Aermir

Biodata

Power Progression

Documented Attributes

• His mana pool is recorded as 480 points, with 120 committed to containing the Night’s King’s curse, during his exploration of Winterfell’s crypts 171.
• A later battle records 600 mana points at level six; four mass-enhancement rituals consume 300 mana and require forty sacrificed sheep 189.

Background and History

Reincarnation and Winterfell

Aermir was brought into the world by the Order God, who granted him unusual powers and gave him cryptic instructions about sacred sites where they could communicate. He retains knowledge from a previous life, including chemistry studied in secondary school and university, but does not yet understand the full purpose of his mission 170 175.

His present body’s mother died before his reincarnation. Although he never met her himself, the body’s memories of her affection remain, contributing to his determination to find cures for disease 159.

Initially a commoner at Winterfell, Aermir attracted hostility from older noble-born squires. After defeating six who had ambushed him, he used magic during their oaths to expose their lies. Eddard Stark confined all involved for a month, giving Aermir the additional restriction of bread and water, while privately placing his training under Rodrik 9.

His abilities soon exceeded those expected of a child. At nine, his technique allowed him to neutralize a physically stronger opponent’s advantages; at ten, he defeated Eddard’s knights through fog, archery, concealment, and close combat. Eddard privately recognized that he was raising a “one-man army” 23 37.

Rise as a Northern Hero

During his travels, Aermir escorted survivors of a red-fever outbreak to Barrowton. He recruited the orphaned twins Harik and Caygan, trained them along the road, and arranged their passage to Winterfell 55.

At Winterfell, he insisted on receiving a promised flogging rather than allowing Eddard to reduce his punishment. After twenty lashes, he rallied the watching soldiers with cries for the Old Gods and the North, then collapsed. The spectacle strengthened his reputation as a northern religious champion; afterward, he secretly healed his wounds 60.

Aermir eventually disclosed his magic to Eddard, admitting that he had enhanced his strength and enlarged his smoke bombs during the contest against the knights. He secured Eddard’s silence through an Unbreakable Vow 71.

Greyjoy Rebellion and Lannisport Tournament

Aermir fought Victarion during the assault on the Iron Victory, wounding his arm with Red Rain. An Ironborn intervened before Aermir could kill him, allowing Victarion and the other Greyjoy brothers to escape 106.

At Pyke, Aermir and the twins helped open the gates to the invading armies. He subsequently fought through the castle and enhanced Eddard with buffs during the advance toward Balon Greyjoy’s hall 121.

At the Lannisport tournament, he defeated Jaime Lannister using swordsmanship, foresight, and a Trap Spell. He ultimately won the joust, melee, and archery competition, consolidating his reputation as the Sword of Winter 129 131.

Lord of Moat Cailin

Aermir assured Eddard that he had no interest in replacing House Stark as the North’s ruling family, though he would not promise unquestioning obedience. His ambitions instead centered on Moat Cailin and an intelligence network extending beyond what his familiars alone could cover 141.

Over the following two years, he built a covert organization supported by healing, agricultural miracles, and devotion to the Old Gods. He revealed his true identity only to selected loyal recruits. As commander of the Knights Templar and leader of the paladins, he also suppressed banditry 143 145.

Eddard granted him the title Lord of Moat Cailin and ten thousand gold dragons to restore the castle after his service defending the North 145.

Three Sisters and Vale Campaigns

Aermir spent a year provoking the Sistermen through disguises, rumors, and religious agitation, anticipating that their confidence in Vale support would lead them to attack his ships. He then used their attack to rally northern support for retaliation 160 179 180 184.

His campaign combined magically enhanced troops, naval mobility, animal reconnaissance, and the interception of enemy communications. Conquered noble houses were required to send their male members to the Night’s Watch, while female heirs were paired with northern nobles loyal to him 193 199 205 206.

Against Yohn Royce’s army, Aermir prepared a valley ambush using fog, archers, falling rocks, familiars, roots, poison gas, and supernatural cold. His objective extended beyond victory: he wanted to weaken the Vale sufficiently to prevent it from threatening an exhausted North after the war against the Night’s King 200 207.

He also united and armed mountain clans, supporting their attacks while concealing the full extent of northern involvement. He sought a defensible territory for them rather than an outright conquest that would unite the continent against him. After stripping the Vale’s harvest, he withdrew into the mountains and entered negotiations with Jon Arryn 216 217 225 229.

Rickon and the Night’s King

Aermir taught the Stark children to develop their animal bonds, but initially found that they could not cast spells because they lacked Magic Hearts. Rickon’s ability to see mana later revealed Aermir’s hidden identity, prompting Aermir to bind him to secrecy and explain the Emre persona 145 169.

With his parents’ approval, Aermir arranged to foster Rickon at Moat Cailin. On Skagos, he supervised the boy’s absorption of volcanic fire elements, formation of a Magic Heart, and first successful Fireball Spell 170 172 239.

Meanwhile, a curse imposed by the Night’s King consumed part of Aermir’s mana and restricted his movements. He feared that mishandling its connection could enable the Night’s King to cross the Wall 171 174.

When the seal around the mark broke, Aermir was transported to a frozen plain before the Night’s King. He summoned and protected his familiars, then used metamagic and transformation for a powerful flaming-halberd strike. The Night’s King regenerated, overwhelmed him, and devastated his magical allies, leaving Aermir blinded, exhausted, and close to surrender 246 247 248.

In later events, Aermir acknowledged that he had underestimated the enemy and sought more soldiers, magical weapons, and dragonglass. At Castle Black, his defenses blunted an assassination attempt by Alaric Blackthorn; he ordered Alaric taken for execution and declared that House Blackthorn’s name would be erased from the Three Sisters 260.

Appearance

Aermir grows from an unusually large child into a powerfully built adult. He is approximately one and a half meters tall at nine, reaches two meters as an adult, and later weighs one hundred kilograms 23 182 216.

• Knightly presentation: Wears plate armor and is described as graceful despite his powerful build 134 164.
• Emre’s mask: A wooden mask resembling an old man’s face, with bark-like texture that shifts and creaks 177.
• Druid robes: Incorporate moss, branches, a multicolored leaf cloak, and glowing green threads 177.
• Magical aura: Rickon perceives a powerful blue light around him 169.
• Bark Armor: Darkens his skin beneath a protective bark-like layer 158 189.

Personality

Aermir is protective of his loved ones but openly rejects impartiality when their safety is at stake. He respects Eddard’s honesty while criticizing his attachment to honor, arguing that the North’s survival must take precedence over the stability of other regions 141 230.

He is a patient planner who uses intelligence, religion, and public perception as deliberately as battlefield magic. His insistence on public flogging helped create a heroic image, while his agricultural miracles and healing built loyalty that shielded his covert organization 60 143.

His compassion coexists with severe cruelty. He develops medicine, rescues refugees, and improves sanitation, yet also conducts lethal experiments on imprisoned murderers and uses collective punishment against defeated houses. Insults to his parents provoke him to cripple Grafton and Belmore, though he restrains himself from killing them because doing so would disrupt his plans 55 147 175 232.

Despite cultivating reverence as Emre, Aermir misses being treated simply as a friend. He fears that revealing his identity will replace the Stark children’s familiar affection with worship, as has happened with other followers 257.

Abilities and Skills

Martial Arts, Archery, and Foresight

Aermir combines extensive training, a fivefold skill bonus, and precognitive awareness. During his duel with Jaime, his swordsmanship is compared with Barristan Selmy’s 129.

• Uses feints and technique to overcome opponents with superior physical strength 23 182.
• Fires rapid volleys and guides arrows with wind magic 37.
• Shoots a stag through both eyes with a wind-infused arrow 148.
• Combines foresight, swordsmanship, and a Trap Spell to defeat Jaime 129.
• Employs halberds, swords, shields, and paired greataxes 106 129 221.

Animal Bonds and Familiars

Aermir forms deep mental connections with animals, treating his familiars as family rather than disposable servants 143 246.

• Commands animals, including calming his own horse and disrupting enemy mounts 129.
• Reads controlled animals’ memories without maintaining a direct mental connection; his familiars can also access his memories 134.
• Uses birds and other animals for reconnaissance, messages, and battlefield coordination 184 203.
• Maintains communication with his familiars even when transformation prevents spellcasting, though he cannot share their sight in that state 189 221.
• His reconnaissance network has range limits: Erebus’s subordinate crows become ineffective for communication when Erebus is too far away 225.

Shapeshifting and Physical Transformation

Aermir can assume animal forms, including an eagle and a black dog, for travel, infiltration, and concealment 225 206.

• His improved shapeshifting grants an animal’s abilities, but does not automatically reproduce special functions such as underwater breathing or venom production 144.
• Can alter facial muscles for disguise, but not bone structure, hair color, or eyes 159.
• Uses a separate combat transformation to gain extreme strength and speed at the cost of further spellcasting 189.
• The hour-long transformation used during the mountain campaign cannot be dispelled early 221.

Elemental and Battlefield Magic

Aermir manipulates earth, air, water, and fire, frequently combining elements or using terrain to magnify their effect 171 193 207.

• Earth magic: Excavates tunnels, reinforces foundations, raises barriers, and attacks with rock or erupting roots 147 171 207 253.
• North Wind: Heart of Winter: Combines water and air into battlefield cold that numbs soldiers and causes frostbite; costs 120 mana in the Vale ambush 207.
• Earth Impact Wave: Explodes an earthen barrier into destructive rock fragments 253.
• Poison Gas: Combines his internal venom with wind, projecting a ten-meter cone harmful through contact or inhalation 144.
• Naval enhancement: Uses magic to increase fleet speed, renewing the effect every four to six hours as conditions change 193.
• Most of his spells initially require line of sight or travel straight, prompting research into arcing bombardment spells 210.

Summoning

Aermir summons animals, elementals, and his bonded familiars 144 246.

• Can summon three bears or six wolves with his improved animal-summoning magic 144.
• Medium elementals stand approximately two to three meters tall and possess element-specific attacks 144.
• His wolf-sized Wildfire Spirit can glide briefly, cast Fireball, and use a weak breath attack 144.
• Combines summoned allies with roots, poison, and ranged support to establish killing zones 207.

Protection, Enhancement, and Healing

Aermir enhances individuals and formations while using layered defenses to protect himself and his familiars 189 246.

• Bark Armor, Stoneskin, and Oak Shield: Provide protective layers; Mass Stoneskin affects people within ten meters 144 189 246.
• Mass rituals: Enhance two hundred warriors at once, improving strength, speed, stamina, and protection 189.
• Lifebloom — Abra Ruklo: Closes his flogging wounds 60.
• Regeneration: Rebuilds bone and muscle, including lost limbs; repairs organs but cannot regenerate them. Treatment is painful and can kill patients too weak to endure it 144.
• Two continuously active defensive buffs protect him during Alaric’s assassination attempt, though the incident exposes the danger of relying on them complacently 260.

Oath Magic

Aermir’s Unbreakable Vow binds promises through mana, with consequences specified in the oath. Eddard’s attempt to write down Aermir’s secret causes immediate paralysis 71.

• Used to protect his identity and secure trusted recruits’ secrecy 143 169.
• A vow cannot be broken without the other party’s permission 71.
• Roughly one thousand connections make his Magic Heart feel heavily burdened; at that point, he estimates capacity for only two hundred more oaths 150.
• Extensive oath use and his fivefold skill improve his casting control, allowing magic without the usual discharge or complex rituals 169.

Weirwood Travel and Underground Movement

At level five, Aermir gains deeper control of the weirwood network, eventually developing travel between trees 144 216.

• Tree Root Teleportation: Requires prior physical contact with the destination tree and sufficient mana 216.
• Traveling from the Mountains of the Moon to Moat Cailin consumes his entire mana supply 216.
• Only Aermir can pass through the gate; even his familiars cannot accompany him. Carried weight is limited to his own body weight 216.
• Merge with the Earth and Air Bubble allow underground travel, but consume mana rapidly. Exhausting his reserves inside solid earth would be fatal 171.

Research, Crafting, and Metamagic

Aermir uses the Training Space to develop spells and test dangerous bodily alterations. Fatal injuries and deformities suffered there do not persist after he leaves 144 171.

• Develops immunity to animal venoms and plant toxins, an internal venom sac, and touch-based detection of disease or abnormalities in animals 144.
• Uses Identification to aid learning, mastering the basics of the Old Tongue in less than a month 143.
• Crafts single-enchantment weapons and armor, rune-inscribed Buff Gems, and magic-infused jewelry that nonmagical smiths can use to etch runes 143 185 261.
• Applies metamagic to raise Blade of Flame from a second-level spell to sixth-level power against the Night’s King 247.
• His attempts to safely mutate other humans remain unsuccessful, despite limited experimental progress 260.

Rule and Reforms

Equipment and Items

• Red Rain — Sword used against Victarion and carried during the confrontation with the Night’s King 106 246.
• Crescent halberd — Brought by Caygan for the Lannisport melee 129.
• Large battlefield halberd — Retrieved from Sith’s saddle during the Sistermen battle; named “Moon Hunter” on introduction and “Moonslayer” or “Moonreaver” later in the passage 189.
• Enhancement cloak — Newly crafted cloak that improves his attributes when combined with buffs 175.
• Emre’s wooden mask and robes — Distinctive equipment used to maintain his Druid persona 177.
• Buff Gems — Limited rune-inscribed resources that temporarily enhance their users’ abilities 185.
• Bronze-colored Valyrian greataxe — Acquired from the mountain tribes; bears First Men runic magic and becomes an important research object 215 216 261.
• Royce’s bronze armor and Nightfall — Studied to deepen his understanding of enchantment 143.

Relationships

• Eddard Stark — Patron, liege, and trusted confidant. Aermir respects him and pledges continued Stark supremacy in the North, but their relationship is strained by Aermir’s independent wars and ruthless methods 71 141 230.
• Rodrik — Early martial instructor and defender against the noble families accusing Aermir. Administers Aermir’s requested flogging 9 60.
• Bris / Brice — Chosen aunt rather than a blood relative. Aermir gives her his surname; she loves him as a nephew and urges him to establish his own house 60 261.
• Robb Stark and Jon — Childhood friends and sparring companions. Aermir fears that learning his Druid identity will replace their friendship with reverence 145 257.
• Sansa Stark — Conceals romantic feelings for him; he encourages her archery 145.
• Arya Stark — Admires him while aspiring to surpass him and command the Knights Templar 145.
• Bran Stark — Warging student who bonds with the crow Winter. His later reverence troubles Aermir, who does not want their friendship reduced to worship 145 257.
• Rickon Stark — Foster pupil whose mana sight exposes Aermir’s identity. Aermir guides him in forming a Magic Heart and casting his first fireball 169 172 239.
• Catelyn Stark — Repeated political and personal antagonist. Aermir warns against further action against his family, though they later negotiate Rickon’s fostering respectfully 141 170.
• Harrick / Harik and Caygan Greenwood — Orphaned twins recruited into his service, magically enhanced, and later knighted. Harrick develops as a commander, while Caygan undertakes intelligence assignments 55 134 148 260.
• Dacey Mormont — Sparring partner and skinchanging student who knows his secret identity. Their personal closeness contributes to tension with Sansa 158 168.
• Tobho Mott — Smith and teacher whom Aermir recruits for Moat Cailin; later collaborates with him in weapon production 142 146 175.
• Smalljon Umber — Defeated in a training duel, then renounces his inheritance to join Aermir’s paladins 182.
• Jon Arryn — Opponent and negotiating counterpart during the Vale conflict 229 230.
• Night’s King — Principal supernatural enemy, responsible for Aermir’s curse and a devastating defeat 174 248.
• Order God — Being responsible for his arrival and powers; its mission and designated sacred sites remain unresolved 170.

Familiars

• Bo and Erebus — Flying scouts and combat allies; their reconnaissance repeatedly exposes enemy plans 20 207.
• Sith — Enormous armored shadowcat and mount, whose coat darkens toward black as she develops 164.
• Berus, Artio, and Im — Summoned into major battles to fight alongside him and divert attacks 207.
• Yimu — Obedient Icicle Snake whose appearance at Winterfell prompts Rodrik to suspect Aermir is a warg 20.
• Wannian and Jilim — Intelligence-gathering familiars. Wannian develops a Magic Heart; Jilim specializes in earth magic and can move through soil and rock 134.
• Skadi — Cherished reconnaissance companion whom Aermir forbids from venturing too deeply into the Lands of Always Winter 143.

Notable Quotes

“A true man of the North keeps his word.” 60

“I may not always obey every order you give, but I hope you understand that as long as I draw breath, the supreme ruler of the North will always bear the name Stark.” 141

“I will always choose the people I love over thousands of people I do not know.” 230