"Game of Thrones" Black and Grey Quiz

Answer: House of Black and White

The mysterious Faceless Man and assassin Jaqen H'ghar (played by Tom Wlaschiha in season 2,5 and 6) is rescued by Arya Stark (Maisie Williams). He offers her entrance to the House of Black and White, a temple in Braavos serving Death, the Many-Faced God.

The entrance is a large door, one half black, the other pale weirwood. A Faceless Man is "no one", a servant of Death without identity. Arya enters into apprenticeship, but cannot let go of her personal kill list and Stark loyalties. She leaves the House of Black and White to go avenge her friends and family. Will she pay a price for breaking the code of the Faceless Man? "Game of Thrones" 2011 was Maisie's first professional acting role.

She was born in 1997.

Answer: Black shadow

Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony) and his brother Stannis (Stephen Dillane) both claim the Iron Throne formerly held by their drunken warrior brother King Robert (Mark Addy). Soon after Renly refuses to yield, a dark smoky shadow with the face of Stannis enters a tent and kills him.

In the HBO TV version the Red Priestess Melisandre promises Stannis a son, and then we see her birth this creepy offspring which flows like black fog to its murderous task. Actress Carice van Houten (Melisandre) did this demon shadow birth scene not only naked but in a cold cave, and at night.

They used CGI (computer-generated imagery) to make the shadow creature.

Answer: Black ravens

In TV's "Game of Thrones" we hear "Send a raven" often. When danger approaches, when news must be shared, when Royal or military maneuvers are ordered. Black ravens are trained to fly messages from one castle to another, although most of them must then be transported back via land.

A black raven messenger of much importance is the Three-Eyed Raven young Brandon Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) sees in his "warg" journeys and in his dreams. In the books this is the Three-Eyed Crow, a slightly smaller bird of the same Family. Brandon Stark follows the Three-Eyed Raven far north, through many dangers.

Then he becomes the Three-Eyed Raven. (Huh?) But here's an emerging possibility--he can travel through time, so has he been the Three-Eyed Raven all along?

Answer: Blackfish

Ser Brynden Tully (Clive Russell) is a knight of castle Riverrun, a kind uncle to Catelyn Stark, but because he refused to wed for political gain his family labeled him the "black goat" of the family. Brynden replied he must be a black fish, because their House sigil is the trout, and the name stuck.

He created his own heraldry, a black fish in place of the silver one. Tully is upright, courageous, stubborn and a fighter, suited to the House words, "Family, Duty, Honor". He survived the Tully/Stark massacre at the Red Wedding because he stepped outside to empty his bladder.

He later saves Brienne of Tarth and Podrick, before turning back to fight, and die, when Jaime Lannister takes Riverrun. The gallant Blackfish is no more.

Answer: Castle Black

Castle Black is the headquarters of the Night's Watch, located in the very cold and far north of the continent of Westeros. Castle Black is on the south side and near the center of the great ice Wall. For centuries there were nineteen manned castles along the 300 mile Wall to guard the realms of Men from the horrible dangers to its north, but only Castle Black and two others are occupied now. Major spoiler: In season 7 the Wall itself is devastated by the undead dragon. We will have to wait for season 8 to find out what happens to Castle Black.

After a visit Tyrion says of Castle Black, "I found it surprisingly beautiful. In a brutal, horribly uncomfortable sort of way". -Tyrion Lannister

Answer: Black stag

The sigil of House Baratheon is a black stag upon a gold field. When Robert "the Usurper" Baratheon took the Iron Throne from the Targaryen "Mad King", and the House Baratheon ascended to Royal status, a gold crown was placed around the neck of the black stag. "Ours is the Fury" are the House words. All legitimate and illegitimate Baratheon's are dead by season five, making the House Baratheon extinct, except for the bastard son Gendry (Joe Dempsie) who allies with Jon Snow.

Answer: Grey Worm

Jacob Anderson portrays the Unsullied warrior Grey Worm, an elite combat slave freed by Daenerys Targaryen. He becomes both commander and trusted advisor. Grey Worm falls in love, leading many to question whether HBO takes liberties with his eunuch status.

The eunuch Varys (Master of Whisperers, played brilliantly by Conleth Hill) has repeatedly made it clear he has no sexual or romantic desires whatever. The answer (other than, "Hey, this is fiction") may be that there are different levels of castration. If Grey Worm were fully castrated he would have low muscle mass, a higher voice and be taller and probably more beautiful, as perhaps Varys was as a youth.

In real-life history many cultures created eunuchs for a wide range of servile services, often exactly the position Varys holds. Creating them for combat is unlikely, since testosterone drives formation of brute strength and aggressive emotions.

But the "Game of Thrones" slave masters seemingly believed castration made a perfect warrior, with no excess emotion, personal drives or distracting desires. Unsullied like Grey Worm were assigned a new name, a color and vermin combination, to further cement their lack of individual worth.

The fascinating HBO version of Grey Worm however is proving that whatever his anatomical condition, he has a man's mind and heart.

Answer: Greyjoy

Theon (Alfie Allen) and Yara Greyjoy are siblings, descended from the ancient "Grey King". Grey in both hair and skin, that High King of the Iron Islands is said to have ruled vast lands and seas for 1,000 years. House Greyjoy and its population now feed themselves like poor pirates, by raiding villages. "We do not sow" are the House words.

Their sigil is a golden kraken on a black field. In season 6 a long absent insanely violent uncle named Euron (Pilou Askaek) returns and is named King. Since Theon and Yara then pledge to Daenerys, now Lady of Dragonstone, Euron captures Yara as a "gift" to please Queen Cersei Lannister, whom he wants to wed.

The grim, tough Yara is played surprisingly by British comedian and dancer Gemma Whelan.

Answer: Greyscale

Greyscale is a dread and often fatal disease, more common in Essos than Westeros. Highly contagious, it first turns the skin brittle, and then into darker grey patches or "scales". Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) gets greyscale when he saves Tyrion Lannister from a "Stone Man"--those so infected they are covered by grey and black scales hard as rocks, their minds also infected. Princess Shireen Baratheon (Kerry Ingram) contracted greyscale as a child, but her father combed the world to find a cure. That's an irony, since later he allows the Red Woman to set his daughter aflame.

It took makeup artists over two hours to apply Ingram's facial greyscale, while Glen sat at 2 a.m. for a grueling 5-6 hour application. The results are fantastic, though. The stuff is terrifying.

Answer: Black brothers

The black brothers, called crows because of their black garb, are the Night's Watch. They guard the 700 foot ice Wall which has separated Men from the danger of White Walkers for 8,000 years. Black brothers "take the black" by swearing an oath of service, including a promise to "take no wife, hold no lands, father no children", as well as "wear no crowns and win no glory". (HBO made small alterations in the novel's oath).

In Westeros it is a serious crime to break an oath. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is apparently released from his vow after he dies and the Red Priestess brings him back from the dead. Beric Dondarrion, Lord of Blackhaven (played primarily by Richard Dormer) was resurrected more than once.

As they go together to face the White Walkers, Dondarrion suggests to Snow they were resurrected by the Lord of Light, and for a reason.