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Tyrion Lannister, is the third and youngest child of Tywin and Joanna. Tyrion is a dwarf, because of this he is sometimes mockingly called The Imp and The Halfman. He is one of the major POV Character in the books. In the TV series, Tyrion is played by Peter Dinklage.

Character and Appearance

Tyrion is shrewd, educated, and calculating, but receives little respect for this from his father, because of his deformity, and the death of his mother during his birth. He is capable of cruelty to his enemies, but also has great sympathy for fellow outcasts and the mistreated. Tyrion gets on well with his brother Jaime but has a cooler relationship with sister Cersei. Tyrion's deformity was the cause of many problems and persecution, although mitigated to some extent by his high social standing and his family's wealth and power.

Tyrion is a dwarf, he has stubby legs, a jutting forehead, mismatched eyes of green and black, and lank, white-blonde hair. Later, he grows a beard, it contains both blonde and black hair. After the Battle of the Blackwater, Tyrion has a grisly facial scar that has removed most of his nose.

History

Tyrion was born as the third child of Tywin and Joanna Lannister, his two older siblings Jaime and Cersei, were already nine years old. His mother died giving birth to him, as a result his father blamed and hated him for it and his deformity. Tyrion found himself ostracised from regular family life, especially by his father and sister who abused him during his childhood.

When Tyrion was thirteen, he and his brother Jaime rescued a common girl, Tysha, from some bandits. While Jaime went after the bandits Tyrion took care of Tysha. To his amazement Tysha liked him, and they eventually made love. Tyrion became so enamoured by her that he bribed a septon and married her in secret. Their happiness lasted only two weeks, however, before Tyrion's father got news of the wedding. Lord Tywin commanded Jaime to say that Tysha was a prostitute whom Jaime had hired for Tyrion's benefit. Because the "whore" had presumed to marry a Lannister, Tywin had his entire guard rape Tysha for a silver each and then made Tyrion go last for a gold coin, because a Lannister is worth more.

When Tyrion became a man at sixteen, he was forbidden from taking a tour of the Nine Free Cities as his uncles Gerion and Tygett had done. Instead Tywin gave him charge of all the cisterns and drains at Casterly Rock.

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Cersei Lannister is Tywin Lannister's eldest child by mere moments and the twin sister of Jaime Lannister. After Robert's Rebellion she married the new king, Robert Baratheon, and became Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She becomes a POV Character in A Feast for Crows. In the TV series she is played by Lena Headey.

Character and Appearance

Cersei is a willful, ambitious and, in her opinion, politically astute. She likens herself to "Tywin Lannister with teats", and feels slighted when people do not jump to her erratic commands. She resents the customs and conventions put on her because of her gender, not realizing it that is because she is so ineffectual that people do not come to her. Cersei despises her youngest brother Tyrion, whom she blames for killing their mother Joanna, who died in childbirth. As a child she pinches him when she hears something she doesn't like and Oberyn Martell recounts to Tyrion that Cersei treated him cruelly in their presence. She is very close to her twin brother Jaime, with who she fell in love when they were both young. For years they carried on an incestuous relationship, and Jaime is the real father of her children. She is always concerned for the safety of her children and stops at nothing to protect them, but stops far short of genuine motherhood. She often acts hypocritically and is cruel to people she meets.

Cersei has gained more power as the series has gone on, though she is shown to be a bad decision-maker and a very poor ruler. She does not have the patience or judgment for the tedium of leadership. She fails to understand how her actions carry responsibilities and consequences, for example, causing the rout of King's Landing when she recalls Joffery from the front. She surrounds herself with a lickspittle council, who only tell her what she wants to hear. To her peril, she ignores news from abroad, including the momentous discovery of Daenerys' dragons. She generally prefers using court intrigue to get rid of her imagined enemies. Littlefinger once stated that Cersei lusts for power but does not know how to wield it, and also stated that while Cersei believes she is a player in the Game of Thrones she is actually just a piece who thinks she's a player.

Cersei is is a classically beautiful Lannister, with curly golden hair, bright green eyes, and a slender figure. She has a fair skin. Nevertheless, motherhood and years have taken its toll on her body. She is getting fatter, due to heavy drinking and many royal dinner courses, but she blamed the laundry woman for shrinking the gowns. She seems to have phrophetic dreams, a remnant of her prophesy from Maggy the frog, or perhaps just nightmares.

Jaime Lannister, known as the Kingslayer, is the second child and first-born son of Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock and his wife Lady Joanna, also of House Lannister. Raised to the Kingsguard of the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen at the age of fifteen, Jaime became the youngest member in the history of the prestigious knightly order. He earned the derogatory nickname "Kingslayer" when he treasonously slew King Aerys near the end of Robert's Rebellion.

For most of his life, Jaime has had a secretly incestuous relationship with his twin sister, Cersei. He has fathered three children by her: Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, though most of the realm believes their father to be Cersei's husband, King Robert.

In A Storm of Swords, Jaime becomes a POV Character.

Appearance

Jaime is a tall, sinewy man, with long, curly, golden hair, "flashing green eyes and a smile that cut like a knife." He is widely considered to be an extremely handsome man, and is often perceived to be either charming and quick-witted or callous and conceited.

History

During Jaime's time in the Kingsguard, Aerys's growing insanity and attendant cruelty became more and more apparant, and Jaime found himself conflicted and troubled by many of the King's actions. One night, he and Ser Jon Darry stood guard outside Queen Rhaella's bedchamber while Aerys raped and ravaged her. Jaime commented to Darry that they were sworn to protect the Queen as well, to which Darry replied "We are, but not from him." He had a similar reaction to the execution of Brandon and Lord Rickard Stark, and was reminded by Ser Gerold Hightower that he swore a vow to guard the king, not to judge him. Jaime coped with much of Aerys's cruelty by "going away inside", advice he would later pass on to Brienne, when Vargo Hoat's men were considering raping her, and to his son, Tommen when the boy is upset by the smell of Tywin rotting. He genuinely believes this advice, as a way to deal with a harsh reality and making an appalling task tolerable.

As Robert's Rebellion grew, Aerys refused to let Jaime join the royal army, instead keeping him in King's Landing to be used as a potential hostage against Lord Tywin, who had yet to choose a side in the conflict. Aerys appointed several Hands throughout the war, but never invited Tywin to take up his old office. Eventually Jaime was the only White Cloak in the capital.

After Prince Rhaegar's death at the Battle of the Trident, it became apparent that the rebellion might be successful and that King's Landing might be lost. Aerys devised a plan with the help of his chief pyromancers that involved placing caches of wildfire all throughout the city. The plan was to burn the entire city to the ground rather than lose it to Robert. His new Hand, Lord Qarlton Chelsted, who had been elevated to the position after the exile of both previous Hands (Lord Owen Merryweather and Jon Connington), confronted Aerys about his plan, removing his chain of office in protest and flinging it to the floor. For that, Aerys burned him alive, and raised his favorite pyromancer Rossart to the Handship. All the while, Jaime guarded the King, blankly observing the details of his plan and keeping his secrets.

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Tywin Lannister is Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport and Warden of the West. Tywin is one of the most powerful lords in Westeros. He is the father of Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion Lannister. He loves his children Jaime and Cersei, but despises Tyrion. This is partly because Tyrion is deformed, but also Tywin blames his son for causing his beloved wife Joanna's death during his birth, as well as for shaming the family name with his frequent whoring.

Character and Appearance

Tywin Lannister is a calculating, intelligent, ruthless, and controlling man. Tywin Lannister dedicated his whole life and all his efforts into maintaining the Lannisters prestige, ensuring House Lannister was respected or at least feared.

Tywin is a tall, slender, broad-shouldered man in his fifties. He has kept his head shaved ever since he started going bald, but grows out bushy golden side-whiskers and has green eyes flecked with gold. In battle, he wears deep crimson armor highlighted with gold, with a cloth-of-gold cape.

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House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, and the principal house of the Westerlands. Their seat is Casterly Rock, an imposing fortress just outside Lannisport. Their sigil is a golden lion on a field of crimson, and their words are "Hear Me Roar!" Their unofficial motto, just as well known, states, "A Lannister always pays his debts." Members of the family tend to be attractive, with green eyes and curly golden hair. They can be charming or arrogant, witty or caustic.

History

The Lannisters descend from Andal adventurers who married the daughters of the King of the Rock. The King himself descended from Lann the Clever, a legendary trickster from the Age of Heroes who tricked the Casterlys into giving him Casterly Rock. The Lannisters reigned as Kings of the Rock until the Targaryen conquest. Afer the Field of Fire, King Loren I surrendered and his House was allowed to remain the paramount lords of the westerlands. The Lannisters are the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms, due in large part to the many gold mines under their control. House Lannister once possessed an ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword called Brightroar; but it has long been lost.

During the Blackfyre Rebellion, Lord Damon Lannister remained loyal to the Targaryens. The great rebel general Ser Quentyn Ball defeated him outside the gates of Lannisport.

Later, during the lordship of Tytos Lannister, the House fell on hard times. Tytos' weakness allowed him to be bullied by his vassals. Eventually his son Tywin brought the wayward bannermen to heel and restored the house to its former glory. Soon thereafter, Tywin was made Hand of the King by Aerys II, holding that position for many years. When Aerys was held hostage by Denys Darklyn, Tywin's conservative approach took six months to resolve the conflict. This instigated Aerys's paranoia and drove a wedge between the two, along with the king's lusting after Tywin's wife, cousin and trusted confidante Joanna. Tywin was never a jovial man, but when Joanna died birthing their third child, Tyrion, he was much saddened and his brother Kevan became his right hand. Their sister Genna took a maternal role over the children. His second brother Tygett died of a pox, and their brother Gerion sailed off on a journey to Valyria, never to be seen again.

Despite Tywin's attempts to ensure a strong legacy, life at Casterly Rock was dysfunctional at best. His twin children Cersei and Jaime began an incestuous relationship at an early age. Cersei, while a young maid, visited a woods witch called Maggy the Frog, who shared portents of Cersei's future that planted seeds of her paranoia. Cersei murdered her friend who had witnessed the prophecy. Tyrion, when 13 years old, was out with Jaime when he met and married a girl named Tysha, a match which was quickly and savagely ended by Lord Tywin. Jaime was a promising young knight, dubbed by Ser Arthur Dayne. Tywin was devastated when Jaime joined King Aery's Kingsguard. Upon this action (which he perceived as the Mad King "stealing" his heir), coupled with the Mad King's refusal to wed Prince Rhaegar to Cersei, Tywin resigned the Handship. This flew in the face of Jaime's plan, which was to be closer to Cersei: he was kept in King's Landing while Cersei returned to Casterly Rock.

During Robert's Rebellion, the Lannisters stayed neutral for the majority of the war. Only after the defeat of Prince Rhaegar at the Trident did Lord Tywin bestir himself to join Robert Baratheon against the Targaryen dynasty, perpetrating the Sack of King's Landing when the Lannister loyalist Grand Maester Pycelle suggested the gates be opened. There Ser Jaime Lannister, still a Kingsguard, slew Aerys, the last crowned Targaryen king. Meanwhile Tywin's knights killed the rest of the Targaryens in the capitol to prove their commitment to Robert's cause. Afterwards, Tywin's daughter Cersei was wed to King Robert. This marriage and the increasing amount of gold Robert owes to Tywin have only increased Lannister power. Much of Lord Tywin's energy is directed inward, ensuring all of his relatives do their part to uphold the family name.

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Jon Snow is the bastard son of Eddard Stark, by a mother whose identity is a source of speculation. He was raised by his father alongside his true-born half-siblings, but joins the Night's Watch when he nears adulthood. He is constantly accompanied by his albino direwolf Ghost. At the beginning of A Game of Thrones, Jon is fourteen years old. He is one of the major POV Character in the books.

Character and Appearance

Jon was raised as a Stark and Northerner and in many ways took to their values of honour and later on even when forced with horrendous decisions he stays morally correct and upright. Jon always had issues with his bastardy and at time feels alienated; he eventually chose to join the Night's Watch, where the circumstances of his birth were of little importance, however it also means he would have to leave all bonds of the past behind. For a long time he struggled with this but eventually, he honors his new vows and become fully committed to the Watch.

Jon has strong Stark-like features. He has a lean build and a long face, with dark brown hair and grey eyes.

History

Jon Snow's parentage remains a mystery(See theories bellow). He is believed to have been born towards the end of Robert's Rebellion, within one month, give or take, of the Sack of King's Landing. Returning from the war Lord Eddard Stark has brought the new born babe to Winterfell, insisting on raising him with the rest of his family, which turned to be a source of friction between him and his wife, Catelyn, who saw Jon presence as a constant reminder of her husband's infidelity, making him feel unwelcome. However, Eddard always treated Jon the same as his trueborn children and Jon got on well with his half-siblings, particularly with Robb and Arya.

Ghost is an albino direwolf bonded to Jon Snow. He received his name because of his white fur and the fact that he never makes a sound. He is the litter-mate of Grey Wind, Lady, Nymeria, Summer, and Shaggydog. Like Jon, Ghost is an outsider amongst his family and quick to mature.He has white fur and red eyes. Jon has noted that Ghost's red eyes are similar to the faces on carved weirwood trees by the children of the forest.

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Summer is the direwolf bonded to Bran Stark. He is the litter-mate of Grey Wind, Lady, Nymeria, Shaggydog and Ghost. His fur is the color of silver and a smoky grey with yellow eyes.

Shaggydog is the direwolf belonging to Rickon Stark. Rickon is known to shorten his name to Shaggy. He is the litter-mate of Grey Wind, Summer, Lady, Nymeria and Ghost. His fur is all black and his eyes are bright green.

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Brandon Stark, typically called Bran, is Eddard and Catelyn's second son. His life changed irrevocably when he suffers a crippling injury and relies on the servant Hodor to aid his mobility. He is usually accompanied by a direwolf named Summer and had prophetic dreams. He is one of the major POV Character in the books and in the TV series he is played by Isaac Hempstead-Wright.

Appearance and Character

Bran inherited the Tully coloring from his mother, having auburn hair and blue eyes.

He has fascination with climbing and exploring along the walls and ramparts of Winterfell. Like his siblings, he is dutiful and tough-minded. He is usually accompanied by a direwolf named Summer, with whom he shares a strong warg connection.

History

Bran is Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully second son. He was born during the warm height of summer, and only heard, and has not yet known even the slightest touch of true winter. He is named after his late uncle Eddard's elder brother, Brandon, whose death was one in the series of events that led to Robert's Rebellion.

Bran was educated by Maester Luwin and has begun training with weapons and seems destined, like his brother Robb, to be an excellent fighter.

Rickon Stark is Eddard and Catelyn's youngest child, only three years old when the series begins. Rickon is a naturally aggressive and strong-willed child, but his youth makes it difficult for him to cope with the terrible changes that come to his family and life. He is usually accompanied by his direwolf, Shaggydog. In the TV series Rickon is played by Art Parkinson.

Appearance

Rickon is very young, but fierce and strong for his age, his youth making it difficult for him to cope with the terrible changes that are brought upon his life and family by war, which are reflected in his direwolf companion named Shaggydog.

Rickon has bright eyes and favors his mother in appearance. After his mother traveled south Rickon refused to have his hair cut. As a result he has long, unruly hair.

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Lady is a direwolf bonded to Sansa Stark. She is the litter-mate of Grey Wind, Nymeria, Summer, Shaggydog, and Ghost. Lady has grey fur and yellow eyes. She is the smallest of the litter.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Lady was discovered by Robb Stark and Jon Snow along with the rest of her litter after her mother was killed by a stag. Lady bonded with Sansa and adopted her mistress's dainty manners and trusting nature. After Nymeria attacked Joffrey Baratheon and was ordered to be killed, but she could not be found. Queen Cersei out of sheer spiteful malice, ordered Lady to be put down instead. In spite of Sansa's protests, Eddard Stark performed the execution himself, as was his custom and to spare Lady pain she might suffer if Ilyn Payne performed the deed. The trusting Lady did not sense Eddard's intention and was killed with a single blow of Ice. Lady was the first of the Stark direwolves to die. Eddard Stark ordered her body to be brought North and be buried in Winterfell. The guards were surprised by the order but Eddard stated:

"The Lannister woman shall never have this skin".

She was buried in the lichyard at Winterfell. When she arrived, Grey Wind, Shaggydog, and Summer all sensed her death and howled mournfully.

Nymeria is a direwolf bonded to Arya Stark. She is a litter-mate of Grey Wind, Lady, Summer, Shaggydog and Ghost. She has grey and white fur and yellow eyes.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Nymeria is found with her litter-mates near their dead mother in the snow by Jon Snow and Robb Stark. Arya keeps Nymeria as close as possible, even allowing the direwolf to sleep at the foot of her bed. Arya names her after Nymeria, the legendary Queen of the Rhoynar. Nymeria accompanies Arya south on the journey to King's Landing. When Joffrey Baratheon and Sansa stumble upon Arya playing at swords with her friend Mycah by the Trident, Joffrey challenges Mycah to a duel, and cuts Mycah in the process. Joffrey refuses to relent which leads Arya to hit him with her stick. Joffrey attacks Arya with his sword, and Nymeria lunges at Joffrey and bites him. After letting him go, Arya and Nymeria flee. Fearing for Nymeria's life, Arya and Jory are forced to chase her away.

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Sansa Stark is the elder daughter of Catelyn and Eddard Stark. She has three brothers (Robb, Bran and Rickon) and a younger sister, Arya. Once betrothed to the Crown Prince Joffrey Baratheon, she is currently hiding at the Eyrie under the alias Alayne Stone. Sansa Stark is one of the major POV Character in the books. In the TV series, she is played by Sophie Turner.

Character and Appearance

Sansa was raised a lady, and possesses the traditional feminine graces of her milieu, with a keen interest in music, poetry, singing, dancing, embroidery, and other traditional feminine activities. She is very fond of songs and stories, particularly those depicting handsome princes, honorable knights, chivalry, and love. She is fond of lemoncakes. Her relationship with her sister Arya is often strained, and the two are opposites in most respects. She was briefly accompanied by a direwolf pup named Lady.

Sansa is traditionally beautiful, taking after her mother's family (the Tullys) with her high cheekbones, vivid blue eyes and thick auburn hair. She is eleven years old at the start of the series. As she has grown up, her figure has been described as tall, graceful and womanly.

Arya Stark is the third child and second daughter of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark. She is nine at the start of A Game of Thrones. She has three brothers Robb, Bran, Rickon, a half-brother Jon Snow, and a older sister Sansa.

Like some of her siblings, she sometimes dreams that she is a direwolf. Her own direwolf is Nymeria, who is named in reference to the Rhoynar warrior-queen of the same name.

Arya is the only character to have at least one POV chapter in each of the five books.

Character and Appearance

Arya is a spirited girl with an interest in fighting and exploring, the foil of her proper sister, Sansa, whom she often describes as "stupid." She wants to learn how to fight with a sword and ride in tourneys, to the horror of Sansa, but she is encouraged by her half-brother Jon Snow, who is particularly close to her. Throughout her travels, Arya displays great resourcefulness, cunning, and an unflinching ability to accept hard necessity. She is said to take after her fiery aunt Lyanna in temperament.

Arya is skinny and athletic. She has strong Stark family features, with a long face, grey eyes and brown hair. At the start of the story, she is generally regarded as plain, as exemplified by her nickname "Arya Horseface," and often mistaken for a boy. However, there are instances of her being called pretty, compared to the beautiful Lyanna, and catching the eye of men later in the books.

She is left-handed, quick and dexterous. She is a warg, entering her direwolf Nymeria in her dreams and cats in Braavos. She has learned basic swordplay in the Braavosi Water Dancer tradition and knows how to use knives. She received a noble's education, and is said to be good with mathematics and an excellent horse rider. She has proved to know at least a bit of High Valyrian. She also speaks Braavosi with a strong accent and has put some effort into learning the language, under orders from the Kindly Man. She has a quick and curious mind and a pragmatic outlook.

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Grey Wind is a direwolf bonded to Robb Stark. He is the litter-mate of Lady, Nymeria, Summer, Shaggydog, and Ghost.

Grey Wind has smoke grey fur and yellow eyes.

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Robb Stark is the eldest son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully and the heir to Winterfell and the North. Upon his father's imprisonment for treason, he raised his banners and marched south with a host to aid his allies in the Riverlands and to free his father. After his father's execution, he was named King in the North by his followers. Called "The Young Wolf" by many of his followers and foes alike. In the TV series he is played by Richard Madden.

Appearance and Character

Robb's appearance favored his Tully side, with a stocky build, blue eyes, and thick red-brown hair. He opened the series as a boy of fourteen years. He is his father's son, with a keen sense of honor and justice. He shares his father's devotion to honor and is frequently accompanied by his direwolf, Grey Wind, whom he always takes with him into battle.

History

Robb was born in Riverrun, presumably the product of Eddard and Catelyn's wedding night, for Eddard raced off to war immediately following the nuptials to fight in Robert's Rebellion. Upon his return from the war, Catelyn greeted Ned with an infant Robb, and all returned to Winterfell, where Ned would rule as Lord and Robb was to be raised as his heir.

Growing up in Winterfell, Robb was on good terms with his younger siblings, and developed a friendly rivalry with his bastard half-brother, Jon Snow, who differs from Robb in appearance and personality. Robb was also close with his father's ward, Theon Greyjoy, who came to regard Robb as something of a younger brother.

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Catelyn Tully is the wife of Lord Eddard Stark and Lady of Winterfell. She has five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Catelyn was born into House Tully of Riverrun, Lords Paramount of the Riverlands. She is the daughter of Hoster Tully and Minisa Whent, and her siblings are Edmure and Lysa. She is one of the major POV Character in the books.

Appearance and Character

Catelyn is proud, strong, kind and generous, She loves her five children very much. She is seen as honorable and upright by acquaintances, holding duty over desire as a governing principle of behavior. She has a deep love for family and a strong faith in the Seven. However, she regards the bastard Jon Snow as an outsider to her family, and has never forgiven Eddard for bringing him into her household.

She is described as beautiful, with auburn hair, blue eyes, and long fingers.

History

Catelyn grew up in Riverrun, where she befriended her father's ward, Petyr Baelish, heir to the Fingers, a small region in the Vale of Arryn. He fell in love with Catelyn, who in turn loved him as a brother, but no more. When she was twelve, it was announced that she was betrothed to Brandon Stark, heir of Winterfell. Upon hearing this news, Petyr challenged Brandon to a duel for her hand. Brandon won handily, but spared Baelish's life in compliance with Catelyn's pleas. Catelyn did not speak to him after he was sent back to the Fingers and burned the single letter Petyr sent after Brandon's death without reading it.

Despite loving and being betrothed to Brandon, she ended up marrying his younger brother, Eddard, after Brandon was killed by the Mad King. In time, she came to love Eddard as well.

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Eddard Stark, affectionately called "Ned" (and "the Ned" by members of the northern mountain clans), was head of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount of the North, and Warden of the North. He and Catelyn Tully have five children and he has a bastard son, Jon Snow. He is one of the major POV Character in the books. In the TV series, he is played by Sean Bean.

Character and Appearance

Eddard is in his mid-thirties. He has a long face, dark hair and grey eyes. His closely-trimmed beard is beginning to grey. He is neither as large nor as handsome as his brother Brandon was.

Eddard is known for his sense of honor and justice and his family finds him kind, although some consider his reserved personality a sign of coldness and disdain.

History

From the age of eight, Ned was fostered by Lord Jon Arryn at the Eyrie alongside Robert Baratheon. Ned befriended Robert and came to consider Lord Arryn a second father. Ned's father and brother were executed at the command of King Aerys II, who further demanded that Arryn send him the heads of his wards. Arryn refused and instead launched a rebellion. With his father and brother dead, Ned, now Lord of Winterfell, rallied the North in rebellion.

At the beginning of the rebellion, Eddard had a fisherman try to sneak him from the Vale to White Harbour, so he could raise his forces in the North, but due to storms the fisherman died and his daughter was only able to get him to Sweetsister. Lord Borrell later snuck him into White Harbour. Before marching to aid Robert, who was warring in the south, Ned married Catelyn Tully, who had been betrothed to Ned's brother Brandon before his death. At the tail end of the rebellion, Ned, along with six of his companions, traveled to the Dornish border to find the Tower of Joy, where Prince Rhaegar Targaryen had hidden his sister Lyanna. It was guarded by three members of the Kingsguard, including Ser Arthur Dayne. The resulting skirmish saw the deaths of all but Ned and Howland Reed. Unfortunately, Lyanna had died shortly after the battle, a moment that haunted Ned ever since.

Once the conflict had ended and Robert had taken the throne, Ned returned home, bringing with him a bastard son, Jon, about whose origins he refused to speak, even to his own wife; he quickly silenced rumors that the boy's mother was the Dornish noblewoman Ashara Dayne. Godric Borrell claims that the daughter of the fisherman who sneaked Ned to Sweetsister gave birth to Jon Snow. He spent the next fifteen years as Lord of Winterfell, a task he had never expected and did not always feel equal to; he rarely left his lands, and did not involve himself in the complex intrigues of the southern courts.

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House Stark of Winterfell is the principal noble house of The North; many lesser houses are sworn to them. Their seat is Winterfell. Their sigil is a grey direwolf racing across a field of white, and their words are "Winter Is Coming."  Several of the main point of view characters of the series are members of this house.

History

The Starks is an ancient house, descended from Brandon the Builder, a legendary figure from the Age of Heroes, thousands of years in the past, who built their ancestral home Winterfell. They are descendants of the First Men and still follow some of their ancient traditions and the Old Gods of the forest. The Starks were Kings of Winter in the North for many thousands of years from the Age of Heroes, beginning with Bran the Builder. For several millennia, the Starks were not the uncontested Kings of the North, and their primary antagonists the Boltons of the Dreadfort did not bend the knee until some 1,000 years ago.

The last Stark King of the North was Torrhen, who submitted to Aegon the Conqueror at the end of the War of Conquest. Since that time the Starks have held the North for the kings of the Seven Kingdoms as Wardens of The North.

Around 213AL, House Stark was in a difficult situation, with the lord of the house, Beron Stark, slowly succumbing to wounds he received fighting Dagon Greyjoy and his ironborn. Lady Stark and four Stark widows struggled over who would succeed him. There were a number of potential heirs, with some ten Stark children about.

House Stark played a key role in Robert's Rebellion against the Targaryens, after which the Starks have become a relatively inactive Great House. They share a common ancestor with the Karstarks, and may have distant relatives elsewhere in the North, possibly in White Harbor and Barrowton.

The Starks joined forces with House Tully to drive the Lannisters away from the Riverlands during the War of the Five Kings; however in the process they lost dominance over the North to the Boltons, while the family members were either killed or driven into hiding.

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Here is the opening to season 1. 

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Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, featuring a predominantly British and Irish cast. The series is based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of seven planned fantasy novels, the first of which is called "A Game of Thrones." The series debuted in the U.S. on Sunday evening, April 17, 2011.

Game of Thrones has been extremely well received critically, and has already garnered a loyal fanbase. The series was picked up for a second season on April 19, 2011, just two days after its premiere.The production is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has also filmed in Malta, Croatia and Iceland. The show's cast is mainly British and Irish.

Highly anticipated since its early stages of development, the first season of Game of Thrones was very well received by viewers and critics. The series was picked up for a second season on April 19, 2011, two days after its premiere. It was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Drama Series for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards and Best Television Series – Drama at the 69th Golden Globe Awards; Peter Dinklage also won both ceremonies' Best Supporting Actor award (Emmy and Golden Globes). Other accolades include an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series and an Emmy win for Outstanding Main Title Design.

Season 1 of Game of Thrones was filmed between 23 July and 18 December 2010 and started airing on 17 April 2011. It consists of ten episodes, including a re-shot version of the pilot episode originally filmed in October and November 2009. Season 1 was mainly filmed on location in Northern Ireland and Malta, with the Paint Hall facility in Belfast being used as the main studio. Season 1 had a budget of $60 million.

Season 1 is based closely on A Game of Thrones, the first novel in the Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George R.R. Martin. Some characters and events are brought forwards from the second novel, A Clash of Kings, which will form the basis of the second season. Conversely, some events and characters are held back from the first book for the second season, for reasons of cost.

Plot

Season 1 spans a period of several months on a world where the seasons last for years at a time. The action begins in the unified Seven Kingdoms of Westeros as the long summer ends and winter draws near. Lord Eddard Stark is asked by his old friend, King Robert Baratheon, to serve as the King's Hand following the death of the previous incumbent, Eddard's mentor Jon Arryn. Eddard is reluctant, but receives intelligence suggesting that Jon was murdered. Eddard accepts Robert's offer, planning to use his position and authority to investigate the alleged murder.

Meanwhile, on the eastern continent of Essos, the exiled children of House Targaryen, which Robert destroyed to claim the throne, are plotting to return to Westeros and unseat the 'usurper'. To this end, Viserys Targaryen arranges the marriage of his sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo, the leader of 40,000 Dothraki warriors, in return for the use of his warriors in invading Westeros. For her part, Daenerys just wants to find a safe refuge far away from King Robert's assassins and her brother's scheming ambition.

Finally, on the northern-most border of the Seven Kingdoms the sworn brothers of the Night's Watch guard the Wall, a 300-mile-long colossal fortification of ice which has stood for thousands of years. The Watch defends the Wall against the depredations of the lawless wildlings who live beyond, but rumour speaks of a new threat arising in the lands of perpetual winter.

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A Song of Ice and Fire is an ongoing series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the series in 1991 and published the first volume in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes; a further two are planned. In addition, there are three prequel novellas currently available, with several more being planned, and a series of novella-length excerpts from the main Ice and Fire novels.

The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a fictional world, primarily on a continent called Westeros but also on a large landmass to the east, known as Essos. The series is told in the third-person through the eyes of a number of point of view characters, 31 by the end of the fifth book. The progressing series also introduces fantasy beings such as the assumed-to-be-extinct cold supernatural Others from the far North and fire-breathing dragons from the East, along with a mythical version of extinct real life direwolves.

There are three story lines that become increasingly interwoven: the chronicling of a dynastic civil war for control of Westeros among several competing families; the rising threat of the Others, who dwell beyond an immense wall of ice that forms Westeros' northern border; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled daughter of a king murdered 15 years earlier in another civil war, to return to Westeros and claim her rightful throne.

The "Ice and Fire" series has been translated into more than 20 languages. The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists in 2005 and 2011. Overall, the series has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. One of the excerpt novellas won science fiction's Hugo Award. The series is the basis of a great number of derived works, including the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, a comic book adaptation, a collectable card game, a board game, a role-playing game, and the two video games A Game of Thrones: Genesis and Game of Thrones.