Luwin

Luwin is a recurring character in the first and second seasons. He is played by guest star Donald Sumpter and debuts in the series premiere. Luwin is the Maester of Winterfell and a loyal servant to House Stark. He is a surrogate parent to Bran Stark and Rickon Stark in the absence of their family.

Background
Luwin is a maester, a learned man of science and medicine, and serves House Stark of Winterfell. House Stark are Lords Paramount of the North. The North is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms and House Stark is one of the Great Houses of the realm. Luwin is very loyal to the Starks and they value his wise counsel and experience. He has delivered all five of Catelyn's children. He serves as a tutor to the male children.

Season 1
Luwin organizes the preparations for a royal visit with Catelyn Stark. Catelyn spots Bran climbing Winterfell's walls and scolds her son in front of Luwin. Luwin stands behind the Starks as King Robert arrives. The next night Luwin delivers a letter from Lysa Arryn to Catelyn and Eddard Stark. He discusses its content with them and counsels that given Lysa's claims that the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn it is important that Eddard take up Robert's offer to make him Hand of the King. Bran is injured in what seems to have been a climbing accident.

Luwin tends to Bran's injuries and predicts that he will survive. Eddard goes to King's Landing to serve as hand and takes many of his retainers with him. Luwin goes to Catelyn to discuss finances and appointing replacements. Catelyn is distraught over Bran's condition and refuses to participate. Robb Stark agrees to work with Luwin instead. An assassin attempts to kill Bran but is foiled by Bran's direwolf Summer. Luwin meets with Catelyn, Robb, Theon Greyjoy, and Rodrik Cassel in the Gods Wood of Winterfell to discuss the circumstances of Bran's injury. Catelyn reveals that she found a blond hair inside the tower where he was found. Luwin cautions restraint and Catelyn plans to go south personally to deliver the news to Eddard. Bran awakens after she leaves but is paralyzed from the waist down. Luwin meets with Tyrion Lannister in the main hall of Winterfell alongside Robb. They offer a cool reception until Tyrion provides plans for a saddle that would allow Bran to ride. Luwin tutors Bran on the regions and families in the Seven Kingdoms and notes that amongst House Greyjoy's noted skills is a tendency towards failed rebellions. Bran is upset at the continued absence of his parents and sullenly tries to provoke Luwin.

Luwin warns off Theon Greyjoy from Osha, a wildling prisoner captured near the castle. He then questions Osha himself. She claims that the White Walkers are on the move. He dismisses this as a fable, but Osha tells him that the Walkers were not wiped out thousands of years ago, but have merely been asleep. She claims that they are not asleep any more.

Eddard is arrested for treason after the death of Robert. A letter from Sansa reaches Winterfell, pleading with a disbelieving Robb to bend the knee to Joffrey. Maester Luwin correctly identifies the letter as the work of Queen Cersei. Robb refuses to consider the request and sends out ravens, summoning Eddard's lords bannermen to assemble their armies at Winterfell. Robb marches south leaving Luwin to care for Bran. Eddard is executed for treason on King Joffrey's orders. Luwin tells Bran and Rickon the news of Eddard's death.

Season 2
At Winterfell, Prince Bran Stark holds court with his vassals. A lord begs for assistance preparing his holdfast for the coming winter. The lord recalls the skill of the builders who worked on Torrhen's Square and complains at length about the poor condition of his own home. Maester Luwin reminds the man that the maintenance of his home is his own responsibility. The lord complains that his young men are fighting Robb's war. Bran is offended by the man's failure to refer to Robb as his King and his inference that Robb wanted the war and questions his fealty. Luwin interjects that they will lend the man four masons for a week, concluding the discourse. Bran stares at his counsellor and Luwin jokes that they didn't want the Lord there all day. Bran says that he did not like the way he spoke about Robb and Luwin sympathises before reminding Bran of his responsibilities as Lord of Winterfell. He then greets the next in a long line of minor lords, Lord Portan.

During his lessons Bran tells Luwin that he has had recurring dreams of seeing the world through the eyes of his Direwolf Summer. He relates them to stories of people that can live inside animals that he once heard from Old Nan. Luwin tries to reassure Bran that they are only dreams. Bran insists that his dreams are different, reminding Luwin that he and Rickon shared the same dream of their father's death. Luwin shows Bran the Valyrian steel link on his master's chain. He explains that it represents the study of the higher mysteries. Luwin says that despite his studies he never found true magic. He helps Bran to bed and tells him that the dragons are gone; the giants are dead and the children of the forest forgotten.

Luwin advises Bran as he again holds court for his people. His brother Rickon Stark sits beside them, shelling nuts loudly with a rock. A shepherd reports being unable to tend to his flock with his three sons fighting in the south. He reassures Bran of the loyalty of his sons but says that there are growing numbers of wolves in the north and that he cannot protect his sheep from them alone. Bran offers to assign two orphans from Winterfell’s outlying Winterstown to aid him if he will give them room and board. The shepherd gratefully accepts, saying that his wife always wanted more children. When the shepherd leaves Bran tells Rickon to stop. Having seen everyone Bran tells Luwin that he is going to go for a ride before dark and calls for Hodor.

Ser Rodrik Cassel enters the Great Hall calling for Bran. He reports that Torrhen's Square is under siege. Luwin is shocked, remarking that Torrhen’s Square is just 14 leagues away and wonders how the Lannisters have reached so far north. Osha listens intently as she lights candles at the back of the room. Ser Rodrik speculates that it could be a raiding party led by the Mountain or a group of sellswords. Bran says that they must help their bannermen. Rodrik nods agreement and says that even with most of their forces fighting for Robb he can gather 200 decent men. Luwin wonders if Rodrik needs to take so many and Bran cautions that they must protect their bannermen if they expect their bannermen to protect them. Rodrik smiles at the boy’s wisdom and Bran orders him to leave as soon as he has his men. Rodrik confidently says that it will not take long because southerners do not do well in their territory.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels Luwin's role as the maester to House Stark is unchanged. Luwin has forged several links of his maester's chain, showing areas where he has interest and expertise, such as herblore and astronomy. He is also one of the few maesters to have studied the so-called 'higher mysteries', meaning magic. This study is theoretical, and meant to demonstrate to those who show an interest in it that magic, if it ever existed in the first place, is dead and gone from the world. Luwin lives in the maester's tower in Winterfell.