City Watch of King's Landing

The City Watch of King's Landing, universally known as the Gold Cloaks for the distinctive golden-colored cloaks of its officers, is the capital's principal instrument of civil order. Numbering two thousand men at its peak, the Watch patrols the city's streets, guards its gates, and enforces the king's law within the walls. Its commander, the Lord Commander of the City Watch, is a position of considerable political power, as the man who controls the streets of King's Landing can make or break a regime.

History and Command under Janos Slynt

For years, the Watch was commanded by Janos Slynt, a butcher's son who rose through the ranks to become its Lord Commander. Slynt was a creature of the Lannisters, and under his leadership, the Gold Cloaks became a byword for corruption and brutality. They were instrumental in the arrest of Lord Eddard Stark, having been bribed by Littlefinger to betray their oaths. Slynt's loyalty was rewarded with a lordship and a seat on the small council, but his arrogance and incompetence eventually led to his downfall. After the Battle of the Blackwater, Tyrion Lannister, acting as Hand of the King, had Slynt arrested and sent to the Wall, replacing him with Ser Addam Marbrand, a capable and honorable knight. Marbrand's tenure was brief, however, as he was soon dispatched to the riverlands with Lord Tywin's army.

Decline and Infiltration by the Faith

Following Marbrand's departure, command of the Watch fell to lesser men, and its discipline and effectiveness rapidly declined. During the chaos following Joffrey's death and Tyrion's escape, the Watch was unable to maintain order, and the city was plagued by riots and lawlessness. The situation worsened under Cersei Lannister's regency, as she appointed the incompetent and corrupt Osmund Kettleblack as Lord Commander. Kettleblack's loyalty was to Cersei alone, and he used the Watch to intimidate her enemies and protect her interests. However, the Watch was no match for the rising power of the Faith Militant. The Sparrows, armed and fanatical, openly defied the Gold Cloaks, and the High Septon's authority soon superseded that of the crown within the city walls. When Cersei was arrested by the Faith, the Watch stood by helplessly, unable or unwilling to intervene against the armed faithful who now controlled the streets.

Composition and Role

The Gold Cloaks are recruited from the dregs of King's Landing, often from the slums of Flea Bottom. They are poorly trained and equipped, and their loyalty is notoriously fickle, easily swayed by coin or fear. Their primary duties include manning the city's seven gates, patrolling the streets by day and night, and suppressing crime and unrest. They also serve as a personal guard for the royal family and the small council, though this duty is often shared with the household guards of the great houses. The Watch is organized into barracks throughout the city, with each commanded by a captain. The Lord Commander answers directly to the King or the Hand of the King. Despite their reputation, the Gold Cloaks are a necessary evil, the only force standing between the city and complete anarchy. Their failure to maintain order during the War of the Five Kings and the subsequent rise of the Faith Militant demonstrated the fragility of Lannister rule and the decay of the institutions that underpinned it.