Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, and head of House Stark. A man of rigid honour and quiet authority, Ned is deeply devoted to his family and to the old ways of the North. When his old friend King Robert asks him to serve as Hand of the King, duty compels him south to a court where honour is a liability.

Master of Coin on the King's Small Council, a man of humble origins who has risen through cunning, charm, and an absolute willingness to betray anyone. Petyr's obsession with Catelyn Tully – and later her daughter – drives schemes that reshape the continent.

The Master of Whisperers, the crown's spymaster. A eunuch from across the Narrow Sea, Varys commands a network of informants that extends into every corner of the known world. His true loyalties and ultimate goals are a mystery.

The Grand Maester serving on the Small Council, an elderly man whose doddering manner conceals sharper loyalties than his chain of office should permit.