Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire

Many of the major and minor characters in George R. R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire belong to one of the major houses of Westeros, and are described on Major houses in A Song of Ice and Fire. This page serves as a list of those characters that are members of minor Houses. For other characters who play important roles in the series, see Characters from A Song of Ice and Fire. See List of characters in A Song of Ice and Fire for a comprehensive list.

House Clegane

House Clegane is sworn to House Lannister. The first Ser Clegane was kennelmaster at Casterly Rock until he saved Lord Tytos Lannister from a lion and lost a leg in the effort. As a reward, Lord Tytos gave him lands and a towerhouse and took his son as his squire. Their sigil is three dogs on a yellow field; the three dogs represent the dogs that saved Lord Tytos.

Gregor Clegane

Ser Gregor Clegane, head of House Clegane and Sandor Clegane's older brother, is a retainer to House Lannister. Gregor is described as being very large (nearly eight foot tall and weighing over 30 stone) and possessing enormous strength. He is nicknamed "The Mountain That Rides" or simply "The Mountain". His size and strength make him very powerful warrior and he has earned a reputation of cruelty and brutality.

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 as a captive, and because she is a POV character in the series, the reader is able to witness several of Ser Gregor's atrocities with some intimacy.

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, whoes sister was murdered by Gregor, saw a chance to take vengeance and became Tyrion's champion. Gregor won the duel and killed Oberyn, but was poisoned during the fight. 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.

Sandor Clegane

Sandor Clegane is the younger brother of Gregor Clegane and a retainer to House Lannister. He is nicknamed "The Hound," in part because his family arms feature three dogs, and in part for his savage nature in battle and unquestioning obedience to his masters. For much of the series he wore a distinctive helm in the shape of a snarling dog's head. Sandor is 6'6 (almost 18 inches shorter than his brother Gregor) and is extremely strong and fast, Jaime Lannister has stated that Sandor fights with a ferocity that very few fighters can match, because of this Sandor is considered one of the most dangerous and skilled fighters in Westeros, though his frequent drunkenness has been known to compromise his skill. When a child of seven, Sandor received gruesome facial burns when his older brother Gregor (then aged twelve) shoved his face into a brazier for playing with one of his toys without permission (despite the fact the toy meant nothing to Gregor). Since that time, he has had a crippling fear of fire, and an unremitting hatred for his brother. Over the years, Gregor's brutality has worsened, and despite this (or because of it) he was knighted. This paradoxical turn of event leaves Sandor feeling much 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, calling her a "little bird" who chirps on command. 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 and strategically (and surreptitiously) defended her from Joffrey's physically abusive efforts at shaming her. Despite all, he fought heroically during the Battle of the Blackwater, however as the Wildfire's burning intensified, his fear of flames was provoked to the point that he would no longer fight. Rather, he returned to the castle and refused to reengage in battle. This refusal led to him being excoriated by Tyrion (among several others). Thus he deserted the castle, the battle, and his duties as a member of the Kingsguard. However, before fleeing, he became very drunk and sought out Sansa Stark. The way their encounter was written, it seemed as if he might advance on her violently, however it became quite clear that he did not intend to harm her in any way. Rather, he offered to take her along with him. In her panic, Sansa refused, but recognized with shock and pity how afraid the man had been in battle. Sandor asked her to sing him a song, which she did, and which brought him to tears.

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 - Arya in particular hated Sandor with a passion because he had once killed a friend of hers (Mycah, the butcher's boy). He chose trial by combat, facing the Brotherhood's leader Beric Dondarrion. Beric fought with a flaming sword, perhaps to trick his opponent, but Sandor managed to defeat him despite his fear of the blade's fire. The Brotherhood stripped him of almost all his possessions, but set him free nonetheless. Sandor returned to the Brotherhood to get his tourney winnings back, but kidnapped Arya Stark instead, with the intention of ransoming her off to one of her relatives. He took her to meet her brother Robb Stark at the Twins, but arrived during the Red Wedding massacre. Sandor stole Arya off again in the hopes of ransoming her off to another family member (possibly her lady aunt, Lysa). At a roadside inn, however, they ran afoul of three of Gregor's men (Gregor Clegane himself was not present) and Sandor was seriously injured in the ensuing fight, mainly because he was very drunk and off balance. After his wounds became infected he was no longer able to confine Arya. Still hating him for killing her friend, Arya abandoned him, refusing even to grant his request for the mercy of a quick death.

Sandor's fate becomes uncertain after this point. The head of a nearby monastery claimed to have buried "The Hound" after encountering him dying on the riverside, but he never says that Clegane himself has actually died, only saying "He is at rest". Hints in that chapter suggest Clegane has joined the monastery. He also stabled Sandor's warhorse, Stranger, at the monastery. Meanwhile, a deserter from the Brave Companions, Rorge, recovered Sandor's helm from his apparent gravesite (the monk who buried him lamented the fact that he left the Hound's helm as the grave marker) and assumed his identity during a brutal spree of banditry. Rorge was later killed by Brienne of Tarth and the helm was then taken by Lem Lemoncloak, a member of the Brotherhood without Banners. However, because Rorge had engaged in such violent acts of murder and other depravity while donning the Hound's helm (such as burning the entire town of Saltpans to the ground and raping a girl of twelve), widespread belief spread throughout Westeros that the Hound was perpetuating these crimes. Thus, much of the realm has come to think of Sandor as being similar to his brother Gregor.

House Dayne

A sworn house to House Martell whose loyalty to House Targaryen during the War of the Usurper led to the death of many of its famed members. Their seat is the stronghold of Starfall. They are famed for possessing the greatsword Dawn, said to be forged from the heart of a falling star. Its wielder is titled the "Sword of the Morning", but the honor is not passed on by heredity (no new Sword of the Morning has been named since the death of the last during Robert's Rebellion). Their sigil is a sword and a falling star on a lavender background. A branch of House Dayne are the Daynes of High Hermitage.

Arthur Dayne

Known as "The Sword of the Morning", a truly legendary member of the Kingsguard and wielder of Dawn, the famous sword of house Dayne. In Westeros, Valyrian steel swords are typically the most prized and are passed down from one generation to the next. However, Dawn may be among the very most well recognized and highly esteemed swords in the realm, despite not being made of Valyrian steel. Rather, Dawn was forged from the contents of a falling star. Dawn's blade is said to be exceptionally sharp and strong (even when compared to Valyrian steel). Unlike the smoky darkness found in Valyrian blades, Dawn glows an almost milky white (hence its name). As arguably the realm's greatest knight and swordsman, Dayne led the campaign that destroyed the Kingswood Brotherhood, and killed the Smiling Knight in single combat.

Dayne was killed fighting Eddard Stark and his companions, most notably Howland Reed at the Tower of Joy, but the exact circumstances are unclear. The events surrounding his death are only detailed to some vague degree in a dream that Ned experiences in A Game of Thrones. In the dream, Ned remembers his journey to the Tower of Joy with Reed to retrieve his sister, Lyanna. Lyanna was taken there by Rhaegar Targaryan. In order to access Lyanna in the tower, Ned needed to pass through the remaining 3 knights of the Kingsguard, the ones King Aerys had sent south to retrieve Rhaegar after the Battle of the Bells. Dayne's prowess in battle should not be underestimated by the reader - his skill and the legend of his sword are mentioned throughout the series with a sense of reverence and respect saved for only the greatest of Westerosi warriors (perhaps only Barristan Selmy receives such high praise). Therefore, how he was defeated by Ned and his men is a very significant mystery of the series, as yet uncovered. This particular event seemed to bring Ned and Reed closer than ever as friends, and lends much intrigue to the nature of Reed's character, who has yet to appear in the story. During Ned's dream, before the battle at the Tower of Joy begins, Dayne demonstrates restrained (but clear) confidence and pride in his own abilities, as well as a notable sense of duty and loyalty to Rhaegar. Indeed, he was one of Prince Rhaegar's closest friends.

Dayne is often referred to as a brand of bygone, extinct knight not only with unsurpassed skill, but also with a sense of chivalry and dedication to the crown he swore to protect. Jaime Lannister reflects that this appears to be missing in "present day" Westeros, as the most skilled knights are commonnly without honor (e.g., Gregor Clegane).

Aside from Ned's dream, the only occasion for the reader to become acquainted with Dayne is in POV character's reflections on the history of Westeros. For example, Jaime Lannister has considered the legend of Dayne, and makes indirect reference to his tremendous skill in battle. In the "modern" times in which Jaime is a member of the Kingsguard (before the loss of his hand), he was generally considered one of the Realm's best swordsman. Jaime, however, suggests that he does not think that even at his best did he possess the skills of The Sword of the Morning.

Ashara Dayne

Sister of Ser Arthur, possessing great beauty and purple eyes. Said to have committed suicide at the end of Robert Baratheon's rebellion by leaping from the Palestone Sword, a tower of Starfall. Her reasons are a matter of speculation; it is suggested that she and Eddard Stark were in love and that she was the mother of Jon Snow.

While the latter is a dubious proposition, the former connection was first lent some credibility by the children of Howland Reed, one of Eddard's staunchest bannermen and closest friends during the War of the Usurper, and later all but confirmed by Edric Dayne (nephew of Ashara) in a conversation with Arya Stark.

The (yet unconfirmed) love affair with Ned Stark ended when Eddard was de facto forced to marry Catelyn, the bride of his brother Brandon, after Brandon's death. Eddard probably also killed her brother, Ser Arthur Dayne (The Sword of Morning).

Edric Dayne

Lord of Starfall and Head of House Dayne. Squire to Beric Dondarrion. He has dark blue, almost purple eyes and pale blond hair, indicating a Valyrian heritage similar to that of the Targaryens (the only other family to have purple eyes and extremely pale hair).

Gerold Dayne

Called Darkstar, he is the Knight of High Hermitage and an infamous fighter. He has the purple eyes of the Dayne family. Gerold was a member of Arianne Martell's plot to place Myrcella Baratheon on the Iron Throne; when the plot was foiled by Prince Doran Martell, Gerold attempted to kill Myrcella before escaping, scarring her face in the process. Has shown jealousy towards his cousin Arthur Dayne, annoyed that he is the only Dayne that is remembered.

House Florent

A house sworn to House Tyrell, but also known to chafe at their fealty owed to them. The Florents, like the Tyrells, claim descent from extinct House Gardener, the royal line of the defunct Kings of the Reach. The Florents believe that they have a superior line of descent, and by rights should possess Highgarden. The Florent seat is Brightwater Keep. Their sigil is a fox surrounded by flowers. Following Lord Tywin's victory at the Battle of the Blackwater, Tywin dispossessed the Florents of their holdings and awarded them to House Tyrell as a reward for loyal service.

Alester Florent

Lord of the House. Hand of the King to Stannis Baratheon. Lord Alester attempted to send a peace offer to Lord Tywin following the defeat at the Battle of the Blackwater. For this perceived traitorous act, he was sent to the dungeons of Dragonstone and was subsequently burned. He was the grandfather of Samwell Tarly and the uncle of Selyse Florent. His daughters Melessa and Rhea are the Ladies of Horn Hill and the Hightower respectively.

Selyse Florent

Wife to King Stannis. She is a severe-looking woman - tall and thin with big ears, a pointed nose, and the hint of a mustache on her upper lip. She had pale eyes. A follower of Melisandre, she adopted the faith of R'hllor. She was instrumental in convincing Stannis to seize Edric Storm. Later, she nearly succeeded in convincing him to sacrifice the boy for her faith.

Alekyne Florent

Lord Alester's son, and heir to Brightwater Keep. Upon the dispossession of his family, he sought refuge with his sister Rhea and her husband in Oldtown. His sisters are Melessa and Rhea. Selyse is his cousin.

Melessa Florent

Wife to Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill, and mother of Samwell and Dickon Tarly; Melessa is the daughter of Alester, and sister of Rhea and Alekyne. Selyse is her cousin.

Rhea Florent

Wife to Lord Leyton Hightower of Oldtown. Rhea is the daughter of Alester, and sister of Melessa and Alekyne. Selyse is her cousin.

House Kettleblack

The Kettleblacks are a family of sellswords who are agents of Petyr Baelish (though few are aware of this). Their arms are a black kettle on a dark red field.

Oswell Kettleblack

Is the father of the Kettleblack brothers. He is an elderly man but still strong despite his age, he was first introduced in A storm of Swords as the boatman who rowed Sansa and Dontos (who were escaping from the Red Keep) away from the docks of Kingslanding to a nearby ship. Little is known about him except that he has been in Petyr Baelish's service for quite some years.

Osmund Kettleblack

The eldest of the three Kettleblack brothers, fought and rode with the Gallant men sellsword company fighting in the disputed lands of Essos where he claims (most likely falsely) that he was knighted by a knight named Ser Robert Stone. Osmund and his two brothers were recruited by Cersei Lannister to hire a force of sell swords to reinforce Kingslanding during the war of the Five Kings. Both Tyrion Lannister and Cersei separately believed the Kettleblacks were in their respective pay but were in fact planted there by Baelish to cause political chaos between the two.

Osmund was named to the Kingsguard by Cersei when Boras Blount was stripped of his cloak for cowardice, Tyrion Lannister thought it ironic that Cersei replaced Blount with a man just as hollow. Osmund guarded Joffrey in the Battle of the Blackwater but had no part in the actual fighting. When Jaime Lannister returned to Kingslanding he was not impressed by Osmund Kettleblacks dubious background or fighting skills. Jaime became even more infuriated by the man when Tyrion told him that Cersei was involved in a sexual relationship with Osmund (among others).

Osfyrd Kettleblack

The middle sibling of the three brothers. After the Battle of the Blackwater Cersei had him and his brother Osney knighted despite the fact neither did any actual fighting. Osfyrd is regarded as the quietest and cruelest Kettleblack more apt to scowl than smile. Cersei raised Osyrd to commander of the gold cloaks after Ser Addam Marbrand resigned the position (bypassing several much more qualified candidates). Osfyrd lost his command however when Cersei was imprisoned by the faith. The Small Council led by Grand Maestar Pycelle had Osfyrd removed as commander of the city watch (so he would not use the gold cloaks to come to Cersei and his brother Osney's aid) and made the captain of the Dragongate the new Commander.

Osney Kettleblack

The youngest of the Kettleblack brothers. Osney is clean shaven and one of his cheeks bear scars from a scratch he received when capturing a whore who Cersei falsely believed was Tyrion's concubine. Osney under Cersei orders murdered the High Septon of the Seven (who Cersei mistrusted) by sneaking into the Great Sept and suffocating him with a pillow as he slept. Osney was rewarded for this task with sexual favours from Cersei. Cersei made Osney Tommen's sworn shield and manipulated him into trying to seduce Margaery Tyrell (so she would be executed for adultery); she then planned to exile Osney to the wall to murder the new commander of the Night Watch, Jon Snow, as Cersei did not want Eddard Stark's bastard son commanding the Night's Watch, and promised Osney both a pardon and lordship when these two tasks were completed (it was highly doubtful that Cersei would have honored either of these promises).

Margaery however never responded to Osney's advances with anything but teasing. Cersei then hatched a new scheme and (after paying him with sex) had Osney falsely confess to the zealous newly appointed High Septon that he had sex with Margaery and two of her cousins, so the High Septon would act on the news and imprison Margaery and her cousins when they visited the Great Sept. Cersei then planned to let the faith put them on trial, where false evidence created would be presented, leading to Margaery's execution. The High Septon acted on the information, but due to his suspicion of Osney's confession (he had never heard a confession from a man so pleased to be guilty), had Osney imprisoned and scourged till he confessed the actual truth. Osney confessed all of Cersei's plan including the fact that the previous High Septon was killed by him on her orders. Osney is currently a prisoner of the Faith, which plans to execute him for the murder of the previous High Septon.

House Mormont

House Mormont is sworn to House Stark. It was noted that unlike many houses, the women also served as warriors. Their seat is located on Bear Island. Their sigil is a bear standing upright in front of trees, on a field of green.

Dacey Mormont

Eldest daughter to Maege, and Heir to the House as no living males are able to inherit the title. Warrior and companion to Robb Stark, she was killed at the Red Wedding.

Jeor Mormont

Known as "The Old Bear", Jeor gave up his lands to serve as the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch at the Wall. His exact age is unknown, but he is understood to be of relatively advanced age, as he had held the position of Lord Commander for several years when Jon Snow arrives at the Wall. He is Brother of Lady Maege Mormont and father to Ser Jorah Mormont. He is a fierce man, large and strong despite his age. He is best recognized by his bald head, large stature, and unquestioned authority at his post. 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 Jon Snow's and Tyrion Lannister's POV chapters.

Mormont commands a great deal of respect from the men of the Night's Watch, and in some cases fear (such as Jon and Samwell when they first arrived at the Wall). Despite his fierceness and occasional abrasiveness, Mormont also demonstrates a great deal of wisdom, and even interpersonal, almost grandfatherly warmth. For instance, in A Game of Thrones, when a letter arrives for Jon Snow at Castle Black to inform him of Bran's awakening and survival, Mormont gives the letter to Jon himself, and offers his support.

When the newest recruits (Jon, Samwell, et al.) make their vows and receive their stations at the Wall, Mormont chooses Jon Snow to be his personal steward, a gesture that hints at Mormont's perspicacity and skill in recognizing exceptional ability in the men he commands. Soon after, in the middle of the night, while Mormont slept, a Wight attempted to assassinate him. Jon Snow, who happened to be checking on the Lord Commander, fought and (with the assistance of his direwolf, Ghost) killed the Wight. For Mormont, this event further underscored Jon's ability.

Mormont is almost always seen in the company of a large, conspicuously intelligent (unnamed) raven that he keeps as a pet. The bird can speak in an apparently parrot-like fashion, and often begs for corn. Mormont often expresses impatience with the raven; however, he does not seem to recognize the raven's peculiar tendency to repeat the most meaningful words of a recently spoken sentence. For instance, rather than simply repeat random words said in its presence, the raven's parroting underscores the urgency of certain conversations and situations.

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. After sending Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand to scout the Skerling Pass and learn about the movements of the wildlings, 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 Whites. Mormont leads his men through the snow and bitter cold back to Craster's Keep for shelter and protection. While there, Mormont's men mutiny, and murder him.

He is succeeded as Lord Commander by Jon Snow.

Jorah Mormont

Ser Jorah Mormont, an exiled knight, was one of the most trusted companions of Daenerys Targaryen, a young contender for the Iron Throne. 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.

Jorah's first wife miscarried three times and died after the third. He fought in Greyjoy's rebellion and received a knighthood for his bravery. After a tournament held in Lannisport to celebrate the victory, he met Lynesse Hightower and was immediately smitten with her, asking to wear her favor in the tournament. He won an improbable victory and named her queen of love and beauty. That night, he asked Lord Leyton for her hand, and he acquiesced. They were happy until they arrived at Bear Island, a land of trees and raw nature very different from Oldtown. Jorah spent large sums of money trying to keep her happy, bankrupting himself and finally breaking the law by selling slaves meant for service at the Wall. He fled to Lys with her, but she soon left him to become a treasured member of a harem of the local royalty. Thereafter he wandered the Free Cities for five years.

At this point, his fortunes changed. 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, but Dany, who saw him as more of a father figure, always refused. Jorah's earlier betrayal was then revealed by Barristan the Bold, and Daenerys sent both on a dangerous mission to prove their loyalty after past deceits, half hoping they would perish. Both survived. Selmy was contrite and humble, and was pardoned. Though Mormont's betrayals were more significant, he was bitter and proud, still seeing Daenerys as a young girl rather than as his queen. He was therefore not forgiven, and was banished from her service, to be killed if she saw him again. He has not been seen since.

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

Maege Mormont

Younger sister to Jeor. After Jorah's exile to the east, she became Lady of the House. A warrior and bannerwoman to King Robb Stark, she participated in the Battle of the Whispering Wood and the Battle of the Camps. She was sent North by Robb just before the Red Wedding.

House Payne

House Payne is sworn to House Lannister. Their arms are a white and purple checkered field and within each checkered square a single gold coin resides.

Ilyn Payne

Ser Ilyn Payne began the series as the King's justice (headsman) to King Robert Baratheon. Before that however he was captain of the hands guard when Tywin Lannister was hand of the king under Aerys Targaryen II. The vindictive Aerys Targaryen ordered Payne's tongue removed when Ser Ilyn was heard remarking "that Lord Tywin ran the seven kingdoms and told King Aerys what to do". When Robert Baratheon married Cersei Lannister he made Payne the kings justice as a wedding gift to the father of his bride, a sinecure to compensate Payne for the tongue he lost in service to House Lannister. 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 (a suitable trait for the Kings Justice).

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 upon the steps of Baelors Sept 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 choose 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.

Podrick Payne

A distant cousin to Ser Ilyn, born on a lower branch of House Payne, Podricks father was killed fighting in the Greyjoy Rebellion when Podrick was only a newborn baby and his mother abandoned Podrick when he was four to his distant cousin Cedric Payne so she could run off with a singer. Cedric Payne marched with Lord Tywins host at the beginning of the War of the five Kings and made Podrick (then aged 10) his squire, Ser Cedric was slain in the Riverlands though. Podrick then served a Hedge knight named Ser Lormier the Belly who guarded the baggage trains but Ser Lormier was hanged for stealing supplies and Ser Kevan took charge of Podrick and made him 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 Tyrions side and even saved Tyrions life from an assassination attempt made by the treacherous Mandon Moore of the kingsguard, Podrick pushed the heavily armoured Moore into the river when he was just about to kill Tyrion. Podrick continued his duties as squire to Tyrion when Tyrion recovered and later wed Sansa Stark. When Tyrion vanished after slaying his father Lord Tywin, Podrick followed Brienne of Tarth knowing she was seeking Sansa Stark (Tyrion wife). Eventually Podrick became Briennes squire and served her as loyally as he did Tyrion, even going as far as aiding her when she battled remnants of the Brave companion sellsword company. When Brienne was caught by the Brotherhood without banners. Lady Stoneheart ordered Pod hanged for the crime of being the imps squire. He was last seen being strung up next to Brienne by the Brotherhood with banners. His ultimate fate though is unknown.

House Redwyne

House Redwyne is sworn to House Tyrell. Their seat is the Arbor. Wines of the Arbor are famed throughout Westeros; as a result their sigil is the grape on a purple field. They provide a significant portion of the Tyrells' fleet. Redwyne is a powerful house with strong ties to the Tyrells. Lady Olenna is the mother of the current Lord Tyrell, while Lord Mace's sister is married to Lord Paxter Redwyne.

Paxter Redwyne

Lord of the Arbor, and member of the Small Council. During the War of the Usurper, Paxter kept his loyalty to House Targaryen, besieging Storm's End for nearly a year. After the death of King Aerys II, he surrendered his forces to troops loyal to King Robert. His wife is Mina Tyrell, sister of Lord Mace Tyrell, and daughter of the Queen of Thorns, Olenna Redwyne.

Horas and Hobber Redwyne

Sons of Lord Paxter Redwyne by his wife Mina Tyrell, they are nicknamed "Horror" and "Slobber" and are grossly overweight.

They were held hostage at King's Landing by Cersei Lannister in order to prevent House Redwyne form joining forces with Renly Baratheon. They were released after Mace Tyrell swore allegiance to Joffrey Baratheon.

Olenna Tyrell

Born Olenna Redwyne, she married Lord Luthor Tyrell, the late lord of Highgarden. Called the "Queen of Thorns," she was the mother of Lord Mace Tyrell of Highgarden as well as two daughters, Janna and Mina, married to Lord Paxter Redwyne. She convinced Sansa Stark to confide in her about King Joffrey's vicious nature. Afterwards, to protect her granddaughter, she conspired with Petyr Baelish to poison King Joffrey.

See: Olenna Redwyne of House Tyrell

House Reed

A House sworn to House Stark. Their seat is at Greywater Watch. Their sigil is a lizard-lion on a dark green field.

Howland Reed

Howland Reed is the Lord of Greywater Watch and holds dominion over the crannogmen of the Neck. He is one of Eddard Stark's closest friends.

Virtually all that is known about Howland Reed comes from Eddard Stark's poppy-induced dream in A Game of Thrones and Meera's veiled story to Bran in A Storm of Swords. Meera's story involves a crannogman that she does not call by name. Therefore it is not possible to affirm that the story is about Howland. However, Meera and Jojen's familiarity with the main character (and events that would be known only to him), their surprise that Bran had never heard the story (given that the main character may have been very close friends with Bran's father), and the character's being a contemporary of Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon, all point to the main character being their father, Howland Reed. Therefore, any "facts" about his life or character are questionable and require further confirmation and elaboration. From Meera's story, it is likely that Howland is short (as most crannogmen are), strong, and courageous. Bran asked if "the crannogman" had the greensight, and Jojen quickly answered that he did not.

Meera states that one day "the crannogman" wanted to travel to the Isle of Faces (where few have ever ventured) to meet with the Children of the Forest. Thus, being courageous, he set out in his canoe and rowed down the Greenfork River to the Trident. There, he pulled his boat from the river and walked to the God's Eye Lake, and rowed to the Isle of Faces, at its center. "The crannogman" likely spent an undefined amount of time on the isle (it is said that he stayed for the duration of a winter, which in Westeros could have been years), though his activities there were not described (Meera said "that is a story for another day"). After rowing from the isle back to the shore of the God's Eye, "the crannogman" came upon the largest castle in the realm of Westeros: Harrenhall, where there was a large tournament attended by many lords and knights from the Seven Kingdoms.

There, "the crannogman" first met the individuals who were clearly the Starks (they were all referred to as "wolves" of different types) during the tournament at Harrenhall, when he was beset by rowdy squires and protected by the She-Wolf (clearly Lyanna Stark, Lord Eddard's sister). A mystery challenger, small in stature and wearing mismatched armor, dubbed "The Knight of the Laughing Tree" (so named for the sigil on his shield, which was a Weirwood Tree with a smiling face carved into it), later entered the joust to defend "the crannogman's" honor, though the knight's true identity remains unknown (during Meera's telling of the story, Bran is convinced that the mysterious knight is "the crannogman" himself). After kneeling on the shores of the God's Eye, facing toward the Isle of Faces and praying to the old gods, the mystery knight then challenged three specific knights to jousts. He only selected those whose squires had treated him so violently the day before. He unhorsed each of them (one was a Frey from the Twins) but he did not seek a ransom for their horses and armor (as would be the custom). Rather, he stated that teaching their squires honor was ransom enough. Given these events, this knight was a favorite of the spectators. "The Storm Lord" (almost certainly Robert Baratheon) insisted that he would unmask the mystery knight the following day. The King (most likely the mad King Aerys) insisted on knowing the identity of the knight. However, on the following day, when the mystery knight was to be rewarded for his skill (and when his identity would have been demanded), the mystery knight was gone. The only sign of him was his shield, which was left hanging in a tree. This is how Meera's story ended.

It is known for certain that Howland fought alongside Eddard during the Usurper's Rebellion, and accompanied Eddard's group of seven to the Tower of Joy to reclaim Eddard's abducted sister Lyanna. There they found three members of the Kingsguard ("The White Bull" Ser Gerold Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Arthur Dayne) waiting for them, guarding Lyanna. Only Howland Reed and Eddard survived. Eddard later claimed that Howland Reed had saved his life from Ser Arthur Dayne that day (Dayne was the most famous knight of the Kingsguard and one of the most legendary warriors in the history of Westeros). With Eddard's death, Howland is the only remaining person known to have witnessed the mysterious events that took place in the tower that day. Howland is perhaps the only person left that might know what was the "promise" that Ned Stark made to his dying sister Lyanna. Howland is also the only known character left alive that might know who Jon Snow's mother was, (perhaps his father as well.)

At the onset of the War of the Five Kings, Lord Howland sent his teenaged children, Jojen and Meera, to pledge the Reeds to Robb Stark as King of the North. His crannogmen have defended the Neck against invaders, from Lannisters to Freys to Ironmen. His children now guard Bran, the Stark heir.

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. Indeed, Old Nan's nickname for him is "Little Grandfather". He has unusually deep green eyes and wears green clothing.

Jojen has greensight, the power of prophetic dreams. Jojen knows a great number of arcane things that he gleans from his dreams, including the day of his death. He arrived at Winterfell along with his sister Meera to pledge the Reeds' support to Winterfell and Robb after Eddard's death. In the midst of the War of the Five Kings, this pledge at first was believed to be meaningless, as Robb and House Stark appeared to need help in the form of soldiers. However it soon becomes apparent that Jojen and Meera were sent in order to help House Stark through Bran, not Robb. Thus the story suggests that House Stark is fighting on two fronts, and Jojen and Bran's mission is not fully revealed.

When Jojen is introduced into the story, his powers of prophesy appear to stand out as particularly strong, especially to Bran. However Jojen surprises Bran by saying that Bran's powers (such as prophesy, warging, etc.) are far stronger than his own. The only reason Bran is not able to utilize this vast power, Jojen suggests, is because he has never exercised the discipline to harness it. Therefore, Jojen creates a number of activities for Bran to develop his powers. For example, Jojen suggests that Bran slip into Summer's mind and not submit to the wolf's desires like exploring the woods and hunting, but rather that he maintain human control of the animal and use its body to do things such as pile stones or mark trees in certain, effortful ways. Bran resists this, but Jojen continues to encourage him.

When Bran tells Jojen of his own green dream (i.e., of his conversation with the "Three Eyed Crow" while he was in a coma after his fall in A Game of Thrones), Jojen takes an immediate and deep interest in this information. In fact, he seems to recognize something of vast (and yet undisclosed) importance in Bran. Jojen thus pushes Bran, with much urgency, to travel north of the Wall to find The Three Eyed Crow.

While Theon sacked Winterfell, Jojen, Meera, Bran, Hodor, Rickon, and Osha hid in the castle's tombs. After the violence had ended, the group split, and Osha went her own way with Rickon and Shaggydog, whereas Jojen, Meera, Bran, Hodor, and Summer 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. No more is currently known about Jojen, as A Feast for Crows contained no Bran POV chapters.

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.

Although Meera is older than Jojen, she is often seen deferring to her younger brother's wisdom and insight. She shows a sense of reverence for his green dreams.

Whereas Jojen is stern and serious, Meera is more cheerful and warm in personality. In some ways, she evidences maternalistic instincts in her interactions with Bran. In A Storm of Swords, Meera seems to be a wealth of mysterious stories (e.g., the story of "The Knight of the Laughing Tree"), which she related to Bran. Her stories, however, rarely offer the listener (or reader) a straightforward account of events. For instance, instead of using names, she refers to persons in her stories with what appear to be code names, such as "The Young Wolf" or "The She-Wolf". Cross referencing these names with other accounts of historical events in the series (particularly those related to the Stark family), suggests that Meera refers to Eddard and his siblings; however, this is never confirmed by Meera or Jojen. Overall, the stories seem to convey that her father and Eddard Stark forged a close relationship many years ago, and that this relationship has much to do with Meera and Jojen's arrival to help Bran. As the series current stands, the Reed children possess knowledge that they have yet to share in full - both about the history of their father and their family, as well as the purpose for the mission with Bran.

House Royce

House Royce are bannermen to House Arryn. Their seat is located at Runestone. Their sigil is a shower of pebbles on an orange field. There are two branches of House Royce:

Royce of Runestone

Bronze Yohn

Renowned warrior and Lord of the House. He has a lined face, grey hair, and slate-grey eyes set beneath bushy eyebrows. Lord Yohn Royce is a close friend to his kinsman Eddard Stark, having dwelt in Winterfell for a time when his youngest son Ser Waymar Royce travelled north to take up the black of the Night's Watch. Bronze Yohn was a member of the Lords Declarant, a group of Lords that had misgivings about the legitimacy of Petyr Baelish as Lord Protector of the Vale following Lysa Tully's death.

Robar

A younger son of Yohn Royce. Knight and member of the Rainbow Guard under King Renly, known as "Robar the Red". Slain by Loras Tyrell in his grief and madness.

Waymar

A younger son of Yohn Royce. Novice ranger of the Night's Watch. Died at the hands of an Other when ranging for the Night's Watch and became a Wight.

Royce of the Gates of the Moon

Nestor

Far cousin to Lord Yohn Royce, he belongs to the minor branch of the house. He was caretaker of the Gates of the Moon, an Arryn castle that is as famous as The Eyrie. In order to secure his loyalty, Lord Protector Petyr Baelish granted him ownership of the Gates after the War of the Five Kings. After becoming owner of the Gates of the Moon, Nestor designed a new banner for his branch of the family, consisting of a gate on an orange background. He has a son, his heir Ser Albar Royce, and a daughter, Myranda.

Albar

The heir of Lord Nestor.

Myranda

The only daughter of Lord Nestor, Myranda is a lively and vivacious young widow, who is said to be shrewd and much sharper than she appears.

House Tarly

A house sworn to House Tyrell. Their seat is Horn Hill. Their sigil is a striding huntsman.

Randyll Tarly

Lord of House Tarly; Randyll is married to Melessa Florent. Famed battle commander and wielder of Heartsbane, a Valyrian greatsword. He led an army that inflicted the only defeat on the rebellious forces of Robert Baratheon at the Battle of Ashford. A martinet, he was disappointed in his gentle, timid firstborn son and did not want Samwell for his heir. When a younger son, Dickon, was born, Lord Tarly forced Samwell to join the Night's Watch. Tarly is regarded as one of the finest soldiers in the realm and throughout the series his skills at command are acknowledged and held in respect by several other characters such as Tyrion Lannister, Kevan Lannister and Stannis Baratheon.

When House Tyrell joined its cause to Joffrey, Tarly was sent by Tywin Lannister to deal with the Northern army attacking Duskendale. Tarly's army after a bloody battle defeated the Stark force and restored order to the area; Tarly then went to secure Maidenpool after Lord Mooton bent the knee to Joffrey after the events of the Red Wedding. His forces were seen by Brienne of Tarth rebuilding the town and restoring order. Tarly has also captured and hanged dozens of outlaws (some belonging to the Brotherhood without Banners) and broken men. Tarly was last heard to be marching his forces from Maidenpool to Kings Landing to aid Mace Tyrell's force (marching there as well from Storms End) in rescuing Tyrell's daughter Margaery from imprisonment by the Faith.

Samwell Tarly

Samwell Tarly (a POV character) is the elder son of Lord Randyll Tarly. Fat, timid, 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 dragonglass, 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 against Janos Slynt. 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.

House Umber

A House sworn to Winterfell and House Stark. Their seat is the Last Hearth. Their sigil is a giant, breaking free of chains.

"Greatjon"

Jon Umber, Lord of the House, known as the "Greatjon" for his huge size. The Greatjon brought men to Winterfell when Robb Stark called the banners. He challenged the young lord's authority at first, until 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 at the Twins by House Frey.

"Smalljon"

Jon Umber, son of the Greatjon. Battle companion to Robb Stark, killed at the Red Wedding.

House Westerling

House Westerling is sworn to House Lannister. Their seat is The Crag. Their sigil is six white shells on a yellow field. The Westerlings are an old and well-regarded family, though their lands and incomes have dwindled over the years.

Jeyne

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, King in the North, when he and his bannermen captured her father's castle and recuperated there from their wounds after a recent battle. As he convalesced, Robb received word that House Stark's ancestral seat, Winterfell, had been taken, and all inhabitants, including his younger brothers Bran and Rickon, had been put to the sword. During this time of grief, Jeyne "comforted" him; the only honorable thing to do thenceforth was to wed her, which Robb did. However, in doing so, he broke his vow to marry a lady of House Frey. Furthermore, as the Westerlings were bannermen of House Lannister, who was at war with House Stark, the marriage put House Westerling in a dangerous position.

By and large, the Lannisters should have been inclined to consider Jeyne's marriage as treason, but Lord Tywin Lannister seemed strangely unperturbed by the turn of events; indeed, Tywin was quick to pardon the Westerlings after the war was over, and even delivered marriages and rewards to them for their "treason". It is later implied that either the Westerlings attempted to make the best of a bad situation by turning their cloaks back to Lannister crimson the moment they could, or that they had actually arranged the whole thing from the start. Lady Sybell's mother, a maegi, had previously made love potions for half of Lannisport.

Despite the muddled circumstances of their meeting, there was genuine love and affection between Jeyne and her lord husband, in addition to the hormones which sparked off their marriage. Jeyne, though, was often confused and bewildered by Robb's moodiness. She once asked his mother, Catelyn, for advice, and then began to understand that his worries over the war were influencing his behavior. She was eager to bear him an heir, and was encouraged to do so by Catelyn and by her mother, who gave her a posset to increase fertility. When Jaime Lannister, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, met Jeyne and her mother at Riverrun, Jeyne appeared to be miserable at Robb's death and furious with her mother for confiscating the crown Robb had made for her, and for lying about said posset, which was actually a fertility-suppressing concoction.

Jeyne was last seen riding away with a Lannister company who had tacit instructions to kill her should she be abducted, so she could not serve as a rallying point as Robb Stark's widow. Although Sybell expressed some degree of satisfaction over Robb's murder, a defiant Jeyne ripped her robes as a sign of open mourning.

Sybell

Lady of the House. Mother to Jeyne. Born to House Spicer, and the granddaughter of a maegi (which translates as wise woman and colloquially in the east refers to a blood witch. Maegi has a very bad connotation, at least to Dothraki). As a result of this background, she was reputed to have knowledge of herbology and medicines, and regarded as ambitious and scheming.

After the marriage of her daughter to King Robb Stark, Sybell conspired to prevent the conception of an heir. Lady Sybell confirmed to Jaime Lannister that she was directed by Tywin to ensure that Jeyne didn't conceive a possible Stark heir, strongly suggesting that her potions were contraceptive in nature and not intended to augment fertility. Her actions proved fortuitous as Jaime pardoned the family at his father's direction.

Raynald

Loyal battle companion to Robb Stark in the latter days of his campaign. Last seen during the Red Wedding attempting to free Grey Wind from a net the Frey's threw over the dire wolf. He took a number of arrows before going over a wall and disappearing into the river.