Eddard Stark

Lord **Eddard Stark**, also known as **Ned Stark**, was the head of House Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount and Warden of The North. He is the son of Lord Rickard Stark and Lady Lyarra Stark.

He was the older brother of Benjen, Lyanna and the younger brother of Brandon Stark. He is the father of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon by his wife, Catelyn Tully.

## **Appearance and Character:**

Eddard has a long face and long brown hair. His dark grey eyes reflect his moods, turning soft as fog or hard as stone. Eddard is shorter and less handsome than his older brother Brandon had been, according to Catelyn Stark; however, she also states that Ned has a "good sweet heart beneath his solemn face". He keeps faith with the old gods. He is fiercely protective of his wife and children, whom he loves deeply.

While riding his great warhorse in the north, Ned wears furs and leathers. Ned also wears silk and linen tunics and a belt of heavy silver links. His surcoat is fine white velvet with a direwolf badge over the heart. Ned's cloaks are grey with white, as well as black wool.

Lord Stark wields sword and dagger, although he uses Ice, a Valyrian steel greatsword, for ceremonial purposes.

Eddard Stark is a man of principle, being patient, cautious, intelligent, noble and possessing an immense sense of duty. He is remembered profusely for being extremely honourable and a firmly moral character at heart. He always reacted to situations calmly and reasonably, even if the situations endangered him or the people he loved. He was a skilled and fierce warrior but certainly preferred the diplomatic and peaceful solution to situations, even if that solution was martial law.

He, himself, remarked that he didn't fear death, and recollected that he grew up with soldiers - Cersei elaborated that Eddard's older brother Brandon was born to lead, whilst *he* was born to follow.

In his own words, Ned explained that he "learned how to die a long time ago." Ned viewed situations and individuals by the scope of their moral compass, and judged almost everything on that perspective. He also speculated the concept that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword, showing that he can be pragmatic in his sense of honour. In spite of that, he was not narrow-minded and did not appear prejudiced, arrogant or self-serving.

Ned was a very loving father to all of his children, He was very patient with Sansa's dreamy notions, visibly tolerating her adoration of the idea that she'd marry a handsome prince. He had a strong relationship with Arya, and was one of the few who could tolerate her feisty, adventurous mentality, and even encouraged it. He was, in many ways, like his son Robb, in that his sense of honor and duty ruled every aspect of his being, and he was a charismatic leader to those who served him. Ned had good relationships with both Robb and Jaehaerys Targaryen, whom in The North was called Jon, the latter who Ned fostered Jon, for five years alongside his own children. Like Robb, Jon inherited Ned’s traits of honor and duty. Ned treated Jon as his son, despite Jon being his nephew, not his son by blood.

Eddard was highly skilled in combat, both in strategy and in a duel. He had earned the respect of men like Ser Arthur Dayne, the greatest warrior of his generation - indeed, Ned's sense of honor seemed to impress everyone around him, including the rigid and cold Stannis Baratheon and the cunning Varys. Aside from being selfless, dutiful and brave, he was slow to anger and thus he was one of the very, very few who could withstand the temper and misgivings of Robert Baratheon.

## **History:**

Eddard was born at Winterfell as the second son of Lord Rickard Stark and Lady Lyarra Stark. He had one older brother, Brandon, and two younger siblings, Lyanna and Benjen. Eddard was fostered by Lord Jon Arryn at The Eyrie from the age of eight. There, Eddard befriended his fellow ward, Robert Baratheon, while Lord Jon became like a second father to him. When he reached the age of sixteen, Eddard was a man grown, and divided his time between Winterfell and The Eyrie.

During one of his visits to Winterfell, Eddard carried a wedding proposal from Robert to his father, Lord Rickard, who agreed to betroth his daughter Lyanna to Eddard's friend. When Lyanna later expressed that her belief that Robert would never keep to one bed, having heard about Mya Stone, Robert's bastard daughter in The Vale of Arryn, Eddard recalled having seen the child, and was unable to deny her existence.

Eddard came down from The Eyrie to attend the tourney at Harrenhal. Also present were Eddard's foster brother Robert, his foster father Jon, and his three siblings, Brandon, Lyanna, and Benjen. It was during this tourney that Eddard met Howland Reed, one of his father's bannermen. During the opening feast, Eddard saw Ashara Dayne, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elia Martell. He danced with her later that night, but only after his older brother Brandon had spoken to her on his behalf, since he himself was too shy.

Eddard was present during the final jousts, where Prince Rhaegar Targaryen passed over his own wife, Elia, to crown Lyanna the queen of love and beauty. Eddard would remember this moment as "the moment when all smiles died" years later.

The following year, Eddard's sister Lyanna was 'abducted' by Prince Rhaegar. Brandon rode to King's Landing in anger, but he was arrested when he threatened the crown prince. Lord Rickard Stark was summoned to King's Landing to answer for the crimes of his son, and rode to the capital with two hundred men. When he demanded a trial by combat, both he and Brandon were executed at the command of King Aerys II Targaryen. This resulted in Robert Baratheon declaring war on House Targaryen, for Prince Rhaegar abducting his betrothed, Eddard joined him for the death of his family and for his sister.

Jon Arryn also called his banners in support of Robert's Rebellion. House Tully also joined their cause after Eddard Stark married Catelyn Tully, who was betrothed to his brother Brandon, before his death. Jon Arryn also married Lysa Tully, The double wedding bound House Tully to the rebels' cause. This left four of the of the great houses of Westeros in open rebellion against the thrown, House Stark, House Baratheon, House Arryn and House Tully.

While in Riverrun, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, requested a meeting to with the four heads of the houses to hopefully avoid the war. Lyanna was able to convince her brother that she was in love with Prince Rhaegar, that they had been married, with the blessing of Queen Elia Martell. Rhaegar offered the Lords justice for the death of Lord Rickard and Brandon Stark, he would dethrone his father, make him answer for the crimes he has caused.

Eddard Stark, Jon Arryn and Hoster Tully accepted Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's offer, Robert Baratheon reluctantly accepted the terms, still furious with the Prince and Lyanna and now angry with Ned and Jon for accepting his terms, that they would take their armies home. Ned was reluctant to leave his sister with the Prince, with an army marching towards the capital, he found out that she was to stay in Riverrun until it was over, but she found out she was pregnant. Prince Rhaegar sent Lyanna to Dorne under the protection of three knights of the Kingsguard, Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent and the Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower, to accompany her to the Tower of Joy, so she could give birth in secret in a safe place.

He was pleased to find out that his wife Catelyn Stark as pregnant with their first child, she stayed in Riverrun instead of making the journey to Winterfell while pregnant, Ned returned to The North to the news that Ser Jamie Lannister had killed King Aerys II Targaryen just before Prince Rhaegar had entered the city. Ned stayed in The North to assure The North of what had happened between Rhaegar and Lyanna, people in The North still seemed wary of House Targaryen.

Ned as summoned to King's Landing to swear fealty at the coronation of King Rhaegar I Targaryen, on his way down to the capital he stopped at Riverrun to meet with his wife for the first time after the birth of their son Robb and while in King's Landing he met Lyanna's son Jaehaerys for the first time.

When he returned, King Rhaegar had given him the remains of his Brother and Father, Eddard buried the bones of his deceased kin in the crypt of Winterfell. Breaking the tradition of only Stark kings and lords having statues, Ned had them carved for Brandon next to that of Lord Rickard.

As a second son, Eddard had never expected to become the Lord of Winterfell, and as such did not always feel equal to the task, determined it had all been meant for his elder brother Brandon. Lord Stark has taken little interest in affairs south of The Neck.

During his marriage to Catelyn, Eddard had five children with her: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon.