Editing Night's Watch (section)

===House Baratheon===
[[File:The wall Stronghold on by MarcSimonetti.jpg|350px|thumb|Abandoned Stronghold of the Night's Watch, by Marc Simonetti ©]]
The manpower of the Night's Watch has decreased more and more, a process which began before [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Wall and Beyond: The Night's Watch}} Most of Westeros neglects the [[Wall]]. Only the [[north]] have the memory of the old days, but even they believe the [[Others]] are no more than vague figures in stories told to frighten children.{{ref|AGOT|24}} Only a few of the houses south of the [[Neck]] have members in the Night's Watch, and most serve because they fell afoul of political machinations or fought on the wrong side of a war. However, there have been fewer wars since [[Aegon's Conquest]].<ref>[[A Game of Thrones (game)|''A Game of Thrones RPG and Resource Book'']], Guardians of Order</ref> Northmen such as the [[House Stark|Starks]]{{ref|ACOK|43}}{{ref|ACOK|66}}{{ref|ASOS|40}} and [[House Norrey|Norreys]]{{ref|ADWD|17}} are more likely to hold the Watch in high regard than [[southron]]s;{{ref|FAB|Aftermath - The Hour of the Wolf}} [[House Lannister]], for instance, has not been a strong supporter of the Wall.{{ref|ACOK|6}} Some southerners are still friends of the Watch, however, such as Lady [[Shella Whent]].{{ref|ACOK|14}}

By the reign of King [[Robert I Baratheon]], only three castles remain in use—Castle Black, [[Eastwatch-by-the-Sea]], and the [[Shadow Tower]]—and the Night's Watch's numbers have dwindled to fewer than a thousand men.{{ref|AGOT|21}} The Night's Watch is now largely made up of the misfits of the Seven Kingdoms, such as [[bastard]]s, debtors, killers, [[outlaws]], [[smallfolk|peasants]], poachers, rapers, and thieves.{{ref|AGOT|13}}{{ref|AGOT|48}}

The [[Warden of the North]], Lord [[Eddard Stark]], and the [[First Ranger]], Eddard's brother [[Benjen Stark|Benjen]], have discussed settling new [[lord]]s in abandoned holdfasts of the [[Gift]] if the lord commander, [[Jeor Mormont]], approves.{{ref|ASOS|41}}{{ref|ASOS|76}} Skeptical of the Night's Watch, some wise men have suggested that the lords of the north should be granted the lands beyond the Wall and tasked with defending against wildlings.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Wall and Beyond: The Night's Watch}}

According to Grand Maester [[Pycelle]] the Wall is a world apart, and news oft reaches them late.{{Ref|ASOS|32}} Stories of the Night's Watch are collected in Archmaester [[Harmune (archmaester)|Harmune]]'s ''[[Watchers on the Wall]]''.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Wall and Beyond: The Night's Watch}}