Vayon Poole

Vayon Poole is the steward of Winterfell, a position that makes him the chief administrator of the castle's daily operations, responsible for managing supplies, household staff, and the practical logistics of the Stark family's life. His loyalty to House Stark is unquestioned, and he is frequently called upon to execute delicate and confidential tasks that require discretion and efficiency.

Role and Duties

As steward, Poole oversees the castle's accounts and provisions. When the royal visit of King Robert Baratheon depletes Winterfell's stores, it is Poole who must attend to replenishing them, though Catelyn Stark, consumed by grief over Bran's fall, initially refuses to review the figures. After Lord Eddard Stark becomes Hand of the King, Poole travels south to King's Landing to establish the Stark household there, taking charge of the Tower of the Hand's domestic arrangements. He is present when Eddard Stark, newly arrived and exhausted, gives him orders to see that his daughters find their bedchambers and that Arya is not allowed to go exploring.

Service in King's Landing

Poole's role in the capital extends beyond mere housekeeping. When Eddard Stark decides to send his daughters back to Winterfell for their safety, he dispatches Poole to the docks to find a fast ship, instructing him to make quiet inquiries and care nothing for the size of the cabins, only for speed and safety. Poole also serves as a messenger and intermediary, informing Eddard of the discovery of Arya after her disappearance and later bringing news of the king's summons. His presence in the Tower of the Hand is a constant, reliable one, and he is among the few men Eddard trusts to carry out sensitive orders without question.

Family and Fate

Poole's daughter, Jeyne, is Sansa Stark's closest friend and constant companion. After the fall of House Stark in King's Landing, Jeyne is confined with Sansa in Maegor's Holdfast, weeping and terrified. When Queen Cersei and the small council decide what to do with her, Petyr Baelish offers to find a place for her, and the queen orders that Jeyne be taken to his apartments, telling Sansa that Littlefinger will take her to see her father. The implication is grim: Vayon Poole's fate is never explicitly stated, but the queen's evasive answer and the removal of his daughter suggest that he has been killed or imprisoned, a casualty of the Lannister purge of Stark loyalists. Jeyne's disappearance from Sansa's life marks the final severing of the girl's connection to her former world.