Chapter 174

Eddard Stark was Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, a staunch ally of the late King Robert Baratheon. He married Catelyn Tully, eldest daughter of House Tully of Riverrun. They had three sons and two daughters—Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon—as well as the bastard Jon Snow.

He was a principal commander in the Rebellion that toppled the “Mad King” Aerys II Targaryen, slew the legendary swordsman Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, at the Tower of Joy, and later, in 289 AC, suppressed Balon Greyjoy’s uprising, taking Balon’s youngest surviving son Theon as ward—effectively a hostage.

At Robert’s invitation, he became Hand of the King in 298 AC. After losing the political struggle with House Lannister, he was beheaded in King’s Landing by the tyrant Joffrey Baratheon as a “traitor.”