Vayon Poole is the Steward of Winterfell under Lord Eddard Stark. He and his daughter follow Ned Stark to King’s Landing when he accepts King Robert Baratheon’s proposal to become the Hand of the King. However, when Ned learns of Queen Cersei Lannister’s infidelity, she orders the purge of the Stark household leading to the death of many. After the purge, Jeyne gets given to Lord Roose Bolton under the guise of Arya Stark. She then meets Theon Greyjoy, who had become Ramsay Bolton’s dog. With Theon’s help, Vayon’s daughter escapes from Winterfell into Stannis Baratheon’s army.
Vayon Poole Personal Details
- Name: Vayon Poole.
- Year of Birth: Around 275 AC.
- Year of Death: 298 AC at the Red Keep.
- Title: Steward of Winterfell.
- Allegiances: House Stark, House Poole.
- Culture: Northmen.
- Religion: Old Gods of the Forest.
Biography
As he was born into House Poole, Vayon automatically became a servant of the Starks. On reaching a mature age, he became steward of Winterfell and lived in the castle with his daughter. Ned Stark kept a chair for one of his servants at the high table, and when Vayon sat with his liege lord, they talked about the castle’s necessities, including servants, money, and stores.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones
After the death of Lord Jon Arryn, King Robert Baratheon travels with an entourage to Winterfell. Before the King arrives, Eddard prepares for a feast to welcome him. After Ned agrees to become the Hand of the King, he plans to take his son Bran Stark and daughters Arya Stark and Sansa Stark.
However, Bran gets involved in an accident and enters a coma. Unable to wait for his son, Ned takes his daughters and some men, including Vayon, to King’s Landing. With the steward position empty at Winterfell, and Lady Catelyn Stark’s inability to choose one, Robb Stark assumes the steward’s role, while maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik Cassel help govern the castle.
While at the trident, Arya Stark has an accident involving Prince Joffrey Baratheon and Mycah. A search gets carried out to seek out the girl, and after Jory Cassel finds her, Vayon Poole informs Ned. However, the Lord of Winterfell gets angry when he learns Arya is with the King and Queen Cersei Lannister. He tells Vayon to bring Sansa, and after she denies knowing nothing of the incident, her direwolf gets killed.
On reaching King’s Landing, Vayon gets tasked with showing Arya and Sansa their new chambers at the Tower of the Hand. Ned also asks him to take Arya to the Small Hall, where she meets Syrio Forel, the former First Sword of Braavos. When she wanders outside the gates of the Red Keep, she tells the guards to ask Vayon or Jory to come forward and identify her.
Ned Stark digs deeper into Lord Jon Arryn’s death and learns of Cersei Lannister’s infidelity. He confronts her about it and starts planning to send his daughters back to King’s Landing after resigning from the Hand of the King. Though Vayon tells him it will take two weeks, he tells him there is not much time and orders him to find a ship passage to the North.
Before Ned can leave, he gets attacked on the streets of King’s Landing by Ser Jaime Lannister. Vayon tends to Ned, who enters a coma for six days, and tells him of the King’s orders to summon him once awake. Robert makes Ned the Hand of the King again, and when he goes on a hunting trip, Cersei plots with Ser Lancel to have him extra drunk.
On his hunting trip, King Robert gets injured by a wild boar. On his dying breath, he stamps a letter stating Joffrey should become King. However, Ned replaces Joffrey with the term heir. The Hand of the King leads the gold cloaks and confronts Cersei about the illegitimacy of her children. However, the gold cloaks and Petyr Baelish betray Ned, and the Queen orders the soldiers to kill every House Stark member at the Red Keep.
During the purge, Vayon gets killed, and Jeyne gets locked in with Sansa. The little girls cry for their fathers, and Sansa tries consoling her friend. When summoned to the small council, she inquires about Vayon but gets no definitive answer. Sansa and Jeyne get separated, and she never sees her friend again. After the purge, every member of House Stark, including Septa Mordane, dies, except Sansa, Arya, and Jeyne.
Appearance in Adaptation
In HBO’s epic tv series Game of Thrones, Matthew Scurfield portrayed Vayon Poole. He appeared in only one season and got killed by the Lannisters during the purge.
Vayon Poole: Caught in the Crossfire
In A Song of Ice and Fire, many people got killed because the higher-ups played a dangerous game of politics. Among those who lost their lives in the game was Vayon. As a dedicated servant and father, he followed every order of Ned Stark and swore secrecy to his liege Lord’s plans. However, he and his comrades lost their lives because of a girl’s inability to stop daydreaming about prince charming. Vayon’s dedication and sacrifice for House Stark made him one of the most loyal characters in the series.
FAQs
Did Jeyne know of Vayon’s death?
Sansa and Jeyne got confined to the same room during the purge of the Starks. A young Jeyne tearily asked her friend if her father was alive. Unsure, Sansa tried to inquire from the royal court. However, she got separated from her friend, who never found out if her father got killed.
Why did Vayon get killed?
Vayon died because he was a Stark. When Lord Eddard got arrested for treason, everyone who sided with him had to get killed to prevent resistance; this led to the purge.
Who is Vayon Poole?
Vayon was the steward of Winterfell and the father of Jeyne Poole. He follows Lord Ned Stark to King’s Landing and tries arranging a ship to carry Ned to Winterfell before the purge of the starks from the Red Keep.
What happened after Vayon Poole’s death?
After Vayon’s death, Jeyne got taken by Petyr, who trained her in the arts of seduction. After the Boltons and Freys betrayed the Starks, Tywin gave her to Roose Bolton as a fake Arya Stark.