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This is a listing of maesters, acolytes, and novices who reside at the Citadel who appear in A Song of Ice and Fire.

For the main character index, see here

The Order of the Maesters

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The entrance to the Citadel of Oldtown, headquarters for the Order of the Maesters

"There are some who call my order the knights of the mind."

—Maester Luwin

An organization of scholars, healers, historians, scientists, philosophers, and other academics, the Maesters are headquartered at the Citadel in Oldtown, located in the Reach on the southwestern coast of Westeros at the mouth of the Honeywine River. The Order was originally created and it has been long supported by the patronage of House Hightower. Headed by the Archmaesters, they serve as advisors to the nobility of Westeros and advance scientific progress throughout the realm. The Grand Maester is elected by the Archmaesters and serves as advisor to the King, sitting on the Small Council. As a Maester masters a certain subject, they craft a new link for their Maester's chain, which they never take off. Both common and noble novices are accepted to the Citadel, and noble Maesters are expected to leave their House name behind and serve wherever they are sent. Many of the Archmaesters have a hatred of magic and those who practice it, and are dedicated to stamping it out through any means necessary.

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The Order

Academy of Adventure: The Citadel of Oldtown seems to be shaping up this way.
Aggressive Categorism: Judging by the testimonials of various Maesters, the order seems to inculcate at the very least dismissal to the notion of magic. Mild deniers, such as Maester Luwin, admit that magic did exist but it doesn't anymore; other Maesters are even more biased towards the dismissal.
Almighty Janitor: Castle maesters fulfill the duties of a physician, postmaster, scribe, law clerk, historian, tutor, meteorologist, and whatever else their lords require of them all in one. Given the sheer breadth of knowledge a castle maester can be knowledgable about is enough for them to wield enormous influence if their particular lord is willing to listen.
Ancient Conspiracy: They appear to want to destroy magic in favor of science. And according to Marwyn they were responsible for the extinction of dragons.
Anti-Intellectualism: The Order experiences this from most of Westeros:
- This creates a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in that the Order's rites and social stigma prevent them from getting access to Westeros's best and brightest, since it's regarded as a dumping ground for second sons, distant cousins and weak heirs. Their dependency on the aristocracy for labor and privileges also prevents them from encouraging social mobility, since poor maesters largely join for food and shelter and are notably disadvantaged compared to the wealthier students who come for the knowledge and education but rarely take up the chain.
- Ironically, they are also a strongly anti-intellectual organization. All evidence suggests that the maesters are not interested in new knowledge, only in finding and hoarding existing knowledge. This makes them effective historians and advisers but rather poor scientists. The few maesters who do show interest in learning things that are not yet known (Aemon, Marwyn and Qyburn) are shunned (though the order seems to have been right to shun Qyburn, given his Frankenstein-Mengele tendencies). In particular they seem to be actively trying to stamp out magic, and Marwyn claims that they were responsible for killing the last dragons.
Anti-Magical Faction: According to Archmaester Marwyn, the Citadel hates magic and the way it fails to follow hard-and-fast rules, and after the Dance of the Dragons caused the deaths of most of the Seven Kingdoms' dragons, they were responsible for finishing them off by poisoning them to prevent healthy offspring. This is why Aemon Targaryen was never allowed to rise as high in their ranks as he should have based on ability, and Marwyn fears that they will want to assassinate Daenerys Targaryen, since bringing dragons back to the world also increases the strength of magic. Beyond that, they've encouraged skepticism about all things beyond the mundane in the Seven Kingdoms to the degree where it's unhealthy, with very real magical creatures and spells now commonly believed to either never have existed at all or be consigned to the past. Even before the Others started coming back, the maesters claimed that, for example, giants were extinct, which any wildling could tell you was false.
Arbitrary Skepticism: For an order that strives in the pursuit of knowledge, Maesters in general are rather narrow-minded and seem to have very little sense of wonder. This is remarkably ironic, as they usually have the same biases as the Faith Of Seven, which are also conveniently based in Oldtown.
Celibate Hero: Maesters are supposed to be. In practice? Not so much.
Clever Crows: Maesters are the exclusive trainers and maintainers of the multiple castles' rookeries. Crows in ASOIAF are preternaturally smart and are capable of vocalization, 'specially the giant white crows that the maesters breed to communicate paramount messages between them.
Court Physician: One of the duties of the Order of Maesters is to serve the medical needs of the nobility, and as such, a member of the Order is assigned to each of the kingdom's lords in order to care for them and their families. The heads of the Order also elect a Grand Maester to serve the ruling monarch of the Seven Kingdoms, entrusting him with the health of the royal family and often the members of the Small Council as well. Unfortunately, maesters are not in possession of a Hippocratic Oath, and follow the orders of their liege lords ahead of ethical concerns: the story kicks off with the dying Jon Arryn being secretly withheld treatment by Grand Maester Pycelle in order to prevent him from revealing the secrets of Queen Cersei.
A Degree in Useless: Having a Valyrian steel link in your maester's collar is regarded as this. Maester Luwin laments how studying for his Valyrian steel link, far from fulfilling his passion for magic, disillusioned him. Indeed, the Citadel's rituals of being alone with the Glass Candles is meant to deter people away from magic, pity that Archmaester Marwyn managed to light his candles.
Dirty Old Man: Maesters are supposed to take a Vow of Celibacy after getting their chain, but there are at least two accounts of Grand Maesters who were quite familiar with certain in-universe pornographic books. Actual sex is off the table, but masturbation isn't, apparently.
Doorstopper: Books written by maesters tend to be large in size, thick in width, dry in content, dense in text and purple in tone. This discourages most people from reading or copying them even before they start becoming dated (and the fact that the majority of people in this setting can't read to begin with).
Dramatic Irony: Maesters are, for the most part, curiously narrow-minded for an order which thrives in the pursuit of knowledge. While this is obvious for the reader, it's not quite so for the characters in-universe.
Dropped a Bridge on Him: The first Grand Maester, Ollidar, died of old age less than a year after taking the post; his successor, Lyonce, died after seven years from a broken hip.
Everybody Has Standards: Even they couldn't stand Qyburn experimenting on live subjects, and kicked him out of the order.
Extranormal Institute: They are generally against the paranormal and supernatural, but when Marwyn is teaching a class, he proves that the Citadel has the potential to become one. The Citadel apparently sits on several secrets of old magic, one of which has attracted the attention of a Faceless Man.
Fictional Counterpart: The Citadel is very similar to the Musaeum of Alexandria (home of the Library of Alexandria, and considering the Citadel is near the Hightower, it's important to remember that Alexandria was also home to a famous Lighthouse).
Hard on Soft Science: The Maesters are very good when it comes to all kinds of practical and objective knowledge, but the Citadel doesn't seem interested in theoretical fields like philosophy, theology, or the arts,^* and it's implied that anyone who had been interested in those fields had been forced from the Citadel a long time ago.
Impartial Purpose-Driven Faction: Maesters give up their family names and loyalties and are expected to provide advise to whoever holds the castle they are assigned to. How "impartial" they actually are remains a subject of speculation and discussion both in-universe and among fans.
Intellectually Supported Tyranny: The Citadel supports the monarchy and feudal system of Westeros to the brim. Works published by the Maesters, like Archmaester Gyldayn and Maester Yandel, are often filled with sexism, classism and general bigotry towards those who are on the margins or at the bottom of Westerosi society. Grand Maester Pycelle, in particular, is entirely in Tywin Lannister's pocket and serves as his propagandist.
A Lesson in Defeat: The final lesson to become a new maester is to spend all night in a dark room with a tall, sharp candlestick made of dragonglass. Some try to light the candles, but are only rewarded with frustration and bloody hands. The wiser new maesters wait the night. The lesson is that, though maesters strive to understand the world, there are some mysteries that simply cannot be uncovered. That lesson is turned on its head right along with the worldview the Citadel is working toward when the glass candles in Archmaester Marwyn's study begin burning.
Magic Versus Science: A Feast for Crows reveals that the Maesters running the Citadel, apart from "eccentrics" like Marwyn, want to eliminate magic.
The Man Behind the Man: The Order of the Maesters has always been under the financial support and patronage of House Hightower. The relationship between the noble house and the order has not always been egalitarian, and there are peppered instances where the Hightowers have influenced the Maesters one way or the other (such as the Dance of the Dragons.)
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Given they're supposed to hoard information and knowledge, both to preserve it and dispense it at need when it serves the realm, they have rather put an effective crimp in anybody getting widespread access to information about not only dragons, but also many other "myths" and abilities — by effectively using selective editing. Since a fair few of those probably-never-existed myths seem to be gearing up to invade and, worse, may not succumb to mundane, common tactics... Oops?
Not So Above It All: The Order of Maesters receive both nobles and lowborn individuals into the order; of course, women are not allowed and nobles have easier paths while climbing the ranks than the lowborn.
Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Invoked by the Citadel; Maesters wear a chain with each link representing a field of study they've mastered, and are expected to earn as many as they can.
- But subverted, ultimately. While most maesters have a couple links in each discipline, the Archmaesters tend to be unquestioned experts in one — and only one — discipline.
Omniscient Council of Vagueness: The Order of Maesters have been historically supported by the noble house Hightower of Oldtown ^note*currently sworn to the Tyrells and it's speculated that they were initially gathered as wise men by the bedridden prince Peremore Hightower and formally established by the king Urrigon Hightower, who gave them the purpose of knowledge gathering after Peremore's death. Though this is their intended purpose, they seem to be also interested in suppressing the study of magic. Their secretive nature and low-key profile added to their apparent total loyalty towards their assigned households make them untrustworthy in the eyes of various noble houses in Westeros, as their presence is often taken for granted.
One-Gender School: The Citadel, much like the medieval universities it was inspired by. Much like medieval history, though, some Sweet Polly Olivers manage to sneak in and get themselves the education they are denied.
- It's worth noting that, when Queen Alysanne gently suggests there are benefits to averting this trope, it is treated with almost contemptuous amusement and is answered only with "we'll consider your proposal." There's definitely a deeply-rooted stigma in evidence throughout the Order's history.
Only One Name: Maesters give up their family name, as they are supposed to serve the realm itself in theory.
The Order: They are called one, and likewise thanks to prevailing anti-intellectualism are believed to possess a secret agenda, at least in Barbrey Dustin's imagination. It is more or less an Open Secret however that the Order is staunchly anti-magic.
Professional Butt-Kisser: What the maesters amount to in the final analysis. Their system of education, means of service and organization is geared towards preserving the general status-quo.
Scienceville: The Citadel, and by extension, the city of Oldtown itself. The headquarters of the Order of Maesters, the Citadel is a massive complex spanning several buildings, several of which are technically islands in the middle of the river - arguably enough to qualify as a small town in its own right. As the seat of the leading Archmaesters, the site of the Order's library, and a school for Maesters in training, it's the greatest centre of learning and study in all of Westeros. No other complex like it exists in the country, making the kings and lords of the land dependent on Oldtown if they want to acquire the services of a Maester - be they healing, accountancy, ravenry, or poison.
Seemingly Profound Fool: Wherever Maesters have a bad rap, they are accused of this: when Urrigon Greyjoy lost some fingers of his hand during a Finger Dance with his brother Aeron, the Maester reattached the fingers to the stumps, causing an infection that killed Urrigon; this caused the remaining Greyjoys to be extremely xenophobic and cautious of mainland influences such as Maesters. When Melisandre's influence grows on Dragonstone, she accuses Maester Cressen of being one of these, which leads on his disastrous attempt on her life. Grand Maester Pycelle is often accused of this, especially by the people he's licking boots for. Lady Dustin also accuses the order of this, as she is in the opinion that she was discarded by the Maester of Winterfell in service of Rickard Stark as a potential bride for Brandon (Ned Stark's late brother).
Sidekick Glass Ceiling: In most cases, Maesters who earn their chains tend to be highborn students with some advantage or the other; Novices from humbler backgrounds have a tougher run of it.
Snowball Lie: Invoked. True to the maxim "Power resides where men believe it resides", the Maesters have steadily convinced the people of Westeros that magic has disappeared from the world; when the use of magic is paramount in the upcoming war for the survival of humanity, it's a rather gigantic lie to blow up in everyone's face when they're caught with their pants down and unprepared for a supernatural battle.
Stern Teacher: Maesters are supposed to provide the education for the male members of a noble household; considering that most of the Maesters featured in the story have a rather strong character, they qualify as authoritative teachers for their students, though their level of emotional attachment to the children varies. Maester Luwin educated and helped raise the Stark children — Robb, Jon Snow, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon (putting emphasis on Bran); Maester Cressen raised the Baratheons — Stannis, Robert and Renly (putting emphasis on Stannis).
These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: There are hints thrown in the books about the Maester's slow campaign to eradicate the study of magic, even though it's still a link in the chain to add.
Wild Card: Maesters are supposed to be True Neutrals, as they are to serve the Lord of the household they're assigned to regardless of who this might be, though this is not always the case. When Theon takes Winterfell from Bran, Maester Luwin begrudgingly declares that he has to serve Theon because he just took Winterfell from the Starks, bearing in mind the absence of Bran and Rickon, and does his best effort to counsel Theon in his disastrous folly. Lady Dustin finds Maesters particularly intrusive and disloyal for the very same reason and repeatedly questions their true purpose in the households; case in point, Grand Maester Pycelle is supposed to serve the Iron Throne, yet he is actually a willing servant of Tywin Lannister.invoked
Wandering Minstrel: Well, no. At least, not any more. But, when the Citadel was founded, it wasn't just literate scholars and mages who were invited to share, teach, learn and quality control. Singers, poets and bards of many kinds were also included. Quick question: what happened to the possible control of the popular news and edutainment network the Citadel could have fostered? Because, it seems to have died relatively early on... By the start of the series, minstrels are largely independent, self-educated acts of low social standing. Snobbery against oral tradition, biases against "fiction" and despising myth and magic besides, there seems to also be a heavy dose of classism involved whenever a maester makes a written dig at popular entertainers and singers (while still referring to popular stories and songs). And, the poor sods singing or playing out there among the unwashed masses don't even have a dedicated support network or ethical framework, let alone secure venues like theatre stages, to protect them.
Wizarding School: The Citadel has elements of this trope. Along with medicine, alchemy and other topics, some Maesters choose to study "magic", though the most they learn is that it doesn't work, effectively making the study of magic a Westerosi equivalent of A Degree in Useless. We later learn that the dominant faction of the Citadel is strongly against magic and is trying to eradicate it. They might have been responsible for the extinction of Targaryen dragons, which caused magic to fade from the world for a while.

Grand Maesters

Grand Maester Pycelle

See the Royal Court Of King's Landing page.

Archmaesters

Archmaester Marwyn

The Mage, The Mastiff

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"Prophecy will bite your prick off every time."

An Archmaester of the Citadel obsessed with magic and forbidden knowledge. His ring, rod, and mask are made of Valyrian steel, representing his extensive study of magic. Samwell Tarly encounters him soon after coming to Oldtown to train as the Night's Watch's new maester. Shunned by the majority of the order, he leads a small cabal of more open-minded students including Alleras the Sphinx.

Agent Mulder: He is inclined to believe in the continued existence of magic, something which the other Archmaesters disapprove of. Given that he has travelled all over Essos and consorted with Red Priests, wizards, warlocks, and other magic practitioners, he has much more experience with the fantastical than his colleagues and good reason to believe.
Ambiguously Evil: The two mentions of him prior to his appearance are that he was a teacher of Mirri Maz Duur, for whom he opened a body to teach her about human anatomy, and that he was the only one at the Citadel respected by Qyburn. It is unclear to what extent if any Marwyn was involved with sinister practices of either, but it definitely casts him in a light where his morality remains uncertain.
Chekhov's Gunman: Name dropped in A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords, he shows up briefly in A Feast For Crows and becomes very important.
Cool Teacher: Has this reputation among his very loyal followers and certainly pulls off the part when we meet him.
Face of a Thug: Looks utterly terrifying, but appears to be one of the nicer, more reasonable, and intelligent Archmaesters.
Genius Bruiser: He's described as looking more like a dockside thug than one of the leaders of an order dedicated to scholarly knowledge, being short and muscular with a rock-hard ale belly and a broken nose.
In-Series Nickname: Marwyn the Mage, due to his obsession with magic. Used pejoratively by the other Archmaesters, who believe that magic is a foolish, vain pursuit.
Jumped at the Call: Sam has barely finished giving him Aemon's message about Daenerys's dragons before he's started throwing together the stuff he'll need for the journey to reach her.
One Degree of Separation: Mirri Maz Duur, the Lhazareen maegi who tends to Daenerys and is responsible for Drogo and Rhaego's deaths, learned the arts of medicine from him as a young woman.
Seers: He sees Samwell Tarly coming to the Citadel in the flames of a glass candle.
Wizard Classic: Played with. He has the personality and is one of the few maesters interested in magic, but looks nothing like the part. Ironically, the maesters who do are almost invariably skeptical of/opposed to magic.

Archmaester Walgrave

An elderly archmaester of the Citadel. He was considered by many to have the foremost knowledge in ravencraft, and his ring, rod, and mask are made of black iron to signify his extensive study. However, he is now an old man, only keeping the title of archmaester by courtesy, his wits having left him a long time ago. Maester Gormon now judges acolytes and novices in his place. Pate was assigned to help him. He was also chosen as Seneschal of the Citadel; however, due to his infirmity, Archmaester Theobald offered to perform the duties for him.

Absent-Minded Professor: He appears to be suffering from some form of Alzheimer's.
Accidental Misnaming: He constantly refers to Pate as "Cressen".
Fed to the Beast: Wants to be fed to his ravens upon his death. Pate notes that the ravens seem to want the same thing.
Potty Failure: He has also lost control of his sphincters.

Archmaester Theobald

The current Seneschal of the Citadel, chosen after the senile Walgrave drew the first lot. His ring, mask and rod are made of lead.

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Considered a gruff but good man. There is an example of this goodness in that nobody wants to be Seneschal, but he offered to cover for Walgrave.
The Leader: The Seneschal is charged with the governance of the Citadel, although most Archmaesters consider it a thankless task that takes them away from their true calling.

Archmaester Vaellyn

Vinegar Vaellyn

One of the testers at the Citadel. He's the one who nicknamed Marwyn as "the Mage" to disparage him but it resulted in the opposite. His ring, rod, and mask are made of bronze, signifying his mastery of astronomy.

Brutal Honesty: While we don't know exactly what he said, he did not mince words when telling Pate he hadn't studied enough about astronomy to receive a bronze link.
In-Series Nickname: He's known as "Vinegar Vaellyn" for his "acid tongue".
Insult Backfire: When he started referring to Marwyn sarcastically as "Marwyn the Mage," it quickly spread all over Oldtown. Vaellyn was not happy.

Archmaester Gyldayn

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"Who can know the heart of a dragon?"

A renowned historian, he is the author of several Histories about the Targaryen Dynasty. In his life he was a Maester of Summerhall Palace, and is one of the few survivors of the Tragedy of Summerhall.

Arbitrary Skepticism: On one or two occasions, he dismisses concepts as outright impossible (such as the idea of the Kingsguard betraying their king) even when it is very possible (especially since his writings show numerous instances of the Kingsguard breaking their oaths).
Author Avatar: Everything attributed to Gyldayn was written by George RR Martin.
Bloodier and Gorier: Gyldayn is far less likely to skirt around the the most unsavory details of historical events than Yandel is.
Deadpan Snarker: Not very often, but here and there some snark gets it. For example, when speaking of Septon Betrand, Gyldayn notes that he was more interested in song than politics, but for everyone's sake he's not going to focus on the guy's attempts. Also, after the Clubfoot is killed and his foot stolen, Gyldayn wonders if there's something about people's feet that causes people to keep stealing them.
Deliberate Values Dissonance: He mentions with some disdain the simpleminded common folk who are unable to grasp the great honor of being graced with a highborn bastard; he's also quite a chauvinist as well, needless to say.
Dirty Old Man: Gyldayn seems to posses a vast knowledge of the history and available versions of a famous In-Universe pornographic book, far beyond what said book's value as a primary source would account for.
Hotter and Sexier: Gyldain goes out of his way to include the tawdriest most scandalous details about the sexual escapades of historical figures, even as he dismisses the reliability of the sources for said incidents.
Hypocritical Humor:
- Gyldayn dismisses romantic accounts of the events while delivering a romantic literary account of the events.
- Gyldayn goes on a tirade condemning the popularity of a pornographic book called A Caution for Young Girls, before proceeding to display an encyclopedic knowledge of its history, multiple available versions and contents.
Near-Death Experience: Gyldayn was one of the survivors of the Tragedy of Summerhall. According to Maester Yandel, Gyldayn was barely able to speak after he was removed from the palace, suggesting that he wasn't entirely unscathed.
Rose-Tinted Narrative: In a certain degree; Gyldayn is certainly a product of his time, considering that he deems a Targaryen bastard a truly honorable birth to bestow to a noble house; this stems from the fact that he lived during the reign of King Aegon V, a good Targaryen King. This also shows in hindsight how little the threat that the remaining Blackfyres (royal Targaryen bastards) posed to the Iron Throne at that moment in history ^noteAlso considering that Bloodraven murdered the hell out of the last Blackfyre that showed up to that day.
- Still, Gyldayn largely avoided romanticizing and idealizing the protagonists of his narratives; he, however, was not above his own personal opinions and biases.
The Scully: He seems to dismiss accounts of romantic or otherwise overblown details and events. Though this appears to make him objective, his account of the discussions and dialogue that appear in his books is from second-hand sources, notwithstanding that he narrates the story for the sake of shock value, such as withholding the fact that Aegon II's dragon Sunfyre had attacked the wild dragon Grey Ghost instead of the assumed perpetrator dragon Cannibal on his way back to Dragonstone, or that Aegon II himself fled to Dragonstone after the fall of King's Landing.
A True Story in My Universe: He is presented as the author of a novel set in the universe of the series, which are presented as history texts.
Unreliable Expositor: Maester Gyldayn says that a mysterious man only known as The Shepherd led the common folk of King's Landing to revolt against Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen; he expressly states that they were armed with rudimentary weapons (whatever they could find) and later says that the sheer number of people overwhelmed the guards at the Dragonpit where the queen's dragons were kept; the men that slew the dragons knew how to kill them, they were well armored and were appropriately armed to slay them.
Unreliable Narrator: His biggest headache. Over the course of The Princess and the Queen he expresses considerable doubts about the veracity of his sources. His own biases undoubtedly do not help, though at the very least, he never makes any claims as plainly outrageous as Maester Yandel suggesting Princess Elia killed her own children.
- This is specially egregious when he repeatedly quotes the royal fool Mushroom as a source, considering that Mushroom's stories about the Targaryens are among the raunchiest versions of the events. The problem is that on occasion there's nothing to contradict a number of Mushroom's claims.
Written by the Winners: Since Rhaenyra's side (the Blacks) and issue were the one that continued the line of Targaryen kings and also considering his mentioned admiration towards the royal family's divinity, Gyldayn's narrative has a considerable bias in favor of Rhaenyra's offspring and against Aegon II with some exceptions such as the account regarding Daeron The Daring, Aegon's younger brother. Still, Gyldayn is notoriously misogynistic regarding Rhaenyra's reign and persona herself, as he is more admiring of her successors.
- Other signs of this bias are his accounts of the Dragonseed (legitimized base-born bastards of the Targaryens used to ride their extra dragons), both exalting those who remained loyal to Rhaenyra and Daemon while vilifying the turncloaks that sided with Aegon II as drunks and violent pretenders. Though to be fair, the two Dragonseeds in question truly might have just been that awful, given the horrific actions attributed to them and the fact they were killed by their own allies not long after switching sides.
- Also, he repeatedly refers to the poor and dispossessed rioters at King's Landing during Rhaenyra's reign as "vermin".
- Gyldayn also argues that the Queen's Men (the Greens) were the ones that drew first blood by killing a dissenting Master of Coin and also by Aemond Targaryen's killing of a defenseless Lucerys Velaryon, who was acting as an envoy for her mother to Storm's End^note. Additionally, he states that Aegon II was initially uninterested in disputing Rhaenyra's claim but was rapidly swayed by the council under the impression that Rhaenyra would kill him and his family as soon as she was crowned, thus labeling him as an opportunist.

Archmaester Haereg

"You may dress an ironman in silks and velvets, teach him to read and write and give him books, instruct him in chivalry and courtesy and the mysteries of the Faith, but when you look into his eyes, the sea will still be there, cold and grey and cruel."

Haereg was an archmaester who wrote the exhaustive History of the Ironborn. Based on his name, he was probably Ironborn himself.

Multiple-Choice Past: Haereg suggested that the ancestors of the Ironborn were not First Men, but instead a race of unknown origin from beyond the Sunset Sea who created the Seastone Chair, but he ultimately rejected the idea for lack of evidence.
Sympathy for the Devil: He theorized that House Hoare weren't liked in their country because they tolerated the Faith.

Maesters

Maester Yandel

A historian from the Citadel and the In-Universe author of The World of Ice & Fire.

Agent Scully: He tends to dismiss accounts of magic as exaggerated or just fabricated.
Artistic License – History: He disparages in-universe examples, such as the songs claiming that Serwyn of the Mirror Shield, a hero from thousands of years ago, was a member of the Kingsguard, an institution that is less than three hundred years old.
Author Avatar: Everything attributed to Yandel was written by Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson
Dated History: Yandel started the book in 292 AC and didn't finish until 300, and as he himself acknowledges, a lot about Westeros has changed in those few years. The book also operates on many popular in-universe assumptions about history, magic, etcetera that various characters of the book series have discovered to be wrong.
Doorstop Baby: He was foundling that someone abandoned in the Citadel.
End-of-Series Awareness and No Ending: Yandel conveniently bypasses Robert's Rebellion, as he argues (paraphrasing) "because we all already know how that went, right?". As GRRM knew when he wrote the book, a lot of spoilers happened during the Rebellion, so Shrug of God it is!
Professional Buttkisser: The book is exceedingly flattering of the current regime. He goes as far as titling the chapter devoted to Robert’s time on the Iron Throne as The Glorious Reign. He also writes in very positive terms of Tywin Lannister.
Tested on Humans: Archmaester Edgerran used him as test subject for his theories on the swaddling of infants.
Unreliable Narrator: Clearly, his work is flattering towards the Lannisters, skirting over their more unpleasant acts. For example:
- He claims nobody really knows how Rhaegar and Elia's children died, saying perhaps Elia killed them fearing what would happen to them, or that Aerys may have done so in his madness. In-universe it is well-known they were murdered by Ser Gregor Clegane (who dashed the infant Aegon's head against a wall) and Ser Amory Lorch (who stabbed the toddler Rhaenys multiple times), knights in Tywin Lannister's army.
- He claims that any childern born from Ibbenese men impregnating women of other races will always result stillborns or babies with hideous deformities, However various characters in the series claim that they have Ibbenese fathers and mothers from other races. So it’s possible Yandel is simply mistaken or even racist towards the Ibbenese and so added false information about the Ibbenese
Written by the Winners: He began writing the book during the reign of Robert Baratheon and finished it during the reign of Tommen, and it shows. The book describes recent history in a way that readers of the main series know to be false, putting House Lannister in the best possible light. Yandel also downplays the deeds of Ned Stark and Stannis Baratheon as by the time he completes the book they are officially traitors.

Assigned Maesters

Maester Walys: Former Maester for House Stark of Winterfell.
Maester Luwin: Current Maester for House Stark of Winterfell.
Maester Cressen: Former Maester for House Baratheon of Dragonstone.
Maester Pylos: Current Maester for House Baratheon of Dragonstone.
Maester Aemon: Current Maester for the Night's Watch at Castle Black.
Maester Vyman: Current Maester for House Tully of Riverrun.
Maester Coleman: Current Maester for House Arryn of the Eyrie.
Maester Caleotte: Current Maester for House Martell of Sunspear.
Maester Theomore: Current Maester for House Manderly of White Harbor.
Maester Tybald: Current Maester for House Bolton of the Dreadfort.
Maester Kerwin: Former Maester for House Chester of Greenfield, now forced to serve House Greyjoy of Pyke.
Maester Kedry: Current Maester of House Yronwood of Yronwood.
Qyburn: A former maester who used to belong to The Brave Companions, was in service to Roose Bolton during his takeover of Harrenhal, now part of the Royal Court of King's Landing.
Haldon Halfmaester: A former novice at the Citadel who did not earn enough links to become a Maester. Instead, he became attached to the Golden Company.

Acolytes

Acolyte Alleras

The Sphinx

"The day you make them all is the day you stop improving."

A popular and skilled Dornish Novice at the Citadel, having forged three links for his chain in only one year. "He" is likely Sarella Sand, one of the Sand Snakes of Dorne. He's one of the students Samwell meets who take Archmaester Marwyn the Mage seriously.

The Ace: He has been at the Citadel for less than a year, but has already earned three links. He is also an excellent shot with his bow, although it is implied that he misses a few shots so as to not draw too much suspicion on his skills.
Big Man on Campus: He is one of the more popular students at the Citadel. Ironically, Alleras is not a large man. And, likely, not a man at all.
Chick Magnet: All the serving wenches at the Quill and Tankard dote on him.
In-Series Nickname: "The Sphinx".
Nice to the Waiter: Is nice to all-around screw-up Pate, even reassuring him after Leo jokes about deflowering his crush.
Perpetual Smiler: Pate notes that Alleras is always smiling like "he knew some secret jape".
Protectorate: Marwyn asks him to watch over Samwell as he studies at the Citadel.

Acolyte Leo Tyrell

Lazy Leo

"The grey sheep have closed their eyes, but the mastiff sees the truth. Old powers waken. Shadows stir. An age of wonder and terror will soon be upon us, an age for gods and heroes. That's worth a round, I'd say."

The second son of Ser Moryn Tyrell, Leo is a widely disliked novice at the Citadel.

The Bully: He isn't very well liked by the rest of the students at the Citadel because he enjoys mocking and picking on them all.
Fantastic Racism: He makes a few disparaging comments on Alleras's parentage.
Leo Tyrell: Your mother was a monkey from the Summer Islands. The Dornish will fuck anything with a hole between its legs.
In-Series Nickname: "Lazy" Leo.
Jerkass: None of the other novices like Leo, finding him to be rude, arrogant, and a bully. However, they can't do anything about it since his a noble and the son of Ser Moryn Tyrell, who commands the City Watch of Oldtown, and his uncle Gormon is a high ranking maester. His favorite target to bully is Pate, and when Samwell Tarly meets him when he arrives at the Citadel, it is implied Leo once bullied him as well.
Jerkass Has a Point: Despite being a jerkass, he is still observant and open minded enough to consider Archmaester Marwyn smarter than the other Archmaesters and doesn't automatically dismiss rumors of dragons and magic returning to the world like many of the more likable students do.
The Nicknamer: He has a nickname for everyone: he came up with calling Alleras Sphinx, and refers to Archmaester Marwyn as the "mastiff" and Pate as the Pig Boy.
Practically Different Generations: While their exact ages haven't been specified, it's heavily implied the age difference between Leo and his older brother Luthor was great, since his great-niece Elinor is only a couple of years younger than 16 year old Margaery Tyrell and he's around the same age as Samwell Tarly. It's worth noting that only their father is named, leaving the possibility that they had different mothers.

Acolyte Armen

Armen the Acolyte

An acolyte for four years, Armen has earned four links for his chain: tin, lead, copper and pewter. He is friends with Alleras, Pate, Mollander, and Roone.

Agent Scully: He doesn't believe the tales about Daenerys and her dragons.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: He's literally an Acolyte named Armen.
In-Series Nickname: Armen the Acolyte.

Acolyte Lorcas

An acolyte for fifty years with nine links on his chain, Lorcas serves as gatekeeper for the Seneschal's Court.

Corrupt Bureaucrat: If he isn't bribed, Lorcas will make people wait a long time (sometimes days) to see the Seneschal. This applies especially to those of high birth, all of whom Lorcas despises.
Jerkass: As far as the other acolytes and especially the lowly novices are concerned, he's about as popular as spoiled wine for a reason.

Novices

Novice Pate*

Novice Pate

An eighteen year old Novice at the Citadel, where he has been for five years but has yet to earn a single link for his Maester's chain. He serves as a POV character for the introduction of A Feast for Crows.

Butt-Monkey: He is rather incompetent, is bullied by some of the other students at the Citadel, and is forced to serve a senile Archmaester. Just when something good might happen to him he gets killed.
- It gets a bit worse when you think about it. To get killed by a Faceless Man, somebody needs to have wished him dead both aloud and within earshot, even if just in passing. And, to have paid for it in some way, too. Collateral damage getting to a goal isn't usually their style, after all. One possibility is the very Rosey he was pining for might have wished an Abhorrent Admirer/ stalker gone from her life.
Embarrassing First Name: Hates his name and its association with the folkloric character Spotted Pate, the Pig Boy. The narrative clues the reader in on the impostor when he makes a point of introducing himself as "Pate, like the Pig Boy".
Kill and Replace: A Faceless Man, probably the same one who used to call himself Jaqen H'ghar, does this to him in the prologue of of A Feast For Crows, as revealed in the epilogue.
Nothing Personal: As usual for the Faceless Men, this trope was in effect. Heck, the guy is even somewhat sorry for Pate's plight. But, not sorry enough to forego using his identity as a stepping stone to reach his real target. Whoever/whatever that is.
Sidekick Glass Ceiling: Pate suffers from this; on account of his poor birth and origins, he's never given the important education and tasks by the Maesters that will lead to him to graduate from Novice. This means that he's still bullied by wealthier students like Novice Leo (Tyrell) and worse off than the likes of Alleras and Samwell.
Tasty Gold: Meets his demise because of an impulse to act out this trope (the coin was poisoned).
Teaser-Only Character: He gives us our first real look at the Citadel. Then... he isn't him any more.
We Hardly Knew Ye: In keeping with series tradition, he dies at the end of the prologue chapter.
Working-Class Hero: A rather sad subversion, he aspires to gain education and position by hard work but opportunities never come his way. He just doesn't have the connections, something that also made him useful as a cover to get in, of course.

Novice Mollander

Hopfrog

A novice at the Citadel who is friends with Alleras, Armen, Pate and Roone.

Agent Mulder: He believes the tales about Daenerys and her dragons.
The Alcoholic: After hearing about his father's death at the Battle of the Blackwater, Mollander began drinking heavily everyday, which has severely affected his studies.
Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: While drunk, he begins yelling a toast to Daenerys Targaryen, and calls her the rightful Queen. His friends quickly try to get him to shut up before someone overhears, which Leo Tyrell does. Leo trolls them by threatening to report Mollander for speaking treason, but he doesn't.
The Big Guy: He is the largest of his group of friends, and is very strong. He would have been a knight like his father had it not been for his clubfoot.
Drowning My Sorrows: Why he began drinking heavily.
In-Series Nickname: He is called Hopfrog due to his clubfoot.

Novice Roone

A young novice at the Citadel who is friends with Alleras, Armen, Mollander, and Pate.

Audience Surrogate: Being relatively new to the Citadel, he has to ask a few questions about certain subjects related to it that fills both him and the reader in.
Naïve Newcomer: He is new to the Citadel and still does not know several things about it, including the infamous glass candle test.

Historical Grand Maesters

Grand Maester Gawen

Grand Maester under both King Aegon and Aenys, Gawen was a loyal servant of House Targaryen. He helped oversee the construction of King's Landing's walls.

The Good Chancellor: He was a good and honest advisor to Aegon and Aenys who loyally served the crown for decades. Pity that counted for little when faced with Maegor's cruelty.
Honor Before Reason: He objected to Maegor's coronation, insisting that laws of inheritance affirmed by Aegon himself stated that Prince Aegon should become the new king and not Maegor. He lost his head for it.
The Medic: He worked tirelessly to save the life of King Aenys after he fell ill, but made little progress.
Off with His Head!: He was declared a traitor and beheaded in one stroke of Blackfyre by King Maegor after Gawen protested that Aenys' son Prince Aegon was the next king, not Maegor.
Too Dumb to Live: Calling the bloodthirsty, murderous Maegor a usurper to his face when he took the throne proved to be as brave as it was stupid.

Grand Maester Myros

King Maegor's second Grand Maester, replacing Gawen.

Too Dumb to Live: After Maegor declared Tyanna was his wife, Myros told him his true wife was waiting at Hightower. Maegor listened in silence, then cut him down.

Grand Maester Desmond

King Maegor's third Grand Maester, replacing Myrtos.

Dead Guy on Display: Legend says Maegor was sitting on the Iron Throne with Desmond's head in his hands when Tyanna of the Tower came to see him.
High Turnover Rate: Maester no. 3 of Maegor's six year reign.
The Medic: He attended to Maegor's wife, Alys Harroway when she was pregnant.
Misplaced Retribution: When Alys died and the baby turned out to be stillborn, Maegor killed Desmond, the midwife and the septas in a rampage.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He's just barely about a footnote in Fire and Blood before his death.

Grand Maester Benifer

King Maegor's fourth Grand Maester, and the only one to survive his reign. Later served under Jaehaerys I until his death from the Shivers in 60 AC. He was succeeded by Grand Maester Elysar.

Altar Diplomacy: Recommends this to Maegor, suggesting he marry a woman of House Dayne to weaken Dorne.
The Bus Came Back: Returned to Westeros to help King Jaehaerys.
Everyone Has Standards: Maegor's crimes eventually proved too much for him to stomach and he fled to Pentos.
Four Is Death: Inverted—Benifer was Maegor's fourth and final Grand Maester, and the only one of them he didn't execute personally.
Genre Savvy: He's smart enough to book it across the narrow sea when it becomes clear that Maegor's reign is in ruins. A few years later, when he witnesses King Jaehaerys feeding Vermithor while talking to Lord Rogar Baratheon regarding the notion of tendering hostages as a means of loyalty, Benifer is smart enough to hear the unspoken threat that as long as Jaehaerys rides Vermithor, the entirety of Rogar's lands are hostage to him.
The Good Chancellor: Generally provided wise and level-headed council to Jaehaerys, and with some exceptions—notably, the death of Princess Aerea Targaryen and all that had happened prior—is regarded as one of the most diligent men to have ever served as Grand Maester.
Let Us Never Speak of This Again: He never made note of Aerea's death in his writings, and promised with Barth to speak of it to nobody.
Mercy Kill: Performs one on Aerea.
Only Sane Man: The only Grand Maester of Maegor who didn't criticize him to his face, and instead decided that getting the fuck out of dodge was a better plan. He is also generally one of the more level-headed among Jaehaerys's small council, having a more reserved personality compared to the others.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Wisely decided to flee when he sees Maegor's support drying up.
Sole Survivor: With Gawen, Myros, and Desmond all executed by Maegor, Benifer was the only Grand Maester of the Cruel King's reign to survive.
Unreliable Narrator: Gyldayn sometimes throws doubt on his accounts.

Grand Maester Elysar

Grand Maester on the Small Council under Jaehaerys I, serving for thirty-seven years until his passing in 97 AC. Was succeeded by Grand Maester Allar.

Brutal Honesty: Was very sharp tongued, and never had a thought he didn't share.
Dirty Old Man: He owned a book filled with erotic drawings of naked women copulating with "men and beasts and one another", which he gave to Prince Vaegon Targaryen in the hopes that it might stimulate his interest in girls. (It didn't.)
Jerkass Has a Point: He wasn't wrong while writing that Jaehaerys was better as king than as a father.
Kicked Upstairs: Many suspected the Citadel appointed him as Grand Maester just to get rid of him.
Long Runner: Only Pycelle is known to have served as Grand Maester for longer than Elysar.

Grand Maester Mellos

Grand Maester on the Small Council under Viserys I, successor to Grand Maester Runciter.

Comically Inept Healing: His attempt at helping Viserys when the king sliced his fingers down to the bone on the Iron Throne proved unhelpful, to the extent Geradys had to amputate two of his fingers. Alicent and her cronies still insisted what he was doing would've worked, had Rhaenyra not "interfered". He was also quite fond of prescribing leeches as a panacea for everything, which did nothing to help Visery's many, many health problems.
Ignored Expert: He tried suggesting Viserys not bring Otto Hightower back in as Hand, but rather bring in new blood. Viserys went with the comfort of the familiar.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Tried to be one as the squabble between Queen Alicent and Princess Rhaenyra and their supporters grew ever worse, urging for calm and sanity, or at the very least for compromise.
Surprisingly Sudden Death: Collapsed on the stairs one night.

Grand Maester Orwyle

Old Wyl

Grand Maester on the Small Council under Viserys I and Aegon II. Formerly an archmaester of the Citadel. His account of the Dance of the Dragons, with which he collaborated with his eventual successor, Munkun, is considered the most thorough account of that bloody civil war.

Almighty Janitor: While on the lam, he worked as janitor and medic for a brothel in the Street of Silk called Mother's.
Beardness Protection Program: Inverted. After escaping the Black Cells before a ship could take him to the Wall, he shaved his prominent beard along with his head to go into hiding, making him unrecognizable.
Blood Oath: Swears one with the other members of the Small Council who are loyal to Aegon.
Bring My Brown Pants: According to Mushroom, he pissed himself when Rhaenyra asked him why he was serving her brother instead of her.
Everyone Has Standards: Did everything in his power to prevent war from breaking out. Or so his True Telling suggests.
Meaningful Name: Orwyle is very similar to Orwell, and in a rather Orwellian fashion wrote his account framing himself in the greatest possible light.
Insignia Rip-Off Ritual: Not played for laughs; Rhaenyra had Orwyle stripped of his chain of office as Grand Maester before expelling him and his negotiation party from Dragonstone.
Rhaenyra Targaryen: A Grand Maester should know the law and serve it. You are no Grand Maester, and you bring only shame and dishonour to that chain you wear.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished:
- He offered to go to Dragonstone to try and negotiate a peace between Rhaenyra and Aegon II. Aegon's response was to accuse Orwyle of treachery and threaten to throw him in the Black Cells.
- The only reason he got recaptured was because he was working as a janitor in a brothel and taught some of the youngest whores how to read. One of them demonstrated her new skill to a serjeant in the city watch, who got suspicious, and, well...
- During his second captivity in the Red Keep, he was let out during the Winter Fever epidemic and he became a hero for his efforts to safe as many lives as he could. But when Unwin Peake was appointed hand Orwyle was still promptly executed.
Off with His Head!: Got the "honour" of being beheaded rather than hanged in recognition of his long service to the crown.
Only Sane Man: He was the only member of Aegon II's Small Council who advocated trying to negotiate with Rhaenyra Targaryen, but was ignored. The war that followed was among the bloodiest conflicts in the history of Westeros.
Police Brutality: Orwyle was on the receiving end; when Rhaenyra's army attacked the defenceless King's Landing, Orwyle tried to send ravens to request help from the Greens to defend the city, only to be intercepted by four gold cloaks who beat him to a pulp then threw him in the Black Cells.
Rose-Tinted Narrative: He was imprisoned in the black cells when the Blacks captured the capital. There he wrote his own account where he portrays himself in the most favorable light.
Take a Third Option: It's hinted that this is the reason he became Grand Maester in the first place. When his predecessor Mellos dies, Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent submitted their own choices for his replacement—until King Viserys reminds them it's the Citadel who chooses the Grand Maester, and no one else. The Citadel, perhaps mindful of how acrimonious and divided the royal court has become, gives the "honor" to the neutral Orwyle.

Grand Maester Gerardys

Grand Maester on the Small Council during the reign of Queen Rhaenyra I.

Cruel and Unusual Death: After Aegon II retakes Dragonstone, Gerardys is taken captive and subsequently hanged by his own chain—slowly, and not enough to kill him outright; each time he nears death, he gets a moment of respite before it begins again. On the third go up, he's disemboweled and dangled over Aegon's dragon, Sunfyre, just high enough that the dragon can munch on Gerardys' legs and innards. The rest of him hangs from the gatehouse to greet Rhaenyra.
Fed to the Beast: Or at least part of him.
Fingore: It's Gerardys who saves King Viserys' life after he cuts his hand on the Iron Throne—but to do so he amputates two of His Grace's fingers.
Pet the Dog: When Addam Velaryon escapes arrest, Rhaenyra suspects Gerardys of aiding him. But instead of tossing him in prison, she orders him to return to Dragonstone instead, mindful of his past service.
The Medic: He was renowned as a healer before he ever came to King's Landing.

Grand Maester Munkun

Served as Grand Maester during most of the reign of Aegon III and was also part of the council of seven that ruled as regents for Aegon III. Following the death of Ser Marston Waters, he was named Hand of the King.

The Creon: Grand Maester Munkun becomes Hand of the King after Thaddeus Rowan resigns, but feels unfit to pass judgment over lords and knights due to his vows of service. He resigns as soon as he can.
Everyone Has Standards: He largely supported Unwin Peake's decisions while on the Small Council, but Munkun put his foot down when Peake tried to betroth Aegon III to his daughter Myrielle, stating the rest of the realm's nobility would see it as blatant opportunism on Peake's part.
The Ghost: Mentioned in the original novels just as the author of The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling. The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood reveals some more information about him.
Heir Club for Men: He protests against Aegon making a woman his heir even though Baela and Rhaena are the only other candidates available at the time and people who previously fought a war to avoid serving a queen (such as Tyland Lannister and Ser Willis Fell) approve of one twin or the other being a potential queen.
Horrible Judge of Character: Genuinely seemed to think Unwin Peake, Jerkass par none, loved Aegon "like a son".
The Medic: He provides medical aid to both common people and the members of the royal family at various points. He takes his duty seriously, as he saves the life of Queen Daenaera even when her death would benefit his friend Unwin Peake.
Number Two: As Hand of the King.
Properly Paranoid: After examining several people who turn out to have winter fever, he sends a messenger to warn Tyland Lannister about the outbreak rather than do so himself and enters quarantine in case he's infected. He is.
Unreliable Narrator: His True Telling contains certain inaccuracies.

Grand Maester Hareth

A Grand Maester from an unspecified time in Westeros' history.

Cryptic Background Reference: His treason is yet to be explained.
The Ghost: Stannis Baratheon mentioned him only once in A Storm of Swords.
The Missing Faction: Hareth's infamy is never explained despite being described by Stannis as a big a traitor as the likes of the Vulture King(s), Rhaenyra Targaryen, the brothers Toyne and Daemon Blackfyre.
Posthumous Character: He was The Starscream and paid for it with his life.

Characters / A Song of Ice and Fire - The Order of the Maesters

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