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| “ | A wildling. A filthy, murdering wildling. I see what you are, Snow. Half a wolf and half a wildling, baseborn get of a traitor and a whore. You would deliver a highborn maid to the bed of some stinking savage. Did you sample her yourself first? [laughs] If you mean to kill me, do it and be damned for a kinslayer. Stark and Karstark are one blood. | „ |
| ~ Cregan to Jon Snow. |
| “ | Once Cregan gets a child by me they won't need me anymore. He's buried two wives already. | „ |
| ~ Alys Karstark describes Cregan to Jon Snow. |
Cregan Karstark is a minor antagonist in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. He is the eldest son of Arnolf Karstark. He has a younger brother, Arthor Karstark, and multiple younger sisters. Cregan has been married twice before, and Alys Karstark suspects he killed both his wives. Though he is a cousin, the children of his first cousin, Lord Rickard Karstark, such as Alys, call him uncle. Either he, Arthor, his sisters, or all of them together, have multiple sons, as Arnolf is known to have at least six grandsons.
Biography[]
After Rickard Karstark's execution by Robb Stark for murder and treason, Rickard's only surviving son, Harrion Karstark, becomes Lord of Karhold. However, he is a captive of the Lannisters, held at Maidenpool in the Riverlands. The heir to Karhold is Rickard's daughter, Alys Karstark. Rickard's uncle, Arnolf Karstark, has been left as castellan of Karhold and believes he is its lord.
When Stannis Baratheon arrives in the North, he sends out messages to the Northern lords for support. The only "lord" to declare for him is Arnolf Karstark. However, Arnolf hopes that when news of this reaches the Lannisters, his great-nephew Harrion will be executed. He plots to force Alys to marry Cregan, enabling his branch of the family to take over Karhold. Arnolf is working with the Boltons and plans to betray Stannis.
Alys finds out about her "uncle's'" plans and rides to the Wall to seek hope from Ned Stark's last surviving son, Jon Snow. She thinks that once she has been forcibly married to Cregan and bears their child, he will kill her. Cregan pursues her with four mounted men-at-arms, a dog trainer, and a pack of hounds. Alys arrives at the Wall and reveals the Karstark plot, begging Jon to help her. Jon shelters her at Castle Black and arranges a new marriage to protect Alys, which Alys agrees to. This marriage is to the Sigorn, the new Magnar of Thenn, and protects Alys from being married to Cregan. It will give her the forces she needs to retake her home and aid in integrating the wildlings in the North. Alys and Sigorn willingly marry one another, forming the new house, House Thenn. Later, Cregan travels to Castle Black armed and with men so they can force Alys to come back with them against her will. However, he is met by Jon Snow and some of his rangers at Mole Town before Cregan can reach the Wall and claim guest right. One of the men loses a crossbow bolt and dies for it; the rest of Cregan's men surrender. Cregan and the four remaining men are imprisoned in ice cells.
Jon sends a letter to Stannis, reporting the Karstark treachery. Cregan complains to Jon about guest right being violated, but Jon tells him they aren't guests, having come armed to Castle Black to take away Alys against her will and force her into marriage. Cregan claims she was promised to him, but Jon says Arnolf is only a castellan, not a lord, and, as such, has no right to make marriage pacts. Cregan accuses Jon of being a kinslayer, like his half-brother Robb, as Starks and Karstarks are kin. Jon gives Cregan the option of taking the black to escape death or waiting for Stannis, who will likely hang him for his treachery. Cregan becomes more unstable over time, throwing his frozen feces at the men. Due to snow burying the doors to the ice cells, Jon has the prisoners moved out and imprisoned in the undervault of the Lord Commander's Tower so they do not freeze to death. Cregan attempts to attack the black brothers of the Night's Watch when they move him, but fails to do any damage due to being weakened by the cold in the ice cells, so he is moved successfully to his safer cell.
Stannis receives the warning and arrests Arnolf and the Karstarks with him, telling them they will die.
