Petyr Baelish

Petyr Baelish, popularly called Littlefinger, is a character in Game of Thrones. He has not been cast yet, but is expected to debut in the first season.

Lord Petyr Baelish is an extremely minor lord, ruling over just a small area of the shores of the Vale of Arryn. Despite this, his extreme financial acumen has seen him rise to the rank of Master of Coin, the treasurer of the Seven Kingdoms, under King Robert Baratheon. He is a dear friend of Lady Catelyn Stark, one of the few she has at court.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Petyr Baelish's father made the acquaintence of Lord Hoster Tully during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, where they fought together. On the basis of this acquaintence, Petyr was sent to foster at Riverrun, where he met Hoster's own daughters, Catelyn and Lysa. Lysa developed a crush on Petyr, but Petyr preferred the older, more unobtainable Catelyn. When Catelyn was betrothed to Brandon Stark of Winterfell Petyr challenged Brandon to a duel of honour for Catelyn's hand, but was roundly defeated. Petyr returned home. He was later appointed as a customs official in Gulltown, the main city of the Vale, and his extreme success in raising funds led Lord Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, to appoint him to the small council as Master of Coin, a task at which Petyr has excelled.

'Littlefinger' is a nickname given to Petyr by Edmure Tully during their time at Riverrun together. It is a reference to the fact that Petyr Baelish's holdings are on the smallest of the Fingers, the numerous headlands and peninsulars protruding into the Narrow Sea on the Vale's east coast.