Approximately 8,000 years ago, an unnatural cold swept Westeros and the Long Night set in. The sun did not seem to rise for a generation. From the distant north, creatures known as the Others descended and nearly destroyed the First Men. This terrible period ended in the Battle for the Dawn, where the first members of the Night’s Watch drove back the Others. The legacy of this time was the founding of the Sworn Brothers of the Night’s Watch and the raising of the mighty Wall. It may have also been the founding of House Stark, whose proud line extends for 8,000 years.