Who hired Jaqen Hagar and why?

[myufa]

So we know that Jaqen started at Kings landing but got caught. Then he supposedly goes to the citadel and gets the key to all of the doors from Pate and takes his face. Who hired him? Who is he planning on killing of what is trying to achieve? Why was he hired? I think he may be part of the Martell plot that Doran has been brewing in Dorne. He could have been in KL to kill a lannister but then decided to take a detour through the citadel. Perhaps he wants to make some identity that will earn Cersei's trust. Maybe he even has to kill a Hightower for Obara?Thoughts?

[The Wolfswood]

Did he really get caught? I really can't imagine a man of his skill being caught unless he want to be - to be in the party to go to the Wall with Eddard Stark? To kill him on the way on somebody's orders? Is he really Sirio Florel? I just can't see him getting himself caught and not just killed straight away.

[sarah.jenice]

I think he's on a mission for the FM to find ancient books on dragons and/or magic to ensure there isn't another resurgence of dragons and fire magic. The FM could have an obsidian candle that allowed them to discover the coming return of the dragons/fire magic.

He could have gone to the Red Keep first and then went to the Citadel when he couldn't find whatever he's looking for. We learn from the Kindly Man that the FM don't chose who they kill, and since it's not likely someone hired the FM to kill Pate, Jaqen had to have been on a mission so important that he could break that rule.

I know that doesn't explain how he ended up in the Black Cells.

[Sword of the Morgan]

I agree that he probably got "caught" intentionally and was heading for the Wall with a purpose. What derailed that I'm not sure...I would think whoever he was going to kill died, but I can't really think of anyone. Anyone have thoughts on that?

I do think he's looking for the book on the death of dragons while posing at Pate at the Citadel. He's most definitely posing as Pate, but why wouldn't he have already stolen the book if that's all he was there for?

[markg171]

I think he's on a mission for the FM to find ancient books on dragons and/or magic to ensure there isn't another resurgence of dragons and fire magic. The FM could have an obsidian candle that allowed them to discover the coming return of the dragons/fire magic.

He could have gone to the Red Keep first and then went to the Citadel when he couldn't find whatever he's looking for. We learn from the Kindly Man that the FM don't chose who they kill, and since it's not likely someone hired the FM to kill Pate, Jaqen had to have been on a mission so important that he could break that rule.

I know that doesn't explain how he ended up in the Black Cells.

Not sure why people are so sure that the FM are against fire magic. Jaqen specifically says that helps out Arya because she stole 3 deaths from the Red God when she saved him, Biter, and Rorge. He offers to kill anybody to pay that debt. So I'd rather say that they support fire magic.

The only reason I can think of that people think that FM dislike fire magic is because they're said to have sprung up in Valyria in response to the horrible treatment that the dragonlords enforced upon the slaves..

[hardhome]

I asked myself this question a long time ago.

According to KM, FM do not kill anyone but their quarry.

We know that Jaqen ignored this to save his own life at Harrenhall but this seems more the exception than the rule.

It occurred to me because of who Arya's target was with the coin that Jaqen may not have wanted to kill Pate in the first place.

However the key is not all he has access to, Walgrave is extremely dependant on Pate for help involving the Westrosi express mail system's delivery fleet. Pate certainly didn't seem to keep abreast of current events but what about Pate 2.0

[Morgul-Blade]

Guessing: There is a plot for him to get to the Wall where, as Samwise said, the library is ancient. Aemon even takes books along to Oldtown because they're the only super old copies around, right? Also, becoming a Black Brother would allow for him to know how the NW operates, he'd have almost certainly been a ranger?

Going to Oldtown and looking for the stuff he wants to find would be more difficult with more (working) eyes around. Even after stealing Pate's face, he's probably going to have to be extra sneaky.

[Isobel Harper]

So we know that Jaqen started at Kings landing but got caught. Then he supposedly goes to the citadel and gets the key to all of the doors from Pate and takes his face. Who hired him? Who is he planning on killing of what is trying to achieve? Why was he hired? I think he may be part of the Martell plot that Doran has been brewing in Dorne. He could have been in KL to kill a lannister but then decided to take a detour through the citadel. Perhaps he wants to make some identity that will earn Cersei's trust. Maybe he even has to kill a Hightower for Obara?Thoughts?

I think you're correct in that Jaqen didn't get caught on purpose. However, I don't think the Citadel is a detour, but most likely his ultimate destination. Perhaps he's there to learn something that he would elsewhere, perhaps he's there to ultimately kill someone there, or both. I feel that Jaqen is there to gain information of some sort. What information that is, I'm not entirely sure of, but it might have something to do with the obsidian candle that recently began to burn again.

[Monctonvike]

I think he maybe rogue, he seems to at times break their rules.

[lissabeth1974]

I know the consensus seems to be that Jaqen was in the black cells in order

to get sent to the wall on a mission to take out Ned, but with the power of the FM behind him, IMHO, there had to have been easier ways to accomplish that.

Yoren only goes to KL about once every 6 months IIRC. I don't remember if we know how long Jaqen had been in the black cells, but it seems unlikely he would go to the trouble of being captured, imprisoned, and taken to the wall in chains, when he could have just put on the face of some guy who is down on his luck and volunteered to go the wall. He could have just told Yoren that he wanted 3 hots and a cot.

I know he was/is on a mission, I just don't think getting sent to the wall was part of the plan necessarily. Since Varys/Rugen was in charge of black cells, could he have something to do with Jaqen?

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I'm pretty new here, so forgive me if I'm being repetitious. Maybe Varys/Rugen sent Jaqen to watch out for Ned on the way to the wall? Which is why he was kinda watching out for Arya after Ned's death? Maybe crackpot, I don't know. Thoughts?

[Morgul-Blade]

I'm almost positive he's after information, information that only exists in 2 places: Oldtown and Castle Black. They're the only two places likely to have extensive/ancient enough libraries - maybe Winterfell (Tyrion does remark that some of the books there are older than even in the Red Keep). Oldtown has Maesters running around, and they're an arrogant bunch and they probably closely guard/monitor the old/secret/valuable/etc info. At Castle Black, there is only old Aemon there, and many "forgotten" books, accounts, etc.

Attempt to get to Castle Black thwarted, and Stannis is there now.

Oldtown becomes the safer, albeit more difficult from the get-go, option.

[Ratbane]

I think his target was Eddard Stark, and Varys (or Illyrio) was probably the one who hired him. If you remember, the original plan was for Ned was to confess his treason and then be allowed to take the Black. Joffrey surprised everyone by having him executed. The FM might have assumed the identity of the criminal known as Jaqen H'ghar just shortly before the confession with the expectation that Ned would be accompanying the party along to the Wall, and that would have been easy to do with the help of Varys.

The reason for the assassination? Even if Ned was disgraced he knew far too much, and as it later turned out he wanted Joffrey/Cersei running the Kingdom because he knew their rule would be incompetent. Ned's knowledge that Joffrey was not truly Robert's son could have thrown everything off.

And it isn't it amazing that Jaqen H'ghar recognized Arya for who she was, calling her "Lady Stark" at Harrenthal? How would he know that? Since its seems to be the standard procedure for the FM to study their targets before they strike them down, anyone studying Ned would be familiar with Arya. That, more than anything (for me at least), indicates that Ned Stark was his target.

But Ned Stark was killed instead, and Jaqen H'hgar no longer had a mission, even though he was then in chains and bound for the Wall.

As to why he's at the Citadel? I have no idea. It may be that he is seeking information from some old text as others have speculated. But does he really need to have the key to all locks in the citadel to do that? They don't have a central library there? Perhaps he's after the glass candles. Those would be very helpful for the FM to use to carry out their "contracts."

[Morgul-Blade]

I think his target was Eddard Stark, and Varys (or Illyrio) was probably the one who hired him. If you remember, the original plan was for Ned was to confess his treason and then be allowed to take the Black. Joffrey surprised everyone by having him executed. The FM might have assumed the identity of the criminal known as Jaqen H'ghar just shortly before the confession with the expectation that Ned would be accompanying the party along to the Wall, and that would have been easy to do with the help of Varys.

The reason for the assassination? Even if Ned was disgraced he knew far too much, and as it later turned out he wanted Joffrey/Cersei running the Kingdom because he knew their rule would be incompetent. Ned's knowledge that Joffrey was not truly Robert's son could have thrown everything off.

And it isn't it amazing that Jaqen H'ghar recognized Arya for who she was, calling her "Lady Stark" at Harrenthal? How would he know that? Since its seems to be the standard procedure for the FM to study their targets before they strike them down, anyone studying Ned would be familiar with Arya. That, more than anything (for me at least), indicates that Ned Stark was his target.

But Ned Stark was killed instead, and Jaqen H'hgar no longer had a mission, even though he was then in chains and bound for the Wall.

As to why he's at the Citadel? I have no idea. It may be that he is seeking information from some old text as others have speculated. But does he really need to have the key to all locks in the citadel to do that? They don't have a central library there? Perhaps he's after the glass candles. Those would be very helpful for the FM to use to carry out their "contracts."

That all sounds very plausible. Is it possible that the Faceless Men aren't only assassins, but also elite spies? If that's the case, then offing Ned might not have been part of the plan. It could have just been coincidence that Jaqen would have traveled with ol' Eddard.

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

I'm skeptical that Eddard Stark was the target for two reasons:

1) Why didn't Jaqen just go home after Eddards death?

2) FM assassinations are not only really expensive, but the price is proportional to the target.

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Faceless_Men

When the small council discuss the possibility of hiring a Faceless Man to kill Daenerys Targaryen, Petyr Baelish states that the council could hire an army of sellswords for half the price that the Faceless Men would charge for a merchant, and that killing a princess would be far more expensive.[2] In A Dance with Dragons, it is revealed the price could be someone's income or a child.

Would Varys or Illirio be willing to pay the price to assasinate one of the most powerful lords in the realm after they had already orchestrated his banishment? Remember that Sansa is a hostage in KL at that point. Plenty of incentive for Ned to keep his mouth shut.

I think his initial target was Balon Greyjoy, for obvious reasons. Who hired him and how is mystery, but it's interesting that he arrives in Oldtown not long before Euron Geryjoy attacks the place.

[Hangover of the Morning]

For whatever reason he was in the Black Cells, I doubt it was to be sent to the Wall. There are much easier and surer ways to do that. You can just walk straight there. They're not particularly selective about their recruits. There was no guarantee that a prisoner from the Black cells would even be given the chance to take the black.

[HouseHarrison]

The Faceless Men are preparing to kill the dragons. They're the ones who destroyed Valyria, after all.

[Ratbane]

For whatever reason he was in the Black Cells, I doubt it was to be sent to the Wall. There are much easier and surer ways to do that. You can just walk straight there. They're not particularly selective about their recruits. There was no guarantee that a prisoner from the Black cells would even be given the chance to take the black.

So far as I know, that's the ONLY reason they are sent there or accepted by the "recruiters" of the NW.

The NW, so far as I know, didn't run a prison.

~~~~~~~~~~~~EDIT

It had already been decided prior to Ned's confession that the three prisoners (of which JH was one) would be sent to the Wall.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

The FM aren't that infallible. Arya tricked Jaqen.

[FC_Lymond]

Is there any textual proof that the FM carry out "missions" other than assassinations?

[ummester]

Not sure why people are so sure that the FM are against fire magic. Jaqen specifically says that helps out Arya because she stole 3 deaths from the Red God when she saved him, Biter, and Rorge. He offers to kill anybody to pay that debt. So I'd rather say that they support fire magic.

The only reason I can think of that people think that FM dislike fire magic is because they're said to have sprung up in Valyria in response to the horrible treatment that the dragonlords enforced upon the slaves..

I doubt the faceless men like fire/blood/dragon type magic, with Valyrian slave origins.

Their god is not quite magic, it's just death personified. There is no indication that the usage of their 'masks' involves any type of blood magic, they don't have to sacrifice someone to change form. It's more like discipline and alchemy.