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This article contains notable characters in George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire who are not members major houses of Westeros. Characters that are members of such houses are found on Major houses in A Song of Ice and Fire See List of characters in A Song of Ice and Fire for a comprehensive list.

Amory Lorch

Amory Lorch is a bannerman of House Lannister. He is described as a portly cruel man having a piggish face with small eyes. Lorch was the man responsible for the cold blooded murder of the four year old princess Rhaenys Targaryen during the sack of Kings Landing at the end of Robert's rebellion where Lorch dragged the screaming toddler from under her father Rhaegar's bed and stabbed her to death. In A Clash of Kings(1998) he serves as the leader of a raiding party pillaging the riverlands. During the war Lorch's raiding party even attacked Yoren's recruits for the night watch (with Arya Stark hidden among them) and was responsible for Yoren's murder. Lorch was captured by Roose Bolton when he takes Harrenhal and is fed to a bear as entertainment to Roose Bolton and his men. Arya Stark was also present to witness Lorch's death and notes that the bear that killed Lorch "...is a big black bear just like Yoren".

Areo Hotah

Captain of Prince Dorans guards and a POV character in A Feast of Crows(2005) and A Dance with Dragons(2011) . Areo is originally from the Free City of Norvos the youngest of a large family he was given over to the Bearded Priests an organization known for training elite axemen as protectors. At sixteen upon completion of his training he was given over to the family of Mellario of Norvos, when Mellario was wed to Prince Doran Martell of Sunspear, her family had Hotah travel with her to Dorne to protect her and her new husband, he has remained in Dorne ever since. Hotah is utterly loyal to Prince Doran and foiled Arianne Martells plot when she moved against her father slaying Arys Oakheart in doing so. Whenever he has personal misgivings about the commands he receives Hotah reminds himself of the simple oath he took, "Serve, obey, Protect".

Arys Oakheart

Ser Arys Oakheart is a knight of the Kingsguard for King Robert Baratheon, and later for his son Joffrey Baratheon and subsequent heirs. When Joffrey's younger sister, Myrcella Baratheon was betrothed to Prince Trystane of Dorne in order to win the Dornish to Joffreys cause, Ser Arys was sent to Dorne as her protector by acting Hand of the King Tyrion Lannister in A Clash of Kings (1998) . In A Feast for Crows (2005) Arys has been seduced by Arianne Martell to support Myrcella's claim over her younger brother Tommen Baratheon when Joffrey was assassinated. In exchange, Arianne promises that Myrcella will permit Ser Arys to take her as a wife. When the conspiracy is uncovered, Arys refuses to surrender and is killed by Areo Hotah, the captain of Doran's guard.

Oakheart was one of the kinder members of the Kingsguard under Joffrey Baratheon. When Joffrey commanded any of his Kingsguard Knights to beat or strike Sansa Stark, Meryn Trant, Boros Blount, Mandon Moore and Preston Greenfield of the Kingsguard carried out the command without qualm or question. Arys however when ordered by his king to beat Sansa did so as lightly as possible and only after objecting to the command first.

Barristan Selmy

Ser Barristan Selmy, called "the Bold", is a famous hero in Westeros coming from a time when the Kingsguard were considered the finest knights in Westeros. Some of his most famous deeds include slaying the last of the Blackfyre pretenders during the War of the Ninepenny kings, rescuing King Aerys from captivity during the defiance of Duskendale, slaying the infamous Simone Toyne leader of the Outlaw band the Kingswood brotherhood and leading the attack on Old Wyk during Balon Greyjoy's rebellion.

He served Kings Jaehaerys II, Aerys II (known as the Mad King) and then Robert Baratheon I. Though he remained loyal to the Targayens in the rebellion that overthrew them especially the Trident where he fought by Prince Rhaegars side. It took an arrow, sword and spear wound to subdue him and Selmy later accepted Roberts pardon and held the position of Lord Commander of the Kingsguard until the death of King Robert Baratheon. He is dismissed from the Kingsguard by new King Joffrey Baratheon, followed by an attempt on his life. Selmy reevaluates his life and thinks of the years he served in the Kingsguard alongside the Kingslayer and others he considered near as bad, he came to the conclusion that his service was inexcusable and his mission was to find his true king and die in his service.

His quest takes him from Westeros to seek service with the exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen. He hides his identity from her, using the name "Arstan Whitebeard" in A Clash of Kings (1998) so he can assess if Daenerys is of sound mind. Selmy also saved Daenerys life on two occasions, once from a manticore used by a sorrowful man Assassin and once from the vengeful attack of the former mercenary commander Mero of Bravoss known as the Titan's Bastard. Upon the revelation of his true identity in A Storm of Swords (2000), Daenerys nearly banished him for his deception and his service under Robert, her greatest enemy. However, when Selmy explained his acts and submits himself to his Queen's mercy, Daenerys pardoned him. He was then raised to Lord Commander of her Queensguard. Selmy is also the first person to reveal to Daenerys the truth about her father's reign including his descent into madness, knowledge of which she was previously unaware.

Selmy becomes a POV character in A Dance with Dragons (2011).

Selmy is portrayed by Ian McElhinney in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

Beric Dondarrion

Beric Dondarrion is Lord of Blackhaven, described as a handsome, gallant young lord with great martial skill. In A Game of Thrones (1996) Dondarrion enters King's Landing looking to prove himself in the Hand's Tourney. As Hand, Eddard Stark gives him command of a party sent out to arrest Ser Gregor Clegane and bring peace to the Riverlands, but he is ambushed and killed in the attempt. His companion Thoros of Myr accidentally revives him with magic during a funeral service common to Thoros' faith. After the death of King Robert Baratheon Dondarrion and his men are declared outlaws, but they form the Brotherhood Without Banners and start a guerilla war against all raiders and soldiers rampaging through the area. The success of his ambushes earns him the name "the Lightning Lord" in reference to the arms of House Dondarrion. Dondarrion was killed and resurrected several times. Each time he was brought back, he emerged a diminished man, with fewer memories and a more corpselike appearance.

After capturing Sandor Clegane in A Storm of Swords (2000), Dondarrion put him on trial for Lannister atrocities. When Clegane was sentenced to trial by combat, Dondarrion fought Clegane but lost and was resurrected again. After the events of the Red Wedding, he and his men found the corpse of Catelyn Stark. Dondarrion performed the ceremony of resurrection on her himself, reviving her but killing himself for the final time in the process.

Brienne of Tarth

Brienne is the only daughter and heiress of Lord Selwyn of Evenfall and the island of Tarth. Larger, stronger and uglier than most men, Brienne is a skilled warrior and would rather be a knight than a wife. She is honest, stubborn and rather naive about the world at large, despite her circumstances and the poor reception most people show her. Brienne won a position in the Rainbow Guard of Renly Baratheon, with whom she was infatuated. She was present when he was murdered, and was falsely accused of the crime. She fled with and entered the service of Catelyn Stark. Catelyn sent Brienne to escort Jaime Lannister to King's Landing, hoping to exchange him for Sansa and Arya Stark, but they were captured by the Brave Companions. During their captivity, the two developed a grudging respect for each other, culminating in Jaime risking his life to save her from being killed in the bear pit.

After Catelyn's death, Jaime entrusted Brienne with Oathkeeper, the Valyrian steel longsword given to him by his father and sent her out to seek Sansa Stark. Brienne wandered the Riverlands, looking for Sansa. She was captured by the Brotherhood without Banners, who were now led by the undead corpse of Catelyn Stark. Catelyn did not believe Brienne's tale of her search for Sansa, and ordered her to kill Jaime or face execution. Brienne refused to choose and was sentenced to hang. She shouted a single word as the noose tightened, which is used as a cliffhanger near the end of A Feast for Crows, leaving the reader unsure whether Brienne is dead.

Bronn

Bronn is a mercenary of great skill. He has a lean, wolfish appearance, a black sense of humor, and a pragmatic, thoroughly amoral philosophy. Bronn was present in the inn when Lady Catelyn Stark begged all men present to help her arrest Tyrion Lannister for the attempted murder of her son. He helped escort Tyrion to the Eyrie, but championed him during his trial by combat in hope of reward. He won the duel and thereafter passed into Tyrion's service as an enforcer. In King's Landing Bronn was Tyrion's right hand man. For his contribution in the defense of the city he was knighted. He called himself Ser Bronn of the Blackwater and took as his sigil a green, flaming chain on black, in commemoration of his role in the battle.

After Tyrion's arrest under suspicion of murdering Joffrey Baratheon, Bronn abandoned Tyrion rather than champion him again in a duel against Ser Gregor Clegane. He took up an offer from Cersei Lannister instead to marry into the wealthy house Stokeworth. Cersei later feared he was still in league with Tyrion after Bronn named his wife's newborn son after his former master and ordered his sister-in-law Falyse, the new Lady Stokeworth, and her husband Balman Byrch to have him killed. Balman challenged Bronn to a duel, but was killed and Falyse expelled from the castle. Upon his brother-in-law's death, Bronn was unopposed as the Lord Protector of Stokeworth.

Davos Seaworth

Ser Davos Seaworth, called "the Onion Knight", was originally a smuggler. He was knighted and given a keep on Cape Wrath by Stannis Baratheon after smuggling food (including the onions that gave him his moniker) into Stannis's besieged castle. However, Stannis also removed the last joint of each of the four fingers of Davos's left hand for his criminal past. He is a loyal supporter of Stannis and his most trusted counselor.

Davos fought for Stannis in the War of the Five Kings, during which four of his sons were killed. Seeing the bad influence of the red priestess Melisandre on Stannis, he attempted to kill her. However, she foresaw the attempt and had him jailed. Stannis later forgave Davos's crimes and made him his Hand. Davos again fought Melisandre's influence over Stannis by smuggling Robert Baratheon's bastard, Edric Storm, out of Dragonstone to spare him from being sacrificed by Melisandre. As an alternative to Melisandre's magic, he suggested that Stannis come to the aid of the Night's Watch to gain popular support for his reign. Davos then went to White Harbour to negotiate with the Manderlys. Cersei Lannister demanded that Lord Manderly execute Davos in exchange for the ransom of his heir. It was reported that Davos's head and hands graced the walls of White Harbor, though it is unknown if this was indeed Davos's ultimate fate.

Grand Maester Pycelle

Pycelle is an 84 year-old maester and has served as Grand Maester on several kings' Small Councils over the last few decades. Though intelligent and highly educated, Pycelle's effectiveness on the king's court has been dulled by his advanced age. He sometimes falls asleep during meetings.

Despite his oath to serve the King, Pycelle has more loyalties to the Lannister family. At the end of The Usurper's Rebellion, Pycelle convinced King Aerys II that Tywin Lannister's invasion force was reinforcements. He contributed to the death of Jon Arryn by stopping Maester Coleman's effective treatment, fearing what he would reveal if he should live. His complicity in Cersei's plots brought him in conflict with Tyrion, who shaved Pycelle's signature white beard while interrogating him on Cersei's actions. Pycelle's self-confidence was shaken after his shaving, and Cersei perceived him to be a broken man. He began objecting to Cersei's more paranoid schemes, which caused her to contemplate having him replaced. His future in the court was uncertain until Cersei's imprisonment by the Faith. In spite of his past failings in court intrigue, Pycelle successfully seized control of King Tommen and the council in Cersei's absence. He is last reported as offering Kevan Lannister the Regency of the Seven Kingdoms. As of the end of a Feast of Crows Qyburn stated that the realm is effectively being ruled by Pycelle and Harys Swyft (The Hand of the King and Kevan's good father).

Pycelle is played in the HBO series by veteran actor Julian Glover.

"Greatjon" (Jon Umber)

Jon Umber, Lord of House Umber, is primarily referred to as the "Greatjon" owing to his enormous stature. The Greatjon brought men to Winterfell when Robb Stark called the banners. He challenged the young lord's authority at first, until Robb's direwolf, Grey Wind bit off two of his fingers. After this incident, he became Robb's most fervent supporter. He led the van of Robb's army as it moved south and participated in the Battle of the Whispering Wood and the Battle of the Camps. After Riverrun was relieved, he was the first lord to proclaim Robb the King in the North. He is believed to have survived the Red Wedding and is being held captive by the Freys at the Twins.

Gregor Clegane

Ser Gregor Clegane, head of House Clegane and Sandor Clegane's older brother, is a retainer to House Lannister. Gregor is 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) tall and weighs over 30 st (190 kg), nearly all of which is muscle, causing him to possess enormous strength. He is nicknamed "The Mountain That Rides" or simply "The Mountain". The plate armour he wears is so thick and heavy that no other man would be able to move, let alone fight effectively, in it.

His size and strength make him a very powerful warrior and Gregor has earned a reputation of cruelty and brutality. Gregor is responsible for his younger brother's facial scars. When Sandor was aged seven Gregor (then aged twelve) shoved his younger brother's face in a brazier for taking a toy of his. Gregor is also rumored to have killed his father, sister and his first two wives, and his keep is said to be a grim place where servants vanish unaccountably and where the keep dogs are afraid to enter the halls. Gregor has committed rapes and cold blooded murders beyond count, but his most infamous deed occurred during Robert's Rebellion, when House Lannister sacked King's Landing. Gregor killed the infant Prince Aegon Targaryen by bashing the boy's head against a wall. Gregor then proceeded to rape and kill Princess Elia of Dorne - the boy's mother - with her son's blood and brains still on his hands.

During the War of the Five Kings, Ser Gregor led raiding parties in the Riverlands as a bannerman for Tywin Lannister. Gregor's band burned, raped, and tortured, killing entire villages with impunity. For a time he unknowingly held Arya Stark captive, and Arya's chapters sometimes function as firsthand accounts of Gregor's atrocities.

When Tyrion Lannister demanded trial by combat to prove his innocence in the murder of Joffrey Baratheon, Cersei (Tyrion's accuser) named Gregor her champion. Oberyn Martell, whose sister was murdered by Gregor, saw a chance to take vengeance and became Tyrion's champion. Oberyn fought with speed and a poisoned spear and managed to wound Clegane several times during the duel. Oberyn was close to victory, but got too close to Clegane as he tried to force a confession. Clegane gained the upper hand, and managed to restrain Oberyn before killing him. Despite Clegane's victory, Oberyn's poison resulted in a long, agonizing death. Insensible and dying, he was brought to the medical experiment dungeons below King's Landing by Qyburn and has not been seen since. However, the story makes mention of Qyburn's engineering an unbeatable "champion" for Cersei, and Qyburn orders a breastplate too large for any man known to live in Westeros.

Hodor

Hodor is a simple-minded giant who works as a stableboy at Winterfell. He is Old Nan's great-grandson. Though his true name is Walder, he is usually called "Hodor" because that is the only word he ever says. No one knows exactly what "hodor" means or why he says it. He has a friendly, childish disposition and is easily frightened despite his great strength.

After Bran Stark became crippled, Hodor carried him around in a sling on his back. Hodor sometimes had difficulty taking Bran's directions. Upon meeting him, Osha suspected that Hodor has Giant blood in his ancestry due to his great size, hairiness, and low intelligence. When Bran escaped the besieged Winterfell with the Reeds, Hodor accompanied him. Perhaps due to Hodor's simple mind, Bran was able to take control of him for a short time using his skinchanging powers, though Hodor was terrified by the experience.

Illyrio Mopatis

Illyrio is a wealthy and powerful Magister in the Free City of Pentos. He is morbidly obese, with yellow hair and a forked beard. He frequently salts his speech with references to the Lord of Light. For a time he served as custodian of the exile Targaryens and now seeks to return them to the Iron Throne, though his motive for this remains uncertain. Illyrio brokered the arranged marriage between Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo to use Drogo's powerful khalasar as an invasion force. He also worked with Varys, King Robert's spymaster, to engineer a strategic period of weakness for the Targaryens' invasion. He gave Daenerys three petrified dragon eggs at her wedding. Illyrio continued to look after Daenerys, sending occasional aid. Daenerys confiscated the three ships he sent to bring her to Pentos along with all the wealth aboard, though she still considers him an ally.

Illyrio was first listed as being played by Ian McNeice in the HBO pilot of Game of Thrones, but has since been replaced by Roger Allam.

Ilyn Payne

Ser Ilyn Payne began the series as the King's justice (headsman) to King Robert Baratheon. He is mute as King Aerys II Targaryen once ordered his tongue cut out after speaking ill of the king. Payne is very thin, has long greying hair though bald on the top of his scalp, deep-set pale eyes and a grim pockmarked face. Payne wears rusted ringmail over ragged clothing; his appearance as well as his silence makes Payne terrifying to many characters.

Payne is an extremely skilled headsman, seldom requiring a second stroke to finish off his charges. It has been mentioned more than once in the story that Payne has no life apart from killing. When King Joffrey sentenced Eddard Stark to death it was Ser Ilyn who executed him with Lord Eddard's own greatsword, Ice. When Jaime Lannister went to Riverrun to end the defiance of Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully, he took Ser Ilyn with him, and has been sparring nightly with Payne in order to learn how to fight with his left hand, since his right was cut off. Jaime chose Payne as his sparring partner because Payne could neither talk nor write; as a result of this, Jaime has also been telling Payne all his previous dark deeds and even about the true relationship between him and Cersei, knowing Payne can never reveal it to anyone.

Jaqen H'ghar

"Jaqen H'ghar" is the assumed identity of a Faceless Man, a magical assassin. They are so named because they can change their appearance at will. Jaqen met Arya Stark while being escorted to the Wall. When Amory Lorch attacked the company, Arya saved him and his two fellow prisoners from a fire. At Harrenhal, Jaqen found her again and told her to select three people for him to kill, to repay the deaths she stole. Arya used him to eliminate two of her enemies at Harrenhal, but he rejected her request for aid in any other way. Arya selected Jaqen, himself, as her third kill. He attempted to dissuade her saying that he was her friend, but Arya was unmoved saying that he was only interested in repaying his debt whereas a true friend would help her free the imprisoned Northmen at Harrenhal. Jaqen agreed to help Arya if she would "unsay" his name.

After successfully freeing the Northmen, Jaqen tells Arya that the debt has been repaid with many more lives than were promised, and it is time for him to leave. Before parting, Jaqen gives Arya an old iron coin and instructed her to give it to any man of Braavos and say the words "valar morghulis" (translating to: "all men die") should she ever need more help. He then magically changes his appearance, assuming a new identity and departs. A man with Jaqen's new face next appeared in Oldtown calling himself "the Alchemist", where he convinced novice Pate to steal a master key that could open any locks within the Citadel. Pate died shortly after under mysterious circumstances, but Samwell Tarly later met a living "Pate" at the Citadel.

Jeor Mormont

Known as "The Old Bear", Jeor Mormont is the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch at the Wall. He is a fierce man, large and strong despite his age. His first appearance in the series is in A Game of Thrones, after Jon and Tyrion arrive at the Wall. Most of what is known about Mormont is based on chapters written from Jon Snow's and Tyrion Lannister's point of view.

Mormont commands a great deal of respect from the men of the Night's Watch. Despite his fierceness and occasional abrasiveness, Mormont also demonstrates a great deal of wisdom, and even interpersonal, almost grandfatherly warmth. When the newest recruits (including Jon and Samwell Tarly) make their vows and receive their stations at the Wall, Mormont chooses Jon to be his personal steward. Soon after, while Mormont sleeps, a Wight attempts to assassinate him, but is killed by Jon. Mormont is almost always seen in the company of a large, intelligent raven that he keeps as a pet. The bird can speak in an apparently parrot-like fashion, and often begs for corn.

In A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords, Mormont himself leads an expeditionary force north of the Wall and deep into and beyond the Haunted Forest. There, Mormont and his men begin to learn about large numbers of wildlings moving south with intentions of breaching the Wall. Mormont and his men, who are camped at the Fist of the First Men, are beset by a large contingent of Others and an undead army of Wights. Mormont leads his expedition back to Craster's Keep for shelter and protection. While there, Mormont's men mutiny, and murder him.

Joer Mormont is protrayed by James Cosmo in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

Jeyne Westerling

The fifteen-year old daughter of Lord Gawen Westerling and his wife, Lady Sybell. She is a slightly naive and mild-mannered girl, caught up in high politics and far-reaching schemes. Jeyne met Robb Stark when he captured her father's castle. While resting there he received word that Winterfell had been taken and his younger brothers had been executed. That night Jeyne "comforted" him and the only honorable thing to do was to wed her, which Robb did. However, in doing so he broke a marriage contract with House Frey.

The Freys took revenge in the form of the Red Wedding and killed King Robb. In A Feast for Crows (2005), it is revealed that the entire thing had been Lord Tywin's plot with Lady Sybell from the beginning. What Jeyne thought were fertility potions were actually intended to prevent her from conceiving. The Westerlings were "forgiven" by King Tommen and granted significant lands and honors. Jaime Lannister honored the bargain, including arranging a marriage for Jeyne, provided that she waits two years to avoid rumors that any child is actually Robb's. She was last seen riding away with a Lannister company who had instructions to kill her rather than let her be abducted. She openly mourns her husband's death and appears to be estranged from her mother.

Jojen Reed

Howland Reed's younger child, Jojen is barely an adolescent when he arrives at Winterfell, but his gravity and mature personality make him seem older. He has unusually deep green eyes and wears green clothing. Jojen has greensight, the power of prophetic dreams. When Jojen is introduced into the story, his powers of prophecy impress Bran Stark. However Jojen surprises Bran by saying that Bran's powers are far stronger than his own, but he is not trained to use them. Therefore, Jojen creates a number of activities for Bran to develop his powers. Bran resists this, but Jojen continues to encourage him.

When Bran tells Jojen of his own prophetic dream about the "Three Eyed Crow" when he was in a coma, Jojen starts pushing Bran to travel north of the Wall to find out more about his dream. While Roose Bolton's bastard son Ramsay sacked Winterfell, Jojen, Meera, Bran, Hodor, Rickon, and Osha hid in the castle's tombs. After the violence had ended, the group split and Jojen, Meera, Bran and Hodor fled north. At the very end of A Storm of Swords, they pass through a secret gate under the Wall (with Samwell Tarly's help), in search of The Three Eyed Crow and a mysterious entity known as Coldhands.

Jorah Mormont

Ser Jorah Mormont, an exiled knight, was one of the most trusted companions of exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen. Middle-aged but still strong and fit, Ser Jorah is a capable warrior. Mormont fled Westeros to escape execution for trading in slaves, and entered the service of the last Targaryens, Viserys and Daenerys.

Viserys Targaryen noticed Ser Jorah at the party celebrating the engagement of his sister, Daenerys, to Khal Drogo and took him into his service. Jorah, hoping for a royal pardon, became a spy for the Iron Throne, reporting all of the Targaryens' movements to Varys, King Robert's spymaster. However, he fell in love with Daenerys and eventually ceased his reports. He proclaimed his love repeatedly and suggested they marry, claiming she would never find a man more loyal than he. Daenerys, who saw him as more of a father figure, always refused. Jorah's earlier betrayal was revealed by Barristan Selmy in A Storm of Swords and Daenerys sent both on a dangerous mission to prove their loyalty after past deceits. After completing the mission, Selmy was contrite and humble, and was pardoned. Though Mormont's betrayals were more significant, he was bitter and proud. He was not forgiven, and was banished from her service.

Jorah Mormont is played by Iain Glen in the HBO adaption of the books.

Khal Drogo

Drogo is a powerful khal, or warlord, of the Dothraki people, a tribal nation of expert riders and raiders in the steppes beyond the Free Cities. He is an accomplished warrior and has never been defeated in battle. Early in the series, he takes Daenerys Targaryen as his wife.

Viserys Targaryen conspired with Magister Illyrio to marry Daenerys to Drogo in order to get his support in an invasion of Westeros. Though Daenerys was initially unhappy with the arrangement, Drogo proved to be a sensitive husband and lover despite his fearsome behavior with his men. After a failed poisoning attempt on Daenerys' life, he promised to invade Westeros to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms for the Targaryens, but Viserys's impertinence ultimately caused Drogo to kill him. Drogo maintained his promise for the benefit of his wife, but was wounded by an enemy khal before he could begin the invasion. The wound festered and Drogo lost the ability to ride his horse. Most of his khalasar of Dothraki abandoned him, but Daenerys unwittingly sacrificed their unborn child for a spell to revive him. The spell worked, but left him mindless. Daenerys smothered him out of pity, and the flames of his funeral pyre ultimately hatched her dragon eggs. She named her favorite dragon after her husband - the powerful black, Drogon.

Actor Jason Momoa plays Drogo in the HBO adaption of the books.

Mance Rayder

Mance was once a man of the Night's Watch before breaking his vows and abandoning his post. He has since become extremely influential among the wildlings, and called "The King Beyond the Wall". He is an unremarkable-looking man in his middle years, with a fondness for music.

Mance united the wildlings under his command to invade Westeros. When Jon Snow met with Mance under pretext of joining his campaign, Mance explained that he had taken possession of a magic horn that could topple the Wall, and would use it as a last resort if he could not bypass it militarily. Mance also explained that the wildlings had been hunted by the Others and their wights, and were unable to stop them. His true aim therefore was not to destroy the Wall, but to use it as a shield against the Others. Mance undertook his invasion of the Wall while it was manned by a skeleton crew commanded by Jon Snow. Despite overwhelming odds, Jon successfully held Mance's forces at bay long enough for Stannis's unexpected reinforcements to arrive and demolish the disorganized wildling army.

Meera Reed

Howland Reed's daughter and oldest child. She is short and slim with long brown hair and green eyes. She is a skilled huntress, particularly in her use of a small net and a small trident/frog spear. Meera and Jojen met Bran Stark at the harvest feast at Winterfell. She accompanied Bran and Jojen when they fled Winterfell after the castle was seized by Theon Greyjoy.

Melisandre

Lady Melisandre of Asshai is a priestess of R'hllor in service to Stannis Baratheon. She is a beautiful woman, always dressed in red, with a heart-shaped face and red eyes. Great heat emanates from her body. She displays numerous magical abilities that seem to come from her devotion to R'hllor. Though she has a smooth, controlled, and often friendly disposition, many people feel intimidated or threatened by her presence.

Melisandre has prophetic powers that give her partial knowledge of future events. She makes Stannis believe that he is the messianic figure of R'hllor called Azor Ahai. She councils him so that he can gain the necessary power to fight the Other, the great enemy of R'hllor. Through use of her magic, a creature of shadow is able to assassinate Stannis' rival brother Renly Baratheon. Melisandre also claims credit for killing several of Stannis's other enemies, but the novels provide no explanation how she has contributed to their deaths. Melisandre's strange faith, aggressive counsel, and mysterious powers make her unpopular among some of Stannis followers, who believe that she leads him astray and hold to their worship of the Seven. Melisandre's powers allow her to survive several assassination attempts by disgruntled followers of Stannis.

In a progress update on October 17, 2009 on his website author George R. R. Martin confirmed that Melisandre has at least one point of view chapter in the upcoming novel A Dance with Dragons.

Petyr Baelish

Lord Petyr Baelish, nicknamed "Littlefinger," serves as Master of Coin (treasurer) of the Seven Kingdoms at the beginning of the series. He is described as handsome, but quite short. Though a lord, his ancestral holding is an extremely small and poor stretch of land on the Fingers. His nickname (bestowed by Edmure Tully in childhood) is a disparaging reference to his holdings, in addition to being a bawdy play on words.

Petyr is a childhood friend of Catelyn and Lysa Tully. He loved Catelyn, while Lysa loved him. Eventually, he challenged Brandon Stark for Catelyn's hand in marriage, but was defeated. During his fevered convalescence, Lysa had a sexual relationship with him and conceived. Lord Hoster Tully banished Petyr from his house and had Lysa drink a potion to abort the pregnancy. Subsequently, he has claimed at court and in private that he had deflowered both of the Tully girls; it is unclear what Baelish truly believes happened and what, in fact, did happen.

Lysa remained devoted to Petyr after the incident, convincing her elderly husband Jon Arryn to appoint Petyr to a financial post for the king. A combination of brilliance at both finance and intrigue fueled his quick rise to the position of Master of Coin.

For recruiting House Tyrell to the Lannister's side, Petyr received Harrenhal, the largest castle in the realm, and nominal authority over the war-torn Riverlands, which technically made Baelish a high lord. His new status allowed him to marry the widowed Lysa Arryn. After her death, he added the title of Lord Protector of the Vale of Arryn.

Petyr is the mastermind behind much of the political turmoil that occurs in the novels, and is arguably the secret architect of the entire War of the Five Kings: Petyr arranged the assassination of Jon Arryn, by manipulating Jon's wife Lysa to poison him and then write a secret letter to Catelyn Stark framing the Lannisters for it. Petyr further aggravated the Stark-Lannister divide when, after Cersei arranged an attack on Bran Stark's life, Petyr lied to Catelyn and claimed the dagger used in the assassination attempt belonged to Tyrion Lannister. After Ned Stark's arrival in King's Landing, Petyr was able to win his confidence, despite warning Ned not to trust anyone, including Petyr, himself. Petyr's warning turned out to be in earnest as he ultimately betrayed Ned to the Lannisters before Ned was able to publicly declare that Cersei's children were illegitimate.

After the final defeat of House Stark in the Red Wedding, Petyr arranged (with Olenna Tyrell) to assassinate King Joffrey at his wedding (again, Tyrion was blamed for the deed). Petyr smuggled Sansa Stark out of King's Landing and brought her to the Vale, disguised as his bastard daughter. He now claims that he has plans to help Sansa regain the North and has arranged for her betrothal to Harry Hardyng (heir to the Vale of Arryn should Robert Arryn die). He has made advances on Sansa himself, claiming she looks much like her mother.

The role of Petyr Baelish is played by Aidan Gillen in the HBO adaption of the books.

Podrick Payne

A distant cousin to Ser Ilyn, Podrick is the squire to Tyrion Lannister. Podrick is a very shy, stuttering nervous boy but also a capable and loyal squire. During the battle of the Blackwater Podrick rode by Tyrion's side and saved Tyrion's life from an assassination attempt made by Mandon Moore of the kingsguard. Podrick continued his duties as squire to Tyrion until Tyrion vanished after slaying his father Lord Tywin. From then on Podrick followed Brienne of Tarth knowing she was seeking Sansa Stark, Tyrion's wife. Eventually Podrick became Brienne's squire and served her as he did Tyrion. When Brienne was caught by the Brotherhood without banners, Lady Stoneheart (Lady Catelyn reborn) ordered Pod hanged for the crime of being the imps squire. He was being strung up next to Brienne at the end of A Feast for Crows, but it is unsure if he actually died.

Qyburn

An ex-maester who entered the story as a member of the Brave Companions mercenary company. Qyburn reasoned that if to understand life, the maesters studied the dead, to understand death he would have to study the living. He was stripped from his position as a maester for unethical experiments performed on living humans. He joined the Brave Companions as a means to survive, and used his exceptional healing abilities to prevent the infection on Jaime's severed wrist from spreading. Qyburn left the company and joined the court at King's Landing, where he convinced Cersei Lannister to allow him to experiment on the dying Gregor Clegane. He later gained favor with her by using his knowledge to torture her prisoners. Cersei eventually appointed him her Master of Whisperers to replace Varys after his disappearance.

Ramsay Snow

Ramsay is the natural son of Lord Roose, known as the Bastard of Bolton or the Bastard of the Dreadfort. He has a fleshy appearance, with plump lips and long hair; he has the same unusual pale eyes as his lord father. Where Roose is cold and calculating, Ramsay is vicious and unpredictable, taking delight in torturing others. He is an avid practitioner of the old Bolton custom of flaying enemies.

While his father was away at war, Ramsay began to amass troops at the Dreadfort. When he received news that the neighboring lands of House Hornwood had lost both their lord and his heir, he abducted the widowed Lady Donella Hornwood and married her against her will. After consummating the marriage he forced her to name him heir and locked her in a tower cell without food where she starved. Ser Rodrik Cassel led a punitive expedition from Winterfell to bring Ramsay to justice, but under the guise of his servant Reek he was merely captured and brought to Winterfell. After Theon Greyjoy captured Winterfell while Rodrik is away, Ramsay exchanged a vow of service to Theon for his release. Ramsay offered to help Theon by recruiting an army to help hold the castle against Ser Rodrik's forces. He returned with several hundred Bolton men, and fell on the Stark army outside the castle. When the castle gates were opened to him he turned on the defenders, taking Theon as a captive, and burning Winterfell. He presently holds Theon at the Dreadfort, and is reportedly flaying him in increments.

After the Red Wedding, King Tommen granted him a decree of legitimization at Lord Roose's request, making him Ramsay Bolton in truth. He is now betrothed to a girl posing as Arya Stark.

Roose Bolton

Lord Roose is the current Lord of the Dreadfort, and a retainer of Lord Eddard Stark. He is of average size and appearance, his distinguishing feature being his strikingly pale eyes. He receives regular leechings, which he believes to improve his health, prompting some to call him the Leech Lord. Though mild-mannered and courteous, he is cold and capable of great cruelty. He speaks softly, forcing others to listen closely.

Bolton answered his liege's call when Robb Stark summoned his banners. His intelligence and coolness earned him command of the northern infantry sent to engage Lord Tywin Lannister. He took Harrenhal from the Lannisters by treachery, having persuaded the Brave Companions to turn on their former allies. Roose was then summoned north to join Robb in his campaign to retake the north from House Greyjoy. Roose was secretly scheming to betray Robb however and he helped plan the Red Wedding massacre and personally murdered King Robb. For this service, the Lannisters named him Warden of the North, allowed him to legitimize his bastard son Ramsay, and gave the Boltons a girl posing as Arya Stark to cement their claim on Winterfell.

Samwell Tarly

Samwell Tarly (a point of view character) is the elder son of Lord Randyll Tarly. Timid, fat and unsure of himself, he is nonetheless intelligent and thoughtful. He is a Brother of the Night's Watch. Initially bullied by the other recruits and taunted by the trainer, Ser Alliser Thorne, for his cowardice, Sam was then befriended by Jon Snow, who was instrumental in having Sam made Maester Aemon's steward. While beyond The Wall with the Lord Commander Mormont, Sam slew an Other, discovering their susceptibility to obsidian, for which he was nicknamed "Sam the Slayer."

He was instrumental in the selection of Jon Snow as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, cleverly manipulating the other candidates for the Lord Commander's post so that they all supported Jon Snow. At Jon's command, Sam traveled to the Citadel, with Maester Aemon and the wildling Gilly, to train as a maester. At sea, he began a relationship with Gilly, but was ashamed as a brother of the Night's Watch must never marry and have children. He planned to take Gilly and her son to his father's seat at Horn Hill where she and the baby would be safe. At Maester Aemon's command, he tried to get a maester sent to Daenerys Targaryen; upon hearing Sam's tale, Archmaester Marwyn (derisively called the Mage by his peers) set off to find her. Sam agreed to stay at the Citadel and train to be a maester, after which he intends to return to the Wall.

Sandor Clegane

Sandor Clegane is the younger brother of Gregor Clegane and a retainer to House Lannister. He is nicknamed "The Hound", as for much of the series he wore a distinctive helm in the shape of a snarling dog's head. He is considered one of the most dangerous and skilled fighters in Westeros. As a child he received gruesome facial burns when his brother pushed his head into a brazier, leading to Sandor's hate of his brother and his fear of fire. That his brother became a knight, despite his brutality only getting worse, led to Sandor's resentment and contempt for the hypocrisy of knighthood and the knights of Westeros.

Sandor acted for a time as bodyguard and servant of Joffrey Baratheon, who regularly called him "Dog". He won the Hand's Tourney after saving Loras Tyrell from Gregor's wrath. While drunk off his winnings, Sandor became enamored with Sansa Stark, but also mocked her for her polished manners. Sandor was eventually named to the Kingsguard, despite refusing to become a knight, and in this capacity he was often assigned to watch over Sansa. Despite his loyalty to Joffrey, he frequently defended her from Joffrey's physically abusive efforts at shaming her, indeed out of the six Kingsguard Knights in Kingslanding (Jaime the seventh being held captive in Riverrun at the time), Sandor was the only Kingsguard who never hit or struck Sansa Stark. The use of wildfire, a substance resembling napalm, during the battle for King's Landing, led him to flee the fighting and desert. Before fleeing, he sought out Sansa Stark and offered to take her along with him. In her panic, Sansa refused, but recognized how afraid the man had been in battle.

As a vagabond, he was arrested by the Brotherhood without Banners, which also had Arya Stark in its custody. The Brotherhood put Sandor on trial for Lannister atrocities. He chose trial by combat and defeated Beric Dondarrion, after which The Brotherhood stripped him of his possessions and set him free. Sandor returned to get his tourney winnings back, but kidnapped Arya Stark instead, with the intention of ransoming her off to one of her relatives. At a roadside inn they met three of Gregor's men and Sandor was seriously injured in the ensuing fight, though all of Gregors men were killed. His wounds infected and Arya abandoned him in the forest.

The head of a nearby monastery claimed to have buried "The Hound" after encountering him dying on the riverside, leaving his helm atop a stone cairn. Meanwhile Rorge, a particularly nasty criminal, obtained Sandor's helm and assumed his identity during a brutal spree of banditry. This led to stories that the hound was still alive and terrorizing the riverlands. Rorge was later killed by Brienne of Tarth and the helm was then taken by Lem Lemoncloak, a member of the Brotherhood without Banners.

Strong Belwas

Strong Belwas is a fat eunuch in the service of Magister Illyrio. Despite his bulk, he is a formidable warrior, having lived his life as a slave in the fighting pits of Mereen. He wears no armor except a tiny leather jerkin that covers a small part of his chest. His body is festooned with scars due to his claimed custom of allowing enemies to cut him once before he kills them.

Belwas was sent along with Barristan Selmy by Illyrio to aid Daenerys Targaryen. Initially Barristan posed as his squire, though this deception proved unconvincing. He served as one of her bodyguards, but Daenerys did not trust him and found little use for him until the siege at Mereen. There, she selected Belwas to face the city's hero in single combat because he was expendable. Belwas faced the mounted champion on foot and easily defeated him.

Syrio Forel

Syrio is a master of the elegant Braavosi fencing style called Water Dancing, and a former First Sword of Braavos. He is described as a bald, leathery old man, but still possesses remarkable speed and skill. After discovering Arya's secret rapier, Needle, Lord Eddard Stark hired Syrio to teach her to use it, believing the slender blade would suit the Braavosi style. Syrio taught her on how to move and think like a warrior. Lord Eddard began to doubt Syrio's unusual teaching methods, but they proved to work effectively on his eager pupil. When Queen Cersei ordered all Starks in the Red Keep to be captured or killed, Syrio covered Arya's escape, fighting five guardsmen and the fully armored Ser Meryn Trant using only his wooden practice sword. His fate is unknown, but Arya believes him dead. Even years after the end of Arya's lessons with Syrio, she remembers them verbatim and lets them guide her through difficult situations.

Thoros of Myr

Thoros is a red priest of R'hllor, a sun god religion in the novels. He hails from the free city of Myr. He was sent to King's Landing in hopes he could convert the fire-obsessed King Aerys II Targaryen; however, he was unsuccessful and started to question his own faith. After Robert's Rebellion, he became a frequent drinking companion of King Robert. He is described as a fat, bald man in loose red robes, but is still a formidable fighter.

Thoros joined Dondarrion to seek out Gregor Clegane and bring him to the king's justice. Gregor Clegane ambushed their party and Dondarrion was killed. While performing a traditional burial ritual of his faith, Thoros inadvertently resurrected him. The two men founded an outlaw group they called the Brotherhood Without Banners to protect the smallfolk from soldiers foraging in the Riverlands. As an outlaw, Thoros experienced a spiritual reawakening, and continued to be able to resurrect Dondarrion through means beyond his understanding. He also succeeded at many of the feats he had failed to achieve as a red priest, such as seeing visions in flame, and lighting swords on fire with blood and prayer. Thoros also changed externally, transforming into a loose-skinned, grey haired man in faded red robes and piecemeal armor. He never took a leadership position in the Brotherhood, and allowed Lady Stoneheart to take control of the group despite his disapproval of her motives and methods. The changes she made in the Brotherhood once again lowered Thoros's spirits and self-confidence.

Varys

Varys, called "the Spider," is the enigmatic Master of Whisperers, or spymaster, for the Iron Throne of Westeros. A bald, fat eunuch of stylish dress, he usually affects a fawning, effeminate personality to hide his true feelings and motives. In keeping with this act, he often refers to spies as his "little birds". Many nobles he associates with find him distasteful and untrustworthy. Even though he is low born, it is a long standing tradition at the royal court to address him with the title of Lord.

He is a master of disguise, and knows many secret passages within the Red Keep. He appears to have some relationship with Illyrio Mopatis and seems to be secretly supporting the Targaryens: for example, he counselled Cersei Lannister to dismiss Baristan Selmy from the Kingsguard when the newly appointed King Joffrey wanted someone to blame for Roberts death (Selmy then joins Daenarys), and warned the spy Jorah Mormount that attempts would be made on Danaerys Targaryen's life but to protect her against them. Varys disappeared after he was forced to help Tyrion escape execution and murder his father, Lord Tywin Lannister. Despite his disappearance there are many readers who suspect Varys of planting a Tyrell coin which was found by Qyburn in the dungeon cell where Tyrion Lannister was being held before his escape. This seems to be another scheme of Varys' to weaken the Hold of the Lannisters on the Iron throne by making them suspect their Tyrell allies of treachery; if so the plot seems to have succeeded as Cersei's paranoia led her to alienate all Tyrell power in King's Landing.

Varys' motives are as yet unclear. He has been asked by both Eddard Stark and Tyrion Lannister, what his true goals are; Varys replied both times that he "serves the realm."

Walder Frey

Lord Walder Frey, a man in his nineties, is the current head of House Frey and Lord of the Crossing. Though infirm, he still maintains an active hand in the running of his house. He is vain, prickly, ambitious, and untrustworthy. Lord Walder is famous for siring many children and surviving many wives. He is currently married to his eighth wife and has over a hundred descendants, both base and trueborn. He places a great emphasis on family loyalty, though his descendants jockey ruthlessly for his favor.

Though a Tully bannerman, Lord Walder did not go to Riverrun when Edmure Tully called his banners. When the use of his Twins became a strategic necessity for Robb's host, Walder was able to negotiate marriage contracts for his children into both the Tully and Stark families. After Robb married Jeyne Westerling instead of a Frey, Lord Walder was outraged and withdrew his support. Walder lured Robb and many of his key bannerman back to the Twins under the guise of making amends and marrying Edmure to his daughter Roslin as promised. During the wedding feast, Walder's men ambushed Robb and his entire host, slaughtering Robb, Catelyn Stark, many of their bannermen, and a significant portion of the northern army. This betrayal became known as the Red Wedding. Walder then openly swore loyalty to House Lannister, and as a reward he received Riverrun and its lands.

While Walder's betrayal of the Starks resulted in their elevation to preeminent status in the Riverlands over the Tullys, it has long-lasting repercussions for House Frey. Even more than the Boltons, the Freys' betrayal was seen as particularly heinous because they violated the sacred guest-host relationship. As of A Feast for Crows, while House Frey has militarily and politically triumphed through their treachery, they are now considered utterly despicable by noble houses across Westeros.

Ygritte

Ygritte is a wildling woman and spearwife who became a lover to Jon Snow after he briefly joined Mance Rayder's army. She was killed by an arrow during the wildling assault on Castle Black. Her common mantra is "You know nothing, Jon Snow."

References

1. "A Dance With Dragons: The Latest Info". Westeros.org. February 16, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010. finally confirmed at FargoCon 2009 that Melisandre would be a POV, but there was also another POV as yet unrevealed.
2. George R. R. Martin. A Storm of Swords. p. 704. ISBN 0-553-57342-X. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help)

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