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The Faith Militant reborn ... that would be the answer to three hundred years of prayer, Your Grace. The Warrior would lift his shining sword again and cleanse this sinful realm of all its evil. If His Grace were to allow me to restore the ancient blessed orders of the Sword and Star, every godly man in the Seven Kingdoms would know him to be our true and rightful lord.
~ The High Sparrow
An army that defends the bodies and souls of the common people.
~ The High Sparrow on the Faith Militant.

The Faith Militant are major antagonists in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. The Faith Militant are the military orders of the Faith of the Seven, the predominate religion of the Seven Kingdoms, and serve the orders and wills of the High Septon.

They enforce the words of the Seven-Pointed Star by force and protect the Faith, also commonly known as the Holy Faith. It is composed of two military orders: the Noble and Puissant Order of the Warrior's Sons and the Poor Fellows. Due to their respective symbols, the orders are also known as the Swords and Stars, or Stars and Swords.

Originally disbanded years ago, the Faith Militant was restored in 300 AC by the "High Sparrow" and Cersei Lannister. The Swords and Stars and are the enforcers of the Faith of the Seven over the entire realm.

The Faith Militant obeys and defends the Most Devout, the council of the highest-ranking clergy of the Holy Faith, whose current members include Septon Raynard, Septon Luceon (born Frey), Septon Torbert, and Septon Ollidor. Septa Unella, Septa Moelle, Septa Scolera, Septa Aglantine, and Septa Melicent might also be members of the Most Devout. The Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows, however, obey primarily the will of the High Septon and are ready to arrest and punish any members of the Most Devout who violate the rules of the Faith.

Many members of the new movement of the Faith called "sparrows" (refugee men and women victims of the war in the riverlands and the crownlands) have joined the revived Faith Militant, while many others did not join and remain allies. The sparrows are responsible for reviving the two military orders in 300 AC, as the new High Septon is a sparrow.

Prominent historical members of the Faith Militant include two Warrior's Sons, Ser Morgan Hightower and Ser Damon Morrigen, and two Poor Fellows, Septon Moon and Ser Joffrey Doggett.

Biography[]

Faith Militant Uprising[]

The Faith Militant rose in rebellion against House Targaryen during the reign of King Aenys I Targaryen after several events the Faith took as slights. At the start of the Faith Militant uprising in 41 AC, the Poor Fellows slew Septon Murmison for performing the incestual marriage of Prince Aegon Targaryen to Princess Rhaena Targaryen, both children of King Aenys. Poor Fellows also tried to assassinate the Targaryens in the Red Keep but were stopped by Ser Raymont Baratheon of the Kingsguard. Aenys I's successor and half-brother, King Maegor I, outlawed armed holy men and took brutal steps to put down the rebelling orders and the houses supporting them, including offering bounties for their heads: a gold dragon for the scalp of a Warrior's Son and a silver stag for that of a Poor Fellow. This earned him the nickname "the Cruel." Not even the death of the High Septon and his replacement for a more passive one stopped the determination of the Faith Militant.

After Maegor's death, his successor, Jaehaerys I Targaryen, offered amnesty to the rebels in exchange for the disbandment of the Faith Militant.

A Song of Ice and Fire[]

A Feast for Crows[]

Centuries later, during the War of the Five Kings, groups of ragged men and women known as "sparrows" start massing in King's Landing after Tywin Lannister's death. This is a result of the horrible actions and massacres done by the various factions and brutes of the war, including Ser Gregor Clegane and his men, Ser Amory Lorch, Vargo Hoat and his sellsword company, the Hound (actually Rorge), House Lannister's army of the Westerlands, Robb Stark's army of the north, and even various deserters, outlaws, and broken men. In fact, most of the sparrows are from the destroyed territories of the riverlands and the crownlands. Several septries (monastic communities), septs, and motherhouses (septa communities) in these two kingdoms have been destroyed, plundered, and burned by northmen, westermen, and Brave Companions, who also raped septas, silent sisters, and children studying in those communities.

Incensed by the attacks on holy men and women and the sacking of septs and septries carried out by foragers, the majority of the sparrows came to King's Landing as refugees to protest the lack of protection by the nobility and openly denounce the Red Wedding by House Frey and, more recently, the horrifying and brutal Raid on Saltpans done by outlaws allegedly led by the Hound. The sparrows caught Septon Ollidor of the Most Devout in a brothel in King's Landing and forced him to do a small walk of atonement naked on the streets. This caused Septon Luceon to become the favored candidate to be chosen High Septon by the Most Devout. However, the sparrows oppose the election of Septon Luceon, who is born a Frey and a son of Lord Walder Frey, due to believing the gods have cursed House Frey for violating guest right, and thus a cursed High Septon that the gods do not want will doom the Seven Kingdoms to suffer more woes, worse with winter approaching. The sparrows burst inside the Great Sept of Baelor and occupied it, all armed, forcing the Most Devout members to appoint their sparrow leader as the new High Septon.

The new High Septon, mocked as the "High Sparrow" by some nobles, has refused to give King Tommen I Baratheon the gods' blessing, as per custom for a newly crowned monarch. This is the result of Tommen's mother, Dowager Queen and Regent Cersei Lannister, enacting a decree stating that the Crown shall no longer pay its monthly due to various institutions, such as the Holy Faith and the Iron Bank of Braavos, until the end of the war. In response, the Faith does not even acknowledge Tommen, and Cersei becomes upset when the newly appointed High Septon will keep refusing to give her son his blessing. The High Septon summons her to the Great Sept of Baelor to discuss the matter, among other serious ones.

During the meeting, the High Sparrow starts manipulating Cersei into overturning Maegor's law by explaining how the members of the Faith's various orders and institutions require protection and self-defense. He explained all the people's grievances with the atrocities of war, which Cersei immediately attempted to frame as solely the work of Stannis Baratheon and his "demon worshippers," as well as the work of the northmen. The northmen, however, are really guilty of war atrocities and mass rape as well, and have sacked and destroyed holy buildings and communities such as septries and septs. The queen's men of House Baratheon of Dragonstone are only known to have also vandalized and burned the historical sept of Storm's End with Stannis's consent (and actually also did the same to the sept of Dragonstone) and are rumored to burn people alive in the name of a "fire demon".

The High Sparrow's manipulation began when, after he summoned Cersei, he began discussing how the Crown had suddenly stopped paying the Faith its monthly due as part of a debt near one million dragons. Cersei decides to negotiate the debt's forgiveness by allowing the restoration of the Faith Militant to protect the Faith and the smallfolk from the nobility and its armies' abuses of power. Cersei thinks it is a great and wise political move, as she ends up specifically ridding King's Landing of the "plague" of sparrows overflowing the city to protest, annulling the Crown's near million debt with the Faith, and above all, creating a religious military opposition against her former brother-in-law, Stannis Baratheon, in order to raise the public against him more than the previous High Septon already did. Being convinced that the Faith is never going to accuse her of any sin, Cersei believes to have gained another military force against House Baratheon. The first thing she thought with satisfaction upon hearing the High Sparrow's preaching being, "do you hear that, Lord Stannis?". Immediately upon hearing about the Faith Militant's revival, Ser Theodan Wells is one of the first knights to pledge himself to the Warrior's Sons, and he is named their commander by the High Sparrow.

At Castle Darry in the riverlands, Lord Lancel Lannister has married Lady Amerei Frey but refused to consummate the marriage with her. He is also ambivalent as to rumors of his wife's promiscuity. Instead of the bedchamber of his new seat, Lancel sleeps in the castle's sept and commands his retainers to never disturb him during his prayers. He is often in the company of two septons and is guarded by sparrows and Poor Fellows, who came with him from King's Landing. Finally, Lancel announces to his father, Kevan, and the Freys at Darry that he wishes to renounce his lordship and marriage to join the Faith Militant and pledge his life to the High Septon and the Faith. Kevan and Lancel have a heated quarrel, finally resulting with Kevan departing Darry.

When Ser Jaime Lannister and his host arrive at Darry, while on his way to the second siege of Riverrun, Lancel prays in the sept instead of attending the welcoming feast for the westermen. Jaime thinks how ironic it is that his late lord father Tywin Lannister was disappointed and angry at him for his life's choice to renounce marriage and lordship give himself to the Iron Throne as a member of the Kingsguard, and now Uncle Kevan, Tywin's younger brother, is living the same situation with his heir Lancel, whose life's choice is to renounce marriage and a lordship to give himself to the Faith as a member of the Warrior's Sons.

After the feast, Jaime finds the barefoot Lancel looking like a beggar in his roughspun tunic and hair shirt. Lancel has shaved the crown of his head and has attempted to grow a beard. He claims he receives visions from the Seven each night and that he dreamed of being killed by Jaime after admitting to his sins. Lancel admits to having supplied King Robert I Baratheon with the strongwine and to having slept with Cersei multiple times. Lancel also admits to having romantically loved her. He tells his cousin Jaime that he had confessed his sins to the late High Septon as well, the one who preceded the "Sparrow" one. Lancel tells him he is joining the High Sparrow and the Order of the Warrior's Sons, and then anyone else can have Darry and marry Ami Frey after he renounces them, with the unconsummated marriage undone. He repeatedly asks Jaime to pray with him, but he is refused.

At the siege of Riverrun, Jaime tells other family members about Lancel's decision to join the Faith Militant, to which his cousin Ser Daven Lannister reacts with shock, while Aunt Genna Lannister is not surprised at all, as Lancel has always been religious and humorless, even before the Battle of the Blackwater, raised by his equally devoted and pious mother Dorna Swyft.

Following the election of Jon Snow as the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and the execution of her informant Janos Slynt, Cersei's paranoia leads her to believe that King Stannis Baratheon and Snow are working together for her downfall, as Stannis has recently taken residence at the Wall and taken over its lands and the wildlings (Cersei was very furious when she learned that Stannis did not flee into exile in Essos). To put an end to Stannis and Jon's "ploys," Cersei attempts to kill two birds with one stone by orchestrating a ploy that also involves her son's teenage Queen Consort Margaery Tyrell and the Faith.

Offering Ser Osney Kettleblack to have sex with her again, allowing him to touch her as a teasing "sample," Cersei instructs him to seduce Margaery. Osney and his older brother, Ser Osmund Kettleblack of the Kingsguard, are to arrange a scene in which Osney has sex with Queen Margaery, and then Osmund must burst into the chamber and pretend to have caught them. Then Osney will be arrested and brought to confess to the new High Septon. As punishment, Cersei will have her son, King Tommen, sent to the Wall, with his escorts being assassins. Once at Castle Black, Osney and his fellow thugs will kill Jon Snow, removing the threat and putting an end to the perceived alliance between him and Stannis. For her efforts, Cersei promises Osney a pardon and lordship when both jobs are completed. Meanwhile, Margaery will face her downfall and will be judged by the Faith for her alleged multiple infidelities, with Cersei also genuinely being sure that a young girl pretty and popular like her is not a virgin at all (Loras claimed in private to his Lord Commander Jaime that Margaery and her first husband, Renly Baratheon, did consummate their marriage during the bedding ceremony, with witnesses to confirm this, making the claim she is a maiden only a public lie). Cersei wants Margaery's scandal to make her lose the public's favor and she status as the Queen, and will give Cersei the ability to dismiss the hated Tyrells and their bannermen from court, as she is convinced they have her criminal brother Tyrion at Highgarden and are plotting with him.

Later, to speed things up and reclaim the real scenery, Cersei makes a change of plans; she plots to send Osney to the new High Septon to falsely confess to having sex with Margaery and two of her three cousins. She becomes excited after she learns that Margaery is indeed having sex with someone else, or even multiple men, after forcing Grand Maester Pycelle to tell her what potions he is bringing to the girl in the night. She is suppored by Osmund as she pressures the Grand Maester to tell her the truth. Pycelle admits that he has not only been giving Margaery sleeping potions but also moon tea, which is used to prevent pregnancies. Needing more evidence for the Faith before commencing her scheme with Osney, Cersei decides to use as their pawn Wat, a minstrel singer in service of the Tyrells, publicly known as the Blue Bard, to finally remove Margaery from court.

Cersei accuses Wat the Blue Bard of seducing and sleeping with Margaery. Though the bard denies it, even after Cersei smashes him in the face with his own lute, she has him arrested and sent to the black cells, in the dungeons' lowest level, despite the young singer insisting he has never done such a thing. Cersei has him stripped and tortured by Qyburn, the king's master of whisperers, who mutilates him by removing one each of his eyes and nipples. Under torture, the Blue Bard is commanded to tell the exact story Cersei wants him to and to name a list of alleged lovers of Margaery. After his mind is broken to the point of insanity and trauma by Qyburn, the singer names Cersei's prepared list of Margery's lovers.

As part of her plan, Cersei tells Osney to "confess" to the High Septon that he has slept with Margaery and her teenage cousins Megga, Alla, and Elinor Tyrell. After being convinced by her friend with benefits, Lady Taena Merryweather, Cersei agreed to name Alla as innocent, since they may be able to use her to bear witness against Margaery and the other two girls. Osney agrees with taking part in the ploy, but first tells Cersei that "the best lies have some truth in them" to "give them flavor," making it clear that he is asking for sex again. Thus, Cersei has sex with Osney again to make sure he follows her instructions.

Ser Osney heads to the Great Sept of Baelor and falsely confesses to the High Sparrow that he has slept with Margaery, Alla, Megga, and Elinor. Osney is arrested, however, by the Warrior's Sons, as the High Sparrow is suspicious of his confession, as he has never heard "a man so pleased to be so guilty," and he has Osney tortured through a brutal whipping to verify his confession. Ser Osney eventually breaks under such torture, confessing yet another version. He now claims not to have any carnal knowledge of Margaery and instead confesses that he has been having sexual relations with Cersei. He even reveals that he murdered the previous High Septon on her orders.

Queen Margaery and her cousins Alla, Megga, and Elinor are arrested by the Warrior's Sons for adultery and high treason as a result of Cersei's deception. The news is quickly delivered by Septa Moelle to the Queen Regent, also revealing that Margaery's private parts have been checked and that indeed her maidenhead is not intact. Pycelle also reluctantly discloses to the Septa that Margaery has had him mix moon tea on many occasions. Unaware of Osney's confession under torture, Cersei happily gathers the court to make the news public in the throne room, announcing the scandal of Margaery's crimes. She leaves Ser Osmund out of sight when she makes the announcement. On her instructions, Ser Osfryd Kettleblack observes which nobles are leaving the throne room when they hear the news.

Cersei manipulates King Tommen into signing ten blank arrest warrants, to which she then affixes the names of Wat the Blue Bard, Ser Tallad the Tall, Ser Lambert Turnberry, Prince Jalabhar Xho, Hugh Clifton, Ser Mark Mullendore, Ser Bayard Norcross, Hamish the Harper, Ser Horas, and Ser Hobber Redwyne. On her orders, Ser Osfryd arrests these chosen men, although she plans for the Redwyne twins to be found innocent of the charges of bedding Margaery in order to maintain positive relationships with the Arbor, as the powerful Redwyne fleet is needed to fight enemy invaders.

The next morning, Cersei and Taena head to the Great Sept of Baelor to meet the High Septon, Margaery, and her cousins, who have been stripped of their clothes and dignity by the Faith while being asked once every hour to confess their fornications. The Tyrell girls will remain held by the Faith until the day of their trial. If Margaery demands a trial by combat, Osmund will not be able to fight in it, as he is the brother of one of her accusers. Cersei sees that her cousin, Ser Lancel Lannister, has returned to the capital, spotting him amongst the Warrior's Sons. She observes the holy knights' armor with their rainbow-striped robes, rainbow stripes on their swordbelts, and crystals on the crests of their greathelms. Their Commander, Ser Theodan Wells, personally escorts the Queen Regent to the High Septon.

Deep beneath the dungeons of Visenya's Hill, the High Septon denies Cersei's request to have Ser Osney released into her custody. Instead, he escorts her to Osney's cell, revealing to her that he has been brutally whipped by the Faith. When the angered Cersei tells the High Septon that Osney came by his own free will, the High Septon reveals that he heard many men confess, yet rarely ever heard a man "so pleased to be so guilty." That is why he ordered for Osney to be tortured and questioned, and the more they questioned him, the more Osney's offenses changed. When the High Sparrow asks the imprisoned Osney if he has any carnal knowledge of "the queen," Osney points at Cersei and states, "Aye. That one there." Again, he confessed that Cersei ordered him to kill the previous High Septon. Horrified at what she just heard, Cersei runs away from the cell, seeking to escape in terror, only to be chased by a group of septas, who ultimately overwhelm Cersei before dragging her into her own cell.

Osney and Cersei, as well as Margaery and her cousins, remain imprisoned beneath the Great Sept of Baelor, awaiting trial, while Taena managed to escape, inform the small council, then fled from the city with her lord husband Orton Merryweather—the Hand of the King—back to their son in the Reach. Qyburn delivered his broken prisoner, Wat the Blue Bard, to the Faith, who tortured him once more, though he keeps repeating Cersei's version until he finally appears to have gone completely mad, and he remains held by the Faith.

Cersei is stripped of her regency by Grand Maester Pycelle, who took over the governance of the small council along with Lord Treasurer Ser Harys Swyft, Lancel's maternal grandfather. Pycelle and Swyft remove Osfryd from his position as Commander of the City Watch so that he cannot use the gold cloaks to come to Cersei and his brother's aid. Pycelle offers Ser Kevan Lannister the Regency of the realm, while Lord Mace Tyrell at Storm's End and Lord Randyll Tarly at Maidenpool are also informed of the events at court and the Faith's return to power. The Great Sept of Baelor remains surrounded by a ragged horde of Poor Fellows, whose homes are the tents they have made all around, along with those who remain as sparrows. Other sparrows and ally members of monastic communities are in the riverlands, escorting the smallfolk in their travels.

While Osney and Cersei remain imprisoned beneath the Great Sept of Baelor, Margaery and her three cousins have been returned to the Red Keep by the Faith as soon as Lord Randyll Tarly, now King Tommen's master of laws, returned to King's Landing with an army before Mace Tyrell and seized the four girls under his custody, although they are still to attend their trial by the Faith, even if the case against them is weak and not as serious as Cersei's.

After days of staying locked in a cold cell to pray to the Seven and see only Septa Unella, Septa Moelle, and Septa Scolera, as well as being visited only once by Qyburn, Cersei breaks and decides to confess to the High Septon. His High Holiness brings accusations by several people, who are Ser Osney Kettleblack, Queen Margaery Tyrell, her cousins, and King Stannis Baratheon, charging her with high treason, incest, regicide, and deicide. The High Sparrow reveals that the Warrior's Son, Ser Lancel Lannister, is also one of Cersei's accusers, and he declares her guilty of regicide and adultery with himself. Cersei truthfully confesses to having slept with her cousin Lancel and also admits to having slept twice with Ser Osney, while falsely confessing to having slept with Osmund and Osfryd as well.

The High Sparrow tells her these are common crimes, such as the well-known wickedness of widows and scandals, but not offenses punishable with death. He then passes to the serious crimes, such as regicide and mariticide, as well as deicide, with Osney and Lancel still being the accusers. The Tyrell girls accuse Cersei of perjury and claim to be innocent against her accusations of them having multiple lovers. Cersei falsely denies having conspired with Lancel to kill her late husband, King Robert I Baratheon. She manages to talk her way out of Robert's murder and that of the previous High Septon (deicide), the latter being accepted as Osney's crime only. She even walks out of the accusation of perjury against the four Tyrell girls.

The final accusation, which is incest, does not come from Osney nor from Lancel or the Tyrells, but from the Iron Throne claimant, Stannis Baratheon. When confronted by this, Cersei promptly denies the accusations as a lie created by Stannis to claim the Iron Throne for himself. Hearing this, the High Sparrow is visibly satisfied with the answer, as he needs to oppose Stannis and his infamous worship of R'hllor. As the Faith dreads and despises Stannis and his "red demon" religion, the High Sparrow avoids prosecuting Cersei for the allegations, admitting that the Faith is eager to condemn Stannis for his religious crimes. He states that Stannis has turned from the 'truth of the Seven' to worshipping a 'red demon', and that his "false" faith has no place in the Seven Kingdoms. Admitting that King Tommen is not a trueborn Baratheon will mean having to face Stannis and his followers. Nevertheless, all the accusations are still taken seriously but cannot fully be proven true, and in the end, the High Sparrow makes it clear he will not let Cersei walk out of this, instead deciding to trust the Gods' justice by giving Cersei a trial by combat, meaning losing will result in her execution.

After the small council receives word from the Faith about Cersei's confession, Osmund and Osfryd are arrested and imprisoned in the dungeons by the Lord Regent Kevan Lannister. The High Sparrow agrees to release Cersei and let her stay in house arrest in the Red Keep, but only on the condition that she perform a walk of atonement, which she accepts. Her guarding septas shave her head completely, strip her naked, and bring her outside the Great Sept of Baelor to face judgement and the public. Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows escort Cersei during her walk of atonement, led by Ser Theodan Wells. The holy knights wear silver plates atop their hair shirts, and their kite shields depict the crystal sword. She is disgusted upon seeing that Lancel is among her escorts, wearing the same armor. Septa Unella also helps escort Cersei to the Red Keep. Eventually, during the walk, Theodan ends up having to drag Cersei, as he fears the crowd is becoming restless and too aggressive.

After completing her walk of atonement, a broken Cersei is returned to the Red Keep to await her trial by combat, while Osney remains imprisoned by the Faith. It has been decided that Osney will be executed by the Holy Faith for the murder of the previous High Septon, while Kevan plans to send Osmund and Osfryd to the Wall if they plead guilty or have them face the newest member of the Kingsguard, Ser Robert Strong, in trial by combat if they plead innocent. Shortly afterwards, however, during the arrival of winter, Kevan and Pycelle are both murdered by Varys to keep the realm destabilized and in chaos and to fuel the tensions, fear, disharmony, and animosity between Cersei, the Tyrells, and the Faith, so that the realm in chaos will be ready to be conquered by Varys' true master, the pretender Aegon VI Targaryen and the Golden Company, who are currently invading the Stormlands.

Orders[]

Warrior's Sons[]

Holy men, ascetics, fanatics, sorcerers, dragonslayers, demonhunters … there were many tales about them. But all agree that they were implacable in their hatred for all enemies of the Holy Faith.
~ Cersei Lannister to Taena Merryweather

The Noble and Puissant Order of the Warrior's Sons, also known as the Swords, are anointed knights of the Faith Militant sworn to the Faith who have renounced their titles, lands, gold, and possessions to fight for the Seven. They swear their swords to His High Holiness. Most of them are former hedge and household knights, but some are of higher birth, such as younger sons of lords or older lords who wish to atone for their sins. They wear inlaid silver armor over hair shirts, rainbow cloaks, and swords with star-shaped crystals in their pommels. The Swords are sworn to protect holy places such as septs or to escort the devout safely across the lands. They developed a reputation for fanaticism and implacable hatred for enemies of the Faith. They are said to be holy men, sorcerers, dragonslayers, and demonhunters. They see anyone who worships other gods as false or evil. This army of holy knights is cut from the TV series.

The current commander of the Swords is Ser Theodan Wells, called Theodan the True. A known member of the group is Ser Lancel Lannister, former Lord of Darry and head of House Lannister of Darry.

Poor Fellows[]

This debt shall be forgiven, and King Tommen will have his blessing. The Warrior's Sons shall escort me to him, shining in the glory of their Faith, whilst my sparrows go forth to defend the meek and humble of the land, reborn as Poor Fellows as of old.
~ The High Sparrow to Cersei Lannister

The Poor Fellows, also known as the Stars or lately even as sparrows, are a more humble order for commoners and women. Thus, most of them are ragged smallfolk sworn to the Faith of the Seven, and like the Swords, they answer to the High Septon. Many of them are known for carving the seven-pointed star into their chests. Acting as a militant counterpart to begging brothers, Poor Fellows wander the realm, defend wayfarers on the road, and escort pilgrims between septs. They accept members from all ranks of society, regardless of birth, sex, or station, though they are led in battle by the Warrior's Sons. Despite not being as trained, disciplined, or well-armed as the Warrior's Sons, the Poor Fellows form the bulk of the Faith's army. They are lightly-armed footmen who carry whatever weapons they can make or find, often axes or cudgels, and wear star badges, red on white. Before the restoration of the Faith Militant, the current Poor Fellows were just known as "the sparrows," until their leader, known as the "High Sparrow," became the High Septon and restored the Faith Militant. In the TV series, there are no women among them, and they are still simply known as the sparrows, and they refer to themselves as "brothers".

In the TV series, they are the only force of the Faith Militant, and Lancel is one of them.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In A Song of Ice and Fire, the Faith Militant is loosely inspired by crusading orders. The chivalric order of the Warrior's Sons loosely resembles the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Order, and the Knights Hospitaller.
  • The Faith and its military orders currently view the worship of R'hllor as the biggest threat to Westeros. In A Song of Ice and Fire, it is acknowledged multiple times that the High Sparrow and his followers consider Stannis Baratheon to be the "bigger evil" present in Westeros and dread the idea of him ascending to power.
    • In A Song of Ice and Fire, one of Cersei Lannister's primary reasons to revive the Faith Militant is to create a religious military opposition against her former brother-in-law Stannis, as she also views him as the "bigger bad" of the conflict and one of her primary candidates to be the "valonqar" (little brother) who was prophesied to kill her, along with Tyrion Lannister.
    • This is implied to be the reason why the High Septon has avoided immediately condemning Cersei, despite Lancel Lannister having already confessed her crimes of adultery and murdering her husband, Robert I Baratheon. Furthermore, the High Septon has accused Cersei of incest, but the only public accuser of the allegation is Stannis, who is viewed as the greater enemy and heretic. When Cersei denies the incest allegations and publicly denounces Stannis as a power-hungry liar, the High Sparrow is visibly pleased, even relieved, and admits to considering Stannis a bigger criminal than Cersei, a traitor to the Seven Gods, and a demon worshipper. He promises Cersei that Stannis will face his own judgement as well.
    • As he still believes Cersei needs to be judged for her alleged crimes but also claims to lack sufficient evidence, the High Sparrow decided to rely on a trial by combat to trust the gods' judgement (unlike in the TV series, the trial by combat is respected as the will of the gods, regardless if a blatantly guilty person is then released).
    • One thing the Faith is seriously fearing is the possibility of the illegitimacy of Tommen I Baratheon being proven true, which will mean a war between Stannis and the High Septon.
  • The Faith Militant has been revived by the sparrows, who forced the Most Devout to appoint their leader as the new High Septon. The sparrows, who in turn are refugees of the War of the Five Kings, come from the riverlands and the crownlands. The majority of the sparrows are direct victims of the atrocities committed by the various soldiers and outlaws, including Gregor Clegane, his men, Amory Lorch, the northmen, the westermen, even rivermen, and most notably, all the Brave Companions and their scattered band. They have also raided, plundered, and burned septries, septs, and motherhouses.
    • Many of the sparrows became Poor Fellows, but many others did not join the Faith Militant and remained their own group allied with the current High Septon. Officially, the sparrows are not an order of the Faith Militant.
  • In the television series Game of Thrones, the sparrows make up the sole force of the revived Faith Militant, which is very different, humbler, extremely poorly armed, and not armored than George R.R. Martin's Swords and Stars that make the Faith Militant in the novels. Even in the TV series, not all the sparrows are members of the Faith Militant.
    • Also, in the TV series, the sparrows are more hateful, violent, and aggressive, whilst the sparrows in the novels are more involved in the protection of innocents. Sparrows protect orphans and bring many of them to the inn at the crossroads in the riverlands, although the Heddle girls managing the place are associates of the Brotherhood without Banners, which are outlaws sworn to R'hllor and terrorize the population under an undead and unholy fire wight.

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Night King | White Walker Commander | Viserion | Wights

Giants
Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg | Dongo

Free Folk
Mance Rayder | Tormund Giantsbane | Styr | Rattleshirt | Orell | Craster | Varamyr Sixskins | Harma Dogshead | The Weeper | Alfyn Crowkiller | Ygritte | Hali

Night's Watch
Night's King | Alliser Thorne | Bowen Marsh | Othell Yarwyck | Janos Slynt | Olly | Karl Tanner | Dirk | Ollo Lophand | Clubfoot Karl | Chett | Rast | Brant | Derek | Stiv | Wallen | Rorge | Biter | George Graceford | Perkin the Flea | Rat Cook

The North
House Stark
Theon Stark | Cregan Stark | Arya Stark | Tom

House Bolton
Royce IV Bolton | Roose Bolton | Ramsay Bolton | Locke | Reek | Myranda | Little Walder Frey | Big Walder Frey | Bastard's Boys | Master torturer | Smalljon Umber

House Karstark
Rickard Karstark | Harald Karstark | Arnolf Karstark | Cregan Karstark | Arthor Karstark

The Vale of Arryn
House Arryn
Lysa Arryn | Mandon Moore | Marillion | Mord | Lyn Corbray

House Baelish
Petyr Baelish | Oswell Kettleblack

Vale Mountain Clans
Shagga

Riverlands
House Baelish of Harrenhal
Petyr Baelish

House Frey
Walder Frey | Emmon Frey | Aenys Frey | Walder Rivers | Jared Frey | Hosteen Frey | Symond Frey | Merrett Frey | Raymund Frey | Lothar Frey | Whalen Frey | Benfrey Frey | Ryman Frey | Rhaegar Frey | Big Walder Frey | Little Walder Frey | Edwyn Frey | Black Walder Frey | Tytos Frey | Leslyn Haigh | Harys Haigh

House Strong
Larys Strong | Alys Rivers | Larys Strong's prisoners

Brotherhood without Banners
Lady Stoneheart | Lem Lemoncloak | Tom of Sevenstreams | Morgan | Gatins

Others
Chett | Garse Goodbrook | Lysa Tully | Danelle Lothston | Lothar Bracken | Harren the Red

Iron Islands
House Greyjoy
Balon IX Greyjoy | Euron III Greyjoy | Victarion Greyjoy | Aeron Greyjoy | Asha Greyjoy | Yara Greyjoy | Theon Greyjoy | Dagmer Cleftjaw | Black Lorren | Stygg | Drennan | Adrack Humble | Red Oarsman | Lucas Codd | Torwold Browntooth | Harrag | Iron Fleet

House Greyjoy (historical)
Dalton Greyjoy

House Hoare
Qhored I Hoare | Hagon Hoare | Harwyn Hoare | Harren Hoare

Others
Joron I Blacktyde | Urrathon IV Goodbrother | Urron Greyiron | The Shrike

Westerlands
House Lannister
Tywin Lannister | Cersei Lannister | Jaime Lannister | Tyrion Lannister | Lancel Lannister | Amory Lorch | Ilyn Payne | Preston Greenfield | Shae | Lowell

House Lannister (historical)
Jason Lannister | Lann the Clever

House Clegane
Gregor Clegane | Sandor Clegane | Polliver | Rafford | The Tickler | Weasel | Mountain's Men

House Reyne
Ellyn Reyne | Roger Reyne

House Spicer
Rolph Spicer | Sybell Spicer

Others
Alfred Broome | Androw Farman

Crownlands
House Targaryen
Aegon I Targaryen | Visenya Targaryen | Rhaenys Targaryen | Maegor I Targaryen | Daemon Targaryen | Rhaenyra Targaryen | Aegon II Targaryen | Aemond Targaryen | Daeron Targaryen | Daeron I Targaryen | Baelor I Targaryen | Aegon IV Targaryen | Aerion Targaryen | Aerys II Targaryen | Rhaegar Targaryen | Viserys Targaryen | Daenerys I Targaryen

Greens
Aegon II Targaryen | Aemond Targaryen | Daeron Targaryen | Otto Hightower | Alicent Hightower | Criston Cole | Borros Baratheon | Jason Lannister | Unwin Peake | George Graceford | Orwyle | Jon Roxton | Larys Strong | Larys Strong's prisoners | Alys Rivers | Hugh Hammer | Ulf White | Hobert Hightower | Alfred Broome | Arryk Cargyll | Marston Waters | Perkin the Flea | Luthor Largent | Caltrops

Blacks
Rhaenyra Targaryen | Daemon Targaryen | Cregan Stark | Mysaria | Hugh Hammer | Ulf White | Luthor Largent | Bartimos Celtigar | Alfred Broome | Dalton Greyjoy | Blood and Cheese

House Baratheon of King's Landing
Robert I Baratheon | Joffrey I Baratheon | Cersei Lannister | Jaime Lannister | Janos Slynt | Ilyn Payne | Bronn | Sandor Clegane | Boros Blount | Meryn Trant | Mandon Moore | Preston Greenfield | Kettleblack Brothers | Robert Strong | Catspaw

House Baratheon of Dragonstone
Stannis Baratheon | Selyse Florent | Melisandre | Axell Florent | Richard Horpe | Clayton Suggs | Shadow Assassins

House Blackfyre
Daemon I Blackfyre | Daemon II Blackfyre | Aegor Rivers | Maelys I Blackfyre | Golden Company

House Kettleblack
Osmund Kettleblack | Osfryd Kettleblack | Osney Kettleblack

Faith of the Seven
Baelor I Targaryen | High Sparrow | Septa Unella | Faith Militant | Lancel Lannister | The Shepherd

City Watch of King's Landing
Daemon Targaryen | Janos Slynt | Bronn | Osfryd Kettleblack | Blood | Perkin the Flea

Alchemists' Guild
Rossart | Hallyne | Garigus | Belis

Others
Rorge | Biter | Arryk Cargyll | Bartimos Celtigar | Hugh Hammer | Luthor Largent | Ulf White | Marston Waters | Olyvar | King's Landing Rioters

Stormlands
House Baratheon
Robert I Baratheon | Stannis Baratheon | Renly Baratheon | Joffrey Baratheon | Richard Horpe | Meryn Trant

House Baratheon (historical)
Orys Baratheon | Borros Baratheon

Others
Criston Cole

The Reach
House Tyrell
Mace Tyrell | Loras Tyrell | Randyll Tarly

House Florent
Axell Florent | Selyse Florent

House Hightower
Lord Hobert Hightower | Ormund Hightower | Otto Hightower | Alicent Hightower | Hobert Hightower

House Peake
Unwin Peake | Amaury Peake | Mervyn Flowers | Gormon Peake

The Citadel
Pycelle | Orwyle | Qyburn

Others
Jon Roxton | George Graceford | Bronn

Dorne
Morion Martell | Ellaria Sand | Gerold Dayne | Nymeria Sand | Obara Sand | Tyene Sand | Wyl of Wyl | Vulture Kings

Others
Shagwell | Smiling Knight | The Little Birds | The Rat, the Hawk, and the Pig

Essos
Free Cities
Belicho Paenymion | Ben Plumm | Bloodbeard | Craghas Drahar | Daario Naharis | Second Sons | Doreah | Illyrio Mopatis | Jaqen H'ghar | Kindly Man | Malaquo Maegyr | Mero | Moqorro | Mysaria | Ollo Lophand | Pretty Meris | Tattered Prince | The old man | Tyanna of the Tower | Vargo Hoat | Varys | Sorcerer | Waif | Bianca | Triarchy | Saan Family | Band of Nine | The little birds

Golden Company
Aegor Rivers | Maelys I Blackfyre | Harry Strickland

Brave Companions
Vargo Hoat | Rorge | Biter | Shagwell | Qyburn

The Sorrows
Stone Men

Dothraki Sea
Dothraki | Drogo | Jhaqo | Mago | Moro | Qotho | Qhono | Qorro | Brozho | Rhalko | Forzho | Wine Merchant

Lhazar
Mirri Maz Duur

Slaver's Bay
Great Masters | Wise Masters | Good Masters | Hizdahr zo Loraq | Kraznys mo Nakloz | Grazdan mo Ullhor | Cleon the Great | Malko | Oznak zo Pahl | Prendahl na Ghezn | Razdal mo Eraz | Yezzan zo Qaggaz | Reznak mo Reznak | Skahaz mo Kandaq | Sons of the Harpy | Vala | Grey Worm | Unsullied

Qarth
The Pureborn | The Undying Ones | Pyat Pree | Warlocks of Qarth | Xaro Xhoan Daxos | Sorrowful Men

Collections of Countries
Old Empire of Ghis | Valyrian Freehold | Slaver Alliance

Far East Essos
Yi Ti
Bloodstone Emperor | Lo Bu | Jar Har

Asshai and Shadow Lands
Melisandre | Shadow Assassins

Across the Known World
Crew of the Silence

Dragons
Balerion | The Cannibal | Drogon | Meraxes | Rhaegal | Silverwing | Sunfyre | Vermithor | Vhagar | Viserion

Deities
Drowned God | Great Other | Horse God | Lion of Night | Many-Faced God | Old Gods | Old Ones | R'hllor | Storm God

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