battle of the Weeping Water]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|1}}

===Vassals of Winterfell===
Thousands of years ago,{{Refn|group="N"|According to [[Bartimus]], the [[House Greystark|Greystarks]] ruled the [[Wolf's Den]] before the [[War Across the Water|wars between Winterfell and the Vale]].{{Ref|ADwD|29}} This warfare began because of the [[Rape of the Three Sisters]], which occurred two thousand years ago.{{Ref|ADwD|9}}}} the Dreadfort rose in an unsuccessful rebellion with the [[House Greystark|Greystarks]] of the [[Wolf's Den]] against the Starks. The Boltons survived the rebellion, although the Greystarks did not.{{Ref|ADWD|29}}

''[[The Chronicles of Longsister]]'' state that during the [[Rape of the Three Sisters]] by the [[Kings of Winter]], which occurred two thousand years ago,{{Ref|ADWD|9}} [[Belthasar Bolton]] had a [[Pink Pavilion]] made from the [[flaying|flayed]] skins of a hundred [[Sistermen]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|4}}

The Boltons threatened Winterfell during the reign of King [[Edrick Stark|Edrick Snowbeard]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|6}} At some point unspecified centuries ago, the Boltons rebelled against the Starks. The Stark armies besieged the Dreadfort for two years before the Boltons capitulated to King [[Harlon Stark]] and dipped their banners once more.{{Ref|ADWD|17}}

"A thousand years ago",{{Refn|group="N"|[[Theon Greyjoy]] recalls that the Boltons bent the knee to the [[House Stark|Starks]] of [[Winterfell]] "a thousand years ago".{{Ref|ACoK|50}} It is unknown if this means one thousand years ago (seven hundred years before [[Aegon's Conquest]]) or if [[George R. R. Martin]] is being figurative.}} the Boltons bent their knees to Winterfell and agreed to abandon their practice of flaying.{{Ref|ACOK|50}} It is rumored the skins of their enemies hang in a room within the Dreadfort, however.{{Ref|AGOT|53}}

===Iron Throne Era===
[[Barba Bolton]] attended the [[Maiden's Day Ball]] in [[King's Landing]], but King [[Aegon III Targaryen]] chose to wed [[Daenaera Velaryon]] instead. Barba asked the [[Iron Throne]] for aid in feeding [[northmen]] during winter.{{Ref|FAB|21}}

When Lord [[Eddard Stark]] called the banners of the north to fight in [[Robert's Rebellion]], Lord [[Roose Bolton]] took up arms, fighting in the [[Battle of the Trident]]. Afterward, he advised Lord [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] to slash the throat of Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], a knight in the [[Kingsguard]] of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]], but Robert instead sent for his [[maesters]] to treat the wounds of the legendary Barristan the Bold.{{Ref|AGOT|33}}

When [[Domeric Bolton]], Roose's accomplished son and heir, learned that he had a [[bastard]] half brother, he rode up the [[Weeping Water]] to befriend [[Ramsay Snow]]. According to Lord Bolton, Domeric was then [[poison]]ed by Ramsay.{{Ref|ADWD|32}} Now heirless, Roose brought Ramsay to the [[Dreadfort]].{{Ref|ACOK|16}}