Night's Watch
The Night's Watch is an ancient military order of Westeros sworn to defend the realms of men from the dangers that dwell beyond the Wall, the colossal barrier of ice that guards the northern edge of the world. Its black-clad brothers, often called crows for their dark garb, hold the Wall and its castles, and they renounce all titles, lands, and family on taking their vows. The order is said to be eight thousand years old, raised in the aftermath of the Long Night when the Others first threatened to overwhelm mankind.
A man of the Night's Watch takes no wife, fathers no children, holds no lands, and wins no glory; he serves for life. The famous vow he speaks runs in part: "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."
Organization
The Watch is led by the Lord Commander, chosen by a vote of the brothers, and is divided into three orders:
- The rangers, who venture beyond the Wall to patrol, scout, and fight
- The builders, who maintain the Wall and the castles
- The stewards, who feed, clothe, and supply the order
In its prime the Watch garrisoned nineteen castles along the Wall; by the present day only three remain manned -- chief among them Castle Black, seat of the Lord Commander, with the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea holding the flanks.
History and Decline
Once a great and honored institution to which lords sent their sons, the Watch has dwindled over the centuries into a shadow of itself, its ranks filled increasingly with criminals given the choice of the Wall or the noose, along with a remnant of true volunteers. Of the legendary Night's King, a Lord Commander who fell into darkness and was cast down, the brothers still speak in warning.
Notable Members
- Jeor Mormont, the Old Bear, Lord Commander
- Jon Snow, steward and ranger, raised in Winterfell
- Benjen Stark, First Ranger
- Samwell Tarly, a steward of unusual learning
- Maester Aemon, a Targaryen who served as the order's maester for generations
Significance
As the Free Folk mass beyond the Wall and the long-dormant Others begin to stir, the failing Night's Watch stands as the realm's only guard against a threat the southern kingdoms have forgotten or dismissed as legend.