Varamyr, also known as Varamyr Sixskins, is a Free Folk skinchanger. He was also referred to as Lump when he was a boy. As a skinchanhger he controlled three wolves, a shadowcat, a snow bear and an eagle.
Appearance and Character[]
He is small, grey faced and bald. He wears a shadowksin cloak.
History[]
He was born the second child of a Free Folk family north of The Wall. He was nicknamed Lump by his sister, Meha, as per the tradition of the Free Folk. He was born a month premature and was often ill, meaning his mother didn't name him until he was four. By then, everyone in the village just called him Lump.
When he was six he grew jealous of his two-year-old brother, Bump. He siinchanged into one of the family's three dogs (one of Loptail, Sniff, or Growler) and used him to kill his brother. Not knowing which one of them was responsible, his father decided to kill all three. Shortly before Loptail was killed, Lump slipped into his mind, and screamed when the axe split Loptail's skull, meaning they knew he was a skinchanger.
Lump's father dragged him through the woods until they reached Haggon, who told him that he belonged with his own kind. Haggon taught him how to skinchange properly, and taught him the rules and introduced him to other skinchangers. Haggon often traded with the Night's Watch, and it was on one of these trips that Varamyr decided he wanted to live south of the Wall.
When Haggon was laid dying, Varamyr, who was resentful, took his wolf, Greyskin, who Haggon had intended for his second life. Over the years, Varamyr would die eight times in different creatures. His power grew, however, and he would start to ride into battle on the back of a 13-foot tall female snow bear.
He had a hall of moss, mud and wooden walls, which had been Haggon's before he died. He became a lord, with a dozen villages paying him homage. When he wanted one of the women from the village, he would send his shadowcat to stalk them. Sometimes, relatives of the women would try to kill him, but would die. He would never harm the women, but would take a hank of hair from each. Some of them would get pregnant, but all Varamyr's sons would be born weak. He agreed to support Mance in pushing south.
Books[]
A Storm of Swords[]
After the death of the skinchanger Orell, Varamyr takes control of his eagle, which still has part of his consciousness inside him. Varamyr meets Jon Snow in Mance's camp. The bit of Orell hates Jon so much that Varamyr hates him too. He recognizes Jon as a fellow warg. Varamyr wanted to take over Ghost, believing a second life in that body would be worthy of a king, but Mance says he cannot.
He uses Orell's eagle to scout Castle Black. Melisandre burns the eagle, killing it, and sending Varamyr briefly insane, causing his beasts to rampage in the camps of the Free Folk.
A Dance with Dragons[]
Varamyr has lost almost everything after the Wildling defeat at Castle Black. His snow bear and shadowcat are gone, but his wolves remain. Varamyr flees with a small group, calling himself Haggon to hide his real identity. One by one they leave, until only Thistle remains with him. He is stabbed by a boy when he tries to take a squirrelskin cloak from the dead body of the boy's mother, and Thistle has to heal him. During this time, he considers skinchanging into a human, but worries he does not have the strength. He tries to take over Thistle's body when he hears of approaching enemies. She reacts madly, clawing her eyes out and biting off her tongue, and Varamyr dies. His consciousness transfers to one of his wolves, One Eye.