The North is the largest kingdom in Westeros, almost as large in size as the rest of the continent combined. It is also the most sparsely populated kingdom, inhabited by hard, grim men and women. They are ruled over by the Starks of Winterfell, the Kings in the North, who united the North in a set of long, bloody wars and have ruled over it for several thousand years by the time the story starts.

open/close all folders

House Stark

"Winter is Coming"

— Words of House Stark

House Stark of Winterfell has always been one of the most powerful houses in the North, tracing their lineage back to the legendary Brandon the Builder, who is rumored to have built the Wall on their northern border. They are cold, harsh, yet loyal and honorable, having ruled over their kingdom for thousands of years with a stern hand. Their current head is Torrhen Stark, the King of Winter.

In General

Animal Motifs: Direwolves, which are on their sigil. Many Stark's are also described as wolfish in looks.
Grim Up North: More than any other house do the Starks portray the harsh conditions of living in the Kingdom of the North. They are cold, stern, serious and unyielding, capable of being truly terrifying if angered.
Famous Ancestor: There are several on the family, like King Theon Stark, the Hungry Wolf, Edrick Snowbeard, Brandon Ice-Eyes, and Lord Commander Osric Stark.
Honor Before Reason: The Starks are known to be among the most honorable houses in Westeros, to the point where their honour does put them at a disadvantage.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: House Stark has a reputation for such looks, with pale skin and dark hair. While not particularly known for physical beauty, good-looking Starks always are an example of this trope.

King Torrhen Stark

The King in the North, The King of Winter

The King in the North at the time of the story. He is young for his position, having only stepped up to the throne after his father's death a few years ago. Nonetheless, he is seen favourably by his subjects and generally considered to be a strong and worthy leader.

Defrosting Ice King: Usually a cold, slightly harsh ruler, if definitely not unreasonable, Torrhen mellows down in the presence of his family, especially his wife and his daughter, whom he loves dearly.
The Ghost: He is not seen in Book 1, but mentioned at several times. He finally debuts in the interlude of Book 1 and 2.
The Good King: Torrhen, though unseen in Book 1 manages to give off such an impression. His subjects speak of him very favorably. He also shows himself to listen to the matters of his subjects, no matter how small they are.
Happily Married: To Lysa Stark, originally of House Hornwood, with whom he has two children, Beric and Lyra, expecting a third one soon. Lysa is one of the few people who can make Torrhen smile.
Papa Wolf: Literally so, given the Stark sigil, but mostly for his daughter, Lyra.
Perfectly Arranged Marriage: His marriage with Lysa Hornwood was an arranged one, but it nonetheless turned out to be a perfect match, as the two are very much in love with each other.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Being a good and wise king, Torrhen knows how important it is to actually be reasonable, especially when governing a bunch of Honor Before Reason lords, who have to be convinced of any cunning plan that might be essential for the kingdom.
The Stoic: Torrhen is the King in the North and as such, he represents the stoic, cold side of his kingdom better than any other man. Showing little emotion, he only mellows down in the presence of his family and is usually a stern, stoic ruler.

Queen Lysa Stark

Torrhen's wife and mother of Beren and Lyra. She's pregnant with their third child. She's the cousin of the current Lord Hornwood.

Happily Married: She and Torrhen seem quite happy with each other. She is notably one of only two people who can make the usually stoic Torrhen truly happy, the other being his daughter.
Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Though their marriage started off as an arranged one, the King in the North and his wife are very much in love and their marriage turned out perfect for both.
World's Most Beautiful Woman: At least in Torrhen's eyes, there's no one more beautiful than her. He himself admits that this might not be entirely true, but she nonetheless is a beautiful woman for sure.

Prince Beren Stark

The eldest child of King Torrhen Stark and heir of Winterfell. He's 16 years old.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Beren is mentioned to have at least some skill with a blade, as well as raw talent. However, he is too overconfident, which leads to him picking opponents above his level, such as Mace Crowl.
Jerk Jock: His very first scene already establishes him as a bit of a jerk, with his reaction at having lost to the Skagosi barbarian Mace Crowl in a training fight.
Warrior Prince: Or at least tries to be, since he tends to pick opponents above his level, usually losing.

Princess Lyra Stark

Second child of King Torrhen and Queen Lysa. She's eight years old.

Daddy's Girl: She's her father's little princess.

Stark Bannermen and Retainers

House Karstark

"The Sun of Winter"

— Words of House Karstark

A cadet branch of House Stark, the Karstark's were founded several hundreds of years before the story is set, when Karlon Stark, younger brother of a King in the North, was granted extensive amounts of land in the eastern parts of the North. They still consider themselves family to House Stark and are among their most powerful bannermen. Their current head is Brogar Karstark.

Lord Brogar Karstark

The Lord of Karhold and head of House Karstark. Brogar is the father of Alisa, as well as six other children and the uncle of Malina and Dante.

Appeal to Tradition: A firm believe in this, Brogar is willing to support even arguments that are weaker, on account of them playing to his traditional mindset.
Brutal Honesty: Brogar is not known for being polite while talking.
Everyone Has Standards: Though quite a Jerkass and one of Torrhen Stark's most harshest bannermen, Brogar puts a lot of value onto family ties, considering Torrhen his kin despite the many generations the two families have developed into different directions.
The Ghost: Brogar is mentioned, especially by his family members Dante and Alisa, but not seen in Book 1. He finally makes his first introduction in the Interlude between Book 1 and 2.
Jerkass: Certain comments by Alisa paint him in such a way. Of course, considering that Alisa ran away from home, it's not clear how much of this is true. Then again, he likely gave her a good reason to flee Karhold, so she might got a point. His first appearance in the story shows that she might have a point, as he comes across as rude and confrontational.
Massive Numbered Siblings: He's the father of seven Karstarks, Orik, Kriston, Alanna, Viola, Alisa, Ilia and Rohar Karstark.
Outliving One's Offspring: His son Rohar predeceased him.
The Patriarch: Of House Karstark.
Pet the Dog: If he is truly as much of a Jerkass as his daughter claims him to be, then taking Malina Karstark as his advisor despite her youth and gender is a damn nice move of him, as it means that he values her by her talents.

Lady Alisa Karstark

See Forum of Thrones - Independent Characters

Ser Dante Karstark

A young northern nobleman, Dante is the youngest nephew of Lord Brogar Karstark, the younger brother of Malina Karstark and cousin to Alisa Karstark. He is also Darreth Kailen's knight and best friend.

Actually, That's My Assistant: Being not a very physically imposing character, this happens quite often to Dante, as his stronger and more broad-shouldered squire Darreth is commonly mistaken to be him.
Anti-Hero: Not from a moral standpoint, where he seems to be one of the most heroic characters in the series, but as a Non-Action Guy, he qualifies as a Classical Anti-Hero.
Arranged Marriage: Such an arranged marriage between him and Alys Boleyn prompted her to run away from her home to avoid this marriage. He himself doesn't seem to mind the thought of marrying her though.
Badass Bookworm: Don't let the nerdish bookworm persona fool you. Dante might be a Non-Action Guy compared to the badasses he is surrounded with on a daily basis, but he is still a knight and can certainly hold his own, just not as well as most of his companions.
Black Sheep: In a certain way, Dante is this to House Karstark. Coming from a Badass Family, his preference of reading and studying over learning how to fight is not seen as favorably by his relatives.
Brainy Brunette: His brown hair only puts more emphasis on his high intelligence.
Dark Secret: There is rumored to be one in his past, which is also the reason why almost nothing is known about him outside of his family, but so far, it hasn't been revealed.
Deadpan Snarker: A major example, especially in talks with the fellow Deadpan Snarker Darreth.
Deuteragonist: For Edrick's storyline, being the one with the most personal connection to the quest they undergo, as well as the one who spends the most time around Edrick. He even has a small storyline of his own, revolving around his supposed Dark Secret.
Headbutting Heroes: After he breaks into his room and reads through his conversation, Leo York manages to get onto Dante's nerves so much that the normally mild-mannered man gets genuinely pissed at him.
The Lancer: Toward's Edrick, as the supporting leader and Deuteragonist of their mission to find Alys.
My Greatest Failure: He views his failure to make Alys stay in the North to be this and personally blames himself for her harsh decision to run away from home.
My Sister Is Off-Limits: Though playful, the banter between him and Darreth, where the latter shows a crush on Dante's sister Malina, hints at him severely disapproving of these feelings, with signs of this trope.
Nice Guy: His strongest trait is that he is an unfailingly nice and polite young man.
Non-Action Guy: In stark contrast to most Northerners, Dante is not a fighter, not because he can't do it, but because he prefers peaceful solutions and avoids fighting whenever possible. Even in a fight, he is hardly the best swordsman around.
The Nondescript: Dante is noticed to look more or less unremarkable, though not exactly ugly and according to Edrick, not the kind of guy one would refuse to marry based on looks alone. He is a very complex character behind this ordinary facade though.
Overshadowed by Awesome: At least when it comes to his fighting abilities, where his mediocre skills with a sword are eclipsed by the talents of Edrick, Darreth and Alphyn in his group alone, as well as Leo's archery.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The sensitive guy to Darreth's manly man.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Even though his sister Malina hasn't been seen in the story so far, there have been several differences revealed between the siblings. Dante is a nice, polite man who stays in the background and reads about history and long-forgotten deeds, whereas Malina is active, savvy and a capable politician, who prefers to learn more of recent events.
The Smart Guy: Dante is by far the most educated member of Edrick's group, being not only a nobleman with the possibility of getting higher education, but also someone who finds passion
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Despite his anger at Leo, he does realize the importance of working with him and of keeping him in their group, no matter how reluctantly.
True Companions: He has formed such a relationship with his squire and best friend Darreth. There are hints that he is about to form this relationship with Edrick as well, whom he knows for a far shorter amount of time.

Lady Malina Karstark

Dante's older sister by two years and the eldest niece of Brogar Karstark. Malina is not a classical noble lady, being instead active in politics and highly ambitious, to the point where she got a position as her uncle's advisor.

Brainy Brunette: Coming from an entire family of brunettes, it is unlikely that Malina has a different hair color and from what has been revealed about her, it can be guessed that she is very smart. She proves her cleverness by easily deducing Raenna is related to House Targaryen in the span of a single talk.
The Ghost: Mentioned over the course of Book 1 in talks between Dante and Darreth, but not seen. She debuts alongside her uncle at Torrhen's interlude.
Politically-Active Princess: Malina is not quite a princess, but very high nobility (and partially a Stark, which makes her a princess several times removed), yet she otherwise fits the trope perfectly. Her skill even gave her a place as an advisor to her uncle, making her far from the typical noble lady.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Not unusual with House Karstark, Malina shows traits of her distant Stark ancestry in her dark brown hair and pale skin. She is also notably beautiful.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Not much is known about her, but one key difference between her and her brother Dante has already been established. Malina is very much politically active, something Dante has shown to have no interest in.
The Smart Girl: According to Dante, she is very knowledgeable about politics and the houses of the North, to a degree even he, being another example of The Smart Guy, can't compete with her. She proves her insight by mentioning Aegon's dragons can't be underestimated. She also easily deduces Raenna's family connections by simply talking to her.
The Social Expert: Malina's primary skill consists of this, as she is not only highly educated in courtly manners and the current people of note in Westeros, but also capable of seeing right through others, uncovering their true motivations and secrets with relative ease.
Women Are Wiser: Particularly when compared to her uncle, a stubborn, straightforward and rather jerkish man, the diplomatic and knowledgeable Malina appears to be intelligent and well-mannered, a contrast to anyone in her family but her younger brother Dante.

Darreth Kailen

Dante's squire and best friend, Darreth is by far the more typical fighter of the two. Hailing from a poor upbringing, he managed to befriend Dante in their childhood and was eventually made his squire, a chance he treasures deeply.

Actually, That's My Assistant: As described in Dante's entry, Darreth is often mistaken to be his knight, on account of him being the stronger, better looking and more outspoken man.
The Big Guy: Among Edrick's group, Darreth is the physically largest next to Edrick himself (who qualifies as The Leader instead) and his main task during their mission is to add muscle to dangerous situations.
Braids of Barbarism: Darreth has shoulder-length hair, which he ties into a ponytail. As a wild and strong northern warrior, he is also the closest thing the civilized Westerosi have to a barbarian.
Deadpan Snarker: On his own, he is already a major snarker. However, when paired with his best friend Dante, it often escalates into a downright Snark-to-Snark Combat.
Disappeared Dad: His father has left the family many years ago and Darreth is very resentful of him for this.
The Gadfly: It seems that as part of his Deadpan Snarker routine is aimed at saying outrageous stuff (like his supposed crush at Dante's sister) solely to get an amusing reaction out of others.
Lantern Jaw of Justice: As part of his handsomeness, he is described as having a broad, manly jaw, which is also how he is depicted in fanart. He is also a heroic fighter and overall good character.
Nice Guy: A bit less obvious than Dante, yet Darreth is every bit as nice as his knight and best friend.
Parental Abandonment: As described above, his father has left his family. His mother died years later after a terrible illness, which leaves Darreth basically orphaned.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The manly man to Dante's sensitive guy.
Servile Snarker: Despite being Dante's squire and servant, he doesn't let his position stop him from snarking at his knight and at others around him, quite prominently so on top.
Street Smart: Darreth is by no means a stupid man, he is just far less educated than others, especially his noble knight Dante. However, he has a lot of knowledge on mundane, day-to-day things and would likely make a good student if he'd show interest in learning.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Definitely a good example, with long, dark hair, a manly, broad frame and rougishly handsome looks.
True Companions: He and Dante have been best friends for many years now and over the course of their joined adventure, he also grows close to Edrick, whom he includes as his true companion.
Undying Loyalty: To Dante, for whom he would do anything.

House Mormont

"Here We Stand"

— Words of House Mormont

House Mormont of Bear Island is one of House Stark's principal bannermen, despite not being among the most powerful. They are constantly in a fight against the Ironborn raiders that attack their seat at the western coast of the North. Prideful and unyielding, they are an old, well-respected house. Their current head is Worland Mormont.

Lord Worland Mormont

The Lord of Bear Island

Lord of Bear Island and father of Reymond, Jorn and Dervon Mormont. He's married to Arleigh of House Branch from the Wolfswood. Ironborn note that no raid on Bear Island during his watch has been truly successful.

Abusive Parents: At least towards his daughter, but he seems to get along better with his eldest son and heir Jorn. That being said, Reymond implies he has been abusive towards all of his children, just that she got the worst of it.
Absurdly Sharp Blade: Wields the Valyrian steel sword of his family, Longclaw.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: His martial prowess makes him the undisputed Lord of Bear Island.
The Ghost: Mentioned, but not introduced yet.
Heir Club for Men: The moment hia sons Jorn and Dervon were finally born, he did everything in his power to dissuade her from becoming his heir, including physical violence.
Pride: A very prideful man, hence why he covered up that his own daughter almost beat him to death after a very very heated argument that resulted in them exchanging blows.
Worthy Opponent: Ironborn like Viveka Codd and Kyra Greyjoy actually respect the martial prowess of the man, to the point Viveka is actually a bit cordial to Reymond for being his daughter.

Reymond Mormont

Rhea

The firstborn child of Worland and Arleigh Mormont. Despite her name, Reymond is actually a woman, who received her name due to her stubborn father wanting to name his firstborn child after his own father, the late Lord Reymond Mormont. For years, as it seemed that her parents wouldn't manage to conceive another child, Reymond was raised as the strong fighter her father wanted her to be, leading to her taking on some decidedly male character traits.

Abusive Parents: Though not outright stated, the bitter reaction Rhea has towards her father heavily implies that Worland has been anything but a good parent. The fact that he forced her to grow up as a fighter is only further proof of that.
Action Girl: Being a Mormont requires this and her father certainly encouraged it. By the time of the story, she wears plated armour as if it is nothing and duels Alphyn Frostborn, himself a Master Swordsman, even having the upper hand for quite some time.
Boyish Short Hair: Her hair is cut very short, mostly so that it won't get in her way during a fight, but also so that she can uphold her impersonation of a male knight more easily.
The Dog Bites Back: It turns out she left home because after a very heated argument with her father, which resulted in her father hitting her, she fought back and almost beat her own father to death. No wonder she doesn't want to return to Bear Island ever again.
Gender-Blender Name: Reymond is very much a male name.
Graceful Loser: After losing in her duel with Alphyn, Reymond holds no ill will against any of them, save for maybe Jorid. She stands down immediately, allowing Edrick and his companions to cross the bridge.
Lady Looks Like a Dude: Even without her Boyish Short Hair, Reymond has masculine traits and is far from a typically attractive woman. She enforces this by general posing as a man in full armor.
Last Episode, New Character: She is introduced in the final chapter of Book 1.
Samus Is a Girl: Due to her male name and behavior, Edrick and the audience as well mistaken her for a young man. Hr real gender is revealed only during the duel with Alphyn, when her helmet gets knocked off.
You Shall Not Pass!: After being insulted by Jorid, she insists on duellng him on a bridge, the only one in miles to cross the Green Fork. Until he or his champion accept this challenge, she refuses to let anyone pass.

Jorn Mormont

The Secondborn child of Lord Worland Mormont and Arleigh Mormont and heir of Bear Island. Far from the typical Northerner, he is rather lean and not good on a fight, but his intelligence makes him appreciated by King Torrhen at his court, especially in the absence of Brandon Snow.

Irony: He's the male heir his father always wanted, yet he's no warrior, especially when compared to his sister. In comparison, Reymond is a strong and skilled fighter, yet her gender makes it impossible for her to inherit.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Jorn's hair falls down to his shoulders and several people remark that he is quite handsome.
Non-Action Guy: Torrhen muses that he doesn't have the skill, the build nor the motivation of a warrior.
Sibling Yin-Yang: He is lean and not a fighter, compared to his mannish and skilled at fighting older sister Reymond. Unlike her, he is also still in the North and is implied to get along far better with his family.
The Smart Guy: Of Winterfell's court and the royal guard.

House Hornwood

"Righteous in Wrath"

—Words of House Hornwood

One of House Stark's principal bannermen, House Hornwood has gained even more favour from their liege in recent years, due to the marriage between Torrhen Stark and Lysa Hornwood. This places them as one of House Stark's most fierce supporters and most influential bannermen at court. Their current head is Lester Hornwood.

Harrold Hornwood

The thirdborn son of Lord Lester Hornwood of Hornwood and member of the royal guard of King Torrhen. Since his father is cousin of Queen Lysa, that makes him second cousin of Beren Stark and his siblings. He's betrothed to Erin Dustin, sister of Eon Dustin.

Alliterative Name: Harrold Hornwood
Best Friends-in-Law: Not yet, but he's betrothed to the sister of his friend Eon.
Boisterous Bruiser: Harrold loves a good fight, commenting favourably on watching a duel between Beren Stark and Mace Crowl and being very eager to get into a fight himself.
Horse of a Different Color: He has actually tamed a bull moose, or at least tried to. Eon thinks it is a stupid idea, yet Harrold fully intends to ride it one day.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red oni to Eon's blue. Harrold is more prone to doing reckless things, shows more emotion and usually disregards Eon's more rational input.
Those Two Guys: First seen alongside his friend Eon Dustin, with whom he spends a lot of time as one of King Torrhen's personal guards. They are also best friends and soon-to-be brothers-in-law.

House Dustin

"Our Strength Remains"

—Words of House Dustin

House Dustin of Barrowtown rules over the extensive plains of the barrowlands south of Winterfell, making them control a vast portion of land in the North. They claim to descend from the Barrow Kings, ancient enemies of House Stark, though after thousands of years of service, they are nowadays among their loyal bannermen. Their current head is Endrew Dustin.

Eon Dustin

The eldest son and heir of Lord Endrew Dustin of Barrowtown and member of the royal guard of House Stark.

Best Friends-in-Law: Not yet, but his sister Erin is going to marry his friend Harrold.
Cloud Cuckoolanders Minder: Usually, it is Eon who reigns his more adventurous, boisterous friend in, being the more dutiful and reliable of the duo. This is particularly seen when he tries to go out of his way to stop Harrold from trying to mount his semi-tamed moose.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue one to Harrold's red. Eon is usually calm, where Harrold is loud and boisterous, he prefers to think before acting and it usually is his job to keep his friend in line.
The Reliable One: Eon is considered one of Winterfell's most reliable guards.
Those Two Guys: First introduced alongside his friend Harrold Hornwood, with whom he spends a lot of time as one of King Torrhen' personal guards. They are also best friends and soon-to-be brothers-in-law.

Gared Snow

The bastard son of Lord Endrew Dustin, which makes him half-brother of Eon Dustin. His relationship with his noble family is noted to be poor by himself and others, which is the main reason why he has left them behind, instead finding work as a personal bodyguard to Lord Brogar Karstark.

The Big Guy: Raenna notes he's only barely shorter than Roffe Umber, who himself is a huge man. His size and the strength that undoubtedly comes with it is a major reason for his current position in Karstark's household.
Black Sheep: As he himself never tires to point out, he gladly fills this role to the trueborn members of House Dustin, with whom he had a major falling out, which resulted in him leaving Barrowtown and finding work at Karhold, as far away from his birthplace as possible while remaining in the North.
Servile Snarker: Though serving under Lord Brogar and Malina Karstark, he is not afraid of snarking and joking, especially with the latter, something she clearly does not take any offence at.

House Umber

"Giants Among Men"

—Words of House Umber

House Umber is one of the northernmost houses of Westeros, as well as the northernmost bannerman of note to House Stark. Their lands at the Last Hearth are located not far away from the Wall, which makes them frequent targets of wildling raids. This resulted in House Umber to be home to the most renowned warriors in the North. Their current head is Roffe Umber.

Lord Roffe Umber

The Lord of Last Hearth and head of House Umber. He's the older brother of Dag, Kory, Nea, Kari and Runa Umber.

Brains and Brawn: The brawn to Dag's brains.
Boisterous Bruiser: He is all too happy to voice support to King Torrhen once it becomes apparent the king means to gather the banners to march south to meet Aegon Targaryen in the field.
Canis Major: He has a pet wolf appropriately named Giant.
Fantastic Racism: House Umber is famous for their quarrel with wildlings and one comment made by his brother Dag towards the Skagosi Mace Crowl implies that Roffe harbors a similar dislike for the semi-wild men of Skagos.
Large and in Charge: Most Northmen are big, but he towers above all of them as one of the largest men in the North. He is also one of House Stark's main banner men.
Massive Numbered Siblings: He's the oldest of 6 siblings. Besides Dag there's youngest brother Kory Umber and the triplets Nea, Kari and Runa Umber.
No Indoor Voice: Roffe's voice is described as booming, thundering over the entirety of Torrhen's gathered bannermen. Interestingly, this is quite a similarity with his distant descendant, Greatjon Umber.
Sibling Team: With his brother, Dag.
Smarter Than You Look: Roffe may have brutish mannerisms, but he deduces pretty easily King Torrhen's intention of summoning his Bannermen to Winterfell. He is also implied to have reasons of his own beyond mere loyalty to follow his king's summon faster than almost every other lord.

Ser Dag Umber

Lord Roffe's younger brother and one of the few anointed Northern knights.

Brains and Brawn: The brains to Roffe's brawn.
The Lancer: Dag is not only the second-oldest of the Umber siblings, he also serves as Roffe's second-in-command, most trusted advisor and the one to usually accompany him to meetings outside of the Last Hearth.
Manly Facial Hair: Unlike his brother's long and wild beard, his is shorter and well trimmed. He is nonetheless a knight and a member of House Umber, meaning he must be a beast in combat.
Sibling Team: With his brother, Roffe.
The Smart Guy: Dag is a very knowledgeable man, knowing even minor bannermen of other houses, such as the Degore's and his input on a situation is clearly valued by his brother.

Kory Umber

The youngest of the Umber brothers, who was taken by wildlings years ago during the same raid that took the life of their father. Until he returned one day, a changed man, leading his family to suspect he has betrayed them.

Animals Hate Him: The bears of the other Umber mistrust him, which clued his siblings something wasn't right with him.
Going Native: His siblings believe he has joined the Free Folk, the most ancestral foes of the North and their house after spending years among them.

Nea Umber

One of the Umber triplets and younger sister of Roffe, Dag and Kory Umber. Like her sisters, she has bonded with a bear, in her case with the large bear Ursa. She is renowned as a free spirit and a warrior.

Action Girl
Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: She's the Brawn to Kari's Beauty and Runa's Brains.

Kari Umber

One of the Umber triplets and younger sister of Roffe, Dag and Kory Umber. Perhaps the most classically lady-like of the triplets, Kari has nonetheless bonded with a bear, in her case the gentle Ber Ber.

Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: The Beauty to Nea's Brawn and Runa's Brains-
Proper Lady: The most conventionally feminine of the Umber triplets.

Runa Umber

One of the Umber triplets and younger sister of Roffe, Dag and Kory Umber. A well-read and knowledgeable woman, she is perhaps the most unusual member of her family and can often be found studying, only accompanied by her bear, Roffy.

Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: The Brains to Kari's Beauty and Nea's Brawn.
Bookworm: She's studious and well read.
The Smart Girl: For House Umber alongside her brother Dag.

House Cerwyn

"Honed and Ready"

—Words of House Cerwyn

Originally members of the Stark household, the proper House Cerwyn was founded when the first of their lords, then the young and freshly appointed captain of the guard at Winterfell, saved the lives of his king and the entire royal family from killers sent by a rival house, nearly losing his own life in the process. The grateful king rewarded him generously, giving him lands just a half day's ride south of Winterfell, as well as the means to construct a keep and even the hand of his youngest daughter in marriage. Though still coming from relatively humble origins, their unique position so close to the North's most important castle made the Cerwyn's rich and powerful in their own regards and they are nowadays among the Stark's primary bannermen.

Myles Cerwyn

The only son and heir of Lord Clive Cerwyn, although his mother is a Crannog-woman, hence his lean build and green eyes. The closeness of Castle Cerwyn to Winterfell means his father still has time to assemble his men. He escorts Raenna, Briar and Brandon to Winterfell.

Cannot Talk to Women: A somewhat downplayed example, but while he is usually quite talkative and gets along very well with Brandon Snow or Mace Crowl, he becomes more reserved or downright shy when speaking to Raenna.
Nice Guy: He's rather friendly and polite, even with the reserved Mace Crowl.
Odd Friendship: Gets along with the reserved, usually feared Mace Crowl, while he himself is, by all means, a pleasant, open-minded and friendly person, his exact opposite.
The Quiet One: At least towards Raenna, who notes that Myles has not only barely talked to her, he also seems to go out of his way to avoid having a longer conversation with her, rather relying on Brandon to deliver exposition and the like.

House Frostborn

"Howling Together"

— Words of House Frostborn

House Frostborn originates from the ancient House Frost, a First Men house that warred with the Stark's of Winterfell and was wiped out by them. A Frost bastard betrayed his family back then and was granted land and titles in return. Their seat, Thaumaturge Castle, lies close to the Weeping Water and in days of old, they have been the first line of defense against House Bolton. In current days, they are sworn to the Stark cadet branch of Karstark. Their current head is Lionel Frostborn.

Lord Lionel Frostborn

The Lord of Thaumaturge Castle and head of House Frostborn, a noble House sworn to House Karstark of Karhold. Lionel is the husband of Elizabeth and father of Alphyn, Lupin, Evelyn, Lucien and Connor Frostborn. As a lord, he has grown sullen and weary ever since the events surrounding the exile of his secondborn son, Lupin.

The Chessmaster: Despite his cynicism and feelings of guilt, Lionel shows exactly one very smart action in the story. After Alys Boleyn comes to his castle to get shelter for the night, he keeps her there for a night, before letting her continue on her way with food and a fresh horse. Later, he sends a raven to her father to inform her of her whereabouts, in exchange for getting men to search for his missing son Connor. This shrewd act hints at his former, politically savvy self.
Cynicism Catalyst: Whatever his secondborn son, Lupin, did all these years ago left quite a toll on him and turned him from a once cheerful and kind lord into a Grumpy Old Man:
Dismotivation: Expresses this as a result of what seems to be a serious depression over his sons actions.
Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: On top of having the Frostborn gray eyes, Lionel is also noted to have these.
Extreme Doormat: Lionel has devolved into this after the actions of his son left him a bitter cynic. He rarely acts like a lord anymore, leaving the day-to-day business to his wife, Elizabeth.
Family Eye Resemblance: Gray eyes are a shared trait among his family.
Grumpy Old Man: Lionel is a cynical, unhappy and dull old man, who has become bitter and grumpy over the actions of his son, which he sees himself as responsible for.
My Greatest Failure: He clearly blames himself for the crimes Lupin committed and his inability to stop him, as well as his inability to prevent him from doing it again.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: By not executing Lupin, or locking him away forever, Lionel is indirectly responsible for the crimes his son commits since his banishment to the south.
The Patriarch: Of House Frostborn.

Lady Elizabeth Frostborn

Lady Elizabth Frostborn

Lionel's wife and mother to Alphyn, Lupin, Evelyn, Lucien and Connor Frostborn. Evelyn is also one of the few living members of House Mogfield, which has been destroyed and nearly wiped out decades ago. After her husbands breakdown, she effectively took on the role as the head of the house in all but name.

Apron Matron: Tough, no-nonsense, but very caring for her children and her house in general, Elizabeth manages to combine this trope with Grande Dame and Mama Bear.
Grande Dame: Elizabeth is an old, dignified noble lady, who puts her house first and keeps a lot of work into maintaining at least a semi-respectable reputation for her house.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: It is generally agreed upon that Elizabeth is far more capable than her unmotivated husband Lionel, since she has gotten over her sons actions far better than he has.
Last of Her Kind: Elizabeth is the last female member of House Mogfield and together with her brother Darko one of the last living Mogfield's in general.
Mama Bear: Never make the mistake of underestimating the lengths Elizabeth would go for her children. She seems to be the driving force behind Lionel's plot to get their runaway son Connor back and there is the implication that she had a hand in Lupin's merciful punishment.
Reasonable Authority Figure: In her position as the ruling Lady Frostborn, she shows great wisdom in her actions and is willing to do uncomfortable things if they are the right course of action. Mostly thanks to her, House Frostborn still exists as a major power at the borders of the Karstark territory in the North.
Sibling Yin-Yang: With her and her brother Darko. Whereas Darko is a lazy slacker, who spends his days doing whatever he wants to do, she actively works to keep her house up and running.

Ser Alphyn Frostborn

The eldest son of Lionel and Elizabeth Frostborn, older twin to Lupin and older brother to Evelyn, Lucien and Connor. Alphyn is the heir to House Frostborn and Thaumaturge Castle, a position he takes very seriously, as well as one of the few northern knights.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: All things considered, Alphyn is a good fighter. However, his arrogance and recklessness is just as high as his skill and the problems that could arise from such an approach are lampshaded by the other characters more than once.
Blood Knight: Alphyn is generally the first to suggest a violent approach to a situation and he seems to be uncomfortably willing to get into serious fights if it serves their general mission. After settling into Edrick's group, he is typically the one to argue in favor of violent solutions to the problems they have to face.
Deadpan Snarker: In most of his talks, Alphyn is shown to be a sarcastic and wise-cracking man, despite being a serious and dutiful man whenever the occasion calls for it.
The Dutiful Son: Out of the entire House Frostborn, Alphyn is the most dutiful member, being the firstborn and the only knight of the house, two important responsibilities, which he takes very seriously. He is always ready to actively work for the well-being of his house, something he proves when he volunteers to travel south to find his missing younger brother Connor.
I Let Gwen Stacy Die: He is clearly shaken by the death of his first love, with whom he fathered a child in youthful naivety. Giving birth killed the very young mother, leaving him as a single father at the age of fourteen and with major feelings of guilt, as he has been the one to initiate their sexual relationship at such a young age.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: In his biting sarcasm, Alphyn can come across as a jerk and he can cross the line between being funny and being rude easily, but he is still a loving father, dutiful son and caring big brother.
Knight in Sour Armour: Left bitter after the death of his first love, Alphyn is nonetheless a dutiful knight, who does whatever he can to fulfill his oaths, even if he himself doesn't necessarily believe in the values a knight stands for anymor.
The Lost Lenore: His first love, the mother of his son, has been dead for sixteen years now, many years more than he actually knew her. Her death and the birth of their son has left a deeper impact on his life than their
My Greatest Failure: This is how he obviously considers the death of his first love, which he has been partially responsible for, by pushing her into a physical relationship at their young age and by failing to inform her of measures to prevent a pregnancy.
Polar Opposite Twins: He and Lupin are complete opposites, to the point where nothing is similar between them save for their appearance. Alphyn is a strong warrior, whereas Lupin is a bad, unskilled fighter. Alphyn is a knight, whereas Lupin is a cold-blooded murderer. Alphyn cares for his family and does everything for them, whereas Lupin's actions have nearly shattered House Frostborn beyond repair.
Roaring Rampage of Rescue: After his younger brother Connor runs away from Thaumaturge Castle to follow after his Ax-Crazy twin brother Lupin, Alphyn does everything he can to find and save his brother from the corrupting influence of Lupin, resulting in a journey down to the south, always on Connor's trail.
Sixth Ranger: He is the final companion Edrick and his crew recruit during their journey through the North, as well as the one they are the most reluctant to take with them, due to him being forced upon them by his father.

Lupin Frostborn

The secondborn son of Lionel and Elizabeth Frostborn, younger twin brother to Alphyn and older brother to Evelyn, Lucien and Connor Frostborn. Unlike the rest of his family, Lupin hasn't appeared in the story yet, since he has been banished from his home many years ago, for unspecified, but monstrous crimes.

A Day in the Limelight: Lupin stars in his own mini-series, A Wolf in Lord's Clothing, written by his creator and fully endorsed and canonised by the author of Forum of Thrones. The series displays his life before his exile and the actions leading up to it.
Ax-Crazy: His mini-series already shows him as a deeply disturbed and unhinged teen and while it is not known if it got worse during the following years up until the events of the story, it sounds highly likely, if Alphyn's accounts can be believed.
Birds of a Feather: A non-romantic example with him and Wolfius Woodbark, whom he is shown to be acquainted with in the abovementioned mini-series and whom he apparently worked with after his exile.
The Corrupter: He certainly was this to his younger brother, Connor and there is the implication that he also had a hand in Wolfius Woodbark's transformation from an Ambiguously Evil nobleman in the mini-series to an Ax-Crazy serial killer in the main story.
The Dreaded: Everyone who speaks about him does so with great fear. Even his former companions, the Alley Cats, have fearful respect for him, due to his brutality and sadism. In general, Lupin is one of the most feared characters in the story, given how many characters have made bad experiences around him.
The Exile: After numerous unspeakable crimes, Lionel saw himself forced to act. However, unable to harm his own flesh and blood, Lupin was banished instead and sent to the south.
The Ghost: Lupin is frequently mentioned in Book 1 and due to being in the list of unintroduced characters, it can be guessed that he will make his appearance eventually, but he remains unseen in Book 1.
Greater-Scope Villain: For someone who hasn't appeared in the main story yet, he has influenced a lot of people, and not in a good way with any one of them.
Hero Worship: Not he himself, but his younger brother Connor towards him. Connor idolizes him and his actions, to the point where he even runs away from home to be with him, something Lupin probably finds highly amusing.
Polar Opposite Twins: He and Alphyn couldn't be more different, despite being mere minutes apart. Alphyn is a knight, a dutiful and loyal warrior and caring for his family. Lupin is a cold, sadistic Serial Killer, without any real combat training, who couldn't give a damn about his family and has caused them great pain, something Alphyn seeks to avenge.
Serial Killer: Some of his crimes have apparently been horrific murders.
Shrouded in Myth: The exact nature of his crimes is unknown to most and a subject of heavy speculation. It is generally agreed upon that he is a murderer, but the implication is that the act that led to his exile is far worse than that.
You Monster!: Generally evokes this opinion by everyone around him.

Evelyn Frostborn

The thirdborn child and only daughter of Lionel and Elizabeth Frostborn. Evelyn is the younger sister to Alphyn and Lupin, as well as the older sister to Lucien and Connor. Due to a currently unspecified trauma in her youth, she is highly emotional and almost as depressed as her father.

Abhorrent Admirer: Evelyn reacts with surprising harshness to Darreth's attempts to flirt with her, hinting at a past trauma that comes from a similar situation.
Bit Character: Out of the main members of House Frostborn, Evelyn receives the least amount of screentime and spends most of it being moody and quiet, which in turn reveals little of her personality.
Broken Bird: Her Dark and Troubled Past has turned her from a likely cheerful young girl into a cynical, bitter and moody young woman, who is so broken that she can barely stand being around strangers.
Broken Tears: After her brother Lupin is mentioned one too many times, she breaks down crying, which prompts her parents to send their guests out of the room to calm her down.
Dark and Troubled Past: Just what exactly turned Evelyn into a Broken Bird is unknown, but it had to be something serious, as it obviously still traumatizes her by the time the narrative moves to Thaumaturge Castle.
The Quiet One: Evelyn is reserved and shy around strangers, rarely speaking and preferring to be as far away from them as possible. When forced to speak, she is uncomfortable and downright awkward towards them, though it is hinted that she is more open when in private with her family.

Lucien Frostborn

The thirdborn and second-youngest son of Lionel and Elizabeth Frostborn. Lucien is the younger brother of Alphyn, Lupin and Evelyn, as well as the older brother of Connor.

Big Brother Instinct: Little Brother Instinct, to be precise. When his sister breaks down at the mention of Lupin's name, Lucien is the first by her side, to calm her down, showing that for all his flaws, he loves every member of his family that is not Lupin.
Bit Character: Lucien only appears in one chapter in Book 1, where he is a bit overshadowed by the other members of his family, particularly Lionel and Alphyn.
The Cynic: Lucien displays similar traits as his father, yet in a far more active way, without Lionel's Extreme Doormat characteristics. His worldview is very negative and he is not seen in a single even remotely positive mood over his time in Book 1 of the story.
Eye Scream: Lucien has lost one of his eyes due to an animal attack in the past. The remaining flesh around his eye is torn and scarred, forming claw-like marks that have fully blinded the eye. It is not know what attacked him, but it can be seen as likely that Lupin had a hand in this incident.
Jerkass: Lucien is by far the harshest and least friendly member of his family, unless you count Lupin, who is not introduced alongside the rest of his family. He is stern, unwelcoming and with distrust towards strangers, even when they are revered guests of his family.
Jerkass Has a Point: Despite his attitude, Lucien is one of the few that see the hunt for Connor as fruitless and needlessly dangerous. In Jaron's storyline, it has been revealed that Connor has long since fallen into the dark ways of his older brother, making his opinion very likely. Speaking of, his opinion on Lupin is far more reasonable than the weak indecisiveness his parents show on the matter.
The Resenter: Out of the entire House Frostborn, he has the worst opinion on Lupin, whom he resents heavily.
The Stoic: Lucien finds it hard to show emotion, not only due to his scarred face, but also due to a generally stoic and cold personality that rarely mellows down.

Connor Frostborn

See Forum of Thrones - Oldtown

Jeffrey Snow

Alphyn's bastard son, coming from the union between the knight and his first love. Due to her youth, his mother died when his birth drained too much of her strength. Jeffrey grew up near Thaumaturge Castle, working for his maternal grandfather, the local blacksmith.

Bit Character: More extreme than even the other Frostborn's, who only appear in one chapter, as Jeffrey only appears in the beginning of one part, seen from afar, without even sharing a scene with the members of the main cast save for his father.
The Blacksmith: He is training to be this under his maternal grandfather.
Death by Childbirth: His mother died giving birth to him.
Family Eye Resemblance: His gray eyes are a trait that gives away his Frostborn heritage.
Heroic Bastard: Not much is known about him save for his status as a bastard, but Alphyn, who is a heroic character, puts a lot of effort into raising his son correctly, likely causing him to grow up as this.

Lord Darko Mogfield

Darko is the older brother of Evelyn and together with her, he is one of the few living members of House Mogfield. As the last male member of his house, he is formally Lord Mogfield, yet due to the loss of the Mogfield lands, he holds virtually no power, instead spending his life at the court of his brother-in-law.

Bit Character: He merely appears in a single part in Chapter 7 of Book 1 of the story, where he misses an opportunity for appearing more often, by being left at the castle due to a reader-based choice.
Brilliant, but Lazy: It has been shown that Darko is an intelligent, capable and brave man, who is able of planning methodical hunts and who would surely be able to restore the old glory of House Mogfield if he would put the same effort into this action. Out of apparent laziness, he doesn't and prefers to remain a guest at Thaumaturge Castle.
Cool Old Guy: With the destruction of his house decades ago, Darko is pushing into his fifties. Nonetheless, he is an active hunter of quite dangerous wild animals, as well as a Cool Uncle to his family.
Cool Uncle: Darko is this to Alphyn, Evelyn and Lucien and probably has been this to Lupin and Connor before their disappearance from Thaumaturge Castle. His talk with Lupin in the mini-series also shows him as a jovial man who makes good-natured fun with his nephew.
Friendly Sniper: One of his main weapons while hunting is the bow and he is shown to be a friendly man.
Great White Hunter: Darko cultivates such an image in his behavior, being a proud, regal hunter of dangerous beasts, whom he slays for sport and for fun, while trying to show wisdom and courage.
Last of His Kind: Together with Elizabeth, he is one of the last members of House Mogfield. He is also the last male member of his house and due to his sisters marriage with Lionel Frostborn the last person to have the Mogfield name.
Riches to Rags: Once, Darko was a proud member of a noble family from the North. After the fall and destruction of his house and death of most of his family, he is left as a permanent guest in the halls of his brother-in-law.
The Slacker: Despite the above, Darko seems content with his position, cultivating a hedonistic lifestyle of pleasure instead of doing anyhting to improve his position.

Arthries

The Fierce

Arthries is the captain of the guard of Thaumaturge Castle. He takes his position very seriously and is known for his loyalty to House Frostborn, as well as for his temper, the latter of which gave him his nickname.

Bit Character: As a household member of House Frostborn, Arthries appears only in one chapter. In this chapter, he only has one real scene of interaction between him and the Point-of-View character Edrick, before being demoted to a background extra, as the Frostborn's take centre stage.
The Magnificent: The Fierce, for his unwavering loyalty and temper.
Only One Name: His last name, if he has one, is not revealed in the story.
The Reliable One: He takes his position very seriously and is unwavering in his dedication. The Frostborn's trust him deeply, enough to fully trust his word when he considers Edrick and company trustworthy after their encounter with him.
Sergeant Rock: What little is shown of him paints the picture of a tough, stern and serious military officer, who has no sense of humour on duty and takes said duty with extreme seriousness.

House Boleyn

"Ever Watchful"

— Words of House Boleyn

Smaller bannermen of House Karstark, the Boleyn's are a relatively new noble house, their lands and keep small, but not insignificant. Due to bravery in battle, the current Lord Boleyn has risen in favour of his liege, Brogar Karstark, giving the house opportunities to rise in importance. Their current head is Barroth Boleyn.

Lord Barroth Boleyn

The head of House Boleyn and Lord of Burmstone Keep at the beginning of the story. Barroth is a stern and quiet man, yet noted to love his family, his daughter Alys and his son Rickar, dearly.

Alliterative Name: Barroth Boleyn
Gone Horribly Right: Barroth's intention when arranging the marriage between Dante and Alys was to make his daughter more independent from him. It backfired spectacularly, while also somewhat having the intended effect, when Alys indeed became more independent, by outright running away from her home.
Heartbroken Badass: In his youth, Barroth actively fought against raiders from Skagos and Edrick considers him to be a fearsome and impressive warrior. However, the death of his wife clearly changed him and turned him into a quiet, sullen man.
The Lost Lenore: His wife, Maria, died giving birth to their son, Rickar. Her death has left a deep impact on the man, as his old friend Edrick was quick to notice.
My God, What Have I Done?: After realizing that his actions have driven Alys away from him and caused her to run away from her family, he is shocked and feels deeply guilty over this.
Odd Friendship: Barroth, a northern lord and bannerman of House Karstark has formed a deep friendship with the hedge knight Edrick. The two became Fire-Forged Friends after fighting the Skagosi side by side for an entire day and Barroth has even been the one to knight Edrick.
Papa Wolf: The love he has for his children is absolute. When Alys goes missing after running away from home, he hires the most capable and trustworthy man he knows to save her, his old friend Edrick. The only reason he doesn't go on his own is his duty as a lord, which he can't give to anyone else, with his son being too young to rule.
The Quiet One: As a result of his wife's death, Barroth has grown more quiet than Edrick remembers him and though he mellows down a little bit after a while during their talk, he still keeps calm and reserved.

Lady Alys Boleyn*

Lady Alys Boleyn

Alys is the eldest child and only daughter of Lord Barroth Boleyn and older sister of Rickar. After learning of her father's plans to marry her off to another house, she decides to take her life into her own hands, running away from her home, with plans to live in Dorne or in the Free Cities. She is a Point-of-View character.

Arranged Marriage: An arranged marriage between her and Dante Karstark kicks off her entire storyline. Previously, her father unsuccessfully tried to betroth her to the much older Alphyn Frostborn, a deal she took even worse.
Big Sister Instinct: One of the few times Alys is seen thinking fondly of her family is when she thinks of her younger brother, Rickar, whom she loves with all her heart.
Bratty Teenage Daughter: In her more selfish moments, she comes across as this, being demanding, ungrateful and developing an outright mean streak as opposed to her usual sarcasm.
Daddy's Girl: Since her mother's death, Alys has been exceptionally close to her father and taken after him a great deal, developing some decidedly un-ladylike character traits in the process.
Damsel in Distress: Alys is the most frequent case of this in the story, being continuously held captive by the shady Edward Anturion, who is keeping her with him through a mixture of force and lies.
Deadpan Snarker: Part of her tomboyish qualities is a sharp sense of humour.
Defiant Captive: Whenever she is captured, she is usually this. This trait is best seen during her continuous capture at the hands of Edward Anturion, whom she resists whenever possible.
Fiery Redhead: Admittedly, it is more of a reddish-brown than outright red, but Alys is nonetheless a very fierce and fiery young woman, who yearns for independence and can get quite ferocious when in danger.
Horrible Judge of Character: For starters, she trusts Edward Anturion, who is eventually revealed to be a highly dangerous and ambitious man and one of the main villains of the story. To her defense, it wasn't immediately obvious, although his shady behaviour is frequently mentioned by other Point-of-View characters who encounter him.
Meaningful Name: If she actually would have gone through with marrying Dante as her father wanted her to, her name would have been Alys Karstark, just like one of her eventual ancestors from the source material, who is also a fierce, independent young woman and Runaway Fiancé.
Morality Pet: Over the course of Book 1, Edward Anturion seems to grow very fond of her, turning her into the Morality Pet for him. Just how much of this fondness is genuine remains to be seen, but some of his actions are oddly altruistic when aimed at her.
My God, What Have I Done?: Due to her growing distrust of the man, Alys refuses to give Edward her blood for a magical spell he wishes to perform before entering the archive of Raylansfair. As it turns out, this spell would have protected some of their companions from harm and as a result they die horribly once exposed to the dangers inside the building. Her reaction is appropriately horrified.
Parental Abandonment: Her mother died giving birth to her younger brother.
Runaway Fiancée: Not being content with her lot in life, the final straw for Alys is when her father tries to marry her off to Dante Karstark, a man she doesn't even know. It prompts her to run away from her home, to leave her family and her unwated fiance behind.
Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Technically, it is a reddish-brown, but its the closest thing there is. Her rare combination of physical traits does hint at her importance as a Point-of-View character.
Spirited Young Lady: Alys is both, a graceful, elegant lady with a love for fashion, her looks and good-looking boys, as well as a tomboy, who spends a lot of her time outdoors, knows how to ride a horse and is not afraid to even fight personally if her life is threatened.
Tomboy with a Girly Streak: For all her tomboy traits, Alys is still very much a highborn lady, with a dignified behaviour and a strong focus on her looks. She loves girly dresses, fine fabrics, elegant hairstyles and basically everything a true noble girl would like, on top of being a fierce tomboy.
Took a Level in Cynic: After a lot of horrible things that happened to her over the course of the story, Alys slowly grows less enthusiastic with her idealistic views, as well as generally expressing a more quiet, sullen mood.
Tragic Dream: Alys' naive dreams of builing herself a new life in Dorne or Essos are quickly shattered when she actually encounters the real world. She ends up as the captive/hostage of Edward Anturion, a pirate lord, so far away from her dream as possible.
Trauma Conga Line: It appears Alys goes from one horrible thing to the next. First, she learns that her father wishes to marry her off to someone she doesn't even know, against her will. Running away from home, she finds herself on the ground of House Hoare, hunted by one of the Hoare princes himself. She is saved by Edward Anturion, who takes her captive without her even realizing it. Forced to accompany him to a brutal raid, where she has to give some of her blood for him to cast a spell with, Alys also accidentally causes the death of several of her companions, before being targeted and attacked by a magical spell that aims to keep away thieves from the archive.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Even after she Took a Level in Cynic, Alys continues to be one of the more idealistic characters in the story. At the beginning of her journey, she outright expresses views that are bafflingly naive, such as her horrified reaction to learning how the smallfolk of Westeros has to suffer under their lords.
Wrong Genre Savvy: At the beginning of the story, Alys believes she is part of one of the stories she grew up with. The reality of the Crapsack World that is Westeros escapes her until much later during her journey.

Rickar Boleyn

Barroth Boleyn's only son and heir, as well as the younger brother of Alys Boleyn. Rickar is described as a friendly boy, dearly loved by his family and only slowly growing up to become the heir he is supposed to be.

Cheerful Child: In Alys' narrative, he is described a such.
Children Are Innocent: Considering how fond Alys is of him, this is to be expected.
Death by Childbirth: His mother died giving birth to him, leaving his father a widower and him and his sister Alys half-orphaned. While Alys suffered greatly from this, it is not known how Rickar feels on this.
The Ghost: Rickar is mentioned in Book 1, but not seen, even when the narrative moves to his home.

Norren Snow

The castellan of Burmstone Keep and an old, personal friend of Lord Barroth Boleyn.

Bit Character: Norren merely appears in one chapter and unlike his similarly briefly appearing lord, Barroth, he doesn't even hold a significant role in the storyline of this chapter, being merely Barroth's servant.
Cool Old Guy: A wise-cracking, dutiful old soldier, which qualifies him for this trope.
Heroic Bastard: As his last name indicates, Norren is a bastard. Being a loyal servant of a house that is generally considered to be heroic, he is also firmly one of the good guys, despite his limited screentime.
Married to the Job: There is no indication of a woman in his life, which makes sense, given his clear dedication to his position as the castellan of Burmstone Keep. Likely, he simply has no room in his life for a woman.
Old Retainer: He is described as elderly, even older than Barroth, which means that he served House Boleyn for many years, probably even under Barroth's father.
Undying Loyalty: To House Boleyn.

House Crowl

"Look to your Shores"

— Words of House Crowl

A noble house from Skagos, a large island off the eastern coast of the North and one of House Stark's most unusual bannermen. Together with other Skagosi, they consider themselves not quite part of the mainland North and have been known to raid the shores of their supposed liege lords if not forced into submission through violence. Their current head is Urron Crowl.

Mace Crowl

A son of Lord Urron Crowl of Deepdown from the island of Skagos. He has been a ward at Winterfell for most of his life. He occasionally serves as sparring partner for Prince Beren Stark.

Dreadlock Warrior: It goes with his savage image.
Fantastic Racism: As a Skagosi on the mainland North, he faces prejudice from others at court, like being called a barbarian. Only few truly get along with him, along them Myles Cerwyn and Brandon Snow, the latter of which is used to face prejudice due to his heritage.
Horse of a Different Color: He owns and rides a Unicorn named Wildhorn.
Icy Blue Eyes: Which only makes him more intimidating, though Raenna notes there isn't any maliciousness in them, merely a certain cold distance.
Manly Facial Hair: Has a wild beard, and can beat Prince Beren quite easily. Generally, even his critics seem to have nothing but respect, admiration or perhaps even fear for his skill.
The Nicknamer: He has taken to refer to Raenna as 'Snow Hair'.
Noble Savage: Mace, being a Skagosi, is generally considered a savage, but is actually a calm, polite man, who does not give much about the talk that goes on behind his back.
Odd Friendship: He gets along with the friendly Myles Cerwyn, even though he himself is a quiet, brooding and generally mistrusted man, who has few other friends at court.

Other Stark Bannermen

Lord Ascar Bloodboar

The current head of House Bloodboar. After the death of his father, a feared warmonger, Ascar took upon the mantle of Lord Bloodboar and continued his father's expansionistic policies in full force, causing his neighbours to live in fear of him.

The Dreaded: Due to his families actions in their war against House Grimthorn, Ascar has inherited his father's reputation. As a result, he is spoken about with caution and fear.
The Ghost: He does not appear in Book 1, though will likely appear in a later book.
Like Father, Like Son: Ascar's father was the one who initiated the Grimthorn/Bloodboar conflict, that ended with the near-total eradication of House Grimthorn. He died shortly afterwards and Ascar inherited the position. In his first years of lordship, he followed right on the same path, by starting aggressive behaviour towards his other neighbours, the Frostborns.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Ascar Bloodboar should really be a red flag there.

Lord Ryler Grimthorn

A lord in name only, Ryler is the last living member of House Grimthorn, once a minor noble house that got into a violent dispute with House Bloodboar. This fight ended with every member of House Grimthorn dead, only Ryler was able to escape. He was captured and experimented on by Wolfius Woodbark, though escaped, now seeking revenge on those who wronged him.

Anti-Hero: Ryler's goal is noble, as he has made it his mission to stop the dangerous serial killer Wolfius Woodbark from ruining any more lives in the way his own was ruined, a goal he is only marginally successful with. However, he is also ruthless in the pursuit of his goals and shows little empathy towards others, unless they have explicitly suffered from Wolfius.
Beware the Quiet Ones: As described below, Ryler is a socially awkward guy who doesn't speak much. However, due to extentsive torture he suffered, he is also an Empowered Badass Normal with skills that exceed his physique by far, as well as a burning desire to get revenge on those who wronged him.
Canine Companion: He is accompanied by a large wolfhound named Wolfsbane.
Cool Mask: The exact means he underwent to obtain this mask are unknown, but Ryler wears a metal helmet, styled with the same cat-theme that the Alley Cats have going on. Considering that he was their prisoner once, it makes sense that he obtained one while fleeing.
Dark and Troubled Past: Ryler's past is one of the darkest and most tragic in the entire story, which on its own is already filled with tragic backstories. Coming from the once large and proud House Grimthorn, Ryler had to witness his entire family being massacred by the rivaling House Bloodboar, after their dispute escalated. He was attacked, beaten up, nearly ripped to pieces by wild dogs and left for dead. Instead of dying, he was found by Wolfius Woodbark, who was then in a partnership with the Alley Cats. He was subjected to extensive and very painful torture, which had the goal of making him a living weapon with superhuman powers, before being freed by the same man who did this to him in the first place, being left on a quest to hunt him down ever since.
Determinator: The sheer strength of will Ryler needed to survive Wolfius' torture and the loss of his entire family is enormous. He proves his determination even further when he makes it his life goal to stop Wolfius Woodbark from harming anyone else.
Empowered Badass Normal: It is not entirely clear what Wolfius has done to him, but it left him with skills that are downright supernatural. Among the confirmed effects of this torture are a strength a man of his build shouldn't possess, as well as the ability to see perfectly in gloomy rooms.
Heroes Love Dogs: Ryler is shown to be very fond of his wolfhound companion and of dogs in general.
Ineffectual Loner: Something he himself even admits. Ryler lacks social skills and is a loner by choice, yet he knows that this limits his effectiveness, especially when going against highly dangerous men, such as Wolfius. Because of this, he enlists some back-up in the form of Ilish and later Arthur, though he makes it clear that this is only a temporary arrangement.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Unlike his sister, Ryler's softer side is more obvious. He can be a jerk and is severely antisocial, but he at least makes a bit of an effort to get along with others, is never openly hostile and even becomes openly caring for those who have gone through traumatic experiences. Reuniting with his long-lost uncle and sister also trigger some positive growth in him.
Last of His Kind: He is believed to be the last living member of House Grimthorn, which nominally makes him Lord Grimthorn. Later developments in the story show that his sister Lucia and his uncle Rodrik have survived as well.
Long-Lost Relative: In Chapter 2 of Book 2, he turns out to be this to Lucia and Rodrik Grimthorn, both of whom believed him to be dead for a decade, a feeling that was mutual.
Malevolent Masked Man: Ryler deconstructs this trope. His initial introduction makes him seem like someone who is going to play this trope straight, especially as he wears a mask related to the Alley Cats, a group of Ax-Crazy thugs. His first action in the story is to tackle Ilish, though as it later turns out, this was due to him not wanting her to scream and wanting to remain undetected. He eventually reveals himself to be more of an Anti-Hero than someone with malevolent intentions.
Mystical White Hair: Ryler has white-blonde hair and he is not only mysterious, but downright mystical, with his strength clearly coming from unnatural, yet currently unexplained sources.
Pet the Dog: Aside from the literal dog-petting he does with his loyal Canine Companion Wolfsbane, Ryler's interactions with Arthur after they stumble upon the leftovers of Wolfius' latest victims is highly sympathetic, more than anything seen from him before.
Pragmatic Hero: Ryler knows that his goal is worth some sacrifice, even if it means doing some morally questionable things in the name of it. This is best shown when he leaves a wounded guardsman when he gets a good lead on Wolfius, effectively leaving the man for dead.
The Quiet One: Due to a lack of social skills and a general shyness, Ryler is hardly the most talkative person. Being used to people's fear at his appearance, he withdraws even further from society.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After being freed by Wolfius, he has vowed to hunt the man down and to repay him for the torture he had to endure. For this, he chased after Wolfius for months, always just one step behind him and always with a burning hatred for the man.
Stronger Than They Look: Whatever happened to him when he was at Wolfius' mercy left him with a strength that is downright unnatural, especially for a man with his relatively scrawny physique.

Lucia Grimthorn

Ryler's older sister and only sibling besides him confirmed to have survived the destruction of House Grimthorn. Taken as a prisoner by the Bloodboar soldiers, she was later freed by her uncle Rodrik, though not before her experiences took a heavy toll on her development.

Broken Bird: Lucia might have once been a perfectly normal and well-adjusted girl, but the trauma of losing her family and having to witness some of them being tormented by the Bloodboar men has firmly broken her by the time of the story, turning her into a cynical, violent young woman.
Cute But Psycho: A small, cute young woman with an innocent and almost childlike appearance, Lucia also happens to be broken from the experiences she suffered a the hands of the Bloodboar soldiers. As such, she is volatile, violent and generally very easy to anger.
The Cynic: Lucia has a very dark outlook on life, lacking sympathy for Arthur Nathamer's recent loss of his father by stating that everyone is going to die sooner or later.
Dark and Troubled Past: Originally just one of several Grimthorn children, Lucia's life has taken a dark turn when her family was slaughtered by the rival House Bloodboar. She herself and one of her sisters were taken as hostages, but while her young age saved her from the worst of the abuse, her sister was not so lucky. By the time her uncle Rodrik managed to free her, she was already firmly a Broken Bird and her current, violent and traumatized self.
Hair-Trigger Temper: A result of the trauma she had to suffer, Lucia has gotten so tensed up that even minor provocations can cause her to react incredibly violent. Sometimes, it doesn't even have to be a deliberate provocation, as she reacts with fury even just by hearing Ryler's name.
Hidden Heart of Gold: Very small, very hidden, but Lucia does have a notable soft spot for those who have been through similarly traumatic experiences. This is shown in her interactions with Rosalie Mettel, whom she seems to be genuinely protective of.
Long-Lost Relative: She is this to Ryler, her younger brother, who believes her to have perished during the fall of House Grimthorn over a decade ago. In return, Ryler is also this to her, as she had no idea of his survival either.
Older Than They Look: Though a woman of twenty years, she can easily pass as a teenager, a fact she does take offense to though, as she is quick to point out that she is a grown woman.
Rape as Backstory: Surprisingly averted for herself, as Rodrik notes that she was too young even for the otherwise ruthless Bloodboar men. However, it is heavily implied that she had to witness her sister being raped and eventually murdered by them.
This Cannot Be!: She has such a reaction after learning that her brother Ryler is not only still alive, but that she also almost got him killed by her careless and brutal actions when considering him to be just an impostor.
Weak, but Skilled: Lucia is a short and physically fairly weak woman, but she has been trained by highly experienced sellswords and makes more than up for her physical weakness with skill and ferocity.

Lord Harald Degore

The lord of Degore's Cliff, although he's far from a major Bannerman. An old man without legitimate issue, he requests King Torrhen Stark to allow him travel south and find one of his bastards and legitimize him.

Eye Scream: He lost his eye in some way.
Last of His Kind: Harald is the last trueborn Degore, having no living relatives or children. Having grown old without an issue, he fears for the death of his house and therefore wishes to seek for his bastard son somewhere in the Reach.
The Quest: Feeling that he is growing older and already being way past his prime, Harald wishes to embark upon a quest to the Reach, where he wants to find his bastard son, to that the Degore line can continue after his death.

Aryana Tavner

A woman in her forties and castellan of Degore's Cliff. She accompanies her lord Harald south to find Degore's bastard son.

Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Averted. While she looks pretty good for her age, she lost a large part of her right ear in some way.
Ear Ache: As mentioned above, some incident caused Aryana to lose a part of her right ear.
Number Two: Of Lord Harald, whom she serves as the castellan of Degore's Cliff.

Other Northerners

Kersea Catelins*

See Forum of Thrones - Independent Characters

Briar Catelins

Kersea Catelins' younger sister and only living relative, Briar was saved by her mother and sister during the attack that killed both of her parents. When Kersea was forced to replace the man she killed, Briar was taken as a hostage by the crimelord Butterfly, to ensure Kersea's cooperation.

Adorably Precocious Child: Some of Briar's mannerisms come off as this.
Cheerful Child: Her most prominent trait is that she is extraordinarily happy and cheerful, even when the situation is grim. She loses a bit of her joy when people fight, but she nonetheless remains optimistic in as good as any situation.
Children Are Innocent: So innocent in fact that not even her long imprisonment in Butterfly's headquarters have taken it away from her. After being freed, she's still the happy, joyful child she used to be.
Creepy Child: After all she has been through, Briar's cheerfulness is a bit off-setting at first, especially for Raenna, who expects her to hide emotional trauma. Ultimately, it is revealed that she is genuinely cheerful and happy, mostly because she doesn't fully understand what happened to her family.
Damsel in Distress: Briar spends a major part of her time in the story as a prisoner of Butterfly in an I Have Your Wife situation, in order to keep her sister in line. It's not until Chapter 6 that she is rescued by Raenna and Terroma.
Dark and Troubled Past: Even for the standards of Forum of Thrones, her backstory is among the darkest. Growing up into a normal and loving family, everything changed for her when her family was randomly chosen by one of Butterfly's killers who decided to slaughter the family all by himself to succeed at his final test. She had to watch her parents being killed in front of her, though her mother managed to kill the assassin in return. Afterwards, she was separated by her sister, who was forced to replace said assassin, while she was kept a hostage to ensure Kersea's cooperation. For years, a significant portion of her young life, she was kept in this prison, before being freed at last during the events of the story. The fact that she didn't turn into a full-on Enfant Terrible is a small miracle.
I Have Your Sister: She is being kept hostage by Butterfly, to keep Kersea in line and to make sure that the latter is following every order as intended.
Morality Pet: Surprisingly, Butterfly grows fond of her and treats her well during her time in his prison. She even gets to call him 'Uncle Maron' and is just as fond of him as he is of her, not having any idea of his true nature. The way he treats her can be seen as a massive Pet the Dog moment for Mullendore.
Parental Abandonment: Her parents were murdered by one of Butterfly's killers, who was sent to her farm in order to slaughter the entire family in cold blood as the final test of his training. He succeeded in killing her father and he mortally wounded her mother, but when he moved to kill Briar and Kersea, the dying woman fought back and overpowered him, saving the life of her children in the process.
The Pollyanna: No matter how many bad things happen in her life, Briar retains her optimistic worldview
Sibling Yin-Yang: Where Briar is cheerful and open-minded, Kersea is secretive, cold and full of paranoia, as well as sullen. Briar never had any psychic problems with the things that happened to her, whereas Kersea nearly broke to her experiences as Butterfly's pawn.
Wise Beyond Their Years: Shows a glimpse of this in the Chapter 7 finale, where she takes a passionate stand against the fight between Terroma and Marak, in hopes of saving the formers life. It gets her captured by a woman who wants to burn her alive, but it still is a drastically different side from the usually cheerful girl that has been seen so far.

Ser Edrick of the Wolfswood*

Ser Edrick of the Wolfswood

A jaded hedge knight and veteran of many battles, Edrick is an experienced warrior and sellsword. His friendship with Lord Barroth Boleyn leads to him getting entangled in the events around Alys Boleyn's disappearance. He is also a Point-of-View character.

Anti-Hero: Edrick is by no means a classical hero. As a hedge knight, basically a knighted sellsword, he has a pragmatic and cynical outlook on life, preferring to take what he can get in order to survive for another day. He is still a knight though and this means that he has standards and morals, as jaded as they might be.
Beware the Quiet Ones: Rarely saying a word doesn't make Edrick any less dangerous. His thuggish physique should be clue enough that he is way more dangerous than he is chatty.
Big Brother Instinct: The only time Edrick is shown to have visible affection for someone else is when he thinks of his little sister, who lives with her husband and newborn child in White Harbour. He lived with them for a while before leaving for his quest to find Alys.
Covered in Scars: Edrick has a long career as a hedge knight and over this long career, he has fought many hard battles. They left some serious marks on him, most of which are still visible today.
The Cynic: One of the most cynical characters in the story.
Dented Iron: As stated above, Edrick is Covered in Scars, as a result of his adventurous life on the road and many days he spent fighting. These wounds don't slow him down, but they are visible and look gruesome.
The Drifter: Save for a temporary stay with his sister in White Harbour, Edrick has no set home and wanders the North on his own as a masterless hedge knight, always in search of someone to work for.
Everyone Has Standards: A Pragmatic Hero he might be, but Edrick is loyal to those he considers friends and he hates betrayal. This is the main reason for why he even undertakes the dangerous mission to find Alys Boleyn.
Face of a Thug: His scarred face gives him a brutish appearance, yet Edrick is actually a polite, cultured and well-mannered man, at least as long when he isn't on the battlefield. In a battle he behaves just like he looks.
Jaded Washout: Edrick's cynicism has only grown stronger the longer he lives, as he realizes that just being a knight doesn't suddenly make him rich and gives him a carefree life. He knows that his life will be a constant and brutal battle, something that only makes him more jaded.
Knight in Sour Armour: A cynical, jaded hedge knight, more a sellsword than a real knight, Edrick is nonetheless a hero, if of the Anti-Hero variety. If pushed, he has standards and he is willing to do the right thing and save Alys Boleyn for only a small reward if it means helping his old friend, Alys' father.
Know When to Fold 'Em: Edrick, being a Pragmatic Hero, knows exactly when it is better to bend the knee, as shown with how quickly he submits to Captain Arthries during their approach to the Frostborn lands.
Stepford Snarker: Not less of a snarker than Dante and Darreth and regularly involved in their Snark-to-Snark Combat, Edrick actually isn't a very humorous person, whose hard life has left him more of a cynic than a genuinely sarcastic man.
Odd Friendship: He, the brutish hedge knight, has formed a long and deep friendship with Barroth Boleyn, the Lord of Burmstone Keep, with whom he fought side by side during a Skagosi raid and who personally knighted him.
Out of Focus: Not in his own parts of course, where he gets a lot of exposition, but in comparison to the other Point-of-View characters of Book 1. He is the last of them to be introduced, as well as the one with the least amount of chapters (not counting Janae, who appeared as a supporting character long before receiving parts of her own).
Pragmatic Hero: Due to being raised on the street, Edrick knows that honor isn't everything. This is a stark contrast to his knightly vows, which he seems to disregard whenever it suits him. He is a pragmatic opportunist and not afraid of sacrificing honor for personal gain.
The Quest: Edrick has the honor of undergoing the most classical quest of them all in the story. Being hired by Lord Barroth Boleyn, he is sent to find and save his daughter, Alys, who has ran away from home. For this, he encounters companions, both loyal and shady and embarks on a long journey to the south of Westeros.
The Quiet One: Perhaps due to his humble origins, Edrick is not very good at talking to others and as a result, he prefers to remain quiet as much as possible, leaving the talking to his more charismatic companions.
Street Smart: Edrick was born a very poor man and still isn't particularly rich, certainly not the kind of person that can pay for good education. However, he is far from stupid and has picked up many bits of knowledge and a great deal of interesting tricks from his time as a wandering hedge knight.
Taking the Heat: When Darreth insults Gawayne Schaffrot within earshot, he takes the blame to protect Normund, getting four lashes on the back as punishment.
Younger Than They Look: Due to his thick beard and his scarred face, Edrick looks like a man in his mid-forties at least. It is a surprise to many when they learn that he is actually merely thirty years old.

Leo York

A hunter from the lands of House Boleyn. Leo is introduced as Edrick's guide to the Boleyn castle, though it is eventually revealed that he has a connection to the daughter of Lord Boleyn, which leads to him accompanying Edrick on his quest to find her.

Crazy Jealous Guy: Leo is very possessive of Alys and sees men like Dante, who have a chance of even marrying her, with extreme suspicion and occasionally even outright hostility.
Face–Heel Turn: He sides with the Ironborn of House Codd in Chapter 9, since he considers them more useful allies in the search for Alys, thereby selling out Edrick and the rest of the group.
Fiery Redhead: Initially, he appears like a subversion, being a redhead with a calm, distanced personality, who is more nice than anything else. However, he shows his true colours as a moody young man who can hold a serious grudge towards those whom he mistrusts.
Friendly Sniper: Varies between this and Cold Sniper, but at the core, he still is a kind and helpful man, who just comes off as a bit distant at times. And of course, being an expert hunter means that he knows how to fire a bow. He loses the friendly aspect of his character when he betrays Edrick to the Ironborn.
Green-Eyed Monster: Part of his reason to dislike Dante seems to come from him learning that he is betrothed to the girl of his dreams, Alys. This is particularly strong during their confrontation in Chapter 7.
Headbutting Heroes: He never got along with Dante in the first place, even warning Edrick of trusting the young knight. However, the hostilities between them explode in Chapter 7, when Leo, fuelled by distrust, breaks into Dante's room and steals a letter, which contains something that only strengthens his resentment of the man.
Ineffectual Loner: Due to his odd behavior, Leo is shunned by the people of his hamlet, feeling himself drawn to Alys Boleyn, the only girl that ever showed him kindness. He is a loner and even when tagging along with Edrick, he remains for himself, not putting his archery skills to any use. His slight lack of intelligence eventually even causes him to take drastic measures, screwing things up for the entire rest of his group.
Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: In Chapter 9, Leo turns on Edrick and the rest of the group, giving their location away to the Ironborn of House Codd in exchange for being given information about Alys. He feels that Edrick's suppport of Dante, whom he does not trust, is ultimately only going to harm Alys. That said, Edrick treated him decently up until then, making his justifications little more than an excuse.
No Social Skills: Due to being treated like an outcast among the people of his hamlet, Leo has never developed basic skills and he comes off as very awkward in a conversation.
Out of Focus: Compared to his travelling companions, Dante and Darreth, he receives a significantly lower amount of screentime and dialogue and has no small storylines of his own, whereas Dante and Darreth both get involved with the plot around them.
The Quiet One: Part of the reason why he is Out of Focus is that he barely speaks when not alone with someone.
The Reliable One: Despite his flaws, he is by far the most reliable man Edrick could have found for his journey. Due to his connection to Alys, he will do whatever it takes to find her and follows Edrick's commands fully, seeing him as the most capable to save Alys. Of course, this changes in Chapter 9, where he turns on the group in favour of the Ironborn.
Sour Supporter: Over the time, he seems to grow less fond of Edrick, especially after the man starts to choose in favour of Dante Karstark during their disputes. However, he remains loyal, having the goal of helping Alys and being
Stalker with a Crush: Leo claims to be close to Alys Boleyn and he claims that the feeling is mutual, but there is no evidence to back this up. In fact, since Alys doesn't even think about him in her parts, he likely overestimates their interactions and falls more into this trope. This is outright confirmed in Book 2, where it is revealed that he had a grand total of one somewhat positive interaction with Alys, which fuelled his obsession with her.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He and Dante don't get along in the slightest, but are forced to work together for the sake of saving Alys. Due to the man's favourism of Dante, he also seems to have grown distrustful of Edrick.
Unreliable Narrator: As said above, he claims to be in a semi-romantic relationship with Alys Boleyn, but brings up zero evidence for this and his clingy jealousy when speaking about her and her lack of acknowledging these feelings seem to hint that he is not quite correct about this.
What the Hell, Hero?: Leo gives a massive one to Dante Karstark over something unspecified he allegedly found in a letter in his room. He is also on the receiving end of this by Dante, who accuses him of breaching his trust by breaking into his room.

Ilish Granver*

See Forum of Thrones - Raylansfair

Carvin Granver

See Forum of Thrones - Independent Characters

Brandon Snow

A sellsword from the North. Brandon is the leader of the Snow Wolves, a small group of sellswords. At the start of the story, this group only consists of him and his second-in-command, Ando Pyre. He is also the bastard brother of Torrhen Stark and therefore a member of House Stark of Winterfell.

Animal Motifs: Brandon is often compared to a wolf and at one point, a wolf howl is even heard in the distance just before he starts to speak. Abbas compares him to a wolf quite often, sometimes as a means of mockery, sometimes to show respect.
Badass in Distress: For all his badass credentials, Brandon is introduced in a completely helpless situation. After being captured by Butterfly and thrown into the crimelord's deepest prison cell, he is encountered by Raenna and Terroma, who free him.
Beware the Quiet Ones: Brandon is hardly a talker, though this does not mean he is to be underestimated. He is a dangerous fighter, a cunning strategist and certainly more knowledgeable than he lets through. His dangerousness is acknowledged and respected even by Terroma.
Big Damn Heroes: After Raenna falls down the lighthouse during her fight with Alysanne, Brandon arrived in time to save her from drowning. He nursed her back to health to repay for his life debt and even smuggled her out of the city, away from those who might still pose a threat to her.
Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: His very pale skin and brown hair serve as a visual hint at his mysteriousness, which sometimes borders on creepiness. Raenna is not sure what to make of him and does not fully seem to trust him, while his odd behaviour doesn't really help his case.
Friend to All Children: A bit downplayed compared to his friend Ando, but Brandon clearly cares for children in an extraordinary way. During the Raid on Raylansfair, he remains with Briar, to keep her safe and the character list eventually revealed that he stayed with her even after the raid, likely to keep her safe from harm.
He Knows Too Much: Originally, Brandon was a sellsword, who served in Oldtown. When he accidentally found out the secret about Butterfly's true identity, the crimelord wasted no time in capturing him and his men, executing them one by one. By the time Raenna managed to save him, only he and his second-in-command Ando remained.
I Owe You My Life: After being freed by Raenna and Terroma, he almost says this word for word. He is incredibly thankful and vows to repay them in some way, offering the services of himself and Ando for their next mission, until they consider the debt repaid.
King Incognito: In Chapter 9, he reveals himself to be the half-brother of Torrhen Stark, the King in the North. He also reveals that he is not a sellsword, but basically an agent in service of his brother. On Torrhen's orders, he investigated the deaths of innocent farmers all over the North, eventually finding out that they were murdered by the crimelord Butterfly, who has sent his killers from Oldtown to properly train them on people he thought nobody would miss. Brandon and his companions travelled south to stop this practice, but fell victim to Maron Mullendore's trickery and got thrown into the dungeon. After being freed, he kept his identity a secret due to not trusting Raenna, but after warming up to her and saving her life, he finally comes clean about all of it towards her.
The Lancer: During Chapter 7, he quickly takes up this role for either Raenna or Terroma, depending on who is leading them. He is the most level-headed and capable member of their group, the one that puts his own goals behind theirs and tries to support them as much as he can, while still acting from a position of leadership towards Ando.
Pragmatic Hero: Though still heroic, Brandon isn't even nearly as principled as his friend Ando. To achieve his goals, he is willing to do some questionable things and if they serve a good purpose, he doesn't oppose acts of evil.
Properly Paranoid: From the very first scene they share, it is clear that Brandon doesn't trust Abbas the Ghiscari. Considering that the man is not only a Ghiscari, but also a slaver, this mistrust is very understandable. And sure enough, he is proven correct when Abbas ends up murdering his friend Ando in cold blood.
The Smart Guy: Brandon is generally considered to be the smartest man in Raenna's group, a cunning tactician, who offers sound advice to those who need it.
Sole Survivor: After Ando's death, he becomes the last founding member of the Snow Wolves.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Brandon is a classically handsome northerner, which includes tall growth, dark brown hair, a Perma-Stubble and pale skin, as well as pleasing, wolfish features. Unsurprisingly, considering that he is a member of House Stark.

Ando Pyre

A young sellsword from the North and a good friend of Brandon Snow. Together with him, he is one of the last survivors of the sellsword group "Snow Wolves", where he served as Brandon's second-in-command. After Brandon's reveal, it turns out that he is not a sellsword, but a highly skilled soldier in service of House Stark.

Badass in Distress: Despite being a trained fighter, he is overpowered and captured by Butterfly's men, after his commanding officer got behind the crimelord's secret. It can be excused to the sheer power Butterfly brings to the table.
Beware the Nice Ones: There is no doubt that Ando is one of the nicest characters in the story. At the same time, he is a highly skilled swordsman, who earned his position not through kind words, but through his capable actions in combat, which earned him Brandon's trust. He also shows his fierce passion for his morals and a severe willingness to enforce them.
Fiery Redhead: Ando's strongest physical trait is his fiery red hair. His temper seems to be subdued and not matching his hair colour at first, but eventually, it is revealed that he has a fiery and passionate site whenever his morals are questioned.
Friend to All Children: No matter what, Ando cares for the children around him first and foremost, putting their safety even above his own. He is the first to get along with Briar after she gets freed by Raenna and is seen to be very close to the girl in just a short amount of time. He also easily befriends Ellena, who at this point has grown to distrust most strangers.
The Heart: This is basically his role in Terroma's group in Chapter 7, during their hunt for Marak and Noelle. He is clearly the moral centre of the group, the one that holds them together, as well as the only one that gets along with each member of the group.
I Owe You My Life: After being freed from his prison cell by Raenna and Terroma, he declares his support for their cause from then on, vowing to repay them this life debts.
Mauve Shirt: He appears in three chapters and receives a fair amount of screentime in the process, just enough to turn him into a likable and well-received character. At the end of his third chapter, he is killed by Abbas, a man he considered to be an ally.
Nice Guy: Hands down the single most kind-hearted character in the story. Ando is not only a Friend to All Children, he also is an ovrly trusting man, who does not believe in revenge and actively tries to improve the lives of those around him. It's no wonder that he dies at the end of Chapter 8.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Ando steps in to calm Raenna down, after she has gotten into a rampage and was about to kill a defenseless woman. In her blind fury, she lashes out at him and breaks his nose. Being the Nice Guy he is, he holds no ill will towards her. Then he gets killed due to his selfless attempt to prevent Abbas from taking Janae and Behara as his slaves.
Number Two: Even before the rest of their group was executed by Butterfly, Ando served as this among the Snow Wolves, being Brandon's second-in-command.
Slashed Throat: He meets his end in that way, courtesy of Abbas. His final actions consisted of trying to stop the Ghiscari from enslaving Janae and Behara, a move that earned him Abbas' anger. Despite his attempt at resisting, Ando is easily overpowered and killed in such a way.
Undying Loyalty: To Brandon, with whom he has been through a lot.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Ando is one of the characters with the strongest and most idealistic morals in the story. Of course, he lives in Westeros, which makes many of his believes come across as a bit naive.

Jorid Wolfborne

A traveller from the North, who encounters Edrick and his companions at the Green Fork. He is a former soldier, stationed at Moat Cailin, who has come south in order to find those that murdered one of his patrols.

All There in the Manual: His last name, Wolfborne, has not been uttered in the story so far. Instead, it is revealed by his entry in the character list, which lists him by his full name.
Everyone Has Standards: Jorid might be a bit of a jerk and having a foul mouth, yet he draws the line at being rude to women. When he realizes that he accidentally insulted Reymond Mormont, daughter of an influential northern lord, he is quick to apologize, if only because he believes in being kind towards women.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Initially, Jorid comes off as a bit foul-mouthed and having gotten into an argument with the knight Reymond Mormont. As stated with Everyone Has Standards above, he has some redeeming qualities though and is genuinely thankful towards Edrick and his companions for helping him out.
Last Episode, New Character: He is introduced in the final chapter of Book 1.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: All but stated to be his reason for traveling so far to the South an abandoning his post in the process. He is searching for the brigands that ambushed his patrol and killed his friends, which is heavily implied to bring him into conflict with the Ironborn.

Characters / Forum of Thrones - The North

Edit Locked

House Stark

King Torrhen Stark

The King in the North, The King of Winter

Queen Lysa Stark

Prince Beren Stark

Princess Lyra Stark

Stark Bannermen and Retainers

House Karstark

Lord Brogar Karstark

Ser Dante Karstark

Lady Malina Karstark

Darreth Kailen

House Mormont

Lord Worland Mormont

The Lord of Bear Island

Reymond Mormont

Rhea

Jorn Mormont

House Hornwood

Harrold Hornwood

House Dustin

Eon Dustin

Gared Snow

House Umber

Lord Roffe Umber

Ser Dag Umber

Kory Umber

Nea Umber

Kari Umber

Runa Umber

House Cerwyn

Myles Cerwyn

House Frostborn

Lord Lionel Frostborn

Lady Elizabth Frostborn

Ser Alphyn Frostborn

Lupin Frostborn

Evelyn Frostborn

Lucien Frostborn

Jeffrey Snow

Lord Darko Mogfield

Arthries

The Fierce

House Boleyn

Lord Barroth Boleyn

Lady Alys Boleyn

Rickar Boleyn

Norren Snow

House Crowl

Mace Crowl

Other Stark Bannermen

Lord Ascar Bloodboar

Lord Ryler Grimthorn

Lucia Grimthorn

Lord Harald Degore

Aryana Tavner

Other Northerners

Briar Catelins

Ser Edrick of the Wolfswood

Leo York

Brandon Snow

Ando Pyre

Jorid Wolfborne

Previous

Index

Next