Rickard Karstark

Rickard had been named for Lord Rickard Stark, and the gesture turned out to be an omen. When the North rose against the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, he rode with Eddard Stark through Robert's Rebellion and fought at the Battle of the Trident.

Years later he brought his daughter Alys, then six years old, to Winterfell, hoping she might win the affection of young Robb Stark and pave the way toward a betrothal between their houses.

When Robb Stark called his banners, Rickard rode to Winterfell with his three sons, Harrion, Torrhen, and Eddard. The northern host split at the Twins, and Rickard stayed with Robb, fighting beside him at the Battle of the Whispering Wood and the Battle of the Camps. At the Whispering Wood, Jaime Lannister killed both Torrhen and Eddard.

After the victory at the Camps, Rickard prayed to the Old Gods in the godswood at Riverrun. At the war council he argued against ransoming Jaime back to his father, Tywin Lannister, and when Greatjon Umber hailed Robb as King in the North, Rickard swore him his loyalty.

When Robb laid out before his council the idea of offering peace to the Iron Throne, Rickard stormed out of the hall at Riverrun, making no secret of his anger. Soon after he killed Stafford Lannister at the Battle of Oxcross and set about ravaging Lannister lands in the west.

When word reached Riverrun that Winterfell had fallen, Catelyn Stark set Jaime Lannister free from his captivity, and Rickard, still raw with grief over his sons, took it as betrayal. He promised his daughter Alys's hand to whoever brought back the Kingslayer, then led a handful of men into the cells holding other prisoners taken at the Whispering Wood. There he killed Willem Lannister and Tion Frey, along with the guards Delp and Elwood.

Edmure Tully urged Robb to keep him as a hostage, but the king named him a traitor and sentenced him to die. Following his father Eddard Stark's custom, Robb carried out the sentence himself, beheading Rickard before the heart tree in the godswood at Riverrun. With his last words, Rickard called Robb a kinslayer and reminded him of the blood shared between Stark and Karstark. He was succeeded by his only surviving son, Harrion. When Lothar Frey heard of it, he called it swift, sure justice.