Westeros Notorious Rulers and Families

Ramsey Snow Bolton

Lord Ramsay was also known as Lord of the Hornwood, Lord of Winterfell, Castellan of the Dreadfort, The Bastard of Bolton, Reek II, The Bastard of the Dreadfort, Red Helm, Ramsay Bolton, he is the son of Roose Bolton, born 282 AC.Lord Ramsay married Donella Hornwood they had no children, his second wife was "Arya Stark" who was really Jeyne Poole.History: Ramsay is the product of rape between Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, and a miller's wife. While hunting along the Weeping Water, Roose saw the miller's wife and decided to illicitly practice the banned tradition of the first night, wherein a lord had the right to bed the commoner's bride. He hanged the miller under a tree for not informing his lord of the new marriage and raped the bride beneath his swaying body. A year later the woman arrived at the Dreadfort with the newborn Ramsay. Roose nearly killed her and the babe, but when he saw the child had his eyes, the taboo of kin slaying stayed in his hand. The woman claimed her husband's brother stole the mill and cast her out. Angered by this, Roose had the man's tongue removed so he would spread no tales to Roose's liege lord, Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell. Roose then gave the woman the mill along with a pig, several chicks, and a bag of stars every year on the condition that she never reveal to Ramsay the truth about who his father was.Ramsay's mother arrived at the castle years later claiming she needed help in raising Ramsay, who grew up wild and unruly. Roose sent Ramsay a servant known as Reek. Reek, despite taking constant washes, always smelled bad due to some "unknown birth condition" that caused his skin to reek, thus his nickname. Giving him to Ramsay and his mother was actually a cruel jest by Roose, but Ramsay and Reek grew inseparable. Roose would later reflect on whether Ramsay had corrupted Reek or whether Reek had corrupted Ramsay, though Reek would follow Ramsay's orders quite faithfully; Ramsay mentioned once that Reek knew better than to deny him.Despite Roose's instruction to Ramsay's mother, either she or Reek eventually informed him of his true parentage. Roose believes that both Reek and Ramsay's mother were urging Ramsay on, and constantly reminding the increasingly violent bastard of his "rights." In 297 AC, Roose's heir, Domeric Bolton, attempted to forge a sibling connection with his younger half-brother, despite Roose's order not to do so. Domeric soon died of a sickness of the bowels, according to Maester Uthor, although Roose believes his heir had been poisoned by Ramsay, making the bastard a kinslayer. Ramsay also earned the enmity of House Dustin, as Barbrey Dustin, Lady of Barrowton, was fond of her late nephew.Roose brought Ramsay to the Dreadfort as he had no other sons, trueborn or otherwise. Ramsay doubtless learned to read and write while there. Ser Rodrik Cassel is not aware of Roose having ever acknowledged his bastard son.Ramsay is accompanied by Dreadfort men called the Bastard's Boys, such as Sour Alyn, Luton, and Skinner. However, they are tasked by Roose with spying on Ramsay on behalf of the Lord of the Dreadfort.Recent Events: While his father, Lord Roose Bolton, is in southern Westeros during the War of the Five Kings, Ramsay begins to amass troops at the Dreadfort. Lady Donella Hornwood, who has lost her husband, Lord Halys Hornwood, and her son, Daryn, sends a message asking about Ramsay's intentions, as the lands of Houses Bolton and Hornwood neighbor each other. Ramsay replies that no Bolton would be questioned by a woman.Ramsay does not attend the harvest feast at Winterfell, and he abducts the widowed Lady Hornwood while she returns to her own lands from the feast. Donella is forced to marry him at sword-point before a septon and a heart tree, and he also forces her to sign a document proclaiming him her heir. Lord Wyman Manderly responds to his cousin's capture by occupying Hornwood, and fighting in the Hornwood breaks out between Manderlys and Boltons. Ser Rodrik Cassel, the castellan of Winterfell, rides east to resolve the feud.Ramsay continues his depredations on Hornwood lands, such as raping and killing a northern girl. Ramsay spots Rodrik's party in the distance while Reek rapes the body, so he switches clothes with Reek, smears himself in filth, and has his servant ride away. Reek-disguised-as-Ramsay is killed by an arrow to the back, while Ramsay-disguised-as-Reek is captured by Rodrik's men. Rodrik yearns to put Ramsay-disguised-as-Reek to death, but he needs him as a witness to many of Ramsay's crimes and instead imprisons him in Winterfell's dungeon. Rodrik is too late to save Lady Hornwood, who is found starved to death in a locked tower after having eaten some of her fingers. Jojen Reed has a green dream of "Reek" having killed Bran and Rickon Stark and skinning the boys' faces.In the Riverlands, Roose informs Ser Edmure Tully that his son Ramsay has been killed by Rodrik, and he hopes his campaign against Harrenhal will make up for his bastard's actions in the eyes of Robb Stark, King in the North. After the capture of Winterfell by Theon Greyjoy and his ironborn, "Reek '' exchanges a vow of service to House Greyjoy and Theon's father, Balon Greyjoy, for his release from Winterfell's dungeon. He quickly becomes one of Theon's more trusted attendants, assisting Theon in his hunt in the wolfswood to bring the escaped Bran and Rickon back to Winterfell. "Reek '' orchestrates Theon's cover-up of the Stark boys' escape by killing two miller's sons of age with the Starks, and then flaying the corpses to avoid recognition. Theon presents their flayed corpses as the Starks, then has their heads mounted on spikes over the castle walls. With the approval of Theon, "Reek '' kills Gelmarr, Aggar, and Gynir, an ironborn who knows the truth about the bodies. Theon uses Winterfell's kennel master, Farlen, as a scapegoat and has him executed for the murders. Theon contemplates killing "Reek '' too, but thinks better of it, fearing the servant had written and hidden an account of the truth.The tide soon turns against Theon, however, when Dagmer Cleftjaw is defeated in the fight at Torrhen's Square, and the Northmen, enraged at Theon's duplicity and supposed murder of the young Stark children, march on Winterfell to liberate it. Unwilling to abandon the castle, though harboring few delusions about how likely a victory is, Theon and the few ironmen loyal to him prepare to make their final stand. "Reek" offers to help Theon by taking a large sum of money to the Dreadfort and returning with much-needed reinforcement, to which Theon reluctantly agrees.Ramsay and the Dreadfort garrison march to Winterfell, where Ser Rodrik Cassel and his host move to greet them. Ramsay has swapped his serving man's garb for a full set of armor complete with a red helmet. As the castellan offers him his hand in friendship, however, Ramsay slices Rodrik's arm off and leads his forces in a rampage through the stunned north men's ranks.Following the battle at Winterfell, Ramsay rides to the castle's gates and presents the corpses of Rodrik, Leobald Tallhart, and Cley Cerwyn to an onlooking Theon as a sign of his loyalty. Theon opens the gates and meets with Ramsay, who removes his red helmet and reveals his true identity. He tells Theon that he would much enjoy the use of his bed-warmer Kyra, and knocks him to the floor when Theon protests. Telling his men to save Big Walder and Little Walder Frey and burn the rest, Ramsay carries out a great sack of Winterfell, murdering many of its inhabitants in cold blood, slaughtering the remaining ironmen, and capturing Theon in the process. Ramsay also burns the winter town. Bran and Rickon emerge from the crypts of Winterfell after the Boltons depart.While traveling through the northern mountains toward the Wall, Bran Stark is told by a Liddle that "flayed men" are riding the kings road and asking about strangers.At Riverrun, Lothar Frey and Walder Rivers tell Robb Stark, King in the North, that they had received news of Winterfell from their kin, Big Walder and Little Walder. According to the boys, Theon Greyjoy burned Winterfell, but Ramsay was able to save the castle's women and children by taking them to the Dreadfort.Ramsay keeps Theon at the Dreadfort, where he reportedly flays him. He sends a small piece of his skin to his father, Lord Roose Bolton, at Harrenhal. When Roose arrives at the Twins for the wedding of Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Lord Bolton presents the flayed skin to Robb as a gift, to show vengeance is being exacted for Bran and Rickon Stark's "murders." Roose has been plotting with Lord Walder Frey and Lord Tywin Lannister, however, and Roose murders Robb at the Red Wedding.House Bolton is rewarded for their service to the Lannisters and Baratheons, with Roose named Warden of the North and Ramsay betrothed to Arya Stark; this would give Ramsay a claim to become Lord of Winterfell. Ser Jaime Lannister recognizes, however, that the girl being sent north from King's Landing is not Arya, but a girl feigning to be Robb's long-missing sister. Ramsay also receives a decree of legitimization from King Tommen I Baratheon, making him Ramsay Bolton instead of a bastard Snow.Ramsay, now the castellan of the Dreadfort, is reportedly gathering an army to march south to attack the ironborn-occupied Moat Cailin from the rear.Ramsay forces Theon Greyjoy to take on the role of "Reek", inspired by his slain serving man, never allowing Theon to bathe and covering him in excrement. Ramsay also removes the skin on several of Theon's toes and fingers, leaving him in agony for days before removing the joints. Ramsay breaks off several of Theon's teeth as he hates Theon's smile. It is also implied that Ramsay castrates Theon. Ramsay makes Big Walder and Little Walder Frey his squires; Theon observes Little Walder becoming more like Ramsay each day.During a feast at the Dreadfort, Theon is brought before Ramsay as he dines next to Arnolf Karstark and Hother Umber. Ramsay plays mind games with Theon, before telling him he has a part to play. Ramsay plots for Arnolf to publicly declare for Stannis Baratheon while secretly supporting Roose Bolton, the new Warden of the North.Calling himself the Lord of the Hornwood, Ramsay resolves the siege of Moat Cailin by sending in Theon as an envoy. Ramsay promises food and safe conduct to the sick and starving ironborn if they surrender. After the garrison does so, however, Ramsay has all of them, bar his pet Theon, flayed alive, and he displays their skinless bodies on poles along the causeway by Moat Cailin. When Roose's army arrives from the south, Theon recognizes that the girl claimed to be Arya Stark is actually Jeyne Poole. Roose is displeased by Ramsay's behavior, stating that he needs to be more discreet with his practices as his infamous exploits are now well known throughout the north.The Boltons call upon the northern bannerman to assemble in Barrowton to pledge loyalty to the Iron Throne and attend the wedding of "Arya" to Ramsay.[26] Ramsay sends letters to Deepwood Motte and Torrhen's Square, which are held by Asha Greyjoy and Dagmer Cleftjaw, ordering them to flee the north or share the fate of the ironborn of Moat Cailin. Ramsay includes pieces of Theon's skin with the messages. Ramsay also sends a letter to the Night's Watch at Castle Black.From Barrowton, Ramsay and his Bastard Boys unsuccessfully search for the missing Frey envoys, Rhaegar, Symond, and Jared. During the search, he kills a peasant who addressed him politely as Lord Snow instead of Lord Bolton. When Ramsay returns to Barrowton, a feast is held by House Stout at their keep, as Lady Barbrey Dustin has barred Ramsay from Barrow Hall. After hearing that Stannis has taken Deepwood Motte, Roose decides to move the wedding from Barrowton to Winterfell to strengthen Ramsay's claim as Lord of Winterfell and to goad Stannis into fighting. Roose tells Theon that Ramsay will kill any sons birthed by Roose's new wife, Walda Frey.Once at Winterfell, Jeyne asks Theon to help her escape, but Theon refuses. Ramsay weds "Arya" in the godswood of Winterfell, establishing House Bolton of Winterfell. Ramsay abuses Jeyne during their bedding, and he forces Theon to participate as well. After their wedding night, Ramsay keeps his new bride imprisoned in her chambers. Ramsay frequently abuses her, and he tasks Theon with keeping her clean. Other northern nobles at Winterfell, such as Lady Dustin, hear the weeping of "Arya".Alysane Mormont and the northern mountain clans support Stannis Baratheon in his march on Winterfell, insisting "Arya '' must be freed from the Bastard of Bolton. A fierce blizzard descends on Winterfell as Roose's host waits for Stannis. Several men are found dead, and Ramsay offers a golden dragon for the killer of Yellow Dick. Freys and Manderlys begin fighting after Little Walder's body is found in the snow, and Luton, one of the Bastard's Boys, is wounded. Ramsay kills Luton with a spear to silence the dying man's cries.Mance Rayder, once the King-Beyond-the-Wall, has been sent by Jon Snow, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, to rescue "Arya '', Jon's half-sister, after he heard of the wedding. Disguised as the singer "Abel '', Mance has his six spearwife allies rescue "Arya '' with Theon's assistance. Jeyne and Theon eventually reach Stannis's camp at a Crofters' village. At Castle Black, Jon eventually receives by raven a message purportedly from Ramsay claiming that he has Mance in a cage, that he has killed Stannis and destroyed his host after seven days of battle, and that he now possesses Stannis's sword. Ramsay also states that he wants his bride back, as well as Queen Selyse Florent, Princess Shireen Baratheon, Melisandre, Val, the 'wildling prince' (actually the son of Gilly), and his Reek, and will come for Jon if he does not give him what he wants. Many free folk volunteer to aid Jon against Ramsay, but Jon is then stabbed in the mutiny at Castle Black.