Night's Watch



The Night's Watch is a military order which holds and guards the Wall, the immense fortification which guards the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. It is led by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont from the stronghold of Castle Black. They control the region south of the Wall known as the Gift because it was donated to them by House Stark.

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).

Members

 * Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Watch, Lord of Castle Black.
 * Jon Snow, personal steward to Mormont.
 * Benjen Stark, First Ranger (Missing).
 * Ser Jaremy Rykker, acting first ranger.
 * Ser Waymar Royce, ranger (Dead).
 * Gared, ranger (Dead).
 * Will, ranger (Dead).
 * Othor, ranger (Dead).
 * Jafer Flowers, ranger (Dead).
 * Rast, ranger.
 * Grenn, ranger.
 * Qhorin Halfhand, ranger.
 * Bowen Marsh, First Steward.
 * Pypar, steward.
 * Othell Yarwyck, First Builder.
 * Aemon, maester at Castle Black.
 * Samwell Tarly, personal steward to Aemon.
 * Ser Alliser Thorne, Master-at-Arms in charge of training new recruits.
 * Yoren, in charge of finding new recruits.(Dead)

Recruitment
Yoren travels around the Seven Kingdoms and gathers prisoners, orphans and other unwanted members of society and offers them escape on the wall. People who have joined this way are:
 * Pypar
 * Gendry
 * Hot Pie
 * Lommy
 * Arry, as a guise of Arya Stark, to get her out of King's Landing.

Oath
When joining the Night's Watch, all members must swear the following oath, either in a sept if they are of the Faith of the Seven, or before a heart tree if they follow the Old Gods of the Forest.

"Hear my words and bear witness to my vow. Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, 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."

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, the First Ranger 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.

Oath
The oath used in the show leaves out one line from the oath in the books.

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, 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."