Jaremy Rykker
From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
| Title | Ser |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | Night's Watch |
| Died | In 298AL, at Castle Black |
| Book(s) | A Game of Thrones (Appears) A Clash of Kings (Mentioned) A Storm of Swords (Mentioned) A Dance with Dragons (Mentioned) |
Ser Jaremy Rykker is a ranger of the Night's Watch and a member of House Rykker.
Contents |
Appearance and Character
According to Tyrion Lannister, he has a noble face.[1] He is not known for his patience.[2]
History
He remained loyal to the Mad King during Robert's Rebellion. After the Sack of King's Landing, he was given the choice by Lord Tywin Lannister between the Wall or immediate death. Both he and Ser Alliser Thorne joined the Night's Watch.[1]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
He is present when Tyrion Lannister, during his visit at the Wall, is having dinner with Lord Commander Mormont and other high officers of the Night's Watch. He mentions how, after the Sack of King's Landing, Tyrion's father, Lord Tywin Lannister, gave him and Ser Alliser Thorne the choice between joining the Night's Watch or their heads ending up on a spike the same day, because they had stayed loyal to the Mad King. Tyrion replies that his father is fond of heads on spikes and probably thought that a face as noble as Ser Jaremy's would make a striking decoration for the city wall above the King's Gate. Ser Jaremy thanks Tyrion for this comment with a sardonic smile.[1]
After Benjen Stark goes missing beyond the Wall, he leads two sweeps in search of him, while Qhorin Halfhand leads another search party going north from the Shadow Tower. Nothing is found except a few blazes in trees that Benjen used to mark his way. The marks stop in the stony highlands to the northwest and all trace of Benjen vanishes.[3]
Ser Jaremy is named acting First Ranger in the absence of Benjen Stark. He is present during the swearing-in ceremony for the new members of the Night's Watch at the sept of Castle Black. When Samwell Tarly decides to make his vow at the godswood beyond the Wall rather than in the sept, Ser Jaremy asks Sam why he has chosen to forsake the gods of his father and his house, receiving the answer that the Night's Watch is Sam's house now and that the Seven have never answered his prayers.[4]
He is present when Jon Snow, Sam and others are sworn in at the weirwood beyond the Wall. After the ceremony, the bodies of two rangers are found by Ghost and Ser Jaremy identifies them as Othor and Jafer Flowers, who both belonged to Benjen Stark's men. Lord Commander Mormont is displeased that Ser Jaremy has no answers when he asks him where the rest of Benjen's party is and how two rangers can be killed close to the Wall without the rest of the rangers noticing. The implied accusation makes Ser Jaremy angry and he points out that he lacks the men to do wider sweeps and that his men stayed closer to the Wall on Mormont's own orders. Ser Jaremy searches Jafer's body and finds out that the man was killed by an axe that almost severed the head from the body. When Dywen mentions that Othor carried an axe, now gone, Ser Jaremy points out that wildlings have axes, too. Asked by Mormont, he confirms that he believes Mance Rayder's men killed the two rangers, apparently refusing to consider the possibility that Others could be responsible. When Mormont says that Benjen Stark would have returned to the Wall, had two of his men been killed so close to it, Ser Jaremy points out that Benjen might have been killed as well. His words hurt Jon Snow, even though Benjen has been gone for almost half a year. Ser Jaremy suggests that Othor and Jafer Flowers were probably the last survivors of Benjen's party and tried to return to the Wall. He is angry when Sam rejects his assessment that the two cannot have been dead for more than a day and points out that the corpses don't even smell. However, he is startled when he realizes that the dead have blue eyes when earlier they had not. Lord Commander Mormont eventually orders that the bodies are taken along to Castle Black for Maester Aemon to have a look at them and he also commands Ser Jaremy to lead a close search of the surrounding woods for possible other bodies or traces. When they return to Castle Black, Mormont conveys an order to Ser Jaremy through Jon Snow to put the dead men into a storeroom until Mester Aemon is ready for them.[2]
At Castle Back, Jafer Flowers rises as a wight and kills five people, including Ser Jaremy. Ser Jaremy manages to hack the wight's already loose head off with his sword, but is killed nonetheless when the headless wight pulls his dagger from its sheath and thrusts it into Ser Jaremy's bowels.[5]
After Ser Jaremy's death, Thoren Smallwood becomes First Ranger.[6] Thoren receives Ser Jaremy's clothing and armor, right down to the house emblem used as a clasp on Ser Jaremy's cloak, as the Night's Watch does not waste things.[7]
When Lord Commander Morment later discusses the wights with Jon Snow, he says that Ser Jaremy, if he were still alive, would probably state it was nothing but a coincidence that Jon's direwolf found the dead bodies and warned Jon when Othor rose as a wight, but that he, Mormont, thinks differently, believing that Jon is meant to be at the Wall and that he thus should participate in The Great Ranging.[8]
A Clash of Kings
The death of Ser Jaremy by the hand of a wight is brought up by Lord Commander Mormont in his conversation with Craster.[9]
Ser Alliser Thorne mentions in front of the Iron Throne that Ser Jaremy has been killed by a wight, when he appeals to the Crown to provide more men for the Night's Watch, causing people to snigger and Tyrion Lannister to mock Ser Alliser.[9]
A Storm of Swords
When Mance Rayder questions Jon Snow at the Fist of the First Men, he asks him who had been in command there, suggesting, among others, that it might have been Ser Jaremy. After some hesitation, Jon admits that the ranging was led by Lord Commander Mormont himself.[10]
A Dance with Dragons
As the wildlings are about to pass through the wall, Lord Commander Jon Snow has last doubts about his decision, thinking that a more experienced man should have dealt with Tormund Giantsbane. In this context, he thinks of Ser Jaremy, among others.[11]
References and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 21, Tyrion.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 52, Jon.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 26, Jon.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 60, Jon.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 13, Jon.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 70, Jon.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 25, Tyrion.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 15, Jon.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 58, Jon.
