Night's Watch

The Night's Watch is the military order which holds and guards the Wall, the immense fortification which guards the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, the Night's Watch consists of three groups: the rangers (who fight, defend the Wall and patrol the Haunted Forest), the builders (who maintain the Wall and the castles) and the stewards (who support and feed the members of the Watch). The First Ranger at the time of the books is Benjen Stark, whilst the Lord Commander is Jeor Mormont, the father of Jorah Mormont.

The Night's Watch is grievously under-strength by the time of the books, having fallen from 10,000 when Aegon the Conqueror invaded to just 1,000, divided into three garrisons at Castle Black, the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.