[Night's Watch — Lore]
Jon joins the Night's Watch and is later elected as Lord Commander . As a result of several controversial decisions, such as allowing the wildlings to settle south of the Wall , Jon is murdered in a mutiny , but is resurrected by the red priestess Melisandre .
Jon and Robb instruct Bran in archery, when their father receives word about a captured deserter from the Night's Watch , for which the penalty is death. Jon accompanies his father, Robb, Bran, Theon, Rodrik, and Jory Cassel , Rodrik's nephew. out to the holdfast where the deserter, Will , is being held. It is Bran's first time watching his father carry out an execution , but as the deserter is brought into position outside, Jon warns Bran not to look away, as their father will know. Jon praises Bran afterwards for keeping his composure. On their way back to Winterfell, they find a dead direwolf - a species not seen south of the Wall in centuries - and her newborn pups.
Sam appeals to Jon to aid Craster's pregnant daughter-wife Gilly . She is afraid of having a son, but will not say why. Jon is frustrated and refuses to disobey Jeor's order to leave Craster's wives alone. Jon sees Craster carrying a newborn into the woods and follows him. He sees Craster leave the child for a White Walker but does not recognize the creature hidden in the shadows. Craster spots him and knocks him out. Craster disarms Jon and drags him back to his keep. He expels the rangers from his home. Jeor reveals that he knew that Craster was sacrificing his sons, but chose to ignore it because of his usefulness as an ally of the Night's Watch.
In Winterfell, after Theon betrays House Stark and takes the castle , he refuses to flee and join the Night's Watch when he is surrounded by Ramsay Snow 's men, claiming that Jon will likely kill him for betraying the Starks and apparently burning Bran and Rickon alive (in actuality, Theon faked their deaths).
Mance says he is glad that Jon killed Qhorin, as he had killed many of Mance's wildlings. Mance asks Jon why he wants to join them and he replies he wants to be free, but Mance doesn't believe this. Jon then explains that when the Night's Watch camped at Craster's Keep, he saw Craster leave his newborn son in the woods as an offering, and the inhuman creature that took it. Jon says that he wants to leave the Night's Watch, because he is disgusted that Mormont already knew what Craster was doing but did nothing to stop it. Jon states that the First Men he is descended from defeated the White Walkers once during the Long Night , and that now he wants "to fight for the side who fights for the living." Mance is satisfied and advises Jon to get a new cloak, his black one clearly attracting malignity.
Meanwhile, at the Dreadfort , when Theon is pressed by Roose Bolton for information on the whereabouts of Bran and Rickon, he reluctantly guesses that they may try to head to Jon at Castle Black. At Ramsay's suggestion, Jon becomes a target of the Boltons, since Ramsay reasons that even though Jon may be a bastard, he is still a son of Ned Stark, and may pose a threat to the Boltons' future hold on the North, either because the Northerners who are still furious at the Boltons for betraying the Starks may rally behind him even though he is a bastard in the Night's Watch, or because Jon may simply seek revenge on both Roose and Ramsay for their role in the Starks' downfall at Red Wedding. Roose subsequently sends his hunter, Locke , to the Wall in order to infiltrate the Watch, use Jon to find Bran and Rickon and then kill them all, promising a lordship as a reward.
After the fight, Jon and the others count five dead amongst the Watch, including Locke, whose neck was snapped in a way that terrifies Jon (Jon being completely unaware that Locke had been killed by a Bran-possessed Hodor ). He then reunites with Ghost, before turning to Craster's wives and offering them refuge at Castle Black. They decline, saying that after the abuse they took at other members of the Night's Watch they can't trust them and will go their own way. Before leaving, they set a torch to Craster's Keep, burning it to the ground.
Atop the Wall, Jon and Sam are staring out into the darkness of the north and awaiting the imminent wildling invasion. Sam attempts to interrogate Jon about what it was like to be with a woman, stating that as their deaths are likely imminent, it may be his last chance to find out. Sam brings up that the vows of the Night's Watch only explicitly forbid members from taking wives or producing children, and that other "activities" are open to interpretation. Jon replies glumly that Alliser most likely does not care about their interpretations. When further pressed by Sam to describe lying down with Ygritte, Jon attempts to explain but is unable to properly express it, proclaiming exasperatedly that he is "not a bleeding poet." Jon offers to take the watch up alone so Sam can go below.
Stannis and Davos summon Jon to discuss his future. Stannis shows him a letter delivered by messenger- raven from Lyanna Mormont saying she would only pledge her House to a member of House Stark. Stannis offers a simple solution: as king, he will officially legitimize Jon and make him Lord of Winterfell. Later that day, the choosing for the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch has begun, and many brothers of the Night's Watch have assembled to vote for either Thorne (who is fervently supported by Janos) or Ser Denys Mallister commander of the Shadow Tower.
After hearing from Jon that he intends to refuse Stannis's offer and stay true to his vows, Sam nominates Jon as the third candidate and recounts how he took command of the defense of Castle Black (including the fact that Thorne fought bravely and Slynt was cowering in the pantry with Gilly) and was willing to sacrifice himself to stop Mance. With the votes cast, Aemon and his aide tally the tokens and a tie is declared between Jon and Thorne. Aemon feels around in his hands for his voting chip and produces a circle token and adds it to Jon's stack amidst cheers and laughter, as Jon has been chosen as the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
Jon is approached by Stannis and Davos about the offer of legitimization. As the new Lord Commander, Jon reminds the king that his place is with the Night's Watch, even though his dream was to be a Stark. Stannis, a man of duty, respects his decision to keep his vow and tells Jon he intends to march on Winterfell within a fortnight since the Night's Watch cannot afford to feed both his army and the wildling prisoners. He also recommends sending Thorne to command Eastwatch-by-the-Sea], and that executing the wildling prisoners would be the safest choice. Stannis then leaves, but Davos stays behind and tries to further persuade Jon to help Stannis retake the North. Davos iterates that the Night's Watch is "the shield that guards the realms of men", telling Jon that it may not just mean protecting the Seven Kingdoms from beyond the Wall, but possibly taking part in battles in order to prevent the Seven Kingdoms from suffering, such as the North will under Bolton rule.
During Jon's first general meeting of the garrison in the main hall as Lord Commander, he starts with some levity by assigning a black brother to oversee the digging of a new latrine pit. He also acknowledges Ser Alliser Thorne as an experienced and valuable member of the Night's Watch by naming him First Ranger . Jon then orders Slynt to man and repair Greyguard , a ruined castle. Janos refuses to obey and Jon reminds him that this is a direct order. Janos then refuses him a third time and Jon asks Janos if he's refusing to obey the order. Janos publicly insults him, telling Jon, "You can stick your order up your bastard ass." Jon orders Janos to be taken outside, and calls for Olly to fetch him Longclaw, while Janos insists Jon is mistaken if he thinks he can frighten him.
Jon continues to train new recruits, with Stannis, Selyse , Shireen , and Melisandre observing him, with Stannis implying that he does not believe Jon to be Eddard's bastard son - saying that Eddard was always an honorable man and it wasn't in his character to randomly have sex with some tavern whore. Later, Sam presents him with requests to the Northern Lords for men for the Night's Watch.
Later at Winterfell, Ramsay mentions to Sansa that Jon has been made the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, citing Jon as an example of a bastard who rose high in the world, claiming that if Jon did it, then so can he.
Jon discusses with Sam the war against the White Walkers, and his increasingly strained relationship with the rest of the Night's Watch. Sam asks for leave to take Gilly and her baby with him to Oldtown , where he will train to become a maester. Sam reasons that he is better suited to the life of a maester than a warrior, and that the Night's Watch needs to fill the gap left by the late Aemon Targaryen. Jon is reluctant, as he has few friends nowadays, and also points out that as a maester, Sam's vow of chastity will be doubly prevalent, before finding out that Sam and Gilly have had sex already (to Jon's amusement). Jon eventually agrees to Sam's request and sees him off.
Ramsay, Smalljon Umber , and Harald Karstark meet with Jon, Sansa, Tormund, Davos, and Lyanna at the battlefield the day before the battle. Jon offers Ramsay a chance to settle their dispute in one on one combat but Ramsay refuses, citing his almost certain victory due to his significantly larger army. Ramsay offers surrender terms saying he will pardon Jon for breaking his Night's Watch vows if he will hand Sansa over, which is ignored. Sansa asks for proof of Rickon's capture, which he provides by way of the decapitated head of his direwolf, Shaggydog. Sansa refuses the terms of surrender, and tells Ramsay he will die the following day before riding off.
The Unsullied imprison Jon for Daenerys's assassination. At a Great Council in the Dragonpit , where Jon and Tyrion are to be put on trial, only Tyrion is present with Grey Worm telling Sansa the Unsullied will decide Jon's fate. Sansa objects. Tyrion convinces Grey Worm to allow the new King of the Andals and the First Men to decide Jon's punishment since the crime was committed in Westeros. Ultimately, Bran is elected as the king and decides to exile Jon to the Night's Watch in order to avoid a war between the North and the Unsullied. The new Hand of the King, Tyrion, later visits a dejected Jon and informs him he will be exiled to the Night's Watch. When Jon asks if there still is a Night's Watch, Tyrion responds the world still needs a refuge for bastards and broken men. Jon asks if what he did was right and Tyrion responds they did it together. Jon says killing Daenerys doesn't feel right. Tyrion tells Jon to ask him again in 10 years. Jon tells Tyrion he doesn't think they'll ever meet again but Tyrion responds he might want to piss off the top of the Wall after serving a few years as the Hand.
Since he was raised by Ned at Winterfell, Jon has adopted a clear moral compass and a true sense of honor, which he tries his hardest to abide by even when he must make a difficult decision, especially after he became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He has always admired and idolized his father, but due to Catelyn's cold disdain for Jon, Eddard was careful not to give him more attention than his lawful children by Catelyn. Catelyn was never actively mean to Jon, but because he wasn't her own son she intentionally ignored him (as is common for bastard children), meaning that Jon grew up without a mother-figure. Nor did Jon consider Catelyn's behavior to be unusual or unexpected: it is rare for a noble to raise their bastard child alongside their lawful children, and his presence was a great insult to her honor.
Like many bastard children, Jon had to learn to grow up quickly. This made Jon mature and perceptive beyond his age, so he could navigate his complicated relationships within the Stark household. His bastard status has also made Jon something of a loner, solemn and somber with a desire to prove himself to society and to his father. Jon thought that the best way for a bastard in his position to gain honor and respect was to join the Night's Watch, emulating his uncle Benjen, because past social status is ignored after joining the Watch. Despite his introverted demeanor, Jon is very compassionate and protective of his fellow outcasts such as Sam, Grenn, and Pyp.
The Starks were an interfaith household, with Eddard and Catelyn's children being exposed to not only the religion of the Old Gods worshiped by most Northmen, but also Catelyn's devout adherence to the Faith of the Seven. Because Jon had no real interaction with Catelyn and revered his father Eddard, he was not exposed to the Seven but proudly keeps to the Old Gods, and honors the traditions of his First Men ancestors. When Jon took his vow to become a member of the Night's Watch, he chose to do so in front of a heart tree, sacred to the Old Gods.
Jon is also fairly shy around women, and as he revealed to Samwell, he was a virgin when he joined the Night's Watch. While he was attractive enough, as a bastard son with nothing to inherit he had no realistic marriage prospects with noblewomen. Jon was even wary of having sex with random girls or prostitutes (as Theon did) because he was terrified of fathering a bastard of his own: having lived his life as a bastard, he felt that it wasn't a life another child should have to go through.
However, death has changed Jon. Despite his honorable convictions and previous commitment to the Night's Watch, his experience of being murdered by his own men and then revived has made Jon somewhat more cynical and nihilistic. No longer believing in himself and his ability to face the coming threat, due to being murdered for doing what he thought was right - Jon abandons the Night's Watch, despite knowing full well how dangerous the threat looming beyond the Wall really is. He loses his determination about fighting and becomes much more lonely and melancholic only speaking when he hasn't any other choice. Also, Jon feels remorse for hanging his former steward Olly, even though the latter did murder both him and the woman he loved. While he is wary of conflict since his return, his love for his family has brought him back into the fight. To this end, Jon chooses his family over the Night's Watch - a choice he once attempted to make when Robb marched off to war but forsook in the past. When Ramsay decides to play a "game" with Rickon, Jon once again chooses his family by attempting to save his little brother's life, even at the cost of his own life and battle plans.
Jon severely burned his right hand when he killed the wight Othor to save Jeor Mormont's life. While he lost no function in it, as a result of the burns his right hand and some of his forearm were left covered in scar tissue, which would never heal back to normal. People tend not to notice, because in the cold temperatures at the Wall and beyond, Jon and other members of the Night's Watch usually wear heavy gloves over both hands.
Jon didn't see a White Walker taking one of Craster's sons in the forest as he did in the TV series. When Mance Rayder later asks him why he would betray the Night's Watch to join the wildlings, Jon instead point out that it is because he will always be treated with scorn as a bastard, pointing out how back at the feast of Winterfell he wasn't allowed to sit at the main table with the "real" Starks.
Unbeknown to Jon, Cersei plots against him: she receives his letter that the Night's Watch takes no side, asking for arms and manpower, but has given Stannis food and shelter. She informs the small council, claiming this is treason. Most of the council members suggest imposing sanctions on the Night's Watch. Qyburn has a more devious plan: to send a hundred men to the Wall, allegedly to take the black, but in truth to kill Jon. Cersei accepts Qyburn 's advice and intends to send Osney Kettleblack with a hundred men to the Wall for that purpose, but as things turn to be, that scheme is never executed.
Jon also meets Tycho Nestoris , a representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos who has come to negotiate with Stannis, due to Cersei's consistent refusal to pay the crown's debts. Jon secures a loan from Nestoris for ships and food for the Night's Watch, and instructs him on where to find Stannis and warn him of the Karstarks' betrayal.
As Jon prepares to head out to Hardhome to rescue them, he receives a letter from Ramsay (often referred to as "the Pink Letter"), who taunts Jon by claiming that he has killed Stannis, destroyed his army and taken Mance prisoner, and demanding his bride , " Reek ", Melisandre, Stannis's family, Mance's son and sister-in-law. Ramsay closes the letter by threatening to march on the Wall and destroy the Night's Watch if Jon does not agree, and "I will cut out your bastard heart and eat it."
Jon now realizes that he can't defend Castle Black from attack from the south (the Wall is located north of the castle) even as the Boltons are tearing the realm apart from the south. He reads the letter aloud in Castle Black's courtyard, and announces that he will ride south to confront and kill Ramsay himself - which might be construed as breaking the Watch's strict vow of political neutrality. Jon argues that the neutrality goes both ways, and Ramsay cannot just threaten to kill the head of the Night's Watch with impunity. Jon ultimately receives a very similar letter in the TV series, although it is after his resurrection - and unlike in the novels, Sansa is there to witness it (Sansa never married Ramsay in the novels, so this change was thrown in to increase the emotional impact of the scene - which could also explain delaying the letter until after Jon abandoned the Night's Watch).
But this is the last straw for many of the older Watch officers who were growing increasingly annoyed at Jon's decisions, especially about accepting the wildlings to the Watch. Moreover, they had the somewhat legitimate fear that if Jon fought Ramsay and lost , the Boltons would destroy the entire Night's Watch on the accusation that they were implicit in his actions. As Jon is preparing to leave, a fight breaks out with the giant Wun Wun . Jon tries to talk everyone down to prevent more loss of life and the mutineers choose the moment to stab Jon. The mutineers are led not by Alliser Thorne (who has been sent earlier by Jon to scout beyond the Wall and has not returned, his fate is unknown) but by Bowen Marsh, who openly weeps as he does so very reluctantly and says "for the Watch." Subsequent mutineers each walk up and stab Jon as well, but as he loses consciousness he doesn't recognize them (the chapter is narrated from Jon's POV). Olly is not present as the character was invented for the TV series and doesn't exist in the novels - he is loosely a condensation of half a dozen other characters Jon trusted. Jon collapses, smoke rising from his wounds, and the last word he utters is " Ghost ..." as he hears his direwolf howling.
Davos starts stating Jon's own achievements during his time as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch up until the moment he was crowned King by the Northmen, all of which Jon has achieved not by virtue of inheritance, as he has none due to being an illegitimate son, but rather, by his deeds and the faith his fellow Northmen have in him whose respect Jon gained as a leader. Both Daenerys and Tyrion notice something off in Davos's speech about Jon " taking a knife to the heart ." As Davos speaks of Jon, it becomes apparent to Daenerys that Jon, like her, did not take power for the sake of taking it and his journey to his present standings was every bit as fraught with sacrifice and hardship as hers.
The sight of the Red Keep and the sound of its tolling bell triggered something in Daenerys and finally caused her to snap. She seemingly showed no mercy as thousands of innocent people died in dragonfire, and shocked her allies with the devastation she wrought. Daenerys appeared to turn into a worse tyrant than those she set out to eliminate, posing an ethical dilemma for her former lover and prime claimant to the Iron Throne, Jon Snow, whom Daenerys hoped would join her in ruling her new world. After discussing the recent turn of events and the dramatic shift in Daenerys's personality with an incarcerated Tyrion, Jon made the fateful decision to end her reign before it began; for the good of the realm and its people - the same values that the Night's Watch and his own experiences had long instilled in him - Jon tearfully plunged his dagger into Daenerys's heart. Whether she truly succumbed to the Targaryen Madness or not, in the end she became like her father, the one thing she did not want to be, and tragically suffered the same fate as him; stabbed to death by one she thought truly loyal to her.
Tyrion warns Varys not to underestimate him after the Spider discovers Shae's presence and lets Tyrion know that he is aware of her. During a Small Council session, Tyrion finds himself the only sympathetic ear to a request by the Night's Watch for aid from the throne. He also criticizes Cersei's lack of talent for diplomacy when she rejects peace terms from Robb Stark brought by their cousin Ser Alton Lannister . Tyrion invites Lord Janos Slynt for dinner and gets him to confess his part in the recent massacre of King Robert 's bastards as well as his part in the betrayal of Eddard. After openly noting Slynt's lack of honor, Tyrion has Lord Janos exiled to the Wall as punishment, and installs Bronn as commander of the City Watch in his place.
In his cell, Tyrion and Jaime discuss Tyrion's fate and the irony of Lord Tywin striking down both his heirs if Jaime were to die being Tyrion's champion, Jaime angry with Tyrion for not seizing Tywin's offer of the Night's Watch, to which Tyrion replies that Shae's lies ended that possibility. Jaime declines to be Tyrion's champion as he cannot fight well enough with his left hand.
Later, Tyrion visits Jon and informs him that a compromise has been reached and he is going back to the Night's Watch . Jon accepts this and asks Tyrion if what he did was right . "What we did," Tyrion corrects. Jon says it doesn't feel right. They bid farewell, Tyrion telling Jon they'll see each other again, saying he wants to "go pissing off the Wall again" after serving for a few years as the Hand. Tyrion reforms the Small Council , now consisting of Bronn, now the Lord of Highgarden , as Master of Coin , Davos as Master of Ships , Sam as Grand Maester and Brienne as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard . He also seems to have retrieved the silver hand brooch that was gifted to him by Daenerys, indicating that despite having ended their relationship on bad terms, he still believed in who she used to be and the wheel she wanted to break.
Cersei persuades Sansa to write a letter asking her brother Robb to bend the knee to Joffrey in return for her father's life. Sansa agrees, but the plan backfires, as the letter merely encourages Robb to raise an army and march into the Riverlands to confront the Lannister armies directly. In open court, Cersei encourages Sansa to make a new plea to Joffrey for her father's life. Joffrey agrees to spare him and let him join the Night's Watch , if Eddard recants the claims he has made about Joffrey not being the true king. Sansa is sure he will.
Cersei rejects King Robb Stark 's peace terms and refuses a request for aid from the Night's Watch , ignoring news of wights attacking the Lord Commander Mormont . Tyrion ousts Lord Janos Slynt as commander of the City Watch for his part in the massacre as well as his betrayal of Ned Stark. Cersei angrily confronts him for displacing her loyal servant.
Cersei's paranoia also leads to her plotting to have Jon Snow killed, fearing that as Ned Stark's (presumed) last surviving son, he may rally the Night's Watch against the Lannisters; that plot is never realized, though. She also places a bounty on Tyrion, promising a lordship to whoever brings her his head, which leads to the deaths of many dwarfs and even ordinary children on both sides of the Narrow Sea. Cersei refuses to publicly punish anyone who kills an innocent, however, fearing that doing so will discourage other bounty hunters and allow Tyrion to escape.
Jaime is ordered by his father to have Tyrion shackled before his trial. It is clear that the trial is a farce, as Tyrion has no one to speak for him, and Cersei has gathered numerous witnesses to provide circumstantial evidence against her brother, all of whom miss out key contextual details. At recess, an angered Jaime goes to Tywin and offers him a deal; he will leave the Kingsguard and take his place as Tywin's heir if Tyrion's life is spared. Tywin immediately agrees, saying that Tyrion will be declared guilty and allowed to join the Night's Watch. Tywin's rapid agreement makes Jaime realize that this was his plan from the start, but he nevertheless agrees. Before the trial resumes, he tells Tyrion of the plan, but can only watch as Shae 's testimony sends Tyrion over the edge, resulting in him demanding a trial by combat .
She overhears Varys and Illyrio Mopatis plotting about the likelihood of future war between the Starks and Lannisters and the possible timing of Khal Drogo bringing his army across the Narrow Sea with the Targaryen exiles. Following them, Arya finds a passage out of the castle and then must confront and threaten the castle guards in order to get back in. Her father is angry, as he has had people looking for her. She tries to tell him about the conspirators she overheard, but cannot identify them and has forgotten most of the details, other than "the wolf and the lion" (the Starks and Lannisters) fighting each other. Eddard introduces her as his daughter to Yoren , a recruiter for the Night's Watch . Disheveled and unclean, Arya is at first mistaken by him as a boy, to her annoyance.
Arya asks for Yoren's advice on living with the tragedies she has suffered, and he tells her the story of how thoughts of revenge resulted in his committing murder and having to join the Night's Watch. He became obsessed with Willem, the man who killed his brother, and recited his name over and over at night before he slept. Then when Willem returned to Yoren's village, Yoren killed him and had to flee his village. Losing his life and future, he had to take the black. Arya doesn't understand the point of the story: Yoren was trying to tell her not to be obsessed by thoughts of revenge as it will consume her, but Arya heard that she should chant the names of her enemies each night before she slept, almost like a prayer, until the day she can get revenge. The Gold Cloaks return, having enlisted the support of Ser Amory Lorch and Lannister men. Yoren dies heroically defending Gendry, but the recruits are overcome by the group. During the skirmish , a fire starts near the cage where Jaqen and his companions are being held. Arya saves them by risking the flames to give them an ax to help them get out. Polliver steals Needle from Arya. Arya convinces Ser Amory that he has killed Gendry because another recruit died while he was carrying Gendry's bull's head helm.
Yoren does not tell Arya the story about Willem and how he came to be part of the Night's Watch. Reciting the names of her enemies is something that she starts doing on her own. Yoren does tell her that her father was not supposed to die that day. The reason Yoren was in the Sept of Baelor and not already on the road is because he was told by Varys , the same man that came bringing Gendry, that Lord Eddard was to be given mercy, allowed to take the black, and would be traveling back with him to the Wall. When he says something must have gone wrong, Arya replies, "Joffrey. Someone should kill him."
Around this time, Arya crosses paths with Sam on his way to Oldtown and saves him from two bullies. Sam tells Arya his name, but she does not reveal her true identity, thus they remain in the dark about their mutual connection to Jon Snow, and the opportunity for a reunion of Starks is lost. By meeting Sam, Arya also recognizes a Night's Watch deserter (Sam's companion) who spends a good deal of time with her Braavosi friends. At first, she plans to ask him to take her back to the Wall with him so she can reunite with Jon, but Dareon announces that he plans to make a life for himself in Braavos. Arya kills him, and since he never harmed her - she excuses the deed by claiming that he broke his vows; she ignores the fact that they are out of Westeros, and that she dissociated herself from her past - thus she has no right to kill the deserter. For this, she is given warm milk by the kindly man, and wakes up the next morning blind.
Sansa learns that her half-brother Jon has recently been elected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch when Ramsay tells her that even bastards can rise high in the world, citing Jon's rise in the Night's Watch to Lord Commander. As they descend into the courtyard, Sansa pockets a corkscrew while Ramsay reveals that Reek reported the candle to him, and Ramsay responded by flaying Sansa's elderly maid. He forces Sansa to view her maid's corpse. She is then ordered back to her chambers.
On the way to Castle Black, Brienne reveals to Sansa how she briefly met Arya near the Bloody Gate. Sansa is delighted to hear that her sister is still alive and well. Theon decides to part with the group and head to the Iron Islands . Sansa implores Theon to come with them as Jon will protect them from Ramsay but Theon refuses, fearing Jon will have him executed as Theon betrayed Robb, beheaded their master-at-arms Ser Rodrik, and killed those two boys. Sansa promises Theon she will tell Jon the truth about Bran and Rickon being alive, that Theon didn't kill them, and wants him to join the Night's Watch so all his crimes can be forgiven. Theon responds he still killed two farm boys and reminds Sansa of his crimes against House Stark, for which Jon will never forgive him. He reveals he does not want to be forgiven as he can never make up for his crimes against Sansa and Jon's family. When Sansa realizes that Theon cannot be convinced to come with them, she bids him farewell, and the two share a tender hug.
Afterwards, Sansa has a harrowing experience as a prisoner of the Lannisters, a plaything for the psychopathic Joffrey to have publicly beaten by his guards for petty amusement. Her shock at the death of her father was only later deepened at the news of how her mother and brother Robb were horrifically killed at the Red Wedding and their corpses desecrated. She was visibly elated upon hearing that Arya, Bran, and Rickon were actually still alive, and though she took mostly after her mother and had a somewhat distant relationship with Jon, she loved him all the same. She was surprised to hear that Jon had become Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and Jon was the first person she turns to for shelter after escaping Winterfell, aware that he would protect her from Ramsay.
During her time in the Vale, Sansa becomes more astute in political affairs as the protégé of Littlefinger. This subtle change in her personality is different from the more drastic one in the show. She watches Littlefinger's manipulations of Lord Nestor Royce and the Lords Declarant, but generally remains timid, passive and obedient as ever: she never questions Littlefinger's actions and plans; when he tells that he intends to wed her to Harrold Harding, she does not object even slightly (only pointing out that she is still married to Tyrion); she has no idea about the current events out of the Vale and particularly in the North (except she learns her half-brother Jon has become the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch), that Edmure is held captive at the Twins, and that Riverrun is under siege ; she does not even know who currently holds her home and does not bother to ask; she does not take any actions to help either her uncle or her great-uncle .
Robb and Jon help Bran during his archery training, at which he is doing rather poorly. Robb instructs Bran to relax his bow arm; however, Bran's application of this somehow makes this his worst shot. Robb, Jon, and Rickon burst into laughter, and are accosted by Ned, remarking that neither Robb nor Jon was a skilled archer at Bran's age. Suddenly, Arya hits Bran's bullseye with an arrow before Bran can. Bran chases Arya while Ned, Catelyn, Robb, and Jon laugh until Ned receives news that a Night's Watch deserter has been found.
Upon arriving at the Wall, Bran and Meera are greeted by the men of the Night's Watch, led by Acting Lord Commander Eddison Tollett . To Edd's surprise, Bran is already aware of his service in the Night's Watch and knowledge of the White Walkers, having witnessed everything from the weirwood tree. Convinced of their identities, Edd and the Rangers escort Bran and Meera to Castle Black.
In order to repair the damage brought upon by his predecessor , Bran appoints Tyrion as his Hand of the King despite Grey Worm's opposition. The siblings later bid a final farewell to Jon who is exiled to the Night's Watch by Bran, in order to prevent a war between his supporters and the Unsullied . Later, during the first Small Council meeting, he asks if they have heard where Drogon went. When they are unable to give a satisfying answer, he decides to look for the dragon himself.
In the television series, the character Coldhands is left out. So Sam helps them to the other side without his instruction while the children make their way to the cave on their own. There is not, however, any interaction between Bran and the Night's Watch mutineers or Vargo Hoat (Locke's literary counterpart), these subplots having been added in order to stretch out Bran's storyline and avoid completing his A Dance With Dragons chapters. Also, while Jojen dies during the battle with the wights outside of the cave in season four, he survives to enter the cave in the novels, though he is weak and depressed.
Thorne is furious at Jon's actions and confronts him and Sam. He tells them of the harsh conditions that exist beyond the Wall and claims men are driven to do terrible things to survive out there, especially in winter. He says that by avoiding the harsh discipline of the Night's Watch , they are condemning themselves to death.
After the trainees are named men of the Night's Watch and Samwell is assigned to the stewards, specifically to the service of Maester Aemon . When Jon complains about his appointment as a steward to Lord Commander Jeor Mormont , Sam points out that Mormont could be grooming him for command. Sam, feeling that his own gods have abandoned him, elects to say his oath to the Watch before a heart tree like Jon, hoping that the Old Gods would answer his prayers in a way that the Seven never did. After the ceremony, they are surprised when Ghost arrives, carrying a severed hand in his mouth.
When the traitors of the Night's Watch kill Craster and Jeor Mormont, Sam rushes to Gilly's hut and orders her that they have to escape now or they never will. Sam runs out of Craster's Keep with Gilly and her baby, as loyal Night's Watch members fall to the mutineers, who also kill and/or rape Craster's other wives. Gilly leads the way into the night because she knows the woods around her home. Covered in Mormont's blood, Rast shouts into the darkness that "Piggy" can run for now, but he'll soon be cutting Sam's throat too.
Following their encounter with the White Walker, Sam and Gilly continued their journey south to Castle Black. While they were still a considerable distance from their destination, Sam knew that they were approaching Nightfort , the original headquarters of the Night's Watch which was located between Castle Black and Beyond the Wall. Nightfort had been abandoned centuries ago when the Night's Watch's numbers dwindled.
Sam is reading a book on previous Lord Commanders while Princess Shireen Baratheon , his second cousin, teaches Gilly how to read. He also learns how the young princess survived Greyscale and that Gilly also had sisters who perished from the disease. At the choosing for the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Jon reveals Stannis's offer of legitimization to Sam. Jon states that it was always his dream to be Lord of Winterfell , but he reveals that he will decline the king's offer, much to Sam's surprise. When Maester Aemon asks if there are any more candidates wishing to run against Ser Alliser Thorne and Ser Denys Mallister, Sam puts Jon's name forward as a candidate. Janos Slynt mocks Sam by calling him "Slayer" and pointing out his love for Gilly being similar to Jon's love for Ygritte, and Sam retaliates by publicly mocking Slynt for hiding in the pantry with Gilly and her baby during the wildling attack.
Sam reminds all of the black brothers present that Jon was Jeor Mormont 's personal steward, that he led the force to deal with the mutineers at Craster's Keep, and took command of Castle Black's garrison during the wildling attack when Thorne was wounded. Sam's speech ultimately results in Jon being chosen as the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
At a meeting of the Night's Watch, Jon questions Sam about Maester Aemon's absence. He reports that Aemon apologizes for his absence because he is not feeling well. Jon tells Sam to take good care of the old maester. Sam later witnesses Jon personally behead Janos Slynt for refusing to obey orders.
After arriving in Oldtown, Sam and Gilly meet a Citadel maester . Sam gives him a letter from Jon about Sam becoming a maester for the Night's Watch, but the maester is skeptical about Jon's state, saying that no word was given about Lord Commander Mormont's death from Maester Aemon.
Undaunted, Sam decides to treat Jorah and secretly visits his quarters after dark. He tells Jorah, "You're not dying today," reveals himself to be a sworn brother of the Night's Watch, that he served under Jorah's father, the late Lord Commander Jeor Mormont and was present when he died. Sam gives Jorah rum to drink after taking a fortifying swig himself, telling him that the process will be painful. Sam also provides Jorah with a mouthguard so he can focus on biting down on it to help muffle his screams, as he explains that he's performing the procedure without permission. Sam's plan involves using a scalpel to separate and cut away Jorah's infected skin and then applying ointment to the exposed layer, though Jorah gives him a look that tells Sam he shouldn't bother trying to explain it to him. Despite experiencing the pain of having a patch of greyscale skin debrided, Jorah nods his consent for Sam to continue the debridement.
When he comes to Castle Black, it is quickly realized that he is not a great warrior, but Sam makes up for it considerably by being highly intelligent and observant. He shows himself to be so insightful that he assures Jon that Lord Commander Mormont is seeking to groom him for command based on the duties that being a squire would entail. Sam has an encyclopedic knowledge of Westerosi history, including the history of the Night's Watch, and is deeply fascinated by that history, to such an extent that his fellow sworn brothers often find him annoying for it. Even Jeor Mormont recognized Sam's intelligence and commended him for it. Those who could see through Sam's gluttony and cowardice would realize how clever and valuable a person he was. Sam loves to read books at any given opportunity, so much that the blind Maester Aemon easily deduced that Sam had come to see him, based on the fact that he had decided to enter the library at night to read.
In A Song of Ice and Fire , Lord Randyll is a stern, fierce taskmaster and disciplinarian who holds martial valor and military skill above all other attributes. His eldest son Sam is soft, kindhearted, bookish and fat, enjoying music and reading over fighting and war, although his younger son Dickon shows much more military promise. Furious with Sam's lack of military potential, Lord Randyll sends him packing to join the Night's Watch, making Dickon heir in Sam's place.
When Sam and Gilly part with Bran's group at the Nightfort, Jojen Reed warns Sam that no one can know about Bran going beyond the Wall, so Jon is never told of his whereabouts. Sam is not present during the wildling attack against the Night's Watch, as he and Gilly are still en route to Castle Black.
At Braavos, Sam briefly encounters Arya . She saves him from two bullies and gives him food. Sam tells her his name and that he is of the Night's Watch, but she does not reveal to him her true identity.
Theon is present during the execution of Will , a deserter from the Night's Watch . He holds the scabbard of Ice , the greatsword of House Stark, as Lord Eddard Stark draws it to behead the condemned man. On the way back to Winterfell , the party finds a disemboweled stag dead in the road. Looking for the killer, they find a dead female direwolf and five pups huddled by the corpse for warmth. A broken piece of the dead stag's antler is embedded in the direwolf's neck. Eddard initially insists the pups be given a quick death, which Theon cavalierly moves to carry out himself, upsetting Bran and angering Robb.
Winterfell is later surrounded by Northmen under the command of Ramsay Snow , who infuriates Theon by blowing a horn all through the night. Besieged with no hope for relief, Theon tearfully vents his frustration to Maester Luwin at being constantly reminded by everyone, including Luwin himself, how fortunate he was to be a prisoner of the Starks. Assuming a more sympathetic tone, Luwin advises Theon to flee to the Wall and join the Night's Watch so that he might save his life and attempt to redeem himself, adding he knows Theon is not the ruthless man he is pretending to be.
As Brienne talks with Sansa, Theon overhears that she crossed paths with Arya, Sansa's sister, while gathering wood to help Podrick start a fire. Theon is wary of the fire, since it may alert Ramsay or his men. Sansa and Brienne decide to head to Castle Black to get to Jon, who will protect them from Ramsay, and though Sansa promises to tell Jon the truth about Bran and Rickon, Theon believes that Jon will still kill him for betraying Robb, executing Rodrik Cassel, and slaughtering Jack and Billy. Theon claims he does not want to be forgiven, even by joining the Night's Watch, and instead decides to return home, knowing that Sansa will be safer with Brienne and Podrick. Before his departure though, Sansa embraces Theon in gratitude for helping her escape Ramsay.
Davos asks Jon what a member of the Night's Watch is doing in the camp, away from the wall, and Jon explains that he came to treat with the King-Beyond-the-Wall . Jon introduces himself as Ned Stark's bastard son and that his own father died supporting the claim. Out of respect for Ned, Stannis takes Jon seriously, asking him what his father would do with Mance. Jon responds that he was once a prisoner of Mance's, and that he could have killed him or tortured him but instead spared his life; in turn, his father would spare Mance in the situation. However, he urges to Stannis that they should burn the dead, to avoid them returning as wights .
After Jon is chosen as the new Lord Commander, Stannis approaches him again about his offer of legitimization. However, Jon declines Stannis's offer and reiterates that his place is with the Night's Watch. He also reiterates the Night's Watch's neutrality in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms. Although having a Stark pledged to his cause would have been a great asset, Stannis respects Jon's decision and intends to leave Castle Black and march on Winterfell within a fortnight. He also recommends appointing Alliser Thorne as commander of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea . Later, Stannis witnesses Jon behead Janos Slynt for refusing to obey an official command. He gives Jon a nod of approval from across the courtyard.
At the end of A Storm of Swords , Stannis travels to the Wall and smashes Mance Rayder's army. Davos is not with him, because Stannis has sent him earlier to White Harbor . After realizing who Jon Snow is, Stannis offers to legitimize him as Jon Stark and make him Lord of Winterfell in exchange for his support; Jon thinks it over and decides to decline Stannis's offer, and is elected the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch shortly after.
Littlefinger mocks a request from the Night's Watch for assistance combating wildling activity and reporting an attack by wights . Tyrion has Lord Janos Slynt exiled to the Wall for his part in the massacre. Littlefinger later has to reorganise a nobleman to whore with Armeca when Ros begins to cry during his time with her. She explains that she is traumatised with Barra's murder, giving her insomnia. In order to convince her that it is best for her to keep up her work, Littlefinger intimidates Ros with a story of a Lysene who did not bring him significant income due to her sadness, who he eventually sold to a violently perverted individual. He allows her to take the rest of the day off, but asks her to resume her work the following day.
Catelyn and Eddard watch as their sons practice archery. Ser Rodrik Cassel arrives to tell them that a deserter from the Night's Watch has been captured. Eddard decides to bring their son Bran with him for the first time so Bran can witness him execute the deserter. Catelyn protests that Bran is still too young and Eddard replies that Bran won't be a boy forever and winter is coming. While they are gone, they find a litter of six direwolf pups (the animal that is the sigil of House Stark), one for each of the Stark children, and Eddard agrees to allow them to adopt the wolves.
In A Song of Ice and Fire , Catelyn is proud, strong, kind, and generous. A letter received by Catelyn from her sister Lysa about Jon Arryn sets in motion the events of the novels. She loves her five children very much and dotes on them, but is also aware they need to be strong if they are to inherit leadership positions in the North . Catelyn has a severe disregard for Jon Snow - so much worse than expressed in the show - as he is Eddard's illegitimate son with an unidentified woman. She resents Jon because Eddard brought him home as an infant to Winterfell to raise alongside her trueborn children. However, she does not interfere with the close relationships between Jon and his half-siblings but makes her disdain for him known. Before he leaves to join the Night's Watch, she voices her wish that it was him who fell from the tower, not Bran.
Some time later, as the wildlings ready to climb the wall, Ygritte reveals she is aware that Jon is still loyal to the Night's Watch. She understands that he is an honorable man, but warns him that he has obligations to her as well.
Davos mentions to Jon that he and several black brothers witnessed him take Ygritte's body beyond the Wall, which has led many in the Night's Watch to believe that Jon has grown to feel sympathy for the wildlings. Later, during the choosing for a new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Alliser Thorne cites Jon's affair with Ygritte as a reason not to vote for him as a candidate.
Upon reaching Eastwatch-by-the-Sea , Sandor and the Brotherhood are immediately apprehended by wildlings serving alongside the Night's Watch, and confined in the ice cells below the castle. Since the King in the North Jon Snow lacks enough men for his ranging mission into the Land of Always Winter to capture a Wight, he decides to recruit the Brotherhood.
Gregor continues to raid the villages of the Riverlands from the Lannister army's base at Harrenhal . His men torture the prisoners they take for information about the Brotherhood and hidden valuables. He selects the prisoners for torture personally. Ser Amory Lorch adds a group of captured Night's Watch recruits to the captives. Tywin arrives during the torture and asks Gregor what is going on. Gregor says that they were not expecting Tywin for another day. Tywin asks why the prisoners are not in their cells. Gregor says that their cells are overflowing. One of Lorch's men interjects that the prisoners will not be there long.
Castle Black is the primary headquarters and redoubt of the Night's Watch . It is located roughly halfway along the length of the Wall on its southern side, at the northern end of the Kingsroad . It is a dark and chilling home to its garrison.
But nobody thought to write down the story until thousands of years later, and the septons who did it weren't much for accuracy. I mean, they have knights bumbling thousands of years around before there were knights. Sorry, bad habit. But even if magic and giants built the Wall, it is the Night's Watch who have held it.
Long ago, when the Night's Watch was at full strength, the Builders would quarry blocks of ice from the frozen lakes of the Haunted Forest , dragging them south on sledges to add to the Wall. Now all they can do is watch for cracks or signs of melt and make what the repairs they can, without men, or tools, or time.
The orders of stewards keep the Watch alive. We hunt and farm, tend the horses , milk the cows, gather firewood, cook the meals, and bring supplies from the south. Not so heroic, I know, but since the Night's Watch doesn't starve or freeze, I guess we are the only order that still does everything it's supposed to.
When they reached the top, they dropped ropes and ladders for thousands more wildlings to clamber up. The Night's Watch didn't even know his army had crossed until after the Starks and Umbers had cornered and destroyed him. And that was a hundred years ago. When the Watch had many more men than now.
He was a sworn brother once. He knows that the glory of the Night's Watch is behind us. Mance is going to try what no man ever has. He's going to come through the Wall. One day, I hope maesters write stories about how we beat him back. Because if we don't, there may not be any more stories to write.
The Night's Watch was founded to guard against the return of the Others, but this task is generally forgotten today. The Watch is instead believed to be guarding against the human wildlings who hold the lands beyond and occasionally try to raid across the Wall into the richer lands to the south.
Members of the Night's Watch swear an oath of duty that prohibits marriage, family, and land ownership which lasts until their death. Recruits renounce all past allegiances and birthrights. Joining the Watch provides absolution for past crimes and immunity from further punishment. Brothers start with a clean slate and can rise within the ranks whatever their origins.
However, even though the Night's Watch vows are meant to be for life, it is possible for one to leave the organization without execution, so long as it is with the ruling monarch's approval. For instance, Stannis Baratheon , a claimant to the Iron Throne and the King in the Narrow Sea , offers Jon a chance to leave the Night's Watch and serve him in exchange for legitimization, though this may partially be due to the fact that the Night's Watch is not taken as seriously by most as it once was, and Stannis was desperate enough to turn to Jon Snow for aid. Another instance is Sam , who was allowed to leave for Oldtown , to become a maester of the Watch by Jon.
They describe one another as "sworn brothers" because of the oath. Men of the Watch dress entirely in black, giving rise to the nickname "crows" - which is what the Free Folk commonly call them - or "black brothers." Members of the Night's Watch are not specifically forbidden from seeing their families, but they cannot leave the Wall without permission. Desertion is punishable by death. First Ranger Benjen Stark would often visit his family at Winterfell while representing the Night's Watch.
The Watch was once highly regarded and their ranks were filled with volunteers from noble houses, as serving was a sign of selfless devotion to the protection of the realm. However, while the Night's Watch still has noble-born sons and noble-blooded illegitimate sons from Great Houses, many recruits are now also criminals avoiding punishment, nobles avoiding scandal, orphans, and other social outcasts. Men known as wandering crows , such as Yoren , travel around the Seven Kingdoms gathering recruits for the Watch, offering them escape on the Wall. For some families, the Wall is a convenient place to exile embarrassing or disgraced family members: Sam was disowned by his own father and ordered to join the Watch on threat of death, while Tywin had plans to exile his own son Tyrion to the Wall so as to avoid executing him for allegedly murdering Joffrey . However, other families, such as House Stark , view the Night's Watch as an honorable and noble calling. Generations of Starks have joined the Night's Watch for the sake of honor.
By the reign of King Robert Baratheon , the institution has fallen into disrepute and is largely ignored by the throne . It is severely undermanned; dwindling numbers have led to all but three of the Wall's nineteen castles being abandoned. The Night's Watch is now led from its stronghold at Castle Black. The Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea are the only other castles that are still manned. Meanwhile, trouble is stirring beyond the Wall . A large wildling army under a new King-Beyond-the-Wall , Mance Rayder , is advancing south, and there are rumors that the White Walkers, long since thought to be extinct, have returned. At the time Jon arrives at Castle Black, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch is Jeor Mormont .
Although joining the Night's Watch is often a punishment for many, it can also be a positive thing in the long run; the Watch is highly egalitarian compared to the rest of Westeros, and in a rigidly hierarchical society, joining can offer a rare chance at redemption and turning one's life around. At the Wall, every man is given what he earns, no matter their status, and even lowborn or bastard recruits can become high-ranking officers and commanders for their service. However, the Night's Watch is not completely egalitarian; both noble-born sons and illegitimate sons of lords are typically favored for advancement over those with no noble blood, though this may also be for the practical reason that recruits from noble households are generally more familiar with the duties required of the Watch, such as combat skill. This is clearly demonstrated when Jon easily defeats the other recruits in sparring practice, and Tyrion points out that none of the others have had the kind of training Jon received from Ser Rodrik Cassel .
In response to the Night's Watch's calls for help, Tywin suggests that they allow the wildlings to destroy the Watch and settle in the North, hoping to use Mance Rayder as an ally to help them fight Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy .
The mutiny against Jon creates further tension between those loyal to Jon and the mutineers. Following a brief scuffle, Edd summons the wildlings back to Castle Black and with their support places the mutineers under arrest for their betrayal. Jon is later revived from the dead by Melisandre , and after publicly executing the mutineers, Jon leaves the Night's Watch, giving the command to Edd Tollett, as his death, though temporary, marked the end of his watch (although Edd tries to argue otherwise).
Many of the defenders, among them members of the Watch, perish in the Battle of Winterfell . With the extinction of the White Walkers, the purpose of the Night's Watch has been served. However, as Tyrion mentions, the Night's Watch continues to serve as a quarantine to the poor, banished, and unfortunate. The surviving members returned to the castles along with the wildlings after the battle.
Men of the Night's Watch are divided between three different orders: the Rangers, the Builders, and the Stewards. Each order is led by its own officer, each appointed by the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch: the First Ranger , First Builder , and First Steward (who is sometimes interchangeably called Lord Steward).
Each castle of the Night's Watch also has a maester assigned to it. These maesters take the oath of the Night's Watch and are considered full black brothers, but are not considered part of the three orders, nor are they their own 'order'. Given that there were never more than nineteen castles along the Wall, there were never more than nineteen maesters in the Night's Watch at any one time. Since there are only three active castles on the Wall in modern times, there are now presumably only three maesters in the Night's Watch at a time.
The leader of the Night's Watch is the Lord Commander . Each Lord Commander serves for life, and a new Lord Commander is democratically elected from any black brother by all other members of the Night's Watch in a choosing .
Recruiters commonly known as " wandering crows " travel to the cities of southern Westeros to gather up new recruits to join the Night's Watch. In recent years, most of these tend to be criminals, murderers, rapers, and thieves taken from the dungeons of major cities and towns. A few also join because they are desperately poor and have no other better options. Once in a great while a younger son or bastard son of a major noble House will decide to join the Night's Watch, but they can often afford to travel to the Night's Watch on their own initiative - such as Jon Snow (a bastard) and Waymar Royce (a third-born son).
Recruiters are few in number, and they are not considered a separate order in the Night's Watch. Instead, they are drawn from trusted members of the three orders, often those who can no longer fight well due to injuries but who can still travel.
Late in the reign of King Robert Baratheon , the Night's Watch has dwindled to under one thousand members - many of them composed of old men, untrained boys, and convicted felons. While there are nineteen castles along the Wall, the Watch only has enough men to continue to man three of them: their headquarters Castle Black in the middle, the Shadow Tower at the western end, and their port Eastwatch-by-the-Sea at the eastern end. Furthermore, with the breakout of The War of the Five Kings, recruitment for the Watch has drastically decreased.
As the Night's Watch dwindled over the centuries, however, most of these castles were abandoned, and their tunnels sealed with ice. By the end of the reign of King Robert Baratheon, only three major castles along the Wall are still manned: Castle Black , the Shadow Tower , and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea . In Season 3 also appears the ruin of was was once the Nightfort .
The Gift is a region to the south of the Wall under the direct control of the Night's Watch. It lies at the northern edge of the region known as the North . It was donated to the Night's Watch by House Stark when the order was founded thousands of years ago, in order to support the Night's Watch with food and provisions. The Gift is officially not subject to the authority of Winterfell, and is technically not part of "The North", but is a special administrative zone directly ruled by the Night's Watch.
The original headquarters of the Night's Watch was the Nightfort , the first castle built at the Wall, and thus for thousands of years, it was where the Lord Commander of the Watch resided. A little over two hundred years before the War of the Five Kings, during the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen , the Night's Watch abandoned the Nightfort because they could no longer maintain it with their dwindling resources. Instead, they relocated their headquarters to Castle Black, where all subsequent Lord Commanders were based.
Hear my words and bear witness to my vow. Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the First Ranger is Benjen Stark , while the Lord Commander is Jeor Mormont, the father of Jorah Mormont . The Night's Watch is grievously under-strength by the beginning of the book series, having fallen from ten thousand when Aegon the Conqueror invaded to less than one thousand, divided into three garrisons at Castle Black (six hundred soldiers), the Shadow Tower (two hundred soldiers) and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea (less than two hundred soldiers).
Of these thousand men, almost three hundred are killed in the great ranging , due to the disastrous fight at the Fist and subsequent Mutiny at Craster's Keep . This further reduced the Night's Watch ranks to only seven hundred men; moreover, most of their senior officers and best warriors, including Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, were killed. The expedition force consisted of one hundred men from the Shadow Tower and two hundred men from Castle Black.
Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.
The Night's Watch has no heraldic symbol , to emphasize its sworn duty to be removed from petty politics of one lordly House or another, but to defend the lands of men as a whole. Thus, the Night's Watch uses solid black on its banner and shields, which symbolize the erasure of any allegiance to noble Houses. Even the "uniform" of the Night's Watch is to wear solid black clothing; members from wealthier families often buy all-black clothing before leaving for the Wall, while poor conscripts have their clothing simply dyed black when they reach the Wall (clothing which isn't always well-suited for cold weather). Solid black specifically denotes the rejection of heraldry, and is therefore strictly speaking not a "symbol" in and of itself, but the absence of a symbol.