Before the Targaryen conquest, the leaders of House Stark ruled over the region as the Kings in the North. King Torrhen Stark was on the throne at the time of the Targaryen conquest and marched his army south to face them. He surrendered when he saw their vast host and dragons, believing that fighting was futile. He was made Lord Paramount of the North and served them as Warden of the North.
The emblem of House Stark is a dire wolf.