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House Forrester of Ironrath
House Forrester is a noble house from the wolfswood in the North. It is sworn to House Glover of Deepwood Motte.Their seat is Ironrath, and their words are "Iron from Ice". They control the majority of the ironwood forests in the wolfswood, much to the chagrin of their bitter rivals, House Whitehill.
Their coat of arms is an ironwood tree outline with a sword outline drawn inside it, pointing down.
Tropes related to House Forrester
- Adaptational Badass: House Forrester in the books is a third tier house answering to House Glover and of little consequence to the game of thrones. House Forrester in the game is House Stark's vanguard leaders, and that they have enough economic clout to control the Ironwood trade is Serious Business in King's Landing.
- Ancestral Weapon: Like a lot of ancient houses.
- Arc Words: "Iron from Ice".
- Ascended Extra: Only given a brief mention in the books.
- Badass Creed: Their house motto, "Iron from Ice". It represents their strength to endure adversity, as is required to survive Northern winters.
- Badass Family: Most definitely. Gregor, Rodrik, and Asher are all skilled warriors, Ryon hopes to follow in their footsteps, and Ethan can be played as something of a Badass Bookworm in the making.
- Badass in Distress: Already in the first episode.
- Big Fancy Castle: Their seat, Ironrath, is quite an impressive fortress. Though not large, it is made with large amounts of fine ironwood (tough, fire-resistant, and expensive) and it is said that even Eddard Stark envied its quality.
- Defiant to the End: One way of playing House Forrester throughout Season One. This, notably, infuriates Ludd Whitehill and drives him to near-madness trying to destroy you. It also doesn't prevent House Whitehill from conquering Ironrath in the end.
- Feuding Families/Sitcom Archnemesis: With the Whitehills.
- Foil: To the Starks, potentially. This can be Subverted if you chose to play the Forresters as honest, forthright, and noble just like their lords but the game encourages you to do a lot of tricky and underhanded things. They're positively required with both the Mira Forrester and Asher sections. You can break oaths, betray guest right, poison your new in-law, forge letters, pretend obedience while plotting betrayal, and betray your associates all to get your revenge. This trope is Deconstructed as we also see why they would come to all these conclusions even if they're like the Starks.
- Forest Ranger: The Forresters have this as their hat. Justified as their wealth comes from lumber and they live in the North. Played with as they love the forests because they chop them down for their wealth and they're warding away others who might steal their trees (and wealth).
- Founder of the Kingdom: Cedric Forrester, who, with his sons, built Ironrath, the seat of their House.
- Honor Before Reason: Combined with Revenge Before Reason. The Forresters can try to make peace but always do so in a half-hearted manner at best. No matter what, they burn with fury to get revenge on the Whitehills.
- Hufflepuff House: A background house, established in the lore of the books as bannermen pledged to House Stark, but never really elaborated on there.
- Reasonable Authority Figure
Gregor
Lord Gregor Forrester
"The North Grove must never be lost."
Played by: Robin Atkin Downes
As a youth, Gregor Forrester famously arm-wrestled Galbert Glover for the privilege of becoming the man's squire. Glover later joked that it was the luckiest defeat of his life, for Gregor was a talented warrior. After his father died at the Trident, Gregor ascended to the lordship, marrying Lady Elissa Branfield at the behest of King Robert. She bore him six healthy children; though Gregor was forced to send his second son, Asher, into exile. Gregor privately named that event his life's only true regret.
- Action Dad: Lasts longer than his son. Or so it had seemed.
- Character Death: Killed during the Red Wedding, only about five minutes into the first episode.
- Cool Old Guy: Proves to be loyal, courageous, a friend to others, and a hero.
- Comically Serious: Is one of these individuals as he exploits his reputation as a lord to tell a very good joke.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Already wounded, he holds off Frey's soldiers so that Gared can escape.
- A Father to His Men: We see him hanging around the men as one of them.
- I Will Only Slow You Down: He's not just wounded as it appears. He's BADLY wounded.
- The Magnificent: His well-known epithet is "Gregor the Good."
- Nice to the Waiter: Or the squires, as it would be. He also promotes a pig farmer to his Castellan and one's nephew to be his squire, and then promotes said squire, Gared, to a knight.
- Posthumous Character: He's alive at the very start of the game, but that doesn't particularly work out for him. We learn much more about who he was after his death, and his surviving sons succeeding him drives the plot.
- Secret-Keeper: He passes the secret of the North Grove on to Gared to relay a message to Duncan.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He outlives his son Rodrik, if only for a few minutes.
- Unbenownst to Gregor, it's inverted. Rodrik survives his injuries and outlives his father.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He's killed in the first act during the Red Wedding.
Elissa
Lady Elissa Forrester
"I watched as countless of our kin fell, saw our lands destroyed, everything we clung to was ripped from our hands. I can't watch that same fate befall this family."
Played by: Lara Pulver
Elissa Forrester was born to House Branfield, a minor Southron House that was all but destroyed when the Targaryen dynasty fell. In the aftermath of that defeat, Lady Elissa was married off to Lord Gregor, and she thus saw herself as a prisoner at Ironrath. But Gregor was kind to his young wife, and she quickly grew to love him. Once their children began to be born, Lady Elissa embraced her role as the Forrester matriarch, and silently swore that she'd never again see her family destroyed.
- Character Death: Depending on your decisions she either drinks poison or is impaled by Harys in episode 6.
- Death Glare: Manages to intimidate Lord Whitehill into silence.
- Death Seeker: Implied, considering her reckless behavior in Episode 6.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Can potentially stab Harys in the finale, saving Asher/Rodrik's life. Unfortunately Harys will kill her in turn.
- Ice Queen: Is very cold and distant to anyone except her children, and even then she is strict and demanding when necessary.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: One way for her to die in episode 6, courtesy of Harys.
- Mama Bear: Is deeply protective of her children. Rodrik (or Asher) may be grown men and seasoned warriors, but she proudly gives her own life for them. She's also very caring to members of her house, such as Gared and Maester Ortengryn.
- Manipulative Bitch: A rare good version as she makes a lot of decisions behind your back then asks for permission to do them, flattering you the entire way. Then again, your character is a child and more specifically her child.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Happens for her to Rodrik at the Red Wedding and Ethan at Ironrath. Rodrik gets better, Ethan... does not.
- It happens again at the end of Episode 5, when either Rodrik or Asher is killed in the Whitehill ambush.
- Pragmatic Hero: She is willing to use everything and everyone to her advantage in order to save her family, up to and including the murder of every Whitehill down to the babes in their beds. If the Forresters had more power, one could see Ramsay Snow and the rest of the Boltons on that list as well.
- Revenge: She wants Rodrik to kill every Whitehill to avenge Gregor and Ethan, as well as bring Ryon back home.
- Revenge Before Reason: In episode 6, if you back out of either the poison plan or the ambush plan at the last minute and try to sincerely make peace with the Whitehills, Elissa will angrily attack Ludd's face with a knife, which will result in the same battle between the Forresters and the Whitehills that will occur after you carry out one of the plans.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Is one of the most formidable people at Ironrath.
- Tragic Hero: Lady Elissa reveals her own House was once large and prosperous, but she was Forced to Watch as it was driven to ruin. Her fear that the same fate will befall her family is what drives her to do much of what she does, even if it ends up coming at a price. In fact, in the final episode, if Asher tries the peaceful route of letting House Whitehill win and marrying Gwyn, she will be the one to undo it because of her refusal to bow to the Whitehills after everything they've done. She later dies a painful death, either by willingly poisoning herself or at the hands of Harys in the arms of her son, who she gave her life to protect. All out of desperation to ensure the future of her family.
- Trauma Conga Line: Being forced to exile one of her sons across the Narrow Sea, losing her husband and yet another son at the Red Wedding, having half of her house's livelihood taken away from them, watching her daughter being threatened with rape, followed by having yet another son murdered right in front of her while the other being kidnapped.
Rodrik
Rodrik Forrester
"I will not yield!"
Played by: Russ Bain
Lord Forrester's eldest son, Rodrik was trained from an early age to shoulder the burdens of leadership. In many ways, he seems built for the role: strong, charismatic, and formidable on the battlefield. When Robb Stark called his banners to war, Lord Forrester asked Rodrik to stay behind and protect Ironrath; but Rodrik would have none of it. Instead, he rode off side-by-side with his father, and led the Forrester cavalry with such valor that his name came to be feared amongst the ranks of the Lannister soldiers.
- Arranged Marriage: To Lady Eleana Glenmore, though their marriage was delayed by the War of the Five Kings. In Episode Two, they decide to try and get the ball rolling again, as an alliance with Glenmore would bring the Forresters soldiers that they desperately need.
- Badass Boast: In episode 3, a possible response after Gryff threatens Rodrik with a sword:"You know what they did to me at the Twins? Shred my face. Put their swords through me. Tried to smash my skull open. But they couldn't kill me. And you're not the man to finish the job."
- Beware the Nice Ones: Rodrik is an all-around good guy, except to those who've harmed his family. To them, he can be truly terrifying in his wrath, as Gryff or Ludd Whitehill may find out the hard way.
- Bookends: If he dies in Episode 5, his story begins and ends on a corpse cart.
- Character Death: If he is chosen to hold off Gryff's men at the end of Episode 5.
- Cool Big Bro: To Ethan and Talia.
- Decoy Protagonist: If he is the one to die then he serves as this to Asher, who becomes the lord of the house and gets the most focus in the finale. Averted if he survives and Asher dies.
- Dented Iron: He survives wounds that should have killed him, leaving him crippled and horribly scarred. Demonstrated in Episode 5, where he has a Shirtless Scene, standing straight with all his injuries displayed and tosses away his cane to stand and walk on his own again.
- Determinator: While it is based on a player choice in Episode 3, Rodrik can show no matter how many times Gryff knocks him to the ground, he can and will get right back up.
- Do Not Go Gentle: If he's left behind in Episode 5, he doesn't try to run or plead for his life, he goes down fighting and taking several Mooks with him.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: If he is the one to die in Episode 5 he goes out in spectacular fashion, taking down several Whitehill soldiers before succumbing to his wounds.
- Eye Scream: Harys can potentially smash his eye out before killing him, as revenge for Rodrik doing the same thing to Gryff.
- Facial Horror: He got pretty torn up at the Red Wedding. The right side of his face is a mass of nasty wounds and it looks like he's also got an eight-ball fracture
in that eye. Also, if he is killed in Episode 5, Harys will smash his eye in with a cane before finishing him off. - Handicapped Badass: While Rodrik may barely be able to walk thanks to his wounds, he is more than capable of commanding the respect of his household and intimidating Whitehill soldiers.
- Once his arm heals in Episode 4, Rodrik quite easily knocks Gryff on his ass and nearly beats him to death.
- The Hero: Along with Asher.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Episode 5 ends with either he or Asher holding the portcullis open to help the other escape Gryff's ambush.
- He's Back!: At the climax of Episode 5, he throws his cane in the hearth and walks again.
- Living Emotional Crutch: To Talia and (to a slightly lesser extent) Elissa after Ethan's death. He is the one they lean on to guide House Forrester through their troubles and Talia finds strength again in Rodrik's support.
- Normally, I Would Be Dead Now: He survives nominally fatal wounds sustained at the Red Wedding that were so bad he was left for dead. He is thought to never be able to walk again, yet he manages to find his feet, though not without a cane or shoulder to lean on. He recovers over time, as the maester removes his arm sling in Episode 3, in Episode 4 he lifts his father's sword (a greatsword thus basically the Forresters' version of Ned Stark's Ice), and in Episode 5 he can walk without a cane.
- Made of Iron: Rodrik survived the Red Wedding, and managed to stay alive for at least several days after on the back of a horse cart, on the brink of death and without any food or water.
- In Episode 3, manages to keep getting back up and stand tall despite the fact that Gryff repeatedly kicks him down to the ground.
- In episode 6, he manages to survive getting stabbed through the gut by a greatsword, with the sword being twisted in the wound, and getting shot by an arrow, and escapes the final battle alive after being placed on a horse by his loyal adviser. Though he's still not out of the woods yet, he somehow managed to survive the first season.
- Player Character: From Episode 2 onwards.
- Precision F-Strike: The player has the opportunity to have him drop one on several occasions.
- Sacrificial Lion: Potentially, if he is the one to sacrifice himself at the end of Episode 5.
- Stealth Expert: In Episode 6, he shows surprising skill at this as he, Beskha, and the pit fighters sneak into the Whitehill camp to kill Ludd and Gryff. Not bad, for having been trained like a knight rather than having Asher's stealth experience from being a sellsword.
- Throwing Off the Disability: He symbolically throws his cane into the fire before meeting up with Asher, as his injuries have finally healed.
- Walking Spoiler: He is assumed to be dead throughout the first episode, so any tropes about him from the second episode on spoil the fact that he's alive.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He is the first (second if the player chooses not to save Bowen) to die in the game. Subverted, as it turns out he survived in the second episode.
- The Wise Prince: Lord, rather the prince, but otherwise fits the trope. As the firstborn son of a lord, he was raised from an early age to assume responsibility for Ironwrath and his lands, demonstrates skill and valor on the battlefield in service to his liege, and is capable of being both firm and authoritative as well as compassionate and just. Naturally, fate conspires to make fulfilling this role exceedingly hard on him.
Mira
Mira Forrester
"Don't tell me you're afraid of a handmaiden."
Played by: Martha Mackintosh
Mira had always been fond of Ironrath, but Lady Forrester - wanting her eldest daughter to learn the ways of a Southron court - arranged for her to serve as a handmaiden to Margaery Tyrell. To her great surprise, Mira enjoyed attending on Margaery at Highgarden, and followed her to King's Landing with enthusiasm. But life in the capital has not been easy for Mira. Her straightforward Northern ways are at odds with the subtleties of court life, and she often finds herself dreaming of simpler days.
- All for Nothing: Mira's ultimate fate demonstrates how her entire storyline was completely pointless. The main story in the game was about Ironrath and the Forrester family, but Mira was hardly connected to that. She had no direct contact to any other character and her actions had hardly an influence on the events around Ironrath. She can ask Margaery for help dealing with Ramsay, but Margaery fails. She can forge the letter, but it's still up to Rodrik to secure the betrothal. She gets the ironwood decree, but it turns out useless when Tyrion is arrested. She stops Andros from hiring more soldiers for the Whitehills, but Ludd already has enough men to take Ironrath and kill everyone inside..
- Arranged Marriage: Is offered one by Lord Morgryn in the final episode, as her name as a Forrester is still valuable in light of her brothers' deaths and the danger the rest of her family is in. Accepting the offer will spare you from execution and put Tom on the chopping block in your place.
- Ascended Extra: Quite literally - Mira's appearance is based on that of an extra from the TV series, who appears in the background of scenes as one of Margaery's handmaidens.
- Badass Boast: She can give one on a couple of occasions, notably when ruining the deal Andros made with the Lannisters:Mira: Don't be so bloody dramatic, because I'm just getting started.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': The comings and goings of a handmaiden from a minor, northern house commands a rather ridiculous degree of attention in the Red Keep, even during Tyrion's trial for regicide. Especially since few would care or even know about most of the things she's accused of doing (for instance, she's accused of murdering a Lannister guard, even though the guard fell into the sea, and no evidence linked Mira to his disappearance at all).
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: You can pledge loyalty to Joffrey, Cersei, Tyrion, AND Margaery all in one episode.
- Also, she'll badmouth a fellow handmaiden who was also her friend, if the player chooses.
- In the second episode the player can choose to have Mira forge a letter from Margaery to benefit her family after Margaery says no to helping them for the second time.
- Character Death: If she refuses Morgryn's marriage proposal in Episode 6, then she will be executed via beheading.
- Continuity Porn: Re-watch the first few episodes of Season 4 of the show after playing the game, and you'll notice one of Margaery's handmaidens actually is the actor upon whom Mira's appearance was based. It's pretty impressive.
- Defiant to the End: If she refuses Morgryn's marriage proposal, at the very least screwing him out of lordship of her House. You can have her spit on him at her execution and everything.
- Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: A possible way of handling Cersei.
- Early-Bird Cameo: On the show, she's in the group of "hens" that Olenna Tyrell sends out to get a proper necklace for Margaery's wedding.
- Exact Words: You can try this on Cersei. It doesn't work.
- Face Death with Dignity: Should she choose to refuse Morgryn's offer of marriage, Mira faces her execution in this way. She walks calmly to the block and either calls out King's Landing for its injustices, shouts the Forrester house words, calmly tells the executor to get on with it, or remains silent before being put to the blade.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Possible in Episode 6. Despite it being the only possible way for her to avoid execution, Mira can refuse Morgryn's offer of marriage as it will result in him claiming her family's name, land and power, as well as Tom being killed in her place. She can also tell Margaery the truth about Sera helping her, letting Sera keep her job as Margaery's handmaiden but losing her own as a result.
- In the Back: How she kills Damien.
- Killing in Self-Defense: You can choose to kill Damien when he tries to kill you and the coal-boy.
- Lady-In-Waiting: Is one for Margaery Tyrell.
- Manipulative Bitch: Deconstructed as we see this is a way of survival in King's Landing. It can also be subverted by saying the truth and nothing but the truth. Can verge on The Chessmaster or, at least, one in training if you manage to play Margaery, Tyrion, and Cersei against one another.
- Nice to the Waiter: One way you can handle her is allow her to befriend the coal-boy. Plays into Manipulative Bitch if you just do this because he can get you information. It pays off to befriend him; if you kill Damien, the coal-boy will get rid of the body for you.
- Off with Her Head!: Refusing Morgryn's marriage proposal results in her being executed in this way.
- Player Character: The third one introduced in "Iron From Ice".
- Professional Butt-Kisser: You can play her this way, though it's very-very hard to swallow your pride that much.
- Honor Before Reason: 25% of players choose Honor Before Reason by swearing allegiance to Margaery.
- Shrinking Violet: One of the ways to play her.
- Shoot the Dog: 75% of the players choose this as her way of handling Cersei by swearing allegiance to Joffrey.
- Stepford Smiler: What's implied to be her role in the court as she is forced to denounce her family to Cersei and kiss up to the people who murdered her father and brother. You can subvert this.
- Supporting Protagonist: You play as her a lot but she's easily the least important playable character.
- Too Clever by Half: Morgryn sees great potential in her, which is precisely why he has her framed and either executed or reduced to utter powerlessness.
- Yes-Man: What Margaery encourages you to be to Cersei. Hilariously, she's completely blind to you doing it to her as a way to control her. However, if you're too obvious about being a Yes Girl (for example, being too quick to denounce others as "traitors"), Cersei will decide that Mira will say anything to get what she wants, which Cersei doesn't find very encouraging (but she'll still be pleased by loyalty to Lord Bolton).
Talia
Talia Forrester
"I'm ready to change."
Played by: Molly Stone
During her fourth pregnancy, Lady Forrester dreamed that she would birth a daughter with a voice like the summer rain. To her surprise, she gave birth to a boy. The infant, Ethan, wailed for hours - until Lady Forrester suddenly entered a second labor, this time birthing a girl. She named the girl Talia, after her own mother - and from then on, Ethan hardly ever cried. The dream came true also, for anyone at Ironrath will agree that there's no sound lovelier than that of Talia singing as her brother plays the lute.
- Angsty Surviving Twin: Becomes moodier after Ethan dies.
- Beware the Nice Ones: One of the nicest characters in the story, and yet she is the one to show defiance to the Whitehalls and Boltons through her song during her father and brother's funeral. Her lyrics shows her expressing her desire to see her family's enemies drown in molton gold and have the Mance sound the horn of winters past to awaken the giants and have them devour those responsible. Girl has grown a vengeful streak.
- Talia's vengeful streak continues in episode 5, as she tries to make Rodrik promise to kill the traitor once she finds out.
- If Asher is alive in Episode 6 and decides to poison Ludd, Talia will be the one to pour the wine.
- Break the Cutie: This happens at the end of Episode 1. It was well on its way to happening earlier.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Downplayed in relation to Ethan. While both of them have an inclination towards the arts, Talia was taught how to fight "properly" by Royland, a rare honour for a highborn girl. Also, in Episode 5, Talia recommends that Rodrik kill the traitor.
- Morality Pet: Attempts to be one for Ethan as he becomes lord. It doesn't last long.
- Nice Girl: One of the sweetest characters in the game.
- Out of Focus: Appears less often in Episode 6. However, Talia is one of the few characters who is guaranteed to survive.
- Parting-Words Regret: If Rodrik spared the traitor and then sacrificed himself, Talia will regret having stormed out of the room during their last conversation.
- Precocious Crush:
Word of God says that she has one on Gared Tuttle. Ironically, given this is Westeros, the biggest impediment to them marrying isn't his age but her superior social status. And the fact he joins the Night's Watch, an order with a celibacy mandate.
Ethan (Spoilers Unmarked!)
Ethan Forrester
"I may be young but I'm not so easily fooled."
Played by: Christopher Nelson
Whereas his older brothers were natural warriors, Ethan always found himself drawn to pursuits of the mind, particularly music and books. He also bears a great love for the towering trees of Ironrath - a love he shares with his twin sister, Talia. Ethan was still a boy when House Forrester joined the War of the Five Kings; but by war's end he had been thrust into manhood. On cool autumn evenings, Ethan can still be heard playing his lute in the ironwood grove.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: After his father and brother die, he becomes the new Lord Forrester.
- Character Death: Gets stabbed in the neck by Ramsay and bleeds out in his mother's arms. At the end of the first episode, no less.
- Character Development: Can acknowledge that he "may have to change" upon becoming lord. In fact, over the course of episode 1, he has to make a lot of difficult decisions to become the lord he is in his final moments.
- Death By Genre Savvy: Even if played as a particularly smart king, tactful and aware of exactly how to deal with Ramsay, he'll end up killed for it.
- Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: One possible way of handling Ramsay Snow. It doesn't end well.
- Decoy Protagonist: In true Game of Thrones fashion, the head of the protagonist household gets abruptly killed by a Bastard Bastard.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Can work on getting this.
- Foil: Considering his wise and merciful mannerism, the fact that he's forced into being a lord at a very young age, and even the way he looks, many people tend to refer to him as a reverse-Joffrey.
- Guile Hero: Saying the right things to Ramsay Snow will help spare House Forrester's livelihood. Not Ethan's life, however.
- Heroic Sacrifice: May offer himself as a hostage instead of his sister. It doesn't help.
- Improbable Age: Becoming Lord at his age is not surprising in a hereditary feudal system. Managing to do as well as he does, however, can be. Sadly, his reign is a short one.
- Living Emotional Crutch: He serves as this to Talia and Ryon in episode 1. Both are devastated at the loss of their father and especially their older brother Rodrik and look to Ethan for comfort. Talia especially has been stated too have always been very close to Ethan, being his twin and all. After Ethan's death, Rodrik takes up the mantle of this for Talia after the latter turns out to still be alive.
- The Magnificent: Depending on the player's actions, he may receive a posthumous sobriquet of "The Brave", "The Bold", or "The Wise".
- In fact, this also very slightly influences the song Talia sings at the end of Episode 2, during the funeral. If Ethan was dubbed "The Wise" by remaining silent when Ramsay grabbed Talia, Talia will address him as "The Wise" as well as "strong and silent" during the song. If Ethan was dubbed "The Bold" by grabbing Talia away from Ramsay, Talia will address him as "The Bold" during the song and mention him grabbing her. If Ethan was dubbed "The Brave" by either telling Ramsay to let Talia go or offering himself as a hostage in Talia's place, Talia will address Ethan as "The Brave" during the song and paraphrase Ethan's last words as either "you'll not have her" or "take me instead".
- Finally, in a voiceover in episode 6, the voiceover will briefly bring up which sobriquet Ethan earned, either "The Wise", "The Bold", or "The Brave".
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Downplayed. Both he and Talia have a preference for the arts, and Ethan appears to reject the martial culture of Westeros completely. Even Talia claims he should learn how to fight, like "a man." However, Ethan can subvert this if he chooses to either cut off three of the thief's fingers or to have Royland do it, or if he consistently takes an aggressive stance with Ludd Whitehill and Ramsay Snow.
- Player Character: The second one introduced in "Iron From Ice".
- Sacrificial Lamb: He's a playable character, a big deal is made of him being the new Lord of his house, and then Ramsay shanks him in the neck seemingly for the hell of it.
- The Smart Guy: His role in the family.
- The Wise Prince: Ethan can show a mature understanding of his responsibilities, caution about using power, listen to his advisors, and careful diplomatic touch with an iron glove.
Ryon
Ryon Forrester
"A stupid game. I don't like it."
Played by: Louis Suc
The last of the Forrester children, Ryon grew up idolizing his older siblings, and spent many a playful hour chasing Ethan and Talia through the grove. His youth has been a happy one, largely shielded from expectation or responsibility - but recently, his innocence has begun to fade. When the war began, Ryon was too young to understand what it all meant. But the grim realities of life in a House at war has been impossible to avoid, and Ryon now asks questions for which his siblings have no easy answers.
- Corrupt the Cutie: If Gwyn comes to the funeral in Episode 2 instead of Ryon, she will tell Rodrik that Lord Whitehill has been planting anti-Forrester ideas into the boy's young head, such as questioning if his father really was as cowardly and corrupt as Ludd claims. In the fourth episode, it doesn't stick and Ryon defiantly shouts his house words when Ludd separates him from his family again.
- Defiant Captive: Spends pretty much his entire screentime in Episode 4 displaying that he has absolutely no respect for his Whitehill captors and that they don't scare him at all.
- I Call It "Vera": Names a wooden sword he carries. He's prepping for a Roaring Rampage of Revenge when he gets older.
- I Have Your Wife: Ramsay gives him Lord Whitehill as a "ward", with orders to kill him if the Forresters don't cooperate.
- Improbable Infant Survival: The end of episode 6 kills off many characters, but Ryon survives, thanks to Beskha taking him with her out of Ironrath.
- Morality Pet: Everyone is trying to make him into one of these. He's kind of annoyed by it because he wants revenge for his slain father and brother.
- Out of Focus: In Episode Two, due to being a hostage of the Whitehills. You're given a chance to negotiate so that he can attend Gregor and Ethan's funeral, though, but the Whitehills will only allow Ryon to attend the funeral if you kneel down and kiss Lord Ludd Whitehill's shiny ring. If you refuse to kiss the ring, Ryon doesn't appear in Episode Two at all, his spot taken by Gwyn Whitehill instead.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: His goal in life. Which is disturbing in a young boy.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Intends to hunt down the people who killed his father and brother before killing them. Which, actually, is probably normal for children in the North.
Asher
Asher Forrester
"Fuck Ramsay Snow! Fuck the Boltons! This war is not over until I say it is!"
Played by: Alex Jordan
Asher had always been a rebellious youth - brawling in taverns, sleeping with whores, and finding ways to raise his father's ire. But his life took a dark turn when, at seventeen, he fell in love with Gwyn Whitehill, the eldest daughter of his father's most bitter rival. Bloodshed ensued, and Lord Forrester faced a grim choice: go to war, or exile Asher across the Narrow Sea. He chose the latter. Asher remains in Essos to this day, living as a sellsword, harboring dreams of someday returning home.
- Big Brother Instinct: In the past, when another boy was bullying Ethan and Gregor stepped back to let him fight his own battles, Asher took one look and promptly intervened, grabbing the boy by the scruff of the neck and knocking out half his teeth. Naturally, when he finds out about Ethan's fate, he vows to murder every Whitehill and Bolton in his way.
- The Big Guy: Plays this role for his family. His role in the story is to find military help in Essos, and right from his debut he's shown to be very good at thinking with his weapons.
- Blood Knight: His own mother calls him one of these. And she's right: Asher vows to murder every man standing between him and Ramsay Snow when he finds out what's befallen his family.
- Bounty Hunter: What he does in Essos.
- Character Death: He can potentially be killed by Whitehill soldiers if he stays behind to hold the portcullis open.
- Cool Big Bro: To Ethan and Talia.
- Cruel Mercy: If you don't choose to kill his opponent during the fight to impress the Meereeneese pit fighters, he can still win their loyalty by teaching his opponent his place and stepping on his face. Later on, he will remark that he found it more humiliating than just dying.
- Deadpan Snarker: There are a lot of snarky dialogue options during Asher's chapters.
- Deuteragonist: Starts off as this to Rodrik, but during the second half they become co-protagonists. Asher can potentially become the main protagonist if Rodrik stays behind instead of Asher.
- Do Not Go Gentle: If he's left behind in Episode 5, he doesn't try to run or plead for his life, he goes down fighting and taking several Mooks with him.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: Goes down swinging against Gryff's men, if he is the one to be killed by them.
- The Exile: Was banished to Essos for trying to elope with a Whitehill.
- Famed In-Story: His mother believes he's badass enough to solve their problems. Although she may just be hinging all her hopes on him because they need help that badly.
- Grin of Audacity: A common facial expression of his when he's being charming, witty, or bold. Croft refers to it as "the Asher grin".
- The Hero: Along with Rodrik.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Episode 5 ends with either he or Rodrik holding the portcullis open to help the other escape Gryff's ambush.
- Hot-Blooded: Acts without thinking frequently, though he can be played to have some restraint. Lady Forrester notes that this attitude can be a good quality for a leader's right-hand-man, but makes Asher badly suited for actual leadership that doesn't involve fighting.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: One way of playing him is to be a hot-blooded jerk that nonetheless loves his family dearly.
- Loveable Rogue: One way of playing him is to be a charming Robin Hood-esque brigand.
- Made of Iron: If he is alive in Episode 6 then he will be impaled with a greatsword, hit with an arrow, and just barely manage to survive it all.
- Multi-Melee Master: It depends on how well the player handles the QTEs, of course, but Asher can acquit himself very well when using the strange array of weapons thrown to him in Mereen's fighting pit.
- Nice Guy: Another way of playing him this way as a polite and peaceful man beside Rodrik.
- Noodle Incident: He has several of these owing to his time as a bounty hunter, if his interactions with Beskha and Croft are any indication.
- Out-of-Character Alert: In-Universe. In Episode 6, Ludd Whitehill is rather suspicious that Asher, the most hot-blooded of the Forresters, would agree to treat with his enemy diplomatically and agree to a marriage pact. He's right to be, as it's a trap.
- Sacrificial Lion: Either him or Rodrik will be killed at the end of Episode 5, depending on who volunteers to sacrifice themself.
- Second Episode Introduction: Played straight.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: He fell in love with and tried to elope with Gwyn Whitehill. Unfortunately it led to his exile.
- Stealth Expert: Shows a great amount of prowess with sneaking around and taking out guards undetected when he's in Meereen.
- Take Up My Sword: In Episode 5, if Rodrik stays behind to hold open the portcullis he names him Lord of the House.
Bannermen and Retainers
Gared
See Night's Watch
Duncan
Duncan Tuttle
"Diplomacy can be a sharper instrument than the sword."
Played by: Robin Atkin Downes
As a boy, Duncan showed such talent for managing his family's farm that everyone assumed he'd inherit it. But Duncan was fated to run more than a few fields and a pig pen. One day, while supplicating at Ironrath, he struck up an unlikely friendship with Gregor Forrester, the heir to the House. The two grew close, sharing food, drink, and women; and when Gregor became lord, he named Duncan his Castellan. Eyebrows were raised, but Duncan proved himself worthy, and has served in good faith ever since.
- Badass Bookworm: Despite not being a warrior like Royland, he can throw an ax just as lethally as his counterpart if he accompanies you to the Whitehill's keep and you order him to attack Lord Whitehill (in place of Arthur and his rangers if they're not with you).
- Big Damn Heroes: Saves Rodrik/Asher from certain death in Episode 6 if he's the sentinel, and manages to send them to safety.
- Character Death: If he is the traitor, Rodrik has the option of killing him in Episode 5. If he is the sentinel then he can also potentially be killed by Whitehill soldiers in Episode 6.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Can give this to Ethan if he's passed over for Knight Sentinel, clearly having been expected to be rewarded for sending his nephew to the Wall.
- Face–Heel Turn: If Ethan didn't choose him as the Sentinel in Episode 1, then he will be revealed to be a traitor who was spying on the Forresters for the Whitehills. If you don't have him executed for it, he'll be there to help Lord Forrester and Talia to safety.
- For Want Of A Nail: Depending on a choice Ethan makes in episode 1, Duncan has a different role in the story: either he's a loyal Sentinel doing everything he can to help the Forresters, or he's a traitor giving the Whitehills information.
- The Good Chancellor: Duncan's role is to give pragmatic, if not especially heroic, advice.
- Good with Numbers: He's noted to have a head for logistics and administration, which he uses to serve his house as castellan.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: How Rodrik can kill him if he is the traitor.
- The Needs of the Many: Tends to think like this as castellan, notably in his decision to send Gared to the Wall to protect the rest of House Forrester.
- Pet the Dog: A very subtle example, if Duncan is the traitor. Unlike Royland, who calls the late Ethan a "fool" if he is the traitor, Duncan will agree with Rodrik that he was just a boy.
- Rags to Riches: Duncan started as a pig farmer before being made Castellan.
- Reason Before Honor: Duncan is this, being willing to ignore the death of his brother and niece to placate the Boltons. He also suggests sending his nephew up to the Wall to protect the House and urging said nephew to break his vows to help his house in their time of need.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: If Royland was chosen as Sentinel, Duncan is revealed to be the traitor in episode 5. When Rodrik confronts him, Duncan verbally blasts Rodrik over every "defiant" or "aggressive" choice he's ever made and calls him too violent to lead the House. He claims that unlike Rodrik, Gregor actually commanded respect instead of violence, and wishes that Rodrik had never crawled off that corpse cart.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Royland's red.
- Secret-Keeper: One of the few who knows the truth about the North Grove.
- Shoot the Dog: He sends his nephew to the Wall to keep him out of the hands of House Whitehill in the hopes of protecting both him and House Forrester.
- Static Role, Exchangeable Character: There are many cases where one can put him or Ser Royland in a particular position while the other is sidelined, most significantly in episode 1 when naming a Sentinel, which determines who's loyal and who's a traitor. Only one of them can survive to help Lord Forrester after he retreats, either.
- Undying Loyalty: If chosen as the Sentinel, his loyalty to the Forresters remains unbreakable. Subverted in Episode 5 if he's the traitor. It could also be argued that he did what he had to save his House. And even if he is the traitor, he never shares the secret of the North Grove.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: His justification if he's the traitor. He simply didn't believe the House could survive with Rodrik in charge and at war with the Whitehills.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Can get this from both his nephew and Ethan for sending the former to the Wall.
- Gives this to Ethan if passed over for Knight Sentinel and highlights the aforementioned action as proof of his Undying Loyalty.
- Can give a similar one to Maester Ortengryn when the latter suggests giving away a substantial portion of the Ironwood forests.
- He gives an epic one to Rodrik in Episode 5 if he's the traitor, calling him out on all of his "reckless" actions, like standing up to Gryff and bringing the Glenmores to Ludd. He thinks of him as unfit to lead the House and a broken soldier, not a leader.
- You Should Have Died Instead: If he's the traitor, he makes it very clear to Rodrik that he wishes he would've never risen up from that corpse cart.
Ortengryn
Maester Ortengryn
"The wood may be black, but I see gold."
Played by: David Franklin
Originating from a minor house in the Vale, Ortengryn studied at the Citadel in the hope of becoming Maester to House Arryn. However, by the time he earned the final link in his Maester's chain, Jon Arryn had been murdered and the South was in turmoil. So the Citadel assigned Ortengryn to House Forrester, and though lesser known, Ortengryn came to respect the Forresters' honor and integrity. He now serves at Ironrath with pride, offering a voice of calm and reason as a member of the small council.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Oddly inverted. He offers level-headed and moderate advice as a friend to the family and member of the house's Small Council... but when it comes to his actual job as a healer, he's oddly fond of his maggots (referring to them as "cute little creatures") and disturbingly cheerful about the prospect of amputating Gared's wounded leg.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Has this suggestion for dealing with the Boltons.
- Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: He believes that Ramsay’s bloodlust can be sated with “gifts and gold”. He doesn’t understand that men like Ramsay don’t care about things like gold. They can’t be bought or reasoned with. Men like Ramsay… all they enjoy and desire is pain and suffering.
- Killed Offscreen: The codex after Episode 6 reveals that he was killed in the Battle of Ironrath, though it is not shown onscreen.
- The Medic: Part of a maester's day job.
- The Mentor: To Ethan.
- Mr. Exposition: Plays this role in Episode 1 to Ethan, as he explains lordly matters like small council meetings and the role of House Sentinel.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Is the recipient of one from Gryff and his men, until Rodrik steps in.
- Out of Focus: He has an important role in the first episode but quickly fades into the background after that.
- The Smart Guy: His role to the family.
- Too Dumb to Live: Played with as the above suggestion for dealing with the Boltons would dramatically reduce House Forrester's power and wealth. Played with as while his suggestion was ruinous, appealing to the Boltons' greed is the only way Ramsay will make any concessions. Not that it saves Ethan.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Maester Ortengryn believes he's dealing with Pragmatic Villainy when he talks about placating the Boltons. Which might work with his father, but not Ramsay Snow.
Royland
Ser Royland Degore
"Only dead men and cowards roll over."
Played by: Brian George
Royland Degore became a soldier in the Forrester army after his family was raped and murdered by Ironborn during Balon Greyjoy's rebellion. As the story goes, Degore led a nighttime raid on Sea Dragon Point, where he cut the moorings of a dozen Greyjoy longships and burned the drifting ships to ash - along with all the Ironborn on board. Degore was given charge of a battalion, and eventually rose to be Ironrath's Master-at-Arms. He's known for his natural military expertise, and his legendary temper.
- Big Damn Heroes: Saves Rodrik/Asher from certain death in Episode 6 if he's the sentinel, and manages to send them to safety.
- Character Death: If he is the traitor, Rodrik has the option of stabbing him through the chest. If he is the sentinel then he can potentially be killed by Whitehill soldiers in the final episode.
- Combat Pragmatist: He encourages Rodrik to be one while they're training, since he can't win in a straight fight like he used to.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He has a very tragic backstory, having endured the loss of his family.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Has this if you pass him over for Knight Sentinel.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: His role at Ironrath. Notably, he personally taught both Rodrik and Asher, and presumably Gared, and they are all complete badasses. The Forrester forces, also trained by him, were basically Robb's vanguard.
- Face–Heel Turn: If Ethan didn't choose him as the Sentinel in Episode 1, then he will be revealed to be a traitor who was spying on the Forresters for the Whitehills. If Rodrik doesn't kill him for it, he'll be there for Lord Forrester after Ironrath falls.
- For Want Of A Nail: Depending on a choice Ethan makes in episode 1, Royland has a different role in the story: either he's a loyal Sentinel doing everything he can to help the Forresters, or he's a traitor giving the Whitehills information.
- Honor Before Reason: His reaction to Gared being a threat to the House for killing one/two of the men who murdered his family is to throw his complete support behind the boy, since Royland believes Gared has done nothing wrong.
- Hot-Blooded: He's always about five seconds away from pulling out his sword.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: If he is the traitor, Rodrik can kill him this way in Episode 5.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Royland is aggressive, loud-mouthed, ruthless and short-tempered but he's also passionately devoted to House Forrester and has the respect of his men.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: But if he isn't chosen as sentinel, he betrays House Forrester, spies on them for the Whitehills, accuses Rodrik and the late Ethan of being weaklings, and is willing to commit actions that would harm the House with no regret.
- Jerkass Has a Point:
- They need said food to keep their army going, they need to maintain discipline in the army, and the Boltons only respect strength.
- In relation, he rightfully points out that when dealing with the Boltons, especially Ramsay, diplomacy isn't guaranteed to work. Ethan can find that out the hard way.
- Also, Ser Royland is correct when he says that Gared isn't guilty of committing an injustice against the Whitehills since they had murdered Gared's family, but unfortunately Royland is overruled and Gared is sent to the Wall.
- Necessarily Evil: Some of his actions. However, it's hard to think ill of him for taking food from the peasantry when it's happened to his family in the past and he understands why the Foresters did it.
- Pet the Dog: He is very sympathetic towards Gared when Duncan sends him to the Wall.
- Also, there's a very subtle example in Episode 5 if Royland is the traitor. Unlike Duncan, who wishes that Rodrik had never crawled off that corpse cart if he is the traitor, Royland merely wishes that Asher were lord instead.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Duncan's blue.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: If Duncan was chosen as Sentinel, Royland is revealed to be the traitor in episode 5. When Rodrik confronts him, Royland verbally blasts Rodrik over every "merciful" or "kind" choice he's ever made and calls him too weak to lead the House, claiming that Asher is the "true Lord".
- Static Role, Exchangeable Character: There are many cases where one can put him or Duncan in a particular position while the other is sidelined, most significantly in episode 1 when naming a Sentinel, which determines who's loyal and who's a traitor. Only one of them can survive to help Lord Forrester after he retreats, either.
- Undying Loyalty: If chosen as the Sentinel, his loyalty to the Forresters never wavers. Subverted in Episode 5 if he's the traitor, accusing Rodrik and the late Ethan as weaklings leading the house to ruin.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Royland recommends that Ethan take food from the smallfolk in Episode 1, consistently supports direct and/or violent actions, and if Ethan didn't choose Royland as Sentinel in Episode 1, then in Episode 5, he's revealed to be the traitor. He justifies himself by saying that Rodrik is too merciful and is leading the House to ruin because of it.
Malcolm
Malcolm Branfeld
Played by: JB Blanc
As a young man, Malcolm was the black sheep of the Branfield family. He liked to roam the countryside in the style of a hedge knight, refusing his father's offers of marriage or lands. Malcolm fought bravely alongside his brothers on the day House Branfield fell; yet he and his sister were the only two survivors. Malcolm now lives with Lady Elissa's new family at Ironrath - though he still tends to disappear for many weeks at a stretch. Malcolm has fathered no children, and is thus the last of the Branfield line.
- Big Damn Heroes: Arrives out of nowhere to save Asher during the first fight with the Lost Legion.
- Cool Uncle: His role to the children.
- I Choose to Stay: As episode 5 nears its end, he decides to stay behind in Essos and earn favor with Daenerys, so that House Forrester will have her support when she returns to take the Iron Throne.
- Last of His Kind: He has borne no children, thus making him the last heir to House Branfeld.
- Put on a Bus: At the end of Episode 5, he chooses to stay in Essos and serve Daenerys.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Beskha's red.
- So Proud of You: If Asher consistently behaves reasonably, intelligently and courteously throughout his time in Essos, before Asher sets sail for Westeros with the pit fighter army he's acquired, Malcolm will tell him that Essos has changed him for the better, and that he knows that Gregor would be proud of who he's become, despite all of their differences.
Norren
Norren
Played by: Geoff Leesley
A warrior in service to House Forrester.
- Actually Pretty Funny: He has no trouble laughing along with everyone at his own expense when his lord lightheartedly commends him for being an excellent plow.
- Miles Gloriosus: Subverted; he's a braggart who overplays his role, but he's a good enough combatant to last the onscreen portion of the Red Wedding.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: His fate is unverified after Gared escapes the Red Wedding, leaving the possibility of his survival.
Bowen
Bowen
Played by: Matthew Mercer
The squire to Norren.
- Back for the Dead: Can return in the final episode if he wasn't killed in the first, only to be killed by Harys.
- Back for the Finale: If he survives the first episode, then he can potentially return in Episode 6.
- Character Death: He's the first person to die at the Red Wedding if you don't warn him enough. If this doesn't happen he will be killed by Whitehill soldiers in the finale.
- Entitled Bastard: A very mild example- when Norren sends him off to fetch more wine and he asks Gared to help carry it back, if you agree to assist, he'll simply say that you should, due to him outranking you. As opposed to, y'know, even offering a token thank-you.
- Heroic Sacrifice: He can potentially stab Harys in the finale, saving Asher, but Harys will kill him in turn.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: In a certain scenario in the finale, he will be killed in this way by Harys.
- Impromptu Tracheotomy: Perishes from being stabbed in the throat if Gared doesn't warn him.
- Jerkass: Not too bad, but he complains a lot and is relatively rude to other characters.
- Nice to the Waiter: Subverted, which is ironic since he's a waiter. He thinks this sort of stuff is beneath him and implies it shouldn't be for Gared because he's an ex-pig farmer.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: One way to play his relationship with Gared.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: If Gared warned him in time, he survives at least until Gared escapes, but his fate is unknown past that point. He finally returns in the finale, albeit briefly.
Other Friends & Allies
Beskha
Beskha
Played by: Toks Olagundoye
A scarred and battle-hardened female mercenary who has fought alongside Asher for the past four years.
- Action Girl: She's just as competent at killing as Asher.
- Affectionate Nickname: Refers to Asher as "Little Brother" when she's in a good mood.
- Badass and Child Duo: Appears to be in the beginnings of one with Ryon at the end of Episode 6
- Bash Brothers: She and Asher kick ass together as mercenaries.
- Butch Lesbian: Her platonic relationship with Asher, butch manner and off-hand remark about enjoying whores paints her as this.
- Dark and Troubled Past: She has a past in Meereen which she absolutely refuses to talk about for a long time, which threatens to resurface when she, Asher, and Malcolm travel there. Eventually, she finally admits that her fear and hatred of the city comes from being raised as a slave there.
- Dual Wielding: Her weapons are two broadswords.
- Friend to All Children: In episode 6, Beskha takes Ryon with her out of Ironrath after the battle, ensuring that he survives.
- Gladiator Games: First started fighting when her master threw her into a pit with vicious animals. She was a child at the time. When the animals failed to kill her, he started pitting her against other children.
- Good Is Not Soft: While she's mostly kind to her friends, she has a vengeful streak only towards her slave trader because the trader was responsible for her childhood friends' death in the gladiator battles she was forced to participate in.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Of the Anti-Hero variety, with what looks like an old burn mark on one side of her face, and a couple of large claw-marks raking down across her eye on the other side, though leaving both eyes unharmed.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While usually a hot-blooded woman who swears a lot and can be rude, Beskha is kind and loyal to her friends and also friendly towards children like Asher's younger brother Ryon.
- Lad-ette: She swears hard and fights hard.
- The Magnificent: Before she left the fighting pits, she used to have a sobriquet of "Beskha the Basilisk."
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: However Beskha managed to escape with Ryon is not completely shown. Especially noteworthy in the scenario where Rodrik opts to attack and kill Ludd Whitehill, as Gryff was supposed to kill Ryon if Ludd's life was put in danger.
- One of the Boys: Her mannerisms are very masculine, including a stated fondness for fighting, drinking and whoring.
- Platonic Life-Partners: With Asher. They refer to each other as "big sister" and "little brother", and there is no indication whatsoever of them being anything more than friends.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Malcolm's blue.
