Ned Stark

Bran Stark, while training his greensight, has a vision of his father in the past through the eyes of the heart tree at Winterfell. Bran hears his father pray for his wife's forgiveness, and that Jon and Robb may grow up together as brothers. Barbrey Ryswell, who had aspired to marry Brandon Stark before he was betrothed to Catelyn, tells Theon Greyjoy that she blames Ned for the death of her husband, William Dustin; she further mentions that if she ever discovers the whereabouts of Ned's bones, she will never allow them to be buried in the crypts beneath Winterfell alongside his ancestors, in revenge for Ned never returning her husband's bones to her. Many other houses in the North, however, remember Eddard Stark with love and respect for his just and honorable leadership, even though Ned never felt he was worthy of his brother, Brandon.

Tyrion Lannister, acting as Hand of the King in place of his father, Lord Tywin, orders that Ned's head, along with all the others found on the walls, be removed and properly disposed of. Ned Stark's bones were sent to Riverrun. Catelyn asks Hallis Mollen to take the bones to Winterfell so that Ned could be buried beneath the crypts next to his father, brother, and sister. The Ironborn then attack Moat Cailin, and it is unknown whether Eddard's bones crossed the Moat before its fall to House Greyjoy.

Before leaving King's Landing to return to Winterfell, Ned visited another of Robert's bastards, a girl named Barra. Returning from this meeting, arranged by Littlefinger and held in one of his brothels, he was ambushed by Jaime Lannister, who sought revenge for Catelyn's kidnapping of his brother, Tyrion. Ned's leg was severely wounded in the ensuing combat. During his recovery, Robert visited his friend, forgiving him and reinstating him as Hand. Eddard sat on the Iron Throne and listened to petitions while Robert hunted. Three Lords of the Riverlands brought news that several villages near the border with the Westerlands had been attacked by Gregor Clegane. Ned sent Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, several other knights, and members of his own guard to bring the Mountain to justice. While investigating Jon Arryn's interest in Robert's children, Ned, to his horror, discovered that Robert's three legitimate children were in fact the product of incest between Queen Cersei Lannister and her brother, the Kingslayer. Eddard resolved to confront Cersei with this information, giving her a chance to flee with her children while she could, before Robert returned from the hunt. Cersei, however, used her time to orchestrate Robert's assassination and buy off the City Watch. With Robert on his deathbed, Ned refused Renly Baratheon's suggestion that they secure control over the King's children, as well as Petyr Baelish's suggestion to act as Regent while Queen Cersei and King Joffrey ascended the Throne, instead of helping Stannis Baratheon take the throne. Littlefinger promised Ned the support of the City Watch, but betrayed him as soon as Robert died. Cersei ordered Ned's arrest, with the support of the City Watch, thanks to Lord Baelish's betrayal. Varys visits Eddard in the dungeons of the Red Keep, informing him that if he confesses to treason, his life will be spared and he can be...

Lord Eddard executes a deserter from the Night's Watch who claims to have been attacked by the Others. Upon returning to Winterfell, the group discovers a dead direwolf by the roadside, its throat pierced by the antlers of a stag it had killed. At the request of the bastard Jon Snow, Ned decides not to kill the newborn pups found there, giving one to each Stark child. Soon after, a raven brings news of the death of Jon Arryn, who raised Ned and Robert and had served as Hand of the King for many years. Robert arrives with half the court, and Ned hesitantly accepts the offer to replace Jon Arryn as Hand, as well as promising his daughter Sansa's hand in marriage to Prince Joffrey. Another message arrives, this one from the Eyrie, written by Lysa Arryn, Jon's widow and Catelyn's sister. Lysa warns the Starks that the Lannisters were involved in her husband's death. Upon arriving in King's Landing, Ned was shocked to discover the crown's enormous debts, due to Robert's extravagances, and that Jon Arryn and the small council had failed to restrain him. Robert decreed that a grand tournament would be held to celebrate Ned's appointment as Hand of the King, despite Ned's protests over the high costs. The tournament attracted knights from all Seven Kingdoms. While investigating Jon Arryn's activities before his death, Ned discovered that Jon spent much time in the company of Stannis Baratheon and had visited several of Robert's bastards in the city. Through Yoren of the Night's Watch, he learned that his wife Catelyn had imprisoned Tyrion Lannister. When Robert Baratheon summoned a council session demanding that the pregnant Daenerys Targaryen be killed, Ned and Ser Barristan Selmy were the only ones to oppose it. Robert, driven by his hatred of the Targaryens, insisted on the assassination; Ned resigned from his post in protest.

When Eddard discovered that Lord Jorah Mormont had sold into slavery some of the wrongdoers he had captured on his lands in 293 AC, he traveled to Bear Island to punish him for the crime. Upon arriving, Ned discovered that Jorah and his wife, Lynesse Hightower, had fled into exile. His marriage to Catelyn, despite the initial turmoil caused by the presence of the bastard Jon Snow, was fruitful and happy. Eddard had five children with her: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Arya visited White Harbor twice with her father, and Theon Greyjoy also accompanied Lord Stark on a visit to Ser Helman Tallhart in Torrhen's Square and also to the Glover stronghold in Deepwood Motte. Eddard gave a banquet for Lord Rickard Karstark and his daughter, Alys, when the girl was six years old. Mance Rayder was part of Lord Commander Qorgyle's entourage when he visited Winterfell to meet with Lord Stark. Of all his sworn men, Eddard didn't much like Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort.

Once the conflict ended, with Robert taking the Iron Throne, Eddard returned to Winterfell, bringing with him a bastard, Jon Snow, whose origins Ned refused to speak of, even to his wife; he quickly sought to silence the rumors that the boy's mother was the noblewoman Ashara Dayne. Lord Borrell claims that the daughter of the fisherman who transported Ned is Jon Snow's mother. When his wife Catelyn finally questioned who the child's mother was, Eddard replied brusquely that he was of his blood and that was all she needed to know. Then, he buried his father in the Crypts of Winterfell and later broke with tradition and buried his brother Brandon and his sister Lyanna there as well (a place reserved only for lords and kings of yesteryear). Barbrey Dustin, now Lady of Barrowton, resented the fact that Lord Eddard had returned her husband William's horse but not his bones for burial. A little later, Ned's younger brother, Benjen, joined the Night's Watch. Ned then spent the next fifteen years ruling as Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, a task he never expected and never felt capable of fulfilling. He rarely left his lands and never involved himself in the complex intrigues of the courts in the south. The only time he left the North again was to fight alongside Robert once more in the Greyjoy Rebellion. After this brief conflict, Eddard brought Lord Balon Greyjoy's only surviving son, young Theon, to Winterfell with the intention of taking him hostage to secure the loyalty of the Ironborn, but Ned ended up raising the boy with love, as if he were his own son. Despite feeling unprepared for the task of ruling and never having received formal training for it, Eddard was considered a just lord and a good leader, beloved by his sworn lords (nobles and commoners alike). Even so, he had to deal with some problems.

Eddard then led the rebel troops to the capital, King's Landing, but upon arrival found the city sacked by Lannister soldiers commanded by Lord Tywin. Ned witnessed the massacre in the capital's streets and also saw the bodies of Elia Martell and her two children, Rhaenys and Aegon Targaryen, murdered on Tywin Lannister's orders. King Aerys II had also been assassinated by Tywin's son, Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard. Eddard was disgusted by the treacherous and dishonorable actions of House Lannister and never forgot what he saw. When he questioned Robert about it, he was surprised to find that his friend seemed unfazed; on the contrary, he was pleased. He even recommended that Ser Jaime be sent to the Night's Watch, but Robert again refused to listen. The two quarreled, and Eddard abandoned the capital, leading a rebel army to end the siege of Storm's End, where the last troops loyal to the Targaryens were gathered. Upon seeing Eddard Stark and his men arriving, already aware of the Mad King's death, Lord Mace Tyrell decided to lower his banners and bend the knee, ending the major battles of the war. Then, shortly after the rebellion ended, Ned, along with six companions, traveled to the Dornish border to the Tower of Joy, where Prince Rhaegar Targaryen had hidden his sister, Lyanna Stark. She was guarded by three members of the Kingsguard, including Ser Arthur Dayne. The ensuing battle resulted in the death of all except Ned and Howland Reed. Sadly, Lyanna died soon after the battle, an event that has haunted Eddard ever since. Before dying, however, she managed to extract a promise from her brother. Lyanna's death brought Robert and Ned together in grief, and the two reconciled.

Aerys then demanded that Jon Arryn send the heads of his wards, Eddard and Robert. Jon refused, summoning his sworn lords, thus beginning a great civil war (which would come to be known as 'Robert's Rebellion'). With his father and older brother dead, Eddard was now the Lord of Winterfell, but he still had to return to the North to gather his vassals. So, early in the revolt against the Mad King, a fisherman tried to secretly transport Ned from the Vale to White Harbor, but due to severe storms, the fisherman died and his daughter only managed to take him to Sweet Sister. Lord Godric Borrell later managed to secretly take him to White Harbor. Once in the North, Eddard gathered an army and marched south, meeting with Lord Arryn and the knights of the Vale. His first move was to head for the Sept of Stone, where Robert was hiding, being closely pursued by a Targaryen loyalist force commanded by Jon Connington. Ned and Lord Arryn fell upon Lord Connington's troops, beginning the Battle of the Bells. Robert emerged from his hiding place, joining his two friends and defeating the Targaryen supporters. Before continuing the war in the south, Ned married Catelyn of House Tully, who had been betrothed to his brother Brandon before his tragic death.[22] On their wedding night, they conceived a son, Robb. Soon after, Eddard, Robert Baratheon, and Jon Arryn, now supported by the Riverlands, prepared to face a huge loyalist force, commanded by the crown prince himself, Rhaegar Targaryen. On the banks of the Trident River, an intense battle was fought. Robert managed to kill Prince Rhaegar and thus disperse his forces, but wounded, he had to pass command to Lord Eddard.

Eddard "Ned" Stark was the second son born to Lord Rickard Stark and his wife Lyarra. He had an older brother, Brandon, and a younger brother, Benjen. He also had a sister named Lyanna. Eddard was raised by Lord Jon Arryn at the Eyrie from the age of eight, along with Robert Baratheon. Ned and Robert became friends and considered Lord Arryn a second father. Lord Rodrik Ryswell hoped to marry his daughter Barbrey to either Brandon or Eddard, but was unsuccessful. In 281 AC, at the age of eighteen, Eddard attended the tourney at Harrenhal. Also present were his siblings Brandon, Benjen, and Lyanna, as well as his sister's betrothed, his friend Robert, and Jon Arryn. It was during this tourney that Eddard met Howland Reed, one of his father's sworn mates. Howland and Eddard remained friends for the rest of their lives. During one of the banquets, Eddard saw Ashara Dayne, a lady-in-waiting to Elia Martell, wife of the crown prince, Rhaegar Targaryen. He later danced with Ashara, but only after his brother Brandon asked him to, as Ned was shy. Eddard was present at the final jousts, when Prince Rhaegar decided to crown Lyanna Stark as the queen of love and beauty, instead of his own wife Elia. Eddard remembers this event as "the moment all smiles died." Almost a year later, Lyanna, Eddard's sister, is kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. His older brother, Brandon, enraged, rode with a small company towards King's Landing, but was arrested when he threatened the crown prince with death. His father, Lord Rickard Stark, was summoned to the capital to answer for the accusations against his son and, upon arriving there, was captured and demanded a trial by combat, but both he and Brandon (as well as their escorts) were executed, with extreme cruelty, on the orders of King Aerys II Targaryen.

At the beginning of the first book, Eddard is around 35 years old. He has a long face, dark hair, and grey eyes. His beard is beginning to turn grey. His dark grey eyes reflect his mood, changing from slightly smoky to hard as stone. Among his enemies, Ned has a reputation for having cold eyes, which they believe reflect his icy heart. Jaime Lannister finds a similarity between Eddard's eyes and those of Roose Bolton. Eddard is neither as tall nor as handsome as his brother, Brandon, was. Ned is known for his sense of justice, and his family considers him kind, although some see his reserved personality as a sign of coldness and disdain. While riding his great warhorse through the North, Ned wears furs and leather. Ned also wears silk and linen tunics and a heavy belt with silver markings. His overcoat is of fine white velvet with a direwolf emblem on the chest. Ned's cloaks are grey with white, as well as black wool. Lord Stark always carries a longsword and a short dagger, reserving his Valyrian steel sword, Ice, for ceremonial purposes. Jory Cassel serves as captain of his personal guard.

Pseudonym(s): Ned Title(s): Lord of Winterfell Protector of the North Hand of the King Loyalty: House Stark Race: First Humans Culture: Northern Birth: 263 AD Winterfell Death: 298 AD King's Landing Father: Lord Rickard Stark Mother: Lady Lyarra Stark Spouse: Catelyn Tully Child(ren): Robb Stark Jon Snow Sansa Stark Arya Stark Bran Stark Rickon Stark