Lexicon Library

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The Tower of Joy

The Dornish tower where Ned Stark found his dying sister Lyanna and the truth of Jon Snow's birth.

Richard Nixon

37th U.S. President; resigned in 1974 over his role in the cover-up.

Wisdom

The ability score measuring perception and insight, the spellcasting ability of clerics and druids.

Concentration

The amount of solute per amount of solution.

Janos Slynt

The corrupt commander of the City Watch, rewarded and then exiled to the Wall, where he defies Jon Snow.

Jaqen H'ghar

A Faceless Man who repays Arya Stark three deaths and later oversees her training in Braavos.

Condensation

The gas-to-liquid transition.

Conjugate Acid

The species formed when a base gains a proton.

Jojen Reed

Howland Reed's green-dreaming son who leads Bran north to the Three-Eyed Raven at the cost of his own life.

Conjugate Base

The species formed when an acid loses a proton.

Meereen

The greatest city of Slaver's Bay, where Daenerys halts to rule and break the chains of slavery.

Randyll Tarly

A stern, brilliant Reach general who disowns his bookish son Samwell and answers to the Tyrells and then the crown.

Riverrun

The Tully stronghold at the fork of two rivers, a moat-ringed castle central to the war in the Riverlands.

Sandor Clegane

The Hound, a fearsome scarred warrior sworn to the Lannisters who despises knighthood and becomes an unlikely guardian to the Stark girls.

Slaver's Bay

The great slaving region of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen that Daenerys sets out to conquer and free.

The Second Sons

A famed free company of sellswords who switch sides to Daenerys in Slaver's Bay.

The Vale of Arryn

The mountain-ringed, easily defended eastern region ruled from the Eyrie by House Arryn.

Thoros of Myr

A hard-drinking red priest of R'hllor whose prayers restore Beric Dondarrion to life again and again.

Wyman Manderly

The immensely fat Lord of White Harbor, a shrewd Stark loyalist who nurses vengeance for the Red Wedding.

Howard Baker

Asked 'What did the President know and when did he know it?'

Solute

The dissolved substance in a solution.

Chemical Family

A vertical column of elements with similar properties.

Chemical Kinetics

The study of reaction rates.

Addition Reaction

Adding atoms across a multiple bond.

Alcohol

An organic compound bearing a hydroxyl group.

Aldehyde

A compound with a terminal carbonyl group.

Colligative Property

A property depending on solute particle count.

Alkali Metal

A highly reactive group 1 metal.

Dilution

Reducing concentration by adding solvent.

Alkaline Earth Metal

A reactive group 2 metal.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with single bonds.

Alkene

A hydrocarbon with a carbon-carbon double bond.

Dipole Moment

A measure of a molecule's net charge separation.

Alkyne

A hydrocarbon with a carbon-carbon triple bond.

Allotrope

A distinct structural form of an element.

Enthalpy of Fusion

Heat absorbed when a solid melts.

Enthalpy of Vaporization

Heat absorbed when a liquid vaporizes.

Enthalpy

The heat content of a system at constant pressure.

Entropy

A measure of disorder or dispersal of energy.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst.

Equivalence Point

Where moles of acid equal moles of base in titration.

Ester

A compound from an acid and an alcohol.

Ether

A compound with oxygen between two carbon groups.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture of solute and solvent.

Amine

An organic derivative of ammonia.

Amphoteric

Able to act as both an acid and a base.

Anion

A negatively charged ion.

Anode

The electrode where oxidation occurs.

Aromatic Compound

A cyclic compound with delocalized pi electrons.

Arrhenius Acid

A substance producing hydrogen ions in water.

Arrhenius Equation

Relates rate constant to temperature and activation energy.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that keeps its chemical identity.

Atomic Mass Unit

A mass unit equal to one twelfth of a carbon-12 atom.

Atomic Number

The proton count that defines an element.

Atomic Orbital

A region where an electron is most likely found.

Atomic Radius

The size of an atom.

Solvent

The dissolving medium in a solution.

Aufbau Principle

Electrons fill the lowest-energy orbitals first.

Bond Energy

The energy required to break a bond.

Bond Enthalpy

The energy to break one mole of a given bond.

Bond Length

The average distance between two bonded nuclei.

Bronsted-Lowry Acid

A proton donor.

Chemical Bond

An attractive force holding atoms together in compounds.

Chemical Equation

A symbolic representation of a reaction.

Strong Acid

An acid that fully dissociates in water.

Actinide

A radioactive f-block element series.

Activated Complex

The unstable species at the transition state.

Indicator

A dye that changes color with pH.

Inhibitor

A substance that slows a reaction.

Intermediate

A species formed and consumed during a reaction.

Intermolecular Force

An attraction between neighboring molecules.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy needed for a reaction to occur.

Acid Dissociation Constant

The equilibrium constant for acid ionization.

Acid

A proton donor or electron-pair acceptor.

Autoionization of Water

Water's slight self-dissociation into ions.

Avogadro's Number

6.022e23, the number of particles per mole.

Balancing Equations

Adjusting coefficients to conserve atoms.

Base Dissociation Constant

The equilibrium constant for base ionization.

Base

A proton acceptor or electron-pair donor.

Battery

One or more cells storing chemical energy as electricity.

Benzene

The archetypal aromatic ring compound.

Bohr Model

An early model with electrons in fixed circular orbits.

Boiling Point Elevation

A colligative rise in boiling point.

Buffer

A solution resisting pH change on adding acid or base.

Calorimetry

Measuring heat flow in a reaction.

Carbonyl Group

A carbon double-bonded to oxygen.

Carboxylic Acid

An organic acid bearing a carboxyl group.

Catalysis

The acceleration of a reaction by a catalyst.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds a reaction without being consumed.

Cathode

The electrode where reduction occurs.

Cation

A positively charged ion.

Cell Potential

The voltage produced by an electrochemical cell.

Collision Theory

Reactions occur when particles collide with enough energy.

Combustion Analysis

Determining composition by burning a sample.

Concentration Effect

How reactant amount influences rate.

Conservation of Mass

Mass is neither created nor destroyed in a reaction.

Coordinate Bond

A covalent bond where one atom supplies both electrons.

Corrosion

The oxidative degradation of a metal.

Covalent Bond

A bond formed by shared electron pairs between atoms.

Diatomic Element

An element existing naturally as two-atom molecules.

Diffusion

The spreading of particles from high to low concentration.

Electrochemical Cell

A device converting chemical and electrical energy.

Electrode

A conductor through which current enters or leaves a cell.

Electrolysis

Driving a nonspontaneous reaction with electric current.

Electrolytic Cell

A cell using electricity to drive a reaction.

Electromotive Force

The driving voltage of a cell.

Electron Affinity

The energy change when an atom gains an electron.

Electron Configuration

The arrangement of electrons across an atom's orbitals.

Electron Shell

A set of orbitals at a similar energy level.

Metal

An element that is typically shiny, conductive, and malleable.

Electron

A negatively charged particle occupying orbitals around the nucleus.

Electronegativity Trend

The periodic variation in electron attraction.

Electronegativity

An atom's tendency to attract bonding electrons.

Electroplating

Depositing a metal layer by electrolysis.

Elementary Step

A single molecular event in a mechanism.

Empirical Formula

The simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.

Endothermic Reaction

A reaction that absorbs heat.

Enthalpy of Combustion

Heat released when a substance burns completely.

Excess Reagent

A reactant present beyond what the reaction consumes.

Excited State

A higher-energy configuration after absorbing energy.

Exothermic Reaction

A reaction that releases heat.

Faraday's Law

Substance changed is proportional to charge passed.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy is conserved in any process.

First-Order Reaction

A reaction whose rate depends linearly on one reactant.

Formula Mass

The summed atomic masses in a formula unit.

Free Energy Change

The change in Gibbs energy for a process.

Freezing Point Depression

A colligative drop in freezing point.

Freezing

The liquid-to-solid transition.

Frequency Factor

The collision-frequency term in the Arrhenius equation.

Functional Group

An atom grouping giving a molecule characteristic reactivity.

Galvanic Cell

A cell producing electricity from a spontaneous reaction.

Gas

A state with neither fixed shape nor volume.

Gibbs Free Energy

The energy available to do work, predicting spontaneity.

Gram Formula Mass

The molar mass expressed in grams.

Vapor Pressure

The pressure of a vapor in equilibrium with its liquid.

Ground State

The lowest-energy electron configuration of an atom.

Group Number

The label identifying an element's column.

Half-Life

The time for a reactant to fall to half its amount.

Half-Reaction

The oxidation or reduction portion of a redox process.

Halogen

A reactive group 17 nonmetal.

Heat Capacity

The heat needed to raise a substance's temperature.

Heat of Reaction

The enthalpy change of a reaction.

Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation

Relates buffer pH to acid strength and ratio.

Hess's Law

Total enthalpy change is independent of path.

Hund's Rule

Electrons singly occupy degenerate orbitals before pairing.

Hybridization

Mixing atomic orbitals into equivalent bonding orbitals.

Hydrocarbon

A compound of only carbon and hydrogen.

Hydrogen Bond

A strong dipole attraction involving H bonded to N, O, or F.

Hydronium Ion

The H3O+ species representing aqueous protons.

Hydroxide Ion

The OH- species characteristic of bases.

Hydroxyl Group

An -OH functional group.

Ideal Gas Law

PV = nRT relating gas pressure, volume, moles, and temperature.

Internal Energy

The total energy contained within a system.

Ion

An atom or molecule with a net electric charge.

Ionic Bond

A bond from attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Ionization Energy

The energy needed to remove an electron from an atom.

Ionization Trend

The periodic variation in ionization energy.

Isomer

Compounds with the same formula but different structures.

Isotope

Atoms of one element differing in neutron count.

Ketone

A compound with an internal carbonyl group.

Monomer

The repeating unit of a polymer.

Lanthanide

An f-block element of the first inner-transition series.

Lewis Acid

An electron-pair acceptor.

Lewis Structure

A diagram of bonding and lone-pair electrons.

Limiting Reagent

The reactant that runs out first and caps yield.

Liquid

A state with fixed volume but variable shape.

Lone Pair

A valence electron pair not used in bonding.

Main-Group Element

An s- or p-block representative element.

Mass Number

The total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.

Melting

The solid-to-liquid transition.

Metallic Bond

Bonding from cations in a sea of delocalized electrons.

Metalloid

An element with intermediate metal and nonmetal properties.

Molality

Moles of solute per kilogram of solvent.

Molar Mass

The mass of one mole of a substance.

Molarity

Moles of solute per liter of solution.

Mole Ratio

The ratio of moles between species in a balanced equation.

Mole

An amount of substance containing Avogadro's number of particles.

Molecular Formula

The actual atom count of each element in a molecule.

Molecular Geometry

The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

Nernst Equation

Relates cell potential to concentration.

Neutral Solution

Equal hydronium and hydroxide concentrations.

Neutralization

An acid reacting with a base to form salt and water.

Neutron

An electrically neutral subatomic particle in the nucleus.

Noble Gas

An unreactive group 18 element.

Nonmetal

An element lacking metallic properties.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond with equal electron sharing.

Nucleus

The dense central core of an atom holding protons and neutrons.

Nuclide

A specific atom set by its proton and neutron count.

Octet Rule

Atoms tend toward eight valence electrons.

Order of Reaction

The exponent sum in a rate law.

Organic Chemistry

The chemistry of carbon compounds.

Osmosis

Solvent flow across a semipermeable membrane.

Oxidation State

The hypothetical charge of an atom in a compound.

Oxidation

The loss of electrons by a species.

Oxidizing Agent

A species that gains electrons and is reduced.

Partial Pressure

The pressure one gas exerts in a mixture.

Pauli Exclusion Principle

No two electrons share all four quantum numbers.

Percent Composition

The mass fraction of each element in a compound.

Percent Yield

Actual yield as a percentage of theoretical yield.

Period

A horizontal row of the periodic table.

Periodic Law

Element properties recur periodically with atomic number.

Periodic Table

The arrangement of elements by atomic number and properties.

pH

The negative logarithm of hydrogen-ion concentration.

Phase Change

A transition between states of matter.

Pi Bond

A bond from sideways orbital overlap.

Plasma

An ionized gaseous state of matter.

pOH

The negative logarithm of hydroxide-ion concentration.

Polar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond with unequal electron sharing.

Polymer

A large molecule of repeating units.

Product

A substance formed by a reaction.

Proton

A positively charged subatomic particle in the nucleus.

Quantum Mechanical Model

The modern orbital-based description of the atom.

Quantum Number

A value specifying an electron's orbital and spin.

Rate Constant

The proportionality constant in a rate law.

Rate-Determining Step

The slowest step limiting overall rate.

Rate Law

An equation relating rate to reactant concentrations.

Reactant

A starting substance consumed in a reaction.

Reaction Mechanism

The step-by-step pathway of a reaction.

Reaction Rate

The speed at which reactants become products.

Redox Reaction

A reaction involving electron transfer.

Reducing Agent

A species that loses electrons and is oxidized.

Reduction

The gain of electrons by a species.

Resonance

Delocalization shown by multiple Lewis structures.

Salt Bridge

A connection maintaining charge balance between half-cells.

Salt

An ionic compound from acid-base neutralization.

Saturated Compound

A molecule with only single bonds.

Saturated Solution

A solution holding its maximum dissolved solute.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Total entropy of an isolated system increases.

Second-Order Reaction

A reaction whose rate depends on concentration squared.

Sigma Bond

A bond from head-on orbital overlap.

Single Bond

One shared electron pair between atoms.

Solid

A state with fixed shape and volume.

Solubility

The maximum amount of solute that dissolves.

Specific Heat

Heat capacity per unit mass.

Spontaneous Process

A process that proceeds without external input.

Standard Electrode Potential

A half-reaction's potential under standard conditions.

Standard Enthalpy of Formation

Enthalpy change forming a compound from elements.

Standard Hydrogen Electrode

The reference electrode assigned zero potential.

State Function

A property depending only on current state, not path.

Stoichiometric Coefficient

The number placed before a formula in an equation.

Stoichiometry

The quantitative relationships between reactants and products.

Structural Formula

A diagram showing how atoms connect.

Subatomic Particle

Any particle smaller than an atom.

Sublimation

The direct solid-to-gas transition.

Substitution Reaction

Replacing one group with another.

System and Surroundings

The region studied and everything outside it.

Temperature Effect

How heat influences reaction rate.

Theoretical Yield

The maximum product predicted by stoichiometry.

Thermochemistry

The study of heat in chemical reactions.

Thermodynamics

The study of energy and its transformations.

Titration

Determining concentration by controlled neutralization.

Transition Metal

A d-block element with variable oxidation states.

Transition State

The highest-energy arrangement during a reaction.

Triple Bond

Three shared electron pairs between atoms.

Unsaturated Compound

A molecule with double or triple bonds.

Valence Electron

An outer-shell electron available for bonding.

Valence

The combining capacity of an element.

Van der Waals Force

Weak intermolecular attractions between molecules.

Vaporization

The liquid-to-gas transition.

Voltaic Cell

Another name for a galvanic cell.

VSEPR Theory

Shape predicted by valence-shell electron-pair repulsion.

Weak Acid

An acid that partially dissociates in water.

Work

Energy transferred by a force acting through a distance.

Yield

The quantity of product obtained.

Zero-Order Reaction

A reaction whose rate is independent of concentration.

Aasimar

Mortals touched by the Upper Planes, bearing a celestial spark that grants radiant power and healing hands.

Ability Check

A d20 roll plus an ability modifier used to attempt uncertain tasks, from climbing to persuasion.

Aboleth

An ancient, amphibious aberration of vast psychic power and perfect memory, scheming to enslave all thinking life.

Action Economy

The framework of what a creature can do each turn—an action, a bonus action, a reaction, and movement.

Action Surge

The fighter's signature feature, granting an extra action on a turn to attack or act again.

Advantage & Disadvantage

The core system of rolling two d20s and taking the higher (advantage) or lower (disadvantage) result.

Animated Armor

An empty suit of armor brought to life by magic to attack intruders, a classic dungeon guardian.

Armor Class

The number an attack roll must meet or beat to hit a creature, set by armor, shields, and Dexterity.

Artificer

An inventor who infuses mundane objects with magic, blending spellcraft and technology to arm and aid the party.

Assassin

A rogue subclass built to kill from the shadows, dealing automatic critical hits against surprised foes.

Attack Roll

A d20 roll made to hit a target, compared against its Armor Class to determine whether a strike lands.

Bag of Holding

A magical sack whose interior is a pocket dimension, holding far more than its size should allow.

Bahamut

The Platinum Dragon, lawful good god of justice and noble dragons, eternal foe of Tiamat.

Balor

A towering demon lord's lieutenant wreathed in flame and shadow, wielding a fiery whip and lightning blade.

Barbarian

A furious warrior who channels a primal Rage for extra damage and resistance to harm, drawing on toughness rather than discipline.

Bard

A magical performer and jack-of-all-trades who inspires allies, wields a broad spell list, and bends fate with Bardic Inspiration.

Basilisk

A squat, multi-legged reptile whose petrifying gaze turns those who meet its eyes to stone.

Battle Master

A fighter subclass that treats combat as a science, spending superiority dice on tactical maneuvers like Trip and Riposte.

Beholder

A floating orb of flesh crowned with deadly eyestalks, a paranoid aberration whose central eye negates magic itself.

Blue Dragon

A vain, territorial chromatic dragon of the deserts, breathing lightning and prized for its cunning.

Cantrip

A minor spell that can be cast at will without expending a spell slot, always available to its caster.

Charisma

The ability score measuring force of personality, the spellcasting ability of sorcerers, warlocks, bards, and paladins.

Chromatic Dragons

The evil-aligned dragons—red, blue, green, white, and black—whose queen is the five-headed goddess Tiamat.

Circle of the Moon

A druid subclass of fierce shapeshifters who Wild Shape into powerful beasts as a bonus action to fight on the front line.

Cleric

A divine agent who channels a deity's power to heal, smite, and Channel Divinity, choosing a Domain that shapes their gifts.

Concentration

The focus required to sustain many ongoing spells, which can be broken by damage or casting another such spell.

Constitution

The ability score measuring health and stamina, governing hit points and resistance to many harmful effects.

Corellon Larethian

The chaotic good god of the elves, magic, and art, ancient creator and protector of elvenkind.

Counterspell

A reaction that interrupts and cancels another creature's spell as it is being cast.

Cure Wounds

A touch spell that channels healing energy to restore a burst of hit points to the wounded.

The d20

The twenty-sided die at the heart of the game, rolled to resolve attacks, checks, and saving throws.

Death Knight

The undead remnant of a fallen paladin, a cursed warrior of terrible martial and necrotic power.

Deck of Many Things

A notorious artifact of playing cards that reshapes fate, granting fortune or ruin with a single draw.

Demon

A chaotic evil fiend born of the Abyss, embodying destruction and madness with no purpose but to ravage.

Deva

An angelic celestial of the Upper Planes, a radiant servant of the gods sent to guide and protect mortals.

Devil

A lawful evil fiend of the Nine Hells, a schemer who corrupts mortals through tempting, binding contracts.

Dexterity

The ability score measuring agility and reflexes, governing armor class, initiative, stealth, and finesse attacks.

Dracolich

An undead dragon that has bound its soul to a phylactery, fusing draconic might with the deathless horror of lichdom.

Dragonborn

A proud, draconic humanoid people who exhale elemental breath weapons tied to their draconic ancestry.

Drow

The dark elves of the Underdark, a cruel, matriarchal people who worship the demon queen of spiders, Lolth.

Druid

A priest of the natural world who casts primal magic and can Wild Shape into beasts, guarding the balance of nature.

Druidcraft

A versatile nature cantrip used to predict weather, bloom flowers, and produce small primal effects.

Dryad

A gentle fey spirit bound to a great tree, protector of the forest who can charm and step through wood.

Dwarf

A stout, hardy folk of mountain and stone, prized for their resilience, darkvision, and mastery of the forge.

Eldritch Blast

The warlock's signature cantrip, firing crackling beams of force that grow more numerous with power.

Eldritch Knight

A fighter subclass that weaves a slice of wizardry into swordplay, casting abjuration and evocation spells between blows.

Elf

A graceful, long-lived people of keen senses and fey heritage, known for Trance instead of sleep and an affinity for magic and archery.

Entangle

A druid spell that erupts grasping weeds across the ground to restrain and slow those caught within.

Evocation

The school of magic that channels raw elemental and force energy into damage, from Fireball to Magic Missile.

Fighter

The master of weapons and armor, versatile in every style of battle; fighters gain extra attacks and the unique Action Surge to strike again in a burst.

Firbolg

A reclusive, fey-touched people of forest giants who guard the wild with innate magic and gentle strength.

Fire Elemental

A being of living flame summoned from the Elemental Plane of Fire, igniting all it touches.

Fireball

The iconic evocation spell that hurls a bead of fire to erupt in a roaring, area-wide explosion.

Frightened

A condition causing a creature to suffer disadvantage while it can see the source of its fear and unable to approach it.

Gelatinous Cube

A transparent cube of acidic slime that silently fills dungeon corridors, engulfing and digesting anything in its path.

Genasi

Humanoids descended from the elemental planes, each bloodline—fire, water, air, or earth—granting matching powers.

Gnoll

A savage, hyena-headed humanoid driven by demonic hunger to raid, slaughter, and devour.

Gnome

A small, inventive, and irrepressibly curious people with a knack for illusion, tinkering, and magical resistance.

Goblin

A small, cowardly, and cunning humanoid that raids in packs, the archetypal low-level threat.

Gold Dragon

The greatest of metallic dragons, wise and just, breathing fire and weakening gas in service of good.

Golem

A hulking construct of clay, flesh, stone, or iron, animated to serve as a nearly unstoppable guardian.

Goliath

A towering, mountain-dwelling people of immense strength and stoic competitiveness, at home in the harshest heights.

Green Dragon

A manipulative chromatic dragon of the forests, breathing poison and delighting in deceit and intrigue.

Gruumsh

The One-Eyed, chaotic evil god of the orcs, war, and conquest, sworn enemy of the elven and dwarven gods.

Hag

A monstrous, malevolent fey crone who bargains in curses and cruelty, often gathering in covens of three.

Half-Elf

The charismatic children of two worlds, blending human ambition with elven grace and belonging fully to neither.

Half-Orc

A powerful people of human and orc descent, whose Relentless Endurance lets them shrug off blows that would fell others.

Halfling

A small, nimble, and cheerful people whose Lucky trait lets them reroll the worst turns of fate.

Healing Word

A bonus-action spell that heals an ally at range with a word of power, ideal for reviving the fallen mid-fight.

Hill Giant

A dim-witted, gluttonous giant of enormous strength that hurls boulders and smashes all it can reach.

Hit Points

The measure of a creature's health and endurance; reaching zero drops it unconscious or dead.

Hobgoblin

A disciplined, militaristic goblinoid that fights in organized ranks and values martial glory.

Holy Avenger

A revered sword that blazes with radiant power in a paladin's hands, anathema to fiends and undead.

Human

The most adaptable and widespread of the playable peoples, valued for versatility and ambition across every corner of the multiverse.

Imp

A tiny, mischievous devil often bound as a familiar, able to turn invisible and deliver a poisonous sting.

Initiative

The Dexterity-based roll at the start of combat that sets the turn order for all combatants.

Intelligence

The ability score measuring reasoning and memory, the spellcasting ability of wizards and artificers.

Kobold

A small, draconic humanoid that reveres dragons and overcomes its weakness with traps and sheer numbers.

Elemental Plane of Air

An inner plane of open, endless sky and ceaseless winds, home to air elementals and djinn.

Lich

A powerful spellcaster who achieved undeath by binding its soul into a phylactery, one of the deadliest of all undead.

Limbo

The chaotic neutral outer plane of raw, ever-shifting matter, shaped only by the will of those within it.

Lolth

The Demon Queen of Spiders, chaotic evil goddess of the drow, mistress of treachery and shadow.

Long Rest

An extended period of rest that restores hit points and expended resources like spell slots.

Longsword

A versatile martial blade, the archetypal knightly weapon usable in one or two hands.

Magic Missile

A reliable evocation that launches darts of force which never miss their target.

Mechanus

The lawful neutral outer plane of endless interlocking gears, embodiment of perfect order and law.

Wraith

A malevolent incorporeal undead of pure shadow and hatred, draining the life from all it touches.

Metallic Dragons

The good-aligned dragons—gold, silver, bronze, copper, and brass—whose king is the platinum god Bahamut.

Metamagic

The sorcerer's art of bending spells with sorcery points—twinning, quickening, or extending their effects.

Mind Flayer

The illithid, a tentacled psionic horror that feeds on brains and dominates lesser minds from the Underdark.

Monk

A martial artist who harnesses the mystic energy of ki to strike with unarmed flurries, deflect missiles, and move with supernatural speed.

Moradin

The Soul Forger, lawful good god of the dwarves, creation, and the forge.

Mount Celestia

The lawful good outer plane, a shining seven-heavened mountain and the paragon of virtue and order.

Necromancy

The school of magic dealing with life, death, and undeath, from healing to the raising of the dead.

Oath of Devotion

A paladin subclass of the archetypal knight, sworn to honesty, courage, and justice, wielding Sacred Weapon.

Ogre

A brutish, hulking giant-kin of low cunning and foul temper, a common threat that clubs its prey to pulp.

Orc

A fierce, tribal people of great strength and endurance, whose warrior culture reveres the god Gruumsh.

Owlbear

A ferocious hybrid of owl and bear, a fey-touched predator infamous for its aggression and crushing hug.

Paladin

A holy warrior bound by a sacred oath, who smites foes with radiant power and shields allies with protective auras.

Pelor

The Dawnfather, neutral good god of the sun, healing, and life, one of the most widely worshipped deities.

Pit Fiend

The mightiest of the devils, a winged general of the Nine Hells commanding lesser fiends with cruel precision.

Elemental Plane of Earth

An inner plane of solid stone and gem riddled with tunnels, home to earth elementals and dao.

Elemental Plane of Fire

An inner plane of endless flame and ash, home to fire elementals, efreet, and the City of Brass.

Elemental Plane of Water

An inner plane of boundless ocean without surface or floor, home to water elementals and marids.

Plate Armor

The heaviest and most protective armor, a full suit of shaped metal granting the best armor class.

Poisoned

A condition imposing disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, common to venoms and toxins.

Polymorph

A transmutation that transforms a creature into a beast, for good or ill, until concentration breaks.

Prone

A condition in which a creature is knocked down, limiting its movement and altering attacks against it.

Bernard Barker

One of the five arrested burglars.

Ranger

A wilderness hunter blending martial skill with primal magic, tracking foes and favored prey across the wilds.

Red Dragon

The most covetous and destructive of chromatic dragons, breathing fire and hoarding treasure from volcanic lairs.

Rogue

A stealthy skirmisher and skill expert whose Sneak Attack turns a single well-placed strike into devastating damage.

Rust Monster

A harmless-looking scavenger whose antennae corrode metal instantly, the bane of armored adventurers.

Saving Throw

A d20 roll to resist a threat—a spell, poison, or trap—using one of the six ability scores.

School of Evocation

A wizard subclass devoted to raw elemental force, sculpting spells so blasts like Fireball spare their allies.

School of Necromancy

A wizard subclass mastering the magic of death and undeath, commanding the slain to rise and serve.

Schools of Magic

The eight classifications of spells—abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation.

Shield

A piece of protective gear strapped to the arm that adds to armor class in exchange for a hand.

Skeleton

An animated set of bones raised by dark magic, an obedient and tireless undead servant.

Sorcerer

An innate spellcaster whose magic wells up from bloodline or birth, shaped on the fly through Metamagic and raw sorcery points.

Spell Slot

The expendable resource that fuels spellcasting; casting a spell consumes a slot of its level or higher.

Spirit Guardians

A cleric's signature spell surrounding them with protective spirits that harry and damage nearby foes.

Stealth

The Dexterity-based skill of moving unseen and unheard, central to rogues and ambushers.

Storm Giant

The greatest of the true giants, a majestic seer of the deep seas and thunderclouds atop the giant ordning.

Strength

The ability score measuring raw physical power, governing melee attacks, carrying capacity, and athletics.

Stunned

A severe condition in which a creature can take no actions, imposed by effects like the monk's Stunning Strike.

Tabaxi

A curious, catlike people of far lands, prized for speed, climbing, and an insatiable drive to collect stories and secrets.

The Abyss

The chaotic evil outer plane of infinite layers, a churning realm of destruction spawning demons without end.

The Astral Plane

The silvery void of thought and dream that connects the planes, where travelers drift as projected forms.

The Ethereal Plane

A misty, coexistent plane overlapping the Material, through which ghosts and travelers pass unseen.

The Far Realm

A maddening reality beyond the known planes, alien and incomprehensible, source of aberrations and warped magic.

The Feywild

A vivid, magical echo of the Material Plane, realm of the fey, wild emotion, and the Seelie and Unseelie courts.

The Fiend

A warlock patron subclass drawing power from a devil or demon lord, trading service for infernal boons.

The Material Plane

The central plane of ordinary reality where most worlds and adventures exist, mirrored by the Feywild and Shadowfell.

The Nine Hells

The lawful evil outer plane of Baator, a nine-layered realm of tyranny ruled by devils and the archdevil Asmodeus.

The Shadowfell

A bleak, desaturated echo of the Material Plane, a realm of gloom and death that spawns shadows and undead.

Thieves' Tools

A compact kit of picks and probes used to disarm traps and open locks, essential to any rogue.

Tiamat

The five-headed Dragon Queen, lawful evil goddess of greed and chromatic dragons, imprisoned in the Nine Hells.

Tiefling

A humanoid people bearing an infernal bloodline, marked by horns and tails and gifted with fire resistance and innate magic.

Unconscious

A condition of total incapacitation, dropping a creature prone and leaving it helpless, often at zero hit points.

Vampire

A charismatic, blood-drinking undead of great strength and cunning, able to charm, shapeshift, and spawn its own kind.

Vecna

The Whispered One, once a mortal lich, now a god of secrets, undeath, and forbidden knowledge.

Vorpal Sword

A legendary keen blade that can sever the head of a foe on a perfect strike.

Warforged

Sentient constructs built for war, living beings of metal and wood who need no sleep and resist many afflictions.

Warlock

A caster who bargains with an otherworldly patron for power, wielding eldritch invocations and a signature Eldritch Blast.

Water Elemental

A surging mass of animate water from the Elemental Plane of Water, able to engulf and drown its foes.

White Dragon

The most feral and least cunning chromatic dragon, breathing frost from lairs of ice and snow.

Wish

The mightiest spell of all, able to duplicate any lesser spell or reshape reality itself at great risk.

Wizard

The scholarly master of arcane magic, who records spells in a treasured spellbook and commands the widest array of spells of any class.

Zombie

A shambling animated corpse, mindless and relentless, the most basic soldier of any necromancer's army.

Aegon the Conqueror

Aegon I Targaryen, who with his dragons and sister-wives forged the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Throne three centuries before the tale.

Aegon's Conquest

The dragon-borne campaign three centuries past in which Aegon Targaryen forged six kingdoms into one realm.

Aeron Greyjoy

Balon's brother the Damphair, a fanatical drowned priest who crowns ironborn kings.

Aerys II Targaryen

The Mad King, whose paranoid cruelty and love of wildfire provoke rebellion and end under Jaime Lannister's blade.

Alliser Thorne

A bitter master-at-arms of Castle Black who despises Jon Snow and leads the mutiny against him.

Arya Stark

The younger, wilful Stark daughter who flees King's Landing and trains with the Faceless Men of Braavos as she hunts the names on her list.

Astapor

A Slaver's Bay city famed for breeding and selling the Unsullied, whose masters Daenerys turns on.

Balerion

The Black Dread, Aegon the Conqueror's colossal dragon whose fire forged the Iron Throne and melted Harrenhal.

Balon Greyjoy

The dour, rebellious Lord of the Iron Islands who crowns himself king and sends his ships reaving against the North.

Barristan Selmy

Ser Barristan the Bold, legendary Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, who is cast aside and takes service with Daenerys in Essos.

Benjen Stark

Ned's younger brother and First Ranger of the Night's Watch, who vanishes beyond the Wall early and returns changed.

Beric Dondarrion

A lightning-lord knight repeatedly resurrected by the Lord of Light, who leads the outlaw Brotherhood.

Braavos

The secretive, canal-laced greatest of the Free Cities, home of the Iron Bank and the Faceless Men.

Bran Stark

A Stark boy crippled by a fall from a tower, gifted with green dreams and warging; he journeys beyond the Wall to become the Three-Eyed Raven.

Brienne of Tarth

A towering, peerless woman warrior of Tarth, sworn to protect the Stark girls and bound in honor to Jaime Lannister.

Bronn

A quick-witted, amoral sellsword who wins his fortune and a lordship by attaching himself to the Lannister brothers.

Brynden Tully

The Blackfish, a grizzled, uncompromising knight and the Tullys' finest soldier.

Casterly Rock

The mountain-fortress and gold-veined seat of House Lannister on the western coast.

Castle Black

The chief stronghold of the Night's Watch at the foot of the Wall, seat of the Lord Commander.

Catelyn Stark

A Tully of Riverrun wed to Ned Stark; her seizure of Tyrion Lannister helps ignite the war, and she dies at the Red Wedding beside her son Robb.

Cersei Lannister

Tywin's daughter and queen to Robert Baratheon, whose children are secretly her twin Jaime's; a ruthless schemer who claws her way to the Iron Throne.

Craster

A cruel wildling who lives beyond the Wall and sacrifices his sons to the Others.

Daario Naharis

A dashing sellsword captain of the Second Sons who becomes Daenerys's lover and lieutenant in Essos.

Daenerys Targaryen

The exiled Targaryen princess, Mother of Dragons and Breaker of Chains, who raises three dragons and an army in Essos to reclaim the Iron Throne.

Davos Seaworth

A former smuggler raised to knighthood, the honest Onion Knight who serves Stannis and later Jon Snow as a voice of conscience.

Doran Martell

The patient, gout-stricken Prince of Dorne, who nurses long plans of vengeance against the Lannisters.

Dorne

The hot, arid southern realm of the Rhoynar-descended Dornish, the last kingdom to bow to the dragons.

Dragonglass

Obsidian, the volcanic glass that—like Valyrian steel—can kill the Others, hoarded as the realm's chief defense.

Dragonstone

The ancient volcanic island fortress of House Targaryen, later Stannis's seat and Daenerys's first foothold in Westeros.

Drogon

Daenerys's largest and fiercest dragon, named for Khal Drogo and black as the Conqueror's Balerion.

Eddard Stark

Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, called Ned; an honorable soldier of Robert's Rebellion who is named Hand of the King and executed for uncovering the truth of Cersei's children.

Edmure Tully

Catelyn's well-meaning but hapless brother, whose Frey wedding is the trap that becomes the Red Wedding.

Elia Martell

Doran and Oberyn's sister and Rhaegar Targaryen's wife, brutally murdered with her children in the Sack of King's Landing.

Ellaria Sand

Oberyn's paramour, who leads the Sand Snakes in a bloody, unsanctioned campaign of revenge after his death.

Hodor

The gentle, giant stableboy of Winterfell who can say only his own name, and who carries Bran on his back beyond the Wall.

Euron Greyjoy

Balon's ruthless, charismatic brother Crow's Eye, who seizes the Iron Islands and builds a great fleet for hire.

Gendry

Robert Baratheon's unacknowledged bastard, a Street of Steel smith who is hunted for his royal blood.

Ghost

Jon Snow's silent albino direwolf, a loyal white shadow at his side through the wars of the Wall.

Giants

The towering, near-mythic giants who still dwell beyond the Wall and march with the Free Folk.

Gilly

One of Craster's daughter-wives, rescued by Samwell Tarly, with whom she flees south.

Greatjon Umber

The huge, hot-blooded Lord Umber whose loud loyalty first hails Robb Stark as King in the North.

House Greyjoy

The reaving lords of Pyke and the Iron Islands, who take what they will under the words 'We Do Not Sow.'

Gregor Clegane

The Mountain That Rides, a monstrous Lannister enforcer whose brutality is unleashed in the Riverlands and against Oberyn Martell.

Grey Wind

Robb Stark's direwolf and battle-companion, slain with his master at the Red Wedding.

Grey Worm

The disciplined commander of the Unsullied, freed by Daenerys and fiercely loyal to her cause.

Greyscale

A dreaded, disfiguring and often fatal disease that turns flesh to grey stone, scarring Shireen and afflicting Jorah.

Hardhome

The wildling settlement where Jon Snow witnesses the dead overwhelm the living, revealing the true scale of the threat.

Harrenhal

The colossal, cursed castle half-melted by dragonfire, which passes through many hands during the war.

Highgarden

The lush, fabulously rich seat of House Tyrell, heart of the fertile Reach.

Hoster Tully

The dying Lord of Riverrun, father of Catelyn and Lysa, whose alliances helped win Robert's Rebellion.

House Arryn

The proud falcon-lords of the Vale and the Eyrie, whose words are 'As High as Honor.'

House Baratheon

The stormlord house founded by Orys Baratheon, whose crowned stag takes the Iron Throne after Robert's Rebellion.

House Bolton

Lords of the Dreadfort, ancient rivals of the Starks whose flayed-man sigil advertises their cruelty.

House Clegane

A minor Westerlands house of sworn swords, raised on Lannister service and infamous for the brothers Gregor and Sandor.

House Frey

The grasping toll-lords of the Twins, whose betrayal at the Red Wedding makes their name a byword for oathbreaking.

House Lannister

The fabulously wealthy lords of Casterly Rock, whose golden lion sigil and debts 'always paid' underwrite the Iron Throne.

House Martell

The Dornish princes of Sunspear, unbowed and unbent, bound to the Targaryens by old blood and grievance.

House Mormont

The warrior house of Bear Island, sworn to the Starks and famed for its fierce women.

House Stark

The ancient Kings of Winter and Lords of Winterfell, whose words are 'Winter Is Coming' and whose sigil is the grey direwolf.

House Targaryen

The dragonlords of old Valyria who conquered and ruled Westeros for three hundred years under 'Fire and Blood.'

House Tarly

A martial Reach house of Horn Hill, bannermen to the Tyrells and keepers of the Valyrian blade Heartsbane.

Federal Bureau Investigates

Investigated the break-in; obstructed by the White House.

House Tully

Lords of Riverrun and rulers of the Riverlands, whose leaping-trout sigil flies over 'Family, Duty, Honor.'

House Tyrell

The wealthy, ambitious lords of Highgarden and Wardens of the South, whose golden rose feeds the realm.

House Umber

A fierce northern house of the Last Hearth near the Wall, bannermen to the Starks.

Howland Reed

The reclusive crannogman lord of Greywater Watch, Ned Stark's closest friend and the last living witness to the truth of Jon's birth.

Ice

The Stark ancestral Valyrian greatsword, used to behead Ned Stark and then melted down by Tywin into two new blades.

Illyrio Mopatis

A vastly rich magister of Pentos who shelters the Targaryen exiles and schemes to restore their dynasty.

Ilyn Payne

The mute King's Justice and royal headsman, who executes Ned Stark with the Stark greatsword Ice.

Jaime Lannister

The gifted swordsman of the Kingsguard called Kingslayer for cutting down the Mad King; Cersei's twin and lover, slowly seeking redemption.

Jeor Mormont

The Old Bear, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, who leads the great ranging beyond the Wall and dies in mutiny.

Joffrey Baratheon

The cruel boy-king, Cersei and Jaime's incest-born son, whose tyranny sparks war before he is poisoned at his own wedding.

Jon Arryn

The honorable old Lord of the Eyrie and Hand of the King who fostered Robert and Ned; his murder sets the story in motion.

Jon Snow

Ned Stark's supposed bastard who takes the black; secretly the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, he rises to Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and battles the dead.

Jorah Mormont

An exiled northern knight of Bear Island who becomes Daenerys Targaryen's devoted advisor and protector in Essos.

Kevan Lannister

Tywin's steady younger brother, a loyal Lannister soldier who briefly steadies the realm as regent.

Khal Drogo

The mighty Dothraki warlord who takes Daenerys to wife and whose death, and pyre, births her dragons.

King's Landing

The teeming capital of the Seven Kingdoms, built by Aegon the Conqueror around the Iron Throne and the Red Keep.

Lady

Sansa Stark's gentle direwolf, executed on Cersei's demand after the incident on the Kingsroad.

Lancel Lannister

A Lannister cousin turned zealous convert to the Faith Militant under the High Sparrow.

Elliot Richardson

Attorney General who resigned rather than fire Cox.

Longclaw

The Valyrian-steel bastard sword of House Mormont, gifted to Jon Snow by the Old Bear.

Loras Tyrell

The Knight of Flowers, a celebrated tourney champion and Renly Baratheon's lover, later broken by the Faith Militant.

Lyanna Mormont

The young, iron-willed Lady of Bear Island whose defiance rallies the North back to House Stark.

Lyanna Stark

Ned's beautiful sister, betrothed to Robert Baratheon; her disappearance with Rhaegar Targaryen sparks Robert's Rebellion, and she dies birthing Jon Snow.

Lysa Arryn

Catelyn's unstable sister, widow of Jon Arryn, who poisons her husband at Littlefinger's urging and hides in the Eyrie.

Mace Tyrell

The vain, blustering Lord of Highgarden, figurehead of the Reach whose family's real power lies with his mother and children.

Maester Aemon

A blind, ancient Targaryen who forsook a crown to serve as maester of the Night's Watch at Castle Black.

Maester Luwin

The wise maester of Winterfell who counsels and tutors the Stark children.

Mance Rayder

The King-Beyond-the-Wall, a former Watch ranger who unites the fractious Free Folk against the coming winter.

Margaery Tyrell

The clever, ambitious rose of Highgarden, thrice a queen, who plays the game of court against Cersei until the Sept burns.

Meera Reed

Howland Reed's daughter, a spear-hunter who guards and guides Bran Stark on his journey beyond the Wall.

Melisandre

The Red Woman, a powerful priestess of R'hllor who backs Stannis and later Jon Snow, wielding shadow, fire, and prophecy.

Meryn Trant

A brutal, dishonorable knight of the Kingsguard and one of the names on Arya Stark's list.

Missandei

A brilliant former slave of Naath who becomes Daenerys's trusted interpreter and confidante.

Myrcella Baratheon

Cersei's gentle daughter, sent to Dorne as a ward and betrothed to Trystane Martell, and poisoned in revenge.

Needle

Arya Stark's slender water-dancing blade, a gift from Jon Snow and a keepsake of her old life.

Nymeria

Arya Stark's direwolf, driven off to survive the Riverlands as the leader of a great wolf pack.

Oathkeeper

One of the two Valyrian blades reforged from the Stark sword Ice, given by Jaime to Brienne of Tarth.

Qyburn

A disgraced maester and necromancer who serves Cersei, reanimating the Mountain and building engines of war.

Oberyn Martell

The Red Viper, Doran's hot-blooded brother, a deadly spear-fighter who dies dueling the Mountain for vengeance.

Old Nan

Winterfell's ancient storyteller, whose fireside tales of the Others and the Long Night prove more history than myth.

Oldtown

The ancient second city of Westeros, home to the Citadel of the maesters and the towering Hightower.

Olenna Tyrell

The Queen of Thorns, Mace's razor-tongued mother, who poisons Joffrey and outmaneuvers the Lannisters until Cersei's revenge.

Osha

A wildling woman captured at Winterfell who becomes protector to the young Stark boys.

Pentos

A wealthy Free City of merchant-magisters where Daenerys and Viserys shelter with Illyrio Mopatis.

Peter Rodino

Chaired the House Judiciary impeachment inquiry.

Petyr Baelish

Littlefinger, the brothel-keeper and master of coin whose bottomless ambition and manipulation help topple Ned Stark and set the realm ablaze.

Podrick Payne

Tyrion Lannister's brave, humble squire, who later serves faithfully as Brienne of Tarth's squire.

Grand Maester Pycelle

The doddering, secretly cunning Grand Maester whose loyalty lies with the Lannisters.

Pyke

The storm-battered island seat of House Greyjoy, a castle of towers linked by rope bridges over the sea.

Qarth

The opulent, treacherous trade-city beyond the Red Waste, home to the Warlocks and merchant princes.

Qhorin Halfhand

A legendary ranger of the Watch whose death, by Jon's hand, sends Jon undercover among the wildlings.

Rickard Karstark

Lord of Karhold whose grief-driven murder of captives costs Robb Stark the loyalty of the Karstarks.

Ramsay Bolton

Roose Bolton's sadistic bastard son, who flays his enemies, torments Theon Greyjoy, and briefly holds Winterfell.

Renly Baratheon

Robert's charming youngest brother, who crowns himself with Tyrell backing before a shadow assassin ends his bid.

Rhaegal

One of Daenerys's three dragons, green and bronze, named for her brother Rhaegar.

Rhaegar Targaryen

The gifted, melancholy crown prince whose love for Lyanna Stark helped spark Robert's Rebellion; secretly Jon Snow's father.

The Lord of Light

R'hllor, the fiery god of light and shadow worshipped by red priests, who grants visions, resurrection, and shadow-assassins.

The House of the Undying

The warlocks' eerie tower in Qarth, where Daenerys walks through prophecy and vision.

Rickard Stark

Lord of Winterfell and father of Ned and Lyanna, burned alive by the Mad King Aerys II in a notorious act that helped trigger rebellion.

Rickon Stark

The youngest Stark child, hidden away during the war with his direwolf Shaggydog before falling into Bolton hands.

Robb Stark

The eldest Stark son, proclaimed King in the North after his father's death; an undefeated commander whose broken marriage pact dooms him at the Red Wedding.

Robert Baratheon

The hard-drinking warrior who wins the Iron Throne in the rebellion bearing his name, but rules poorly and dies in a rigged hunt.

Robert's Rebellion

The war that toppled the Targaryen dynasty after Rhaegar took Lyanna Stark and Aerys II murdered Starks, seating Robert on the throne.

Robin Arryn

The sickly, coddled boy Lord of the Vale, obsessed with making enemies 'fly' through the Moon Door.

Roose Bolton

The cold Lord of the Dreadfort who betrays Robb Stark at the Red Wedding and is named Warden of the North for it.

Samwell Tarly

Jon Snow's bookish, kindly sworn brother, who slays a White Walker and seeks the knowledge to defeat the dead at the Citadel.

Sansa Stark

The elder Stark daughter, a hostage in King's Landing married to Tyrion and later to Ramsay; she survives court intrigue to reclaim Winterfell.

Shireen Baratheon

Stannis and Selyse's greyscale-scarred daughter, sacrificed to the Lord of Light in a desperate bid for victory.

The Brotherhood Without Banners

An outlaw band of the Riverlands who defend smallfolk in the name of the Lord of Light rather than any king.

Stannis Baratheon

Robert's rigid, dutiful brother and rightful heir, who claims the throne under the red priestess Melisandre and the Lord of Light.

Storm's End

The impregnable ancestral seat of House Baratheon on the storm-lashed Stormlands coast.

Summer

Bran Stark's direwolf and protector on the road beyond the Wall.

Sunspear

The ancient seat of House Martell and capital of Dorne, near the pleasure-gardens of the Water Gardens.

The Battle of the Bastards

The clash before Winterfell where Jon Snow and the Vale's knights destroy Ramsay Bolton to reclaim the Stark seat.

The Battle of the Blackwater

Stannis's assault on King's Landing, broken by Tyrion's wildfire and Tywin's timely relief.

The Children of the Forest

The ancient, dwindling non-human folk of Westeros who made the Others and carved the weirwoods.

The Citadel

The seat of the order of maesters in Oldtown, where scholars forge chains of knowledge to serve the lords of Westeros.

The Direwolves

The six direwolf pups found by the Stark children, sigil-beasts of their house whose fates mirror their masters'.

The Doom of Valyria

The cataclysm of fire and earthquake that destroyed the Valyrian Freehold and its dragonlords in a single night.

The Dothraki Sea

The vast central grassland of Essos where the Dothraki roam, centered on their holy city Vaes Dothrak.

The Dothraki

The horse-lords of the great grass sea, fearsome mounted raiders who follow their khals in endless conquest.

The Dreadfort

The grim stronghold of House Bolton, notorious for its dungeons and flaying rooms.

The Drowned God

The harsh sea-deity of the ironborn, who promises that 'what is dead may never die' and demands reaving and sacrifice.

The Eyrie

The Arryns' sky-castle high in the Mountains of the Moon, famed for its sky cells and the Moon Door.

The Faceless Men

The unrivaled guild of assassins of Braavos, servants of the Many-Faced God who give the 'gift' of death and can wear any face.

The Faith Militant

The armed orders of the Faith, revived by the High Sparrow to enforce piety and imprison the highborn.

The Faith of the Seven

The dominant religion of Westeros, worshipping one god of seven aspects, whose Sept and septons crown its kings.

The Free Cities

The nine independent city-states of western Essos, daughters of Valyria and centers of trade and sellsword companies.

The Free Folk

The wildling peoples living beyond the Wall who bow to no lords, driven south by the rising threat of the Others.

The City Watch

The gold-cloaked City Watch of King's Landing, the capital's often-corrupt guardians of order.

The Greyjoy Rebellion

Balon Greyjoy's failed bid for independence, crushed by Robert and Ned, which left Theon a ward of Winterfell.

The Hand of the King

The king's chief minister and deputy, who speaks and rules in his name—an office as perilous as it is powerful.

The High Sparrow

A humble, ascetic zealot who rises to High Septon, revives the Faith Militant, and humbles the crown before Cersei's wildfire.

The House of Black and White

The temple of the Many-Faced God in Braavos, home and training ground of the Faceless Men.

The Iron Bank of Braavos

The formidable bank of Braavos, whose loans prop up kings and whose enemies it ruins without mercy.

The Iron Fleet

The war fleet of the Iron Islands, the ironborn's chief instrument of raiding and power.

The Iron Islands

The bleak, sea-raiding archipelago of the ironborn, who worship the Drowned God and prize the reaver's way.

The Iron Throne

The jagged seat of a thousand surrendered swords forged in dragonfire, symbol of rule over the Seven Kingdoms.

The Kingsguard

The seven white-cloaked knights sworn for life to defend the king, the most prestigious order of Westeros.

The Knights of the Vale

The fresh, uncommitted heavy cavalry of the Vale, whose late arrival turns the Battle of the Bastards.

The Long Night

The legendary winter-long darkness thousands of years past, when the Others first came and were driven back.

The Night King

The first and greatest of the White Walkers, created by the Children of the Forest, who leads the dead against Westeros.

The Night's Watch

The ancient sworn brotherhood that guards the Wall against what lies beyond, its numbers dwindled to criminals and exiles.

The North

The vast, cold northernmost region of the Seven Kingdoms, ruled from Winterfell by the Starks.

The Old Gods

The nameless nature-spirits of the weirwoods, worshipped in the North and beyond the Wall since before men.

The Others

The White Walkers, ancient icy beings out of the Long Night who raise the dead and march against the living.

The Purple Wedding

The wedding feast at which King Joffrey is poisoned, a plot laid by Olenna Tyrell and Littlefinger.

The Reach

The vast, fertile southern region ruled from Highgarden, breadbasket of the Seven Kingdoms and home of chivalry.

The Red Keep

The royal castle of King's Landing, home to the Iron Throne, its dungeons, and caches of wildfire beneath.

The Red Wedding

The massacre of Robb Stark, his mother, and his host under guest-right at the Twins, engineered by Frey, Bolton, and Lannister.

The Riverlands

The war-torn heart of Westeros between the great powers, a fertile region that becomes the chief battleground.

The Sack of King's Landing

The brutal fall of the capital that ended the rebellion, with the Mad King slain and the Targaryen children murdered.

The Sand Snakes

Oberyn Martell's eight bastard daughters, warrior-women who thirst for war against the Lannisters.

The Great Sept of Baelor

The grand temple of the Faith in King's Landing, destroyed with its congregation by Cersei's wildfire.

The Seven

The seven-faced god of the Faith—Father, Mother, Warrior, Smith, Maiden, Crone, and Stranger.

The Small Council

The handful of great officers—Hand, master of coin, whisperers, ships, and laws—who govern the realm beside the king.

The Sons of the Harpy

A masked insurgency of former slavemasters who wage a shadow war against Daenerys's rule in Meereen.

The Thenns

A disciplined, warlike clan of the Free Folk from a remote northern valley.

The Three-Eyed Raven

The greenseer bound within a weirwood beyond the Wall, keeper of all memory, whose mantle passes to Bran Stark.

The Tourney at Harrenhal

The great tournament where Rhaegar crowned Lyanna queen of love and beauty, planting the seed of rebellion.

The Twins

The double castle and bridge of House Frey commanding the only crossing of the Green Fork, site of the Red Wedding.

The Unsullied

The elite eunuch slave-soldiers of Astapor, freed by Daenerys to become the backbone of her army.

The Wall

The colossal seven-hundred-foot barrier of ice raised against the Others, guarded by the Night's Watch.