How would you make the North rich and/or powerful?

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

After the Greyjoys' rebellion, I would have put an end to the Seastone chair and folded the Iron Islands into the North. Install somebody that you trust to be the new House that overseas them and use their Navy to protect the waters of the North.

With the new peace (and no raiding) I would try to build a new keep/ city to act as a harbor and set up trade routes with the south for the North's timber and resources. Put a new Lord over that area (maybe the Jon Snow's future hold?) and try and grow the area.

I would also see if I could build a police force made up of Second Sons looking to prove themselves (along with lowborn looking to do the same). Promising them pay, land and possibly titles in the New gift.

With Robert on the Throne, Ned should have been lobbying to help build the North, fortify the Night's Watch and build closer ties with the South.

They had a bond between the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, The Storm Lands and the Crownlands, why not strengthen that and grow new bonds?

Robb should have had a marriage already arranged with a Dorneish princess and Sansa with a Martell.

[The Bittersteel]

That's what i'm looking for, never disappoint bittersteel, anymore bright idea's?

Because some guy burned it cause daddy ran away into the sunset sea.

haha thanks. It would seem like they could take advantage of the natural trade route from the Summer Islands to Oldtown to Lannisport if they made the effort. It's worked well for House Manderly on the other side. I'll have to give it some more thought but I was also thinking why not 'advertise' the Wolfswood as a place for hunting for Southern Lords? For a fee they could come up stay with Northerners and hunt the game there, which is plentiful. I can see many nobles being up for it.

[Sultan of Westeros]

Build a massive merchant fleet and trade with free cities, accumulate wildings in northern society (Jon Snow has taken right steps in direction) and use all abandoned and unpopulated land for agriculture. This will increase northern workforce and create an agri boom along with increase in north's military strength. Promote transportation to White harbour from inland north via river (ships). Don't participate in military conflicts south of neck, increase size of northern merchant class (which is negligible iirc) and focus on king's landing, oldtown and free cities across narrow sea. Maintain a small standing army at winterfell (assuming Starks are there) as drafting levies for every conflict big or small disrupts normal economic activity. Create an institution/clergy sort off for religion of Old Gods which also researches (citadel style) on different gifts of first men such warging, greensight and things unique to northern culture i.e wall, things beyond the wall, giants, old tongue and super natural such as others and wights. This answer is purely from economic point of view and I can suggest plenty more but these are some major and comes on top of mind.

[Sultan of Westeros]

haha thanks. It would seem like they could take advantage of the natural trade route from the Summer Islands to Oldtown to Lannisport if they made the effort. It's worked well for House Manderly on the other side. I'll have to give it some more thought but I was also thinking why not 'advertise' the Wolfswood as a place for hunting for Southern Lords? For a fee they could come up stay with Northerners and hunt the game there, which is plentiful. I can see many nobles being up for it.

would it be against northern honour to charge guests for hunting, cant imagine someone like Ned Stark charging a Southern lord for hunting in his lands, also most lords in South do have their own hunting grounds (Kingswood etc)

[khalhotpie]

-Rebuild the military fleet and a much larger merchant fleet using the vast timber resources of the north.

-Use the cleared woodland for more farmland

-Use the larger merchant fleet to trade more with far away lands like ibben , north essos , and for those who want to even as far as the jade sea.

-Strengthen moat cailin and build smaller forts all along the west coast...combined with the new fleet they should ward off ironborn more.

-One off tax on lords to combined with the extra cash flowing in to buy one off purchase of unsullied for the nights watch (few thousand 3-4) ....the extra manpower patrolling the wall will help reduce any wildling raiding and people can return to the gift etc.

-On the flipside envoys will be sent north to wildlings to offer anyone willing to abide by the laws of the land entry..extra special effort to reach out to the giants as even a few of those would be a huge military asset properly trained and armoured.

-direwolf breeding program....small scale of course

[Free Northman Reborn]

To me it is not a military issue, but an economic one. Boost the North's economy and you will increase its population. This in turn will allow more excess resources to better equip and feed larger armies.

So it is all about growing more food, producing more trade goods, improving transport infrastructure and opening up new markets.

1. The North should be the shipbuilding centre of the world.

2. The North should be the wool production centre of the world.

3. The North should be the leather production centre of the world.

4. The North should be the centre of the world fur trade.

5. The North should undergo a Stark sponsored era of intense prospecting. An area that size should have immense mineral resources that simply haven not been discovered due to lack of proper surveying and exploration. The silver mines around White Harbor have probably only been discovered because that is the most densely populated area of the North. There should be vastly more mineral wealth than just that little bit in the million square mile North.

6. The North has the largest coastline of any kingdom. At least 1500 miles of coastline on each side. This in what is in our world the most fertile fishing waters in the world. The fishing industry should be exponentially larger in the North.

Those are a few brief thoughts, but with proper focus on economic growth the North should be vastly richer than it is.

[The Bittersteel]

would it be against northern honour to charge guests for hunting, cant imagine someone like Ned Stark charging a Southern lord for hunting in his lands, also most lords in South do have their own hunting grounds (Kingswood etc)

I don't see why it would be. It was commmon medieval practice for a lord to pay for a licence to hunt in Royal forests. I believe the Kingswood is one of very few hunting grounds to approach the size of the Wolfswood in terms of size and abundance of game. Offering an alternative seems like a good idea.

[Señor de la Tormenta]

To me it is not a military issue, but an economic one. Boost the North's economy and you will increase its population. This in turn will allow more excess resources to better equip and feed larger armies.

So it is all about growing more food, producing more trade goods, improving transport infrastructure and opening up new markets.

1. The North should be the shipbuilding centre of the world.

2. The North should be the wool production centre of the world.

3. The North should be the leather production centre of the world.

4. The North should be the centre of the world fur trade.

5. The North should undergo a Stark sponsored era of intense prospecting. And area that size should have immense mineral resources that simply haven not been discovered due to lack of proper surveying and exploration. The silver mines around White Harbor have probably only been discovered because that is the most densely populated area of the North. There should be vastly more mineral wealth than just that little bit in the million square mile North.

6. The North has the largest coastline of any kingdom. At least 1500 miles of coastline on each side. This in what is in our world the most fertile fishing waters in the world. The fishing industry should be exponentially larger in the North.

Those are a few brief thoughts, but with proper focus on economic growth the North should be vastly richer than it is.

it seams Starks had been lazy leaders!

[The Frosted King]

Go north with military host, drive mammoths south.

Offer giants controlled borders as well.

Use rich milk as a barter base, and create the unique northern dish of ice cream.

Sell ice cream, make money, import spices with said money, sell more ice cream in different flavors.

Wealthy parents sip on chilled wine, wealthy children inhale iced cream of all flavors.

Sell ivory as well.

Use mammoth dung in place of cow dung, better yields.

Monetize the sight seeing of giants. People come from near and far to see wonders.

Using giant workforce, drain swamps around Moat Cailin.

Rebuild seat, and charge a toll.

Have another more out the way path through perilous territory a ways off.

Give people a choice, but make it a no brainer.

Start tapping the mountain ranges for ore streams.

If any are found, direct trade to Deepwood Motte, and from there to Lannisport.

Review and retouch northern road networks.

You monetize the oddities of the north, you raise the value overall.

More value means more immigrants, which means more people to work the land, pay taxes and be soldiers if need be.

The stagnation of the north is so maddening to me precisely because of the sheer opportunities present.

All it requires is a few successive lords of Winterfell with access to a stocked library and a gossip.

[The Fresh PtwP]

Literally all you hear in Bran's walking chapters is that the group is passing through another wood or forest.

The North should have a fleet that makes the Iron or Redwyne Fleets look like jokes.

[Pod The Rod]

Start developing the silver mines near White Harbor more.

Build a port on the west coast.

Do all that I can to encourage immigration.

See about attracting Braavosi investment into WH.

[Pod The Rod]

After the Greyjoys' rebellion, I would have put an end to the Seastone chair and folded the Iron Islands into the North. Install somebody that you trust to be the new House that overseas them and use their Navy to protect the waters of the North.

With the new peace (and no raiding) I would try to build a new keep/ city to act as a harbor and set up trade routes with the south for the North's timber and resources. Put a new Lord over that area (maybe the Jon Snow's future hold?) and try and grow the area.

I would also see if I could build a police force made up of Second Sons looking to prove themselves (along with lowborn looking to do the same). Promising them pay, land and possibly titles in the New gift.

With Robert on the Throne, Ned should have been lobbying to help build the North, fortify the Night's Watch and build closer ties with the South.

They had a bond between the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, The Storm Lands and the Crownlands, why not strengthen that and grow new bonds?

Robb should have had a marriage already arranged with a Dorneish princess and Sansa with a Martell.

Eh, Robb should have been betrothed to Margaery if possible. Aside from the military advantages, it'd have been a huge economic boost to the North. Sansa and Joffrey was a great idea, really, Joff just screwed it up by being Joff.

Your other ideas are pretty good.

I still think a port on the west coast, near the Rills, would've been brilliant. Simultaneous access to the Riverlands, Islands, and Lannisport.

[Bold Barry Whitebeard]

Building the population up is the most important part, and trying to encourage immigration isn't really going to cut it. Presumably, the North is in the sweet spot between the food it can collect and the population it can support through a winter. The North needs to find the wealth to provide food to last its whole population through the winter in order for it to grow. So it's kind of a catch 22: you need more arable land to get more people, and you need more people to get more arable land.

Winterfell needs to invest time/money into making the villages of the smallfolk hardy enough to last through a long winter, and in storing and distributing enough food to the people to keep them fed. When they can do that, they can grow the population to start harvesting all the resources the north has.

[Pod The Rod]

Building the population up is the most important part, and trying to encourage immigration isn't really going to cut it. Presumably, the North is in the sweet spot between the food it can collect and the population it can support through a winter. The North needs to find the wealth to provide food to last its whole population through the winter in order for it to grow. So it's kind of a catch 22: you need more arable land to get more people, and you need more people to get more arable land.

Winterfell needs to invest time/money into making the villages of the smallfolk hardy enough to last through a long winter, and in storing and distributing enough food to the people to keep them fed. When they can do that, they can grow the population to start harvesting all the resources the north has.

As other people have said, there's other ways to get food. Namely fishing. There should be vast fishing fleets based out of White Harbor, Karhold, Bear Island, and the Rills. The waters of the North should easily be able to support a population increase.

Also, definitely increase prospecting and surveying. North Dakota is currently experiencing a population boom, despite it being a crappy place to live. Why? Oil. Easy employment, easy way forward in life. The same would hold true if the surely large mineral wealth of the North was tapped.

[The Golden Wolf]

The North being so underdeveloped has always seemed to me to be because of the weather. it seems to be that they can only focus on producing food for the harsh winters to that they may survive through it to spring. if you want to make the North powerful then you must discover Steam Power and to a lesser extent Gun powder.

For me I would pave the roads of the North. no more dirt tracks.

I would enter into a Lumber trade agreement with Braavos and get them to build me a Merchant Fleet and War fleet

I would create a Military academy that operates a sellsword company in Essos. this would allow for extra sons to go off to war and gain lots of experience.

Build up the WIntertown outside of Winterfell into a proper city. have it become the glass making hub of Westeros as well as where we produce fine works from lumber, wool, and fur. Would also be the sight of my military academy.

The establishment of the Academy, Wintertown into a city, trade agreement with Bravoos, Building of Flint Finger into a trade port, and paving of the road would take place 200 years before Aegon's Conquest. Torhenn would still in all likelyhood kneel but his host would be much bigger. but against those Three Dragons no host is big enough unless you have accurate cannons.

[Lee-Sensei]

After the Greyjoys' rebellion, I would have put an end to the Seastone chair and folded the Iron Islands into the North. Install somebody that you trust to be the new House that overseas them and use their Navy to protect the waters of the North.

With the new peace (and no raiding) I would try to build a new keep/ city to act as a harbor and set up trade routes with the south for the North's timber and resources. Put a new Lord over that area (maybe the Jon Snow's future hold?) and try and grow the area.

I would also see if I could build a police force made up of Second Sons looking to prove themselves (along with lowborn looking to do the same). Promising them pay, land and possibly titles in the New gift.

With Robert on the Throne, Ned should have been lobbying to help build the North, fortify the Night's Watch and build closer ties with the South.

They had a bond between the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, The Storm Lands and the Crownlands, why not strengthen that and grow new bonds?

Robb should have had a marriage already arranged with a Dorneish princess and Sansa with a Martell.

That's not their choice to make.

[new djinn]

Get new leadership in the North. Built a Rills-Barrowton-WH-Hornwood-Dreadfort-Karhold road. Give lands for free to any peasant willing to farm it at Seadragon point. Create storage silos in every population center in the North.

Without population and good leadership, the North is going nowhere.

[Señor de la Tormenta]

as many times was said, from people like Free northman, North biggest problem is the taxes who has to pay to the IT.

We saw that when Manderly can start skiping payments he has enough money to improve white harbor port and build a brand new fleet.

Some regions had grown since Targ as the Reach, but it didnt happen to the North. They ve lost contact with Skaagos, the gift and new gift and sourranding areas lost popullation, and it even seams they can field less men with Robb than with their last King.

They pay but get nothing from the IT. Their roads suck and the NW is weaker than ever.

[TheNorthernWinds]

Well, first and foremost, build up the navy. With all the large forests in the North, their navy should dwarf all the other kingdoms' navies. Bear Island alone should have close to the amount of the Iron Islands. Use all the new ships to trade with the other kingdoms and the east.

Then pour some money into the White Harbor fishing and silversmith communities. In fact, pour some money into all the fishing communities in the North. With all that coast, not getting in that last harvest won't be as much of a problem.

There must also be a lot of salt available along the coasts too, the other Kingdoms - particularly the Riverlands - would happily trade for Salt.

More hunters would be good, with all the game you'd get a lot of trade with wool, leather and fur.

Also, start hunting beyond the Wall, I bet you can't get a nice Mammoth pelt anywhere else, which would make them expensive.

Explore the hills and mountains. They must be rich in minerals - who knows, their may be gold/silver deposits as large as the ones in the west.

Rebuild Moat Calin, and put a toll on it.

Considering that the North is under constant raids by Wildlings and Iron Born, out of necessity, I assume the North has more fighters per head than most other Kingdoms. This would be great for building some sort of police force, to mitigate the raids effects.

Also, put money into more blacksmiths, with the possibility of plenty more minerals from the hills and mountains, weapons and armor could be one of the North's biggest trade opportunities.

More inns and brothels along the Kingsroad, and host tourneys and feasts. They bring in people from all across the Kingdoms. Expanding Winter's Town will help bring in more money with the tourneys too - particularly if you expand it to have a large market.

There are so many opportunities the North can take to grow, it just needs someone smart enough to realize it.

[TheSnape]

-At the time of Cersei's trial:

-Send assassins and spies into the Bolton's house, poisioning/assassinating Roose and Ramsay, taking them out of the way.

-Send spies to the Frey's house, finding out which of the Freys desire power. Make a temporary allegiance with a young Frey seeking power to kill Walder Frey, promising him riches, and being Lord of the Twins, for his successful endeavor.

The easiest way to become rich is with the aid of those who are already rich. There are many Westerlands Lords and Ladies eager and desperate to get rid of Cersei, especially since she's convicted of sleeping with her brother, and accusations that Tommen is the bastard son of her and her brother spread at this time are more likely to be believed. Contact rich settlements such as Golden Tooth and other areas where there are goldmines, then once you have enough support, raid Casterly Rock, killing Daven Lannister, and take control of CR's gold mines. Make sure you trade regularly with a newly-installed rebel administration in the Westerlands, installing friendly administrations and getting rid of unfriendly administrations.

-Marry as many Northeners to the rebel westerlands lords as possible

-Make sure you have a spy in KL already if you didn't before. Tell said Spy to collect evidence that Cersei framed Margaery. Spread as many rumours to cause as much discord as possible between the Lannisters and the Tyrells

-Visit the Iron Bank of Braavos from a ship from Lannisport. Inform them Cersei was reneging on her debts, and convince them that you will repay the debts properly, obtaining an army from them to get back the money by force.

-Make your way into Highgarden, and attempt to spread rumours amongst the nobility that Cersei framed Margaery, and if your spy in KL got proof, so much the better. Attempt to convince as many of the minor lords as you can, but if it doesn't work, use the army from the IB to sack any settlements you need to. Make sure to prioritise the Arbor and Highgarden. Install friendly administrations as soon as possible, get rid of unfriendly administrations.

-try to marry as many northeners to the highgarden lords as possible

-You won't need to sack Dorne, just assure them you want to trade, and won't attack them.

-Offer the Ironborn the Twins if they will stop raiding ships, but strike a deal with them so it looks like they decided to take the Twins on their own accord, both kicking the Freys out and keeping the Ironborn from being a threat

-Ignore the Vale and the Stormlands as far as possible. Ensure that trade ships flow from the Arbor and Lannisport