The Winter Knights

The extension of the Sword of Winter's rights to their subordinates includes the right to accept the Winter Oath from others, allowing the Sword of Winter's forces to form a hierarchy almost exactly like an Order of Knights. As such, those who take the Winter Oath have come to be known as Winter Knights.
Though the order has only existed for under a decade, it already has a convoluted history. When the title of Sword of Winter was bestowed upon Jorah Mormont, he quickly went to work gathering forces for an attack on the isles of the Bite. The people had despised letting the Vale get what they wanted after King Corbray broke the peace of their former alliance, and had been stirring for some time. These people, on the verge of rioting in protest, were all visited by Jorah on a long winding journey across the north, and many of them swore a shorter, less permanent version of the Winter Oath, before it was fully codified as above. This first gathering of followers under the Sword of Winter took on the name "The Winter Wolves" and because of this some people still refer to the order as such to this day.
The Winter Wolves invaded the Bite while the Vale was busy defending against a southern invasion, though while tensions rose among a number of forces in the area, no actual fighting occurred according to records. The Vale gave up the isles without a fight, choosing to flee to Essos, and the southern forces ultimately respected the claim of the Winter Wolves and the Sword of Winter thanks to careful negotiations. This event made the order known to the world in a way that many were not expecting, cementing them as a recognized independent political and military entity on the level of the Faith of The Seven in the south or the Night's Watch of old. Recognizing this, or perhaps having planned it all along, Queen Lyanna Stark refused to take the isles of the Bite for herself or her vassals, instead bequeathing them permanently to the Sword of Winter and his followers, along with many other fiefs throughout the North of defensive strategic value.
Seeing that this new band of warriors sworn to him was going to be a more permanent thing, he offered all his followers a chance to be relieved of their oaths before they became permanent. Many took the opportunity, wanting to return to their homes and a more stable life as opposed to the uncertain future of this new order, even many fighting age men who wanted to be soldiers for a good cause opted to join House Flint's army since many of them were from those lands. But a good number of people chose to stay, many of whom were elite and seasoned soldiers who were hoping to fight one last glorious battle in which they'd die on the field or at sea. Others were young men and women with little or nothing to lose, or perhaps too much passion and love for their kingdom to sit idly by, or in many cases both.
With a newfound future ahead of them, and eventually with a refined structure to how they operate going forward, Jorah would rebrand themselves as the Winter Knights, an order dedicated to the Safety, Well being, and Prosperity of the North and her people. For the next several years they would focus on building themselves up by improving the fiefs they were granted, recruiting new knights across the kingdom, and training themselves for the battles to come. Many of the original Wolves with decades of experience now reside at Wintertown* where they can teach the other knights everything they've learned while both student and teacher protect Winterfell as vigilant guardians.

The Winter Oath:

I hereby hold no allegiance to any crown, nor to any throne; I pledge my life and death to Winter alone. To the North herself, and to no other, is my loyalty owed. From this day, until the end of days, I shall cry out the voice of the people and I shall carry the burden of their will; I will serve as a Sword of the North and a Shield of her Freedom. I will stand vigilant in the heat of the summer swamps or the freezing blizzards of the far north; No man, woman, or beast will cause me to falter in this dedication and I swear it upon the Old Gods and the New; Only death will keep me from this noble task, lest my honor be built upon lies. For I see that Winter is Coming, I see the people in need, and I will not turn away from them for as long as I draw breath.

Core Ranking Structure

Sword of Winter

The leader of the Winter Knights, and champion of the people. The Sword of Winter takes orders only from the ruling Monarch of the North, and has the authority to disregard those orders at his discretion. All Winter Knights must obey commands from the Sword of Winter, regardless of who they swore their oath to.
"The North Remembers"

Winter Wolves

Originally the name taken by a band of northmen who supported the claim of Rhaenyra Targaryen at the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons. The first who could be considered Winter Knights, having been personally recruited by Jorah Mormont, first living Sword of Winter, were inspired partly by that legendary group and because of that they chose to adopt the name for themselves. In that first rallying of northerners behind the Sword of Winter, all of them had sworn their oath directly to Ser Jorah, and so the entirety of the Order (really more of a mercenary band at the time) was known by the name "The Winter Wolves" during its first campaign.
Afterwards the Winter Wolves would mostly disband, Jorah offering to release any from their oath who desired it. Some would sign on with one lord or another for the coin or glory closer to home, some migrated to the isles of the Bite to start a new life as farmers or fishermen, and others would return to whatever home they still had. Though some of them, generally the most skilled warriors among them along with those who had nothing left to lose or gain among normal folk, chose to remain and uphold their oath for life. They would be the first to later take oaths from others themselves and truly establish the Order as what it really is. These Winter Knights held on to the name "Winter Wolves", a moniker that would be passed on to any in the future who swear the Winter Oath directly to the Sword of Winter.
The Winter Wolves take no orders except direct orders from the Sword of Winter, not even the ruling Monarch may command a Winter Wolf directly, and so they generally are the ones to serve as the commanders and admirals of individual field armies and fleets within the Winter Knights. That being said, most of the holders of this rank serve the Warden of Winterfell.
"Winter Has Come"

Jarls of Frost

Those who swear their oath to a Winter Wolf are held in high regard, and the next generation of these knights will likely be trained for the position from an early age. Such knights are either elite swordsmen sent on specific assignments, or competent leaders who command their own Guards. Jarls, as the name implies, are the lowest rank that may hold a title beyond "Ser".
"A Sword of the North, A Shield of her Freedom"

The Lower Ranks

Those sworn to a Jarl of Frost, or those sworn to such Knights, and so on, are all collectively known as The Lower Ranks. This is because each individual rank only holds a number designation without any kind of name or informal title to go with it. The Lower Ranks are ranked in ascending order from one to nine. 1st Rank Winter Knights are sworn to Jarls, whereas 9th Rank knights are sworn to 8th Ranks.

The Unranked

Winter Knights who swear their oath to a 9th Rank Knight, or to another Unranked. Nothing says a 9th Rank cannot have subordinates, but the ranking structure was cut off here to avoid complexity. To account for this, while anyone can still swear the Winter Oath to any Winter Knight regardless of rank, those who fall under the 9th Rank will not be given a rank themselves. Without a rank they cannot give orders, and they can be given orders by any Winter Knight that holds a rank.

The Wardens of the North

While the order is split into individual ranks that form a hierarchy, it is also divided more geographically. The territory belonging to the order does not belong to any one individual, but rather belongs to the Sword of Winter and that ownership is passed along with the title whenever it is inherited by a chosen heir or taken by an appointed challenger. This, alongside the ranking structure, led to a particular division of that land within the order. All territory within the order is divided into 5 geographical regions within the Kingdom and immediately beyond. These regions are "The Wolfswood", "The Blazewater", "The Bite", "The Causeway", and "The Wall".
These five regions are assigned to five different Winter Knights sworn directly to the Sword of Winter, and this assignment is chosen by the Sword of Winter personally. This assignment is usually for life. Each of these knights are known as Wardens of the North; "The Warden of Winterfell", "The Warden of the Blazewater", "The Warden of the Bite", "The Warden of the Causeway", and "The Warden of the Wall" respectively. The Wardens effectively manage and operate the order's fiefs within their designated region the way a vassal does while the monarch technically still owns all the land. They have full control to make improvements, manage finances, train and maintain troops, and even sublease the fiefs to lower ranked authorities (in this case, their subordinate knights) the same way a major lord would do all of these things.
This authority is granted for the purposes of maintaining defenses against external threats and remaining ready to counter attack those within their sphere of influence where prudent and request reinforcements when necessary. This level of authority and purpose requires that these knights be capable of making international moves when there is little time to act the same way that the Sword of Winter would, and so when such moments occur the Sword of Winter shoulders all responsibility for those actions as the one to appoint them.

Warden's Council

The Wardens gather every so often, whether scheduled or in response to an event, and discuss ongoing or potential issues that face the North, or to advise the Sword of Winter when making long term decisions regarding the whole order. These meetings can happen anywhere, even the frozen plains of the Far North if need be, but they happen most often at Bearsgate or Winterfell. Each of the Wardens may bring one or two additional speakers to such a meeting, either from among their subordinate knights or from among the ranks of the Winter Wolves. The Sword of Winter, if in attendance, may invite any number of people to such a meeting at their discretion.

Warden's Council led by Jorah Mormont at Castle Black, 429 AC

Warden of Winterfell & The Wolves of Wintertown

Winterfell has long been the heart of the Kingdom of the North as the ancestral seat of power for the Starks and the central most castle geographically, but because of the cold climate and its landlocked position it has never really developed a proper castle town until recently. Another problem that often faces Winterfell is the lack of defensive positioning, with the castle being in rather open terrain on all sides making it relatively easy to siege unless it is well garrisoned, with the one exception of a siege during winter. Ser Jorah Mormont saw both of these problems as something the Winter Knights could solve, and the Wolves of Wintertown were his solution.
The Wolves of Wintertown are Winter Knights, primarily those sworn directly to the Sword of Winter or to the Warden, who have taken up residence within Wintertown, the castle town of Winterfell. This serves two purposes: Firstly it serves as a semi-permanent garrison for the castle, with the knights always vigilant and ready to defend the home of the Starks. Some knights are stationed on the walls of the keep or in watch towers, while others patrol the region surrounding the castle, and others still are assigned to help guard the royal family, even (and especially) during their outings away from Winterfell. Most of these knights hold the rank of Winter Wolves and many of them are considered to be the strongest and most season warriors in the order, which is what gave them their moniker as the Wolves of Wintertown.
Secondly, their presence in Wintertown has forced the settlement's development. What was once a small collection of huts and mostly unused buildings has grown to be a sizable housing district for the knights stationed there. And to support this growing population, roads were ordered to be constructed from Winterfell to every major population center in the North, especially to the ports of White Harbor, Bearsgate, and Fisherton. With greater ability for internal trade throughout the Kingdom facilitated by Winterfell at its center, Wintertown is primed to grow into a trade hub where most of the North's wealth flows through on its way to other destinations, which will serve to grow the wealth of Wintertown itself. Already shops and civilian housing has begun to pop up, slowly but surely, and development plans for additional expansion is already underway. Soon, all roads in the North will lead to Wintertown.
At the head of the division, The Warden of Winterfell is intended to be the most trusted knight in the order, second only to the Sword of Winter himself. Ser Jory Cassel was chosen to be the first to hold the position, and he sets a high standard for the role. It falls to him to organize the Wolves of Wintertown; to assign knights to patrols and guard details, and to decide when the Wolves march to support another garrison during war or crisis. Beyond all this, if the Sword of Winter is ever unable to make decisions but is still alive (thus the title has yet to pass to the heir) then it is generally the Warden of Winterfell that takes up command of the Order as a whole until the Sword of Winter has either recovered, or passed on the title.

Warden of the Blazewater & The Bears of Fisherton

Maria Mormont spent her early years in life building up a fleet in the northwest, intending to rival that of the Iron Fleet. This was a response to the historical dispute over the Blazewater, which had been used many times before to invade the North and raid the coasts. Though peace has been established with the Ironborn in recent years, Maria was still successful in her endeavors, and the Ironwood Fleet now stands as a clear deterrent to any future raids or attacks, having secured the only waterways leading north out of Ironman's Bay.
The ships of the fleet are produced and maintained primarily at the Stoney Shipyard, a massive stretch of dry docks carved into the cliff face and built on top of it, with pulley systems to transfer ships from the water to the dry docks and back. The largest of the ships are made with ironwood to increase the durability while decreasing the weight, and the crew are armed with ironwood shields and axes with ironwood handles. This large amount of ironwood is supplied directly from the Ironwood Plantation, a huge series of cultivated ironwood groves first established by Maria's grandfather, Robert Mormont. Namely, the Saltwood Grove, the Scalewood Grove, and the Stonewood Grove at minimum are fully dedicated to producing for the Ironwood Fleet.
When the Winter Knights were tasked with being the first line of defense protecting the North from threats, both internal and external, Queen Lyanna Stark declared that the Ironwood Fleet and the Stoney Shipyard would be entrusted to them along with their other holdings to facilitate that defense. When this happened, most of the crew were happy to swear the Winter Oath if it meant they could remain where they were, especially when it was announced that Anastasia "the Shipwright" would serve as their admiral. As some of the most well known ship builders in the Stoney Shipyard, the oldest had all known her and her late husband for decades, and the youngest had grown up around them most of their lives. Add to that a fierce love of their homelands and a unified disdain for the Ironborn raiders of the past, and the Ironwood Fleet's crews had no qualms with dedicating the rest of their lives to defending these seas.
The Bears of Fisherton have earned their moniker from the tales told by surviving pirates that fled from counter attacks by the Ironwood Fleet, both during their time under House Mormont and also since their transfer to the Winter Knights. From the frightening size and strength of men and women recruited from Bear Island, to the rough and durable men that grew up on the Stoney Shore; the crews of the Ironwood Fleet fought with the fervor and fearlessness of the polar bears that called the Bay of Ice their home. And while some men like to brag they could probably win a fight with a bear, those who try to fight these ones soon find out how wrong they truly are. These days, nothing inspires fear in a pirate like the sight of a dozen ironwood longships surrounding and preparing to board them.

Warden of the Bite & Seals of Pebble

So named after the Seals of the Strait of Seals, mostly due to the fact that many of the soldiers who crew the ships of the Shivering Fleet were trained by Ser Riley Seal, including their admiral Ser Katlina Karstark, as the majority of them are former Karstark soldiers.
The Shivering Fleet is arguably the weakest link of the Winter Knight divisions, having only recently formed during the campaign to take the isles of the Bite and being led by a young knight (the youngest of the five Wardens) who only recently began to prove herself during said campaign. That being said, they have certainly hit the ground running. Their Anti-Piracy efforts have nearly matched those of the Ironwood Fleet's despite having less resources and ships available to them in the Bite, and their contribution at the battle of Longsister is thought to be the only reason the conflict was ended swiftly by those who don't buy into the rumors about the Sword of Winter.
The Seals are entrusted with both Pebble and The Paps, the former being a highly fertile and highly developed farming island thanks to it's previous owner having invested so much into it, and the latter has a thriving fishing community and serves as a resting port for trade ships traveling across the Narrow Sea. With the Winter Knights to protect them, the isles only continue to grow in value, and even now they account for a large portion of the Order's income. While this division is not as developed as some of the others presently, it has the most potential out of them all by far.

Warden of the Causeway & the Panthers of Moat Cailin

The Gateway into the Kingdom of the North has always been the Causeway, first and foremost, as the only true land connection to the lands south of the Neck, unless one is dumb enough to brave the marshes that only get worse as you head west. Since the disappearance of the Crannogmen in recent history, the neck has seen many occupants. From the soldiers of House Flint, to the warriors of the Thenns, and the Southern armies in between, many have tried to lay claim to these swamps but few have been willing to stay. When a new war starts, whatever the conflict of the time, the first land to change hands is often the Neck. Those who have worked to supply the settlers there and maintain the fortresses simply find the effort to defend it too great a cost for what it is worth.
As such, little resistance was put up in regard to Lyanna's declaration that the Causeway was to be handed over to the Winter Knights, even despite its occupation by the Thenns and their desire to maintain a presence south of the Wall. They were happy to receive a payment for a cursed land they weren't sure they wanted anymore to begin with, at least that way they could get something out of it all instead of eventually having to cut their losses. And so the new owners are put to the same test as those that have come before, yet strangely enough they seem to be succeeding.
Led by Ser Eddard Glover, the knights of Moat Cailin are composed primarily of hand selected recruits, some of which being veterans of previous occupation attempts who had opted to stay despite the change in leadership. They seem to find a sort of peace within the brutal struggle of the swamp, though they welcome the help and organization of the order. They serve as teachers and instructors for newcomers, showing them all that is needed to survive in this place. The newcomers are picked for their tenacity and their dedication, those who truly show what the Winter Oath means with a burning spirit some can see in their eyes. Those who would brave the worst of the elements to do what must be done even if it killed them. And when that spirit was matched with the knowledge of those who have come before, the knights of Moat Cailin began to live their lives as part of the ecosystem around them.
When other divisions began to take on animal names to describe their members and how they fought or some other fact about them, the people of the North who lived nearby knew instantly what to call these knights... They were reminded instantly of the Panthers that prowl the marshlands, vigilant and agile predators that are never seen until it is too late; Hunters that use the land around them as their most effective weapon, and the trees their ever-shifting shield. It was the way the Crannogmen fought when they were the ones defending this land, the way one must learn to fight when nature cannot be tamed and mastered like in other lands.

Warden of the Wall & the Crows of Castle Black

The first to start the naming scheme of the divisions, the Crows of Castle Black have made themselves into the spiritual successors to the Night's Watch. Ser Orlyl Darksky was named Warden of the Wall, and he, along with all his subordinates, have chosen to take the Black on top of the Winter Oath, reciting the words beneath the Whitetree like so many before them.
But it goes beyond the oaths and the nickname. The knights of the Wall take their position seriously, beyond just the potential threat of the Free Folk to their north with whom tensions are growing. The Crows remember the stories of both recent and ancient history, of the first and second Long Night, and how much of a mistake it was to remain unprepared for the latter. So the knights stationed at Castle Black work hard towards bettering the fortifications and reclaiming the entirety of the Wall and surrounding lands.
In the meantime, they are ready to protect the people of the North from threats like the Northern Thenns, the first line of defense against an old enemy that played the part of a friend, but those who man the Wall despite the bitter cold know well that Fenrir is not the real enemy. The Crows stand ready to guard the Realms of Men from the evils of the past, whether the people they protect are willing to remember or not.

Type

Military, Knightly Order