Spearwives of the Keep

The Spearwives of the Keep are a clan almost entirely composed of women. They descend from Craster, the last master of Craster's Keep before his throat was slit open by a mutinying Night's Watchmen. In the aftermath, his wives, who were all born from his seed, rallied around their eldest, Ferny, who successfully guided her kinswomen through the invasion of the White Walkers.

The Spearwives of the Keep are so named because the vast majority are spearwives: women warriors of prowess. They are lead by a mistress and ruled over by a clan circle. The current mistress is Myrtle.

The Keep
The Keep is nestled atop a low hill just south of the eastern arm of the Milkwater. To the northwest is the First of the First Men, to the south Whiteree, to the southwest the Shadow Tower, and to the southeast Castle Black.

The Keep proper is situated at the northwest tip of the settlement. It is surrounded by numerous, smaller wood lodges. The entire settlement is defended on the outside by a well-built palisade and an earthen dike, in which there is a midden heap, a pigsty, a sheepfold, and a small stable. There are two gated entrances – one facing southeast, the other southwest – and one side entrance, facing north towards the adjacent stream.

The Keep proper is a an impressive, two-floored lodge built from reinforced wood and stone; the newer, sturdier exterior was built on top of the old keep. The first floor of the Keep is low and long. It has a single room with a stone hearth against the far wall, beds all along the side walls, a deep larder underneath the floor, and a long table with benches. A set of stairs against the eastern wall climbs up to the second floor, which is thinner but more spacious than the first due to its vaulted ceilings. A round weirwood table occupies the front portion of the room while chairs and smaller tables occupy the rest. Private nooks with fur beds line the walls. Two doors lead out from the front facing wall onto a balcony that overlooks the settlement.