The Night's Watch

**The Night's Watch** is a military order of sworn brothers, who maintain and hold the Wall. An ancient organization dating back to the Age of Heroes, the once prestigious occupation has since lost much of its renown.

Made up of rangers, stewards, and builders, the men of the Night's Watch - also called **Black Brothers** - swear oaths to dedicate their lives to the preservation and defense of the Wall. Promising to take no wives and father no children, all sworn brothers vow to play no part in the politics of the south - though this is not always possible. More than one Lord Commander has let ambition and greed take hold; and though the best of these seek only power and coin, the worst once turned his back on humanity, and took a demon to his bed.

## Recent History

The Night's Watch is no longer the same organization it once was - many of its castles are abandoned or in disrepair. Only six castles are yet manned, defended by brothers numbering no more than four thousand. Once, these numbers were higher - but the decline of the Watch has been steady for the past two thousand years.

Though the Black Brothers remained neutral during the Dornish Revolt and the Blackwater Rebellion, they were drawn into a southern war in the year 191AC. During the Ironborn Invasion of the North, hundreds of reavers descended upon Shadow Tower from the south, slaughtering its defenders and throwing open the gates for the wildlings who waited beyond. As word spread through the Watch of the catastrophe, many called for some sort of retaliation - demanding that the Watch march south, to aid the Starks against the invaders. The Lord Commander of the time refused, unwilling to dishonour their vows: though as wildlings poured into the North from beyond the Wall, the Watch found itself swiftly at war.

## Castles

From west to east, the currently manned castles of the Night's Watch are as follows:

* **Sentinel Stand** - garrisoned after the Slaughter at Shadow Tower in 191 AC.
* **Icemark**
* **Castle Black**
* **The Torches**
* **Eastwatch-by-the-Sea**

## Notable Members

### Past Members and Lords Commander

* The Night's King, the thirteenth Lord Commander, who converted the Night's Watch into his own personal army and led it in battle against Brandon the Breaker, the King in the North, and Joramun, the King-Beyond-the-Wall.
* Osric Stark, a brother or son of a King in the North. He was chosen Lord Commander when he was ten, making him the youngest Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He served for 60 years.
* Rodrik Flint, thought to make himself King-beyond-the-Wall.
* Tristan Mudd, Mad Marq Rankenfell and Robin Hill; Three Lords Commander who nearly destroyed the Watch when they forgot their vows in favor of their pride and ambition.
* Runcel Hightower, tried to make the position of Lord Commander hereditary and pass the position to his son.
* Lord Commander Hoare a brother of Harren the Black, stayed on the Wall while his brother burned at Harrenhal.
* The 993rd Lore Commander, Damon Webber. [19]

### Current Members

* Thirty lords banished to the Wall by King Daeron I Targaryen
* The 994th Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, Tytos Berryfield.