The Others, known to many as White Walkers, were a race of beautiful and strange creatures
from the far north of the world. Beings of winter and cold, they were able to manipulate
ice through their mysterious magics. Legends claim that the Others once threatened all
of humanity but have since retreated into the Lands of Always Winter and have not been
seen in thousands of years. As a result the people of Westeros have come to view these
creatures as demon monsters, terrifying children with fanciful tales of their ancient enemy.
But in truth little is known of the northern species, and they were last seen so long ago
that most current information cannot be trusted, and the truth of their past interactions with
humanity may never be fully understood. The Others, described by some as tall and
gaunt, with skin as pale as milk and eyes that shine bright blue. They were said to
wear camouflage armor that constantly changed to match its environment.
Wielding razor thin swords of ice, they imbued their weapons with magic allowing it to freeze
and break enemy armaments, making steel swords, axes and other conventional weapons useless
against them. They were also able to summon ice spiders,
and raise both human and animal dead, riding reanimated horses, bears and direwolves into
battle, and reviving the corpses of fallen enemies to grow their undead army.
These monsterous creatures, who seem to serve the Others as mindless drones, have become
known as wights, with fire having proven the best weapon against them.
According to Westerosi legends, the Others first appeared roughly 8000 years in the past,
and their invasion of human lands ushered in the Long Night, a generation of darkness
and winter where armies of wights, led by their White Walker masters waged a savage
war against humanity. Conquering much of Westeros. Eastern legends claim similar creatures invaded
the lands of Yi Ti making both the Long night and invasion of the Others a global phenomenon,
creating many cultural interpretations of the event, influencing customs, traditions
and religions for many years to come. In Westeros, the advance of these northern
beings was stopped only when a figure known to history as the Last Hero emerged wielding
a sword of dragonglass, uniting the people of the continent, and working with the newly
formed Night’s Watch, to engage the enemy armies at the Battle for the Dawn, where the
Others were defeated, and forced to retreat back into the Lands of Always Winter.
With their withdrawal, came an end to the Long Night, and peace was restores to Westeros.
To prevent such an invasion in the future, stories say Bran the Builder of House Stark
led the construction of a massive wall in the north, gathering allies in the Children
of the Forest to place enchantments on the structure, that would prevent the Others from
crossing beyond it. The Night’s Watch was given charge of the
Wall’s defense, adding to it over the years, and manning several castles along its southern
side, always vigilant and prepared for war. In the east similar events were said to have
taken place, with a hero known to many as Azor Ahai sacrificing his wife Nissa Nissa
to forge a magical flaming sword called Lightbringer. With this weapon he rallied the armies of
man, leading a war against the invading creatures of the North, driving them back, then manning
the 5 Forts of Yi Ti, great black stone fortresses built into the mountains, believed to have
been designed to defend against future invasions. Back in Westeros, the Night’s Watch served
with distinction for many years, considered as a place of honor for many noblemen who
were ineligible to inherit lands or titles. However, when the 13th Lord Commander of the
Night’s watch took power, the order suffered perhaps it’s greatest blow, when the their
leader betrayed their primary purpose, pledging himself a servant of the Others, and marrying
a woman believed to have been one of them, with skin as pale as milkglass and eyes like
blue stars. Declaring himself the Night’s King, the
Watch became his personal army, committing terrible atrocities such as human sacrifices
to his new gods. Until finally the Free Folk under a King beyond the wall named Joramun
allied with Brandon the Breaker of House Stark and his Northmen, waging war against the fallen
commander, defeating him and purging all records and documentation about his rule.
For 8000 years the Others stayed away from the Southern Kingdoms, however they have since
re-emerged, attacking a Night’s Watch patrol north of the Wall. Ser Waymar Royce was attacked
and killed, then rising as an undead wight to murder his companion Will, with the 3rd
member of their party, Gared, retreating south, abandoning the Watch until captured by Ned
Stark who executed him for desertion. In addition, fisherfolk from near Eastwatch
by the Sea had reported sighting of the legendary creatures, though these accounts were often
ignored by Westerosi noblemen. Yet while the Southern realms had grown skeptical
and dismissive of stories concerning these beings, the Free Folk of the far north took
this threat seriously, with some even worshipping and sacrificing to the Others in the hopes
of gaining their favor and protection. A Wildling ally of the Night’s Watch named
Craster was said to be one of their followers, sacrificing his infant sons, by leaving them
out in the cold, presumably to be taken by the White Walkers, with some believing they
use these children to increase their numbers. The first large scale battle waged against
the men of Westeros, would come during a great ranging north of the wall, were 300 men of
the Night’s Watch travelled to investigate the claims of White walker activity and the
gathering of Wildlings behind a man named Mance Rayder, said to be their new King beyond
the wall. However they soon came under attack at the
Battle of the Fist of the First Men, when an army of undead wights descended upon them,
killing many and sending the survivors into retreat.
Samwell Tarly, Jon Snow’s best friend and the apprentice of Maester Aemon, was unable
to keep pace with his brothers marching south, and while a friend stayed with him, helping
him move forward, they became separated from the group and were attacked by an Other. Sam’s
friend was quickly killed but Sam was able to stab the creature with an obsidian dagger,
destroying him and determining that they were vulnerable to dragonglass.
The Others continued their assault against humans beyond the wall, attacking the Free
Folk followers of Mance Rayder as they marched south, confronting any who wandered off the
main group, and raiding the outer edges of their army.
There were also the events of Hardhome, where the wildling survivors of the war at the wall,*
gathered. The newly elected Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch Jon Snow, sent brothers
to convince these people to return to Castle Black, but instead were met with hostility
and violence. And while Jon Snow prepared Tormund Giantsbane to bring reinforcements
to the area, Melisandre received a vision in the flames, warning of death and war at
Hardhome, possibly suggesting the others had attacked, and massacred those in the area.
Now with much of the Far North under their influence, the Others seem prepared for a
proper invasion of the South, and unfortunately for the people of Westeros, there leaders
seem unable to unify, instead waging petty wars against each other, weakening their armies
and lands, with even the Night’s Watch turning against their leader Jon Snow, leaving the
continent unprepared and vulnerable to invasion.