The Night's Watch is a military order which holds and guards the Wall, the immense ice structure which separates the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms from the lands beyond. The current Lord Commander is still to be decided. Until then, the acting Lord Commander is Eddison Tollett. The Night's Watch is organized in three departments: the Rangers, who fight, defend the Wall and patrol the Haunted Forest; the Builders, who maintain the Wall and the castles; and the Stewards, who support and feed the members of the Watch.
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Eddison Tollett, most commonly called Edd or Dolorous Edd, is a brother of the Night's Watch and close friends with Jon Snow, Samwell Tarly, Grenn, and Pypar. Edd swore his oath when he was fifteen. His nickname is due to his sarcastic and pessimistic sense of humor. After Jon Snow had been resurrected by Melisandre, Jon sees to the execution of the men responsible for his own murder. After the traitors had been executed, Jon hands his cloak to Edd. As Jon's final command, he unofficially names Edd the acting Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
Grenn is a new recruit into the Night's Watch. He is strong but slow-witted. Grenn's father abandoned him, leaving him outside a farmhouse when he was only three years old. He grew up on the farm, and had a relationship with a neighboring farmer's daughter in his youth.
Olly lived with his mother and father in a village in the Gift. His village is attacked by a group of wildlings. After his parents were killed, he is allowed to flee with orders to tell the men of the Night's Watch in an attempt to draw them out into the open. Olly reaches Castle Black and informs the men of the approaching wildlings. Olly stays at Castle Black, living amongst the brothers of the Night's Watch and wearing the black clothes of the Night's Watch. He later trains with them for the upcoming fight against the wildlings.
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According to legend, the Night's Watch was founded 8,000 years ago. They now protect the Seven Kingdoms from threats beyond their northern border, such as White Walkers, wildlings and giants. They man the vast structure known as the Wall, a 700 foot tall and 300 mile long barrier. It is formed mostly from ice. The Watch have built several castles along the southern edge of the Wall to house their men. They also control a region south of the Wall known as the Gift, from which they obtain supplies and provisions.
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Members of the Night's Watch swear an oath of duty that prohibits marriage, family, and land ownership. Recruits renounce all past allegiances and birthrights. Joining the Watch provides absolution for past crimes and immunity from further punishment. Brothers start with a clean slate and can rise within the ranks whatever their origins. However, even though the Night's Watch vows are meant to be for life, it is possible for one to leave the organization without execution, so long as it is with the ruling monarch's approval.
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Men of the Watch describe one another as "sworn brothers" because of the oath. They dress entirely in black, giving rise to the nickname "crows" - which is what the Free Folk commonly call them - or "black brothers." Members of the Night's Watch are not specifically forbidden from seeing their families, but they cannot leave the Wall without permission. Desertion is punishable by death. First Ranger Benjen Stark would often visit his family at Winterfell while representing the Night's Watch.
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The Watch was once highly regarded and their ranks were filled with volunteers from noble houses, as serving was a sign of selfless devotion to the protection of the realm. However, most recruits are now criminals avoiding punishment, nobles avoiding scandal, orphans and other social outcasts. Men known as wandering crows travel around the Seven Kingdoms gathering recruits for the Watch, offering them escape on the Wall. For the highborn, the Wall is a convenient place to exile embarrassing or disgraced family members.
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By the reign of King Robert Baratheon, the institution has fallen into disrepute and is largely ignored by the throne. It is severely undermanned; dwindling numbers have led to all but three of the Wall's nineteen castles being abandoned. The Night's Watch is now led from its stronghold at Castle Black. The Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea are the only other castles that are still manned. The leader of the Night's Watch when Jon Snow arrives at the Wall is Lord Commander Jeor Mormont.
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