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Characters / Thy Good Neighbor

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This is a list of characters as they appear in Thy Good Neighbor. For information about the characters as they appear in their home series, go here and here.

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The Fairchilds

Foreigners hailing from beyond the Sunset Sea (or so Rickard believes) who have settled in Wolfswood with ties to foreign royalty, or at least a great noble house. Since arriving, they've become acquainted with House Stark.

    In general 
  • Affluent Ascetic: Played with. By Victorian standards, their home is on the better side of middle class despite their great wealth. By Westerosi standards, they're living in enough opulence to make the most decadent of kings blush.
  • Ambiguous Situation: Whether or not they really do come from beyond the Sunset Sea is unclear. On the one hand, Rickard made the assumption and Cyril didn't bother correcting him, but on the other hand, the map Lord Fairchild gave him does include the Western lands he hails from and an edge Lord Stark recognizes as the Stony Shore.
    • The first interlude from Book 2 describes Cyril and Evette’s entrance into Westeros from the Children of the Forest’s perspective as having "pierced the dark space between stars"; which strongly implies that they are indeed not from the same world. This would suggest that either Cyril can magically modify the maps and books Fairchild gave Rickard to further his assumptions, or the maps and books themselves may simply be altering any Westeros reader’s perception to let them better accept the information given (the fact that they can even be read and understood despite being from a foreign land is never called out).
  • Beneath Suspicion: Rickard's associates and closest confidants all agree to keep mum on the Fairchilds' existence, especially where the glass gardens are concerned considering the North now has six of them, which in itself is a massive boon given how harsh winters can be. This is mainly to keep them from the eyes of the Crown, or more accurately Aerys Targaryen, who as of Chapter 15 has finally gone completely bonkers after the Defiance of Duskendale.
  • Blue-and-Orange Morality: From a Certain Point of View depending on how you look at it, considering one's an Eldritch Abomination in human skin and the other's a sentient doll. That said, Cyril and Evetta act quite human in every way that counts. The problem is that they adhere to Victorian-era customs and societal values mixed with the ruthless pragmatism of Yharnam; as Westeros is a medieval setting, such practices are foreign and often clash with characters like Rickard. This actually causes some one-sided problems for the latter as Cyril's actions are so out of place in Westerosi culture that he genuinely can't figure out what he hopes to gain.
  • Creepy Good: House Stark is very much unnerved by the Fairchilds due to their customs and social views, much less the vast amount of wealth they possess and their apparent magical nature. Nevertheless, Rickard regards them as friends, if not allies, for their contributions to his house and the North.
  • Culture Clash: Much of Rickard's problems with the Fairchilds stem from this, as their culture and mannerisms conflict so much with Westerosi and Northern values that they genuinely can't understand, Cyril least of all.
  • Deliberate Values Dissonance: Beyond the Blue-and-Orange Morality expected from a living doll and juvenile Eldritch Abomination, several of the Fairchilds' peculiarities come down to originating from a society a couple of centuries ahead of Westeros in terms of science and culture. These include having books for farming, different attires, exceedingly different views on what constitutes modest and extravagant, and a more solid dichotomy between fosterage and tutoring.
  • Elegant Classical Musician: Both play the piano, and they taught Lyanna to play the violin.
  • Fiction 500: The Fairchilds are obscenely wealthy. Not only was Cyril able to give Rickard gold equivalent to more than 8,000 dragons for his inadvertent intrusion into his lands, he later sends to Winterfell enough glass to build no less than six glass gardens. To give you an idea as to how obscene that last one is, the Starks only have a single greenhouse and its construction took the entirety of the resources of the extinct Greystark bloodline, which the Starks confiscated after their doomed rebellion.
  • Kill the God: Eldritch Abominations in this case, but you get the gist. At the end of the first arc, Cyril and Evetta depart to kill the Others. Business as usual for the Good Hunter. Word of God implies Cyril will succeed.
  • Happily Married: To say that Cyril and Evetta are very much in love would be an understatement. This and Rickard being faithful to his late wife are why Lyanna refuses to marry Robert.
  • Infinite Supplies: As noted by Fane Poole, the amount of resources and time it would take to build the Fairchild's manse are ludicrous, and the fact no one even knew about it despite it being so close to Winterfell and that it was apparently built in the middle of Winter is perplexing. And that's to say nothing of them offering House Stark enough glass to build no less than six greenhouses, which bear a quality surpassing that of even Myrish glassmakers, which are already considered high quality. It's heavily implied that magic is involved.
  • Ironic Name: The brutally pragmatic, incredibly deadly Humanoid Abomination who initially gained his powers via a blood transfusion is from the Fairchild family, while the kind and gentle Doll is from the Vileblood family.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Another reason why Rickard is wary of alienating the Fairchilds is Evetta's family, reasoning that a noble lineage named Vileblood did not earn that name without reason.
  • Outside-Context Problem: The Fairchilds' existence is this to Westeros at large, if not the rest of the known world. They (possibly) hail from beyond the Sunset Sea, a stretch of ocean no one has managed to explore, have enough resources and wealth to feed starving smallfolk and provide enough materials to build no less than six glass greenhouses, and have access to advanced techniques in science and medicine that Westeros could very much benefit from. That such a boon found itself in House Stark's territory is one of the reasons why two noble houses and rivals try to take them out to no avail.
  • Your Normal Is Our Taboo: Given the hellhole Yharnam became by the time Cyril arrived and joined the ranks of the Hunters, he sees no problem with being a Combat Pragmatist if it means you can have an edge over your opponent. As such, he approves of Brandon trying to go for a Back Stab after their spar whereas the North considers Brandon's actions a major breach in Sacred Hospitality, a crime comparable if not worse to kinslaying in their culture.

    Cyril Fairchild, the Lord Hunter 

Cyril Fairchild

The second son of Earl Fairchild and one of the last Hunters of Yharnam. After spending an unknown amount of time rebuilding the city following the worst Night of the Hunt it has ever seen, Cyril left for Westeros alongside his wife Evetta.
  • Always Someone Better: To Melisandre. The red priestess is one of the very few people in the setting of A Song of Ice and Fire capable of wielding magic, though her understanding and ability to wield magic are little more than "party tricks" when compared to Cyril. Rickard even makes a similar comparison by asking Melisandre how much Essosi magic would be needed to improve the North's crop fields, which the latter responds by saying such magic can only be found in myths like the Age of Heroes and he's better off making more glass greenhouses.
  • Armor Is Useless: Despite the wide array of weapons at his disposal, Cyril doesn't bother wearing any sort of armor whatsoever. Not that he needs it, seeing as how dangerous Hunters like him are.
  • Armor-Piercing Question: Cyril poses one to Ned in regards to one's honor, asking the latter if he would hold onto it even when his loved ones are in danger. Ned can't bring himself to answer.
  • Badass Bookworm: On top of being a Hunter, Cyril is a former lecturer with a passion for books. Fittingly, the first place Cyril visits upon arriving at Winterfell to properly integrate with House Stark is the library.
  • Berserk Button: As Eddard correctly surmises, insulting or harming Evetta is a very quick way to earn yourself a trip to the River Styx. Brandon made this mistake when he insulted Evetta in order to goad Cyril into a fight. Whitehill and Bolton were nowhere near as fortunate; just as their bannermen after Cyril got done with themnote . It's worth noting that the bannermen hadn't even made it into their home when Cyril slaughtered them en masse.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Cyril is a fair and pleasant man who shows nothing but courtesy to those around him. Having said that, it is worth reminding people he is a Hunter and will not show kindness to any who dares threaten him or his. When a group of bannermen from another noble house attempt to kill him and Evetta so as to hurt Rickard's standing, he slaughters them down to the last man with vicious brutality, and when all is said and done, he kills the lords who ordered the hit in the first place.
  • Blue-and-Orange Morality: Or rather a perceived case. Cyril's actions and acts of generosity in Westeros are very much a case of Deliberate Values Dissonance, particularly to those who are convinced he has some sort of foreign agenda. The most blatant example is how he handles Brandon breaking Sacred Hospitality by attacking him from the back after the sparring match between them concluded. Rather than demand punishment or Brandon's death, which he is well within his rights to ask for in Westeros culture, Cyril is more baffled by how people are condemning Brandon's actions and offers to tutor the boy, which Rickard considers more of a "reward" than a punishment. This is part of the reason why Cyril manages to drive Rickard up the wall without meaning tonote . It's not helped by his time in Yharnam giving him a significantly different set of values from what would be the norm for Victorian Europe (which his homeland is based on), even before he became a Great One, as while not as major as in Westeros, attacking someone whose back is turned in what is supposed to be a friendly sparring match would still have been considered dishonourable at best, especially since the match was over, and possibly even qualify as attempted murder, since they were using real weapons.
  • Cane Fu: When visiting Winterfell and be properly introduced to Northern society at large, Cyril brings the Threaded Cane with him. Brandon learns the hard way that it is very much not for decoration.
  • Crisis of Faith: In a private discussion with Maester Luwin, Cyril states that while he was no man of God, he did believe there was a higher power. The events of Yharnam have soured his opinion of divine beings in general that he's come to feel envious of how innocent his younger self was.
  • Cutting Off the Branches: This incarnation of the Player Character follows the Noble Scion "starting class", portrayed as the second child of an earl who sought out Yharnam in the hopes of a cure for his consumption. Word of God also states this is post-Childhood's Beginning, meaning they've already ascended to being a Great One.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: Considering all the shit that went down in Yharnam, that Cyril managed to not only restore Yharnam, but bring the Doll with him to Westeros more than says he left the city of blood ministration on good terms.
  • Empty Promise: Cyril makes it very clear to Whitehill's bannermen when they assault his home that he would have never kept his word not to leave them alone if they left. He would have killed them all regardless. That they chose to stand and fight just made their deaths come quickly.
  • Exact Words:
    • When meeting Cyril for the first time, Rickard and Rodrick state they've never heard of Yharnam or the Great Isles to the east. Cyril says they've been "looking in the wrong direction", which leads them to assume they're from unmapped lands past the Sunset Sea. Cyril either doesn't bother correcting them or silently thinks they are stating the obvious.
    • After the Fairchild household is attacked by a group of bannermen posing as bandits, Rickard asks Cyril not to do anything more while he and Rodrik deal with those responsible. Cyril states he will do no more than he already has. He conveniently left out the part where he already killed the lords behind the attack.
  • Eldritch Abomination: By virtue of being a Great One, though he's shown in human form thus far.
  • Genius Bruiser: By Luwin's own estimation, Cyril is knowledgable enough to rival an Archmaester and is bar none one of the best fighters Westeros has seen in recent years. As stated above, he was a lecturer at a university, on his way to becoming a professor, when he contracted consumption and left for Yharnam, and he very much got his position through merit.
  • Happily Married: With the Doll, who he adores and cares for greatly. Several apocryphas and Brandon's taunting in regards to Evetta show threatening her in front of him is a really bad idea.
  • Humanoid Abomination: Cyril may look human, but he is very much anything but as he is a former human-turned-Great One.
  • Missed Him by That Much: In an Interlude in Book 2, Melisandre arrives in Winterfell in the hopes of seeking passage past the Wall. When Rickard and Rodrik discuss the possibility of Melisandre learning about Cyril and meeting with him, the Good Hunter leaves behind a letter for the Lord Paramount stating he'll be away on business for a short while.
  • Nonchalant Dodge: Cyril does this throughout most of his duel with Brandon. It isn't until the latter riles him up that he decides to start attacking.
    Cyril: Guard your shoulder.
  • Retired Badass: Cyril came to Westeros in the hopes of settling down. That said, he hasn't lost his touch as one of the greatest Hunters the city of Yharnam has ever seen, as Brandon and a group of soldiers posing as bandits can attest to.
  • Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: While not tiny in any sense, with him being "as tall as a short Umber" (a family known for being The Big Guy), the Doll dwarfs Cyril by a wide margin.
  • Victorian Novel Disease: Cyril came to Yharnam to be cured of consumption, another name for tuberculosis.
  • Was Once a Man: Before he came to Yharnam, he was but an ordinary man looking for a cure for an illness that would have killed him. The events of the Hunt and its aftermath saw him become an Eldritch Abomination.

    Evetta Fairchild, Lady of Cainhurst Castle 

Evetta Fairchild née Vileblood (The Plain Doll)

Once a nameless Doll who served wayward Hunters who found themselves in the Hunter's Dream, Evetta Fairchild left for new lands alongside Cyril following the Night of the Hunt's conclusion after Yharnam was rebuilt and stabilized. Sometime during Yharnam's recovery, she was named a member of Castle Cainhurst by Queen Annalise.
  • Adaptation Name Change: At some point before Cyril and she left for Westeros to retire, she was given the name "Evetta" and officially recognized as part of Cainhurst Castle. It's implied most of this comes from her resemblance to Lady Maria, a former member of Cainhurst. Annalise is also the one who recognized and welcomed her into the Vilebloods.
  • Conspicuous Gloves: She is often noted to be wearing gloves, even when indoors and playing the piano. Most likely, this is to hide the fact that her hands are obviously not human.
  • Exact Words: When asked who Lady Maria is, she specifically states that Cyril would call Maria her mother, not that Maria was her mother.
  • Morality Pet: Implied to be this for Cyril. At the very least, Cyril makes it clear that if any harm does come to her, things will get bloody very quickly.
  • Related in the Adaptation: Downplayed. While she was based on Lady Maria, she was never considered to be her daughter in the game. Here, she has been recognized as a Vileblood by Queen Annalise, and Maria is officially considered her mother. However, as noted under Exact Words, the way she phrases it implies she personally does not view Maria as her mother, and it is made clear the two never met, so Maria being considered her mother is most likely a mixture of Cyril's point-of-view and Annalise justifying recognizing her as a Vileblood.
  • Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: While Cyril's far from short, Evetta is taller than her husband and others by a large margin.
  • You Remind Me of X: And unfortunately, not in a good way. Evetta's features remind Rickard of Alysanne Targaryen, who's actions made the North and the Night's Watch poorer than they already were. That her clothes are pink and red, the colors of House Bolton, did not help matters. Fortunately for Rickard, Evetta proves she's far kinder than any negative figure she reminds him of.

House Stark

The current Lords Paramount of the North lands of Westeros; the family line can be traced back to eight thousand years. Its current patriarch is Rickard Stark.

    Rickard Stark, Lord Paramount 

Rickard Stark

The patriarch of House Stark and father of Brandon, Eddard, Lyanna and Benjen Stark.
  • Blaming the Victim: In his lower moments Rickard inwardly sometimes holds a grudge towards Cyril for the disastrous duel between the Hunter and Brandon. Of course, being the Reasonable Authority Figure that he is, such grudges are short-lived and he realizes its ridiculous and shameful to blame a man for getting goaded into a fight by his host and then almost stabbed in the back when said host lost.
  • Famed In-Story: While already widely known as the head of the most prominent House in the North, the second arc shows that his reputation has even reached the farthest corners of Essos as a near-mythic figure thanks to Cyril's gifts.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: Of the socio-political variety. At the start of the story, Rickard has an amicable if tense relationship with Cyril as the man's mysterious background and different societal norms often clash with Rickard's own values from Westerosi upbringing. As the story progresses and Rickard knows more about Cyril, he slowly becomes more friendly and personable with him to the point that he seeks advice about how to approach Lyanna after her dismay from learning about her Arranged Marriage to Robert Baratheon from him.
  • Irony: Rickard often misreads Cyril and Evette’s intentions, due to the latter operating off of social values that’s utterly foreign to the former. When he meets with Melisandre, the priestess often misreads and misinterprets his intentions.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Not him, but he does his best to invoke this on others.
    • Rickard sends word to his bannermen and other Northern houses that the Fairchilds are a Myrish glassmaker and a Volantene lady instead of giving the truth. While this is to protect the Fairchilds from less scrupulous characters like Aerys and Roose Bolton, some like Wyman Manderly are able to figure out the truth.
    • He keeps Ned in the dark about Brandon's breach of guest rights, wanting the brothers to remain as close as possible for the shoe inevitably drops when Brandon formally announces he is no longer heir of Winterfell.
    • On a greater scale, Rickard is doing his damndest to keep the full extent of the Fairchilds presence in the North as quiet as possible from the South, especially from Aerys Targaryen who as of Chapter 13 has devolved into madness. He asks Steffen to downplay the Fairchilds' importance to the North by saying Cyril is a runaway Myrish glassmaker looking to escape some family drama regarding his marriage to Evetta.
  • Mirthless Laughter: After Cyril makes good on his word to pay rent, he delivers six crates full of glass; enough to build six greenhouses, enough to put a major dent in the North's dependence on the South for food in Winter, Rickard indulges in this, noting that in spite of the massive boon that just dropped in his lap, he would happily give it all away if it meant his son could stand beside him once more.
  • Parents as People: He genuinely wants to do good for his children, but he often struggles between being a parent and Lord Paramount of the North.
  • Plague of Good Fortune: By all rights, the wealth and acts of charity the Fairchilds throw his way are a massive boon to the North and increase House Stark's standing among the Northern nobility. The problem is that Rickard doesn't understand why Cyril is doing all this when he gets nothing out of it beyond being a good samaritan. After the Defiance of Duskendale passes and Aerys becomes a full-blown Caligula, he puts Cyril's gifts to good use and slowly starts preparations for the North to become independent from the South.
  • Sadistic Choice: Brandon's actions in Chapter 5 force him into one. Because his eldest son and heir committed a gross breach in Guest Rights, Rickard is faced with either disowning his son, or risk losing all the political clout House Stark built over the centuries. He chooses the former, but frames it as Brandon giving up his claim as heir in six years.
  • Too Good to Be True: This is his opinion of the Fairchilds' acts of charity and goodwill. Between this and them hailing from foreign lands, Rickard is certain they have a reason for doing what they do and not simply out of the goodness of their hearts.

    Brandon Stark, Heir of Winterfell 

Brandon Stark

Firstborn child of Rickard Stark and heir of House Stark in general.
  • Adaptational Badass: In canon, his only known achievement was beating a younger Petyr Baelish in a duel, and is never mentioned as being among the greats when others remember the most notable knights and swordsmen. Thanks to Cyril’s training, he manages to beat the Greatjon Umber, has won against every single challenger in the North, and is widely known for slaying an entire Ironborn raiding party. Afterwards, he’s known as the Northern Blade, and is frequently compared to the likes of Arthur Dayne, with the Martells even being concerned that he (or Ned) may end up taking his title of Westeros' greatest swordsman.
  • Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Downplayed. Unlike in the books, Brandon isn't arranged to marry Catelyn Tully as he was disinherited by Rickard for breaching Guest Rights.
  • All the Other Reindeer: After his massive blunder in Chapter 5, few in Winterfell are willing to interact with him, and those that do tend to give him the cold shoulder. That he's garnered such stigma is one of the reasons why Rickard acquiesced to Cyril's offer to train him and why he keeps Ned in the dark about Brandon breaking Sacred Hospitality.
  • Back Stab: He attempts this on Cyril, which obviously fails. Unfortunately for him and Rickard, this action damages Brandon's reputation irreparably since he just committed the biggest taboo in Westeros next to kinslaying, leaving Rickard with a Sadistic Choice to either disown him or risk losing political clout.
  • Defeat Means Friendship: Brandon gradually warms up and develops great respect for Cyril after the latter takes him on as a student following their duel in Chapter 5.
  • Defrosting Ice King: Brandon is initially hostile toward Cyril after seeing the stress Rickard is going through since Cyril's origins and clashing societal values confuse and frustrate him to no end. After Brandon's breach of Guest Rights and Cyril taking him on as a student, Brandon's opinion of the Hunter grows.
  • Didn't Think This Through: On paper, his plan to discredit or at least make Cyril Fairchild less impressive in a duel was solid. Unfortunately, he never banked on Cyril being such a Genius Bruiser who was practically dancing around him for the duration of their spar. His desperation to alleviate his father's concerns and make Cyril less of a "threat" causes him to break Guest Rights and attempt a Back Stab, costing him his reputation at Winterfell and forcing Rickard to strip him of his position as heir.
  • Red Baron: As of Chapter 15, Brandon's earned himself a reputation in Westeros in large part due to Cyril's training, having earned the moniker "The Northern Blade" by many.
  • Secret-Keeper: He's one of the few in Winterfell who knows the truth about the Fairchilds on account of his position as House Stark's heir. Unfortunately, all this does is propel Brandon to challenge Cyril to a duel after seeing the distress he's unintentionally caused his father. Said duel ends poorly and costs him and his father dearly.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Suffice to say, almost everyone except Rickard's closest and Brandon's siblings barring Ned (who is kept Locked Out of the Loop) are not happy with his colossal fuck-up, seeing as how he broke Sacred Hospitality and attempted to strike Cyril in the back. Rickard even notes how what Brandon did was so bad in Northern Westerosi culture that even the Night's Watch are unlikely to take someone who indulged in it.

    Eddard "Ned" Stark, Knight of the Vale 

Ned Stark

Secondborn child of Rickard Stark and Brandon's younger brother. Until recently, he trained under Jon Arryn alongside Robert Baratheon as the former's squire in the Vale.
  • Adaptational Badass: While Ned was known as an accomplished warrior in canon, he himself notes that he would have died against Arthur Dayne in his famed duel if not for Howland Reed (though the exact details surrounding the event have yet to be revealed in the book series). In this story, thanks to Cyril’s training and regular spars with Brandon, he’s become skilled enough to the point he’s compared more directly to Dayne; especially after he is knighted for single-handily killing a mountain war chief. He also further proves this, during the Harrenhal tournament, where he manages to win against the older Tygett Lannister; who killed three members of the Golden Company at age ten, and was noted to be only matched by Jaime as the Westerland’s best warrior. While more concerned with Brandon's skill, the Martells are also somewhat worried that Ned may end up taking Arthur Dayne's place as Westeros' greatest swordsman
  • Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
    • Downplayed. Rickard arranges for Ned and Catelyn Tully to marry once the former is ready to succeed him as Lord Paramount of the North. In the books, Catelyn was to marry his brother Brandon before his death at the hands of King Aerys.
    • In the books, Ned's thoughts and feelings toward Ashara Dayne are ambiguous. At the very least, Catelyn and a fair number of servants at Winterfell thought something was going on between them, and Jon Snow's birth mother was speculated to be Ashara until Ned forbid the topic of Ashara in Winterfell. In Book 2, Ned almost instantly falls head over heels for Ashara when House Stark arrives for the tourney at Harrenhal. The attraction seems to be reciprocated as Ashara danced with him not once, but three times.
  • Broken Pedestal: Like many aspiring knights, Ned idolized and looked up to Arthur Dayne, who is hailed as the strongest knight in Westeros' recent memory. His opinion of Arthur plummets after he learns of Rhaegar's visit to Lyanna and that Arthur did nothing despite the damage Rhaegar's visit would cause, both to Lyanna and to House Dayne were word to spread.
  • Everyone Has Standards: As much as he considers Robert Baratheon to be a brother in all but blood, even Ned can't bring himself to defend him when the Starks learn of Robert's more unsavory qualities. It's also the first red flag for Rickard that Robert and Lyanna's Arranged Marriage might be doomed to fail, if not make his daughter's life miserable.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Rickard purposely tells him nothing about Brandon breaking Guest Rights and that he's been stripped of his position as heir of Winterfell, if only to preserve the brotherly bond Ned and Brandon have before the shoe inevitably drops. That said, Ned can tell something is wrong at home when he sees how coldly the servants treat his older brother. By the same token, he is ready to intervene and beg Lord Fairchild to offer the Hunter's Contract to him rather than Brandon, thinking it is better if a second son rather than the standing heir takes the offer to join the insanely dangerous career of a Hunter.
  • Oh, Crap!: Upon hearing bandits are assaulting the Fairchild's manse, Eddard's first instinct is to grab a horse and make his way there. He's not at all concerned about the bandits or Cyril's safety, but rather Evetta's, as he points out to his father that he does not want to think about what sort of monster he'll see if Evetta is hurt or worse.
  • Red Baron: Like his elder brother, Ned's skills earned him no small amount of fame in Westeros, and is called "The Wolf Knight" by many.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Downplayed. Initially, he was the blue oni to Brandon's red, though the latter's tutilage under Cyril and loss of status as House Stark's heir has made him almost as leveled as his brother. It does still show up in places, especially combat: during the melee tournament at Harrenhal, it is noted that while Brandon unhorsed more men than any other participant, Ned was responsible for the North having more of their men make it to the final round, focusing more on defending and leading their team than attacking (though he still unhorsed a respectable number of opponents).

    Lyanna Stark, Lady of Winterfell 

Lyanna Stark

The youngest child of Rickard Stark's children and his sole daughter. Like her brothers, she possesses a warrior's spirit that often causes Rickard no small amount of trouble.
  • Action Girl: Downplayed. Compared to her brothers whose skills grow by leaps and bounds thanks to Cyril's training, Lyanna is still somewhat lacking in comparison. Not for a lack of trying, though. She even asks Cyril to teach her how to become a Hunter, only for Cyril to refuse by pointing out exactly how dangerous the Hunter lifestyle is.
  • Arranged Marriage: Much like in canon, she's engaged to Robert Baratheon. She is not at all happy about this since she's grown up seeing what a genuine and happy wedded life is like and is fully aware of how much a womanizer Robert is. Per Evetta and Cyril's suggestion, Lyanna tries to make the most of her situation and writes to Robert so as to give him a chance to prove her wrong.
  • In Love with Love: Downplayed. Between Rickard's faithfulness to his wife even after her passing and seeing how Happily Married Cyril and Evetta are, Lyanna wants nothing more than to be in a loving relationship. When she learns she's to wed Robert Baratheon, a skirt-chaser who not even Ned can honestly defend, she isn't happy and even begs Cyril to teach her how to become a Hunter so as to try and avoid her marriage.
  • Royal Brat: Heavily downplayed. She does have the requisite noble blood and storms out of the feast where her betrothal to Robert Baratheon is announced, but she does not make a scene, remembering the etiquette lessons she received from the Doll and especially since, even as angry as she is, she does not want to embarrass her father.
  • Spotting the Thread: After the singers tourney, Rhaegar makes an unexpected visit to her room, claiming he overheard her practicing on the way back to the royal apartments and was hoping to hear it for himself. It's only after he leaves that Lyanna remembers the royal apartments are on the other side of Harrenhal and realizes Rhaegar lied about overhearing her music in passing — at the very least, he would have to go out of his way to the Stark apartments to overhear her in the first place.
  • Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Despite her impulsive personality and interest in fighting, she quickly develops a love of classical music, greatly enjoying listening to Evetta's piano playing and learning how to play the violin under the tutelage of the Fairchilds.

    Benjen Stark, Youngest Child 

Benjen Stark

The youngest of the Stark siblings and Rickard's youngest son.
  • The Baby of the Bunch: Justified. Of the Stark children, Benjen is the youngest of four.
  • Out of Focus: Compared to the rest of his siblings, Benjen doesn't have nearly as much prominence in the story, mainly due to his youth.

Other Characters

    Luca Fairchild, Cainhurst Heir 

Luca Fairchild

The "son" of Cyril and Evetta Fairchild, and heir to the Cainhurst throne.
  • Ascended Extra: Downplayed. Luca is not a major character in the main story and has only been mentioned by Cyril and Evetta, but Word of God confirms he's the crystallized, stillborn fetus of the Pthumerian Queen, and as such, a new incarnation of Mergo.
  • Back from the Dead: Luca was stillborn and his corpse later made into the crystallized Yharnam Stone. He was somehow revived via unknown means, allowed to develop into an apparently normal human infant, and in later years, lives with Queen Annalise, who has adopted him as her heir apparent.
  • The Ghost: As of this writing, Luca has only been mentioned and has yet to make a physical appearance outside of a painting of him.
  • Humanoid Abomination: Like Cyril, Luca is a Great One who has taken on a human guise.
  • Noodle Incident: It isn't explained exactly how Cyril managed to resurrect what used to be a crystallized stillborn fetus, or why Cyril chose to adopt Luca.

    Annalise Vileblood, Queen of Cainhurst 

Annalise Vileblood

Queen of Cainhurst Castle and its residents, and "aunt" of Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower. After the events of the Yharnam's latest Hunt, she officially recognized the Plain Doll as a member of her family as her "great grand-niece". She is currently looking after Cyril and Evetta's 'son' Luca.
  • Affectionate Nickname: Evetta and Cyril address her as "grandmother" as shorthand for "great grand-aunt".
  • Family of Choice: She formally names the Plain Doll a member of her house through her connection to Lady Maria. Similarly, this also applies to Luca, the Fairchilds' adopted son who Annalise fosters and even names her heir.
  • The Ghost: Much like Luca, she has yet to make an appearance in the story.
  • Obnoxious In-Laws: It's implied that while she adores Luca (as she's named him heir apparent of Cainhurst), she's not fond of Cyril. When challenging Ned to a spar and the latter worries he might accidentally kill him because of his lack of protection, Cyril jokingly tells him that Annalise would knight him if he did.

    Robert Baratheon, Heir of Storm's End 

Robert Baratheon

The son and heir of Steffon Baratheon and their house, as well as Lyanna's betrothed and Eddard Stark's closest friend during his time in the Vale.
  • Adaptational Nice Guy: Maybe. It's never made clear whether Robert saw Lyanna as another notch on his belt or someone he genuinely loved, albeit in a very unhealthy manner. Here, Robert's attraction to Lyanna is genuine and makes efforts to prove himself to her when she gives him the opportunity. Part of this has to do with his parents' survival, though Word of God notes he's still a flawed individual, albeit one who's trying to make up for said flaws.
  • Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: While the nature of Robert and Lyanna's betrothal is subject to a ton of speculation in the books, the show made it abundantly clear Lyanna didn't want to marry Robert and even begged her father to annul the betrothal. The fanfic leans toward the latter interpretation, with Lyanna's refusal being rooted in having seen how devoted her father is to her late mother and how Happily Married Cyril and Evetta are. On the other hand, Lyanna does try and reach out to Robert by sending him letters so as to give him a chance.
  • Arranged Marriage: With Lyanna like in the books and TV show. Having seen how Happily Married the Fairchilds are, how faithful Rickard remains to her late mother, and hearing of how much of a skirt-chaser Robert is, Lyanna is not happy. The only reason she gives him a chance is because of Evetta's encouragement. Robert is presented as aware of how much he was coddled by Jon Arryn due to his martial skill, and has made slow steps at improving himself, one of them making genuine efforts at knowing Lyanna.
  • The Casanova: Ned's told his family about his constant skirt-chasing. This trait and the fear Robert might only see her as another notch on his belt is exactly why Lyanna is against the marriage.
  • Damned by Faint Praise: Defied. While he considers Robert a brother in all but blood, Ned can't bring himself to defend him when speaking of Robert to his family. This is the first red flag in Rickard's head as he now realizes he may have just trapped his only daughter in a loveless marriage.
  • Hidden Depths: Book 2 shows that Robert is genuinely aware of his faults and wants to fix them, or at least curb the worst of it. He's also aware of the growing tensions between the Seven Kingdoms and the Targaryens are reaching a boiling point and expects he will be called to action when things finally explode.
  • Inadequate Inheritor: Viewed by his father and himself. Robert knows he's not qualified to be the next head of the family and often dreamed of striking out on his own, but Steffon's survival and learning of his son's flaws made him take Robert's studies more seriously to the point of personally supervising him.

    Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King 

King Aerys II

The ruler of Westeros and patriarch of House Targaryen. Initially a poor leader driven by whims and flights of fancy, the events of the Defiance of Duskendale have made him a cold and brutal lord.
  • The Caligula: After Duskendale, Aerys became a paranoid wreck convinced everyone was out to get him. Anyone he suspects is very likely to be sent to the pyre.
  • The Dreaded: Even before he went bonkers, Rickard was afraid of angering Aerys or catching his attention and goes to great lengths to hide the Fairchilds' identities as foreign nobles out of fear in the event Aerys learns of their existence. The Defiance of Duskendale has only made him worse to where Rickard asks Steffon Baratheon not to speak of Evetta to Aerys.
  • The Ghost: While his presence looms over the Starks and Fairchilds, he has yet to make an appearance in the story.
  • Pyromaniac: Aerys' favorite method of disposing his enemies and anyone he suspects of being his enemy is sentenced to death a la being burned alive at the stake.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: He still forced Jaime into the Kingsguard, depriving Tywin of his preferred heir and son. Even Robert can see this can only end in trouble.
  • We Used to Be Friends: With Steffon Baratheon. Steffon himself notes how the dynamic between him, Aerys, and Tywin has changed to the point that as much as he would like to consider Rickard a friend, he doesn't want him to be "in poor company". In the second arc, Robert remembers how his father received a letter from Aerys following his "failure" to find Rhaegar a Valyrian bride; the contents of the letter are unknown, save that whatever was written made Steffon fly into a rage so violent even his wife couldn't console him and has ceased calling the Targaryens "kin".

    Melisandre, Red Priestess 

Melisandre

A priestess of the Essos god R'hllor. Sometime following Cyril Fairchild and Evetta's arrival in Westeros, she and a small band of her fellows travel to Winterfell in the hopes of discovering the reasons behind their magic inexplicably faltering.
  • Entertainingly Wrong: When Rickard asks her about the amount of magic it would take to improve a crop field, Melisandre assumes he's hoping to use her magic to help better the lives of people living in the North and sadly informs him that level of magic is found only in myths. In reality, Rickard was using her as a measure stick to compare her and her fellow priesthood's level of magic to Cyril's, with Melisandre's admission telling him Cyril's magic ability is on par with gods, if not close.
  • Glamour Failure: Downplayed. While her glamour fools most people, Rickard almost immediately notices the toll her brand of magic takes on her and compares her unfavorably to Cyril, who's own "seeming" feats of magic are performed effortlessly.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Something Melisandre recognizes after she meets Rickard. As of the second arc, Rickard's reputation and recent boons thanks to Cyril have reached Essos, with Melisandre initially having a low opinion of him, partly because he doesn't believe in R'hllor and mostly because of his seeming "power hungry" nature. Once she meets with him proper and he offers guest rights until she and her band make for the lands beyond the Wall that her opinion greatly improves once she realizes he's a genuinely good lord. Melisandre also mistakes his question of whether magic could be used to improve crop yields in the North as him hoping to use her talents to improve life in Winterfell and the people under his care, not realizing he's asking for a measure of how powerful Cyril's magic is compared to hers.

    Rhaegar Targaryen, Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms 

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen

The son of Aerys II Targaryen and prince of the Iron Throne.
  • The Ace: As in canon, Rhaegar is noted to be exceptionally good looking, and is talented enough in the harp that Lyanna is impressed even while having Lady Evetta as a comparison.
  • Adaptational Jerkass: In a manner of speaking - due to being a Posthumous Character, most of what we hear about Rhaegar comes from secondhand sources, and according to those who liked him but weren't blind to his faults (read: Barristan), he was the archetypical Knight in Shining Armor. In just his first appearance in this story, he comes off as quite creepy in his interactions with Lyana, and also seems to brush off concerns about his wife Elia (who is going through a very stressful pregnancy). There's a tiny implication that the prophecy he received about House Targaryen in canon is weighing more heavily on him now with his father's obvious decline, but again, it's a tiny implication.
  • Blatant Lies: In Book 2 Chapter 2, he tells Lyanna he overheard her music while walking to the royal apartments and wished for a private concert. It's only after he leaves Lyanna remembers the royal apartments are on the other side of Harrenhal, meaning there's no way he would have overheard her music, while just walking by.
  • The Charmer: Zig-zagged. He’s noted to have the almost supernatural Targaryen good looks, and can sing and play the harp well enough that practically every woman in attendance is openly lustful for him. However, it’s averted on Lyanna, who regards his music with a more critical mindset, and is deeply disconcerted and uncomfortable in his intruding into her apartment while her brother’s are away.

    Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper 

Oberyn Martell

The Red Viper, second Prince of Dorne, and brother to Elia Martell, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's wife.

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