In HBO's "Game of Thrones," a robust cast of lords and ladies all plot to claim the Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Between the beheadings and the house mottos, it can be easy to lose track of who does what. As you get ready for the fourth season premiere on April 6, which is said to have "an unprecedented number of major character deaths," here's a brief guide to who's who while they're still here: 
Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage): With his sharp wit and swift thinking, Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Lannister has managed to stay alive through all three seasons of "Game of Thrones," which hasn't been easy considering the scrapes he's been in. A Lannister and therefore the son of the wealthiest guy around, Tyrion is nonetheless despised by his family because of his size and their belief that he "killed" their mother during childbirth. At the start of season four, Tyrion -- turned down by his father to be the heir to the Lannister family compound -- has been married off to benefit the family. 
Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke): As one of the few surviving descendants of the Targaryen family, Daenerys has a lot of expectations riding on her platinum-haired head. But, much to our enjoyment, she has risen to and surpassed all of them. Once nothing more than an offering for a king, Daenerys -- called Khaleesi, or queen, by the Dothraki people she once helped rule -- has morphed into a Mother of Dragons who insists on justice and is a formidable foe in the "Game of Thrones." In season four, she fights to free the slaves of Meereen and conquer the city while her dragons continue to grow into the beasts they're destined to be. 
Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson): In the pantheon of most-hated TV characters, "Game of Thrones'" boy king Joffrey has to be one of the top choices. He's petulant, cruel and too immature to rule, but don't tell him that or he'll have your tongue. The most delicious part for the viewers at home is that he's not the rightful heir to the Iron Throne that he thinks he is, although that hasn't stopped his reign of terror yet. At the start of season four, Joffrey is set to marry, and we can only imagine what bloodshed will go down at this royal wedding. 
Arya Stark (Maisie Williams): Much of Arya's family has been sent to their graves by one wicked person or another, but the young swordswoman is still kicking. As season four begins, she's searching for her aunt with Sandor "The Hound" Clegane at her side, imparting lessons in mercilessness and self-preservation. 
Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey): Cersei has become more or less your stereotypical evil queen, albeit one who has zero issues with incest. After helping her son Joffrey take the throne, Cersei has tried to rule alongside her son only to see him overtake her will. With his impending wedding to a lady from the House of Tyrell, we'll be watching to see how Joffrey's nuptials impact Cersei's power in season four. 
Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau): Jaime Lannister began the "Game of Thrones" as a pretty despicable character, one who had no compunction about throwing a 10-year-old from a window. But over the course of season three this lovesick nobleman was put through his paces, losing the very limb that helped him become so powerful. Now in season four, he's returning to the love of his life -- his sister, Cersei -- with a deformity she may not be able to overlook. 
Jon Snow (Kit Harington): From bastard son to wildling lover, Jon Snow and his immaculate Medieval tresses have had quite the journey. Jon vowed to be loyal to the Night's Watch -- the ragtag group who stand guard at the icy North wall on high alert for the fantastical (the zombie-like White Walkers) and the free (wildlings) -- and he's held true to that promise even after a detour in the arms of wildling Ygritte. But now, after spurning the affection of one such wildling, Jon Snow needs to be prepared to pay in season four as he takes on a bigger leadership role with the Night's Watch. 
Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen): If you find yourself confused as to who exactly Theon Greyjoy is, don't feel bad: he is, too. Once the ward of the House of Stark, Theon betrayed those who were like family to him to claim a noble title that lasted for essentially a nanosecond. As season four begins, Theon is suffering as a prisoner and punching bag for Bastard of Bolton Ramsay Snow, who has the guy thinking his name is "Reek." 
Sandor "The Hound" Clegane (Rory McCann): A killer to the bone but not without a heart, Sandor, or "The Hound" as he's known, was once a bodyguard for King Joffrey but deserted his post. He then tried to take hostage Arya Stark in hopes he could exchange her for ransom, but as season four starts, their relationship has shifted from kidnapper/hostage to mentor/mentee. 
Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright): Bran Stark, the middle son of the House of Stark, was left crippled from the very first episode of "Game of Thrones" but has gained a gift for visions. With his faithful Hodor (Kristian Nairn) by his side for mobility, the now orphaned Bran begins season four beyond the Wall in search of the three-eyed Raven he frequently sees in visions. 
Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner): Sansa Stark (now Sansa Lannister) is a character many love to hate, because she started out as pretty insufferable. But after being ridiculed and tortured by Joffrey Lannister, her former fiance, and held captive by him and his family, we've come around. Thankfully, the Lannister she's been forced to marry is Tyrion, who at least has promised not to mistreat her as we proceed into season four. 
Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance): Joffrey may wear the crown but it's his grandfather, Tywin Lannister, who schemes to keep the Lannister family's legacy rich in money and power. The evil mastermind behind the hideous Red Wedding in the third season, we won't flinch if it's Tywin who meets a gruesome end as Hand of the King in season four. 
Ygritte (Rose Leslie): Ygritte, one of the Free Folk who live beyond the Wall and are known derogatorily as wildlings by those in the Seven Kingdoms, is proud of her people and deathly with a bow and arrow. She spent most of season 3 as the love interest of Jon Snow, but after he deserted her for the Night's Watch she's ready to start season four making everyone feel as much pain as she does. 
Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer): Margaery Tyrell, the lady now betrothed to King Joffrey, at first seems as sweet as she is beautiful. But don't be fooled: As she prepares to reign alongside Joffrey in season four, trust that any kindness you see is stealthily calculated. 
Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane): As a brother to the late King Robert Baratheon -- who held the throne before his son-in-name-only Joffrey took over -- Stannis Baratheon knows he has a rightful claim the crown. He's gone into battle trying to seal his position, and now regularly turns to the magic of creepy "Red Priestess" Melisandre (Carice van Houten) for help. 
Melisandre (Carice van Houten): Known as the Red Priestess, Melisandre's magic is lethal, but Stannis Baratheon doesn't seem to mind when her power helps him move closer to the Iron Throne. 
Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal): Arriving at King's Landing for the first time, Martell is from Dorne, in the southern reaches of the Seven Kingdoms, where passions run hot and slights are not forgotten. Weigh that against the fact that his sister was killed by Lannister soldiers and you have a recipe for trouble.
- "Game of Thrones" returns to HBO on April 6 for its fourth season
- The fantasy epic promises more surprises, and blood, after the "Red Wedding"
- Actor: "GoT" has set a new standard for television
- Stories from the set include dead rabbits and pig manure
(CNN) -- If you thought the Red Wedding was rough, "Game of Thrones" promises more blood and brutality when it returns to HBO for its fourth season on Sunday night (April 6).
The season picks up in the aftermath of the devastating wedding reception from hell, which proved, in case it was still unclear to anyone, that in the world crafted by novelist George R.R. Martin in his "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series, no one is ever safe.
Unlike some series, this season does not take long to heat up. In King's Landing, brutal King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) is due to be married in an elaborate affair that will bring together a slew of characters, some old and some new, to -- er -- celebrate.
So, yes. A wedding in Westeros. What could possibly go wrong?
For one, siblings-with-benefits Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Cersei (Lena Headey) are back together for the first time since Jaime was captured, and partially butchered, in season three, with all the awkwardness that entails. We've already seen that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) ends up in major trouble (what else is new?) and that new character Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) -- will be attending the joyous occasion with less-than-love in his heart for the Lannisters.
As for our other main players:
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), with an army of freed slaves at her back and a trio of increasingly formidable dragons to keep in line, confronts the promise, and pitfalls, of her ascent to true power.
After narrowly missing a longed-for reunion with her family, Arya (Maisie Williams) and The Hound (Rory McCann) face what comes next. As bits of her back story come together, Arya will become arguably season four's first true scene stealer.
At The Wall, the coming war between the wildlings and the Night's Watch simmers to a boil, with Jon Snow (Kit Harington) caught awkwardly in the middle. Look for this conflict to spur some of the epic battle scenes the series, and Martin's novels, are known for. And what of the White Walkers?
Natalia Tena, who plays Osha on "Game of Thrones," speaks at DragonCon 2013 in Atlanta.
Elsewhere, Stannis (Stephen Dillane) is down but not out after his defeat on the Blackwater and turns increasingly to the creepy "Red Priestess" Melisandre (Carice van Houten) for answers. Bran, with Hodor and friends, continues his mystical trip north to seek what his "green dreams" really mean. And, for those of us who can stand to look, we'll see the continuing travails of poor, tortured Theon Greyjoy.
In September, I hosted a pair of panels at DragonCon with cast members from the show. James Cosmo (Lord Commander Mormont), Burn Gorman (Karl, the Night's Watchman whose actions lead to chaos at Craster's Keep) and Natalia Tena (wildling Osha) talked about what it means to be a part of the massively popular series.
Below are some excerpts from those panels: (Editor's Note: Contains spoilers for season three of the show.)
On what has made the show beloved by so many fans:
Cosmo: If I knew that, I'd be a really rich man. I have worked on lots of historical stuff, but I think "Game of Thrones" ticks so many boxes for so many people. And its production values are so high, continuously. It's just set a new standard for that sort of television. As far as identifying what it is, I think these shows come along once in a lifetime that people just embrace and it becomes something really special. The books that George Martin had written were so well-loved by so many people, and (show runners) David Benioff and Dan Weiss brought that to the screen so beautifully.
Tena: I think it's because it's got that "Lord of the Rings" magic, with just a hunk of sex and death thrown at it. And I think that's something we all have a link to and it's also how I imagine the medieval world to be -- brutish and short and sexual.
James Cosmo, at DragonCon 2013 in Atlanta, played Night's Watch Commander Jeor Mormont on "Game of Thrones."
Cosmo: When you said that it was "Lord of the Rings" with great sex and violence thrown at it -- well, the sex bit missed me. I am the only guy there who's got this crew of guys and we're all celibate.
On the intense fan reactions to the show:
Tena: When you're working you don't think about what something means. You're just thinking about playing a moment, and a truth. I can see now that it means a lot to so many people and that's humbling. But in the moment you're just trying to do the best job you can.
Cosmo: When we were doing it, I had no concept about how huge it was going to become. I don't know if anyone did. But from reading the part of Mormont, I just loved the character. He was the one who stood out to me as a man of such innate dignity. It was just a joy to play.
On memorable moments from the set:
Tena: We skinned a rabbit. ... (A forest ranger) just plunked a rabbit in front of me and Ellie (Kendrick, who plays Meera Reed) and he showed us how to do it. And, it was fine. But when we did it on the day, after skinning 40 rabbits and pulling their heads off ... all of it congealed. It was a hot day and by the end of the day, I had flies all over my hands. I did go a bit mad. I had, like, three showers. Everyone thinks fish smell and you don't really think about meat. Meat, by the end of the day, is horrible. I felt like Lady Macbeth. I was, like, "Out, damn spot!" Pulling their heads off as well -- that was pretty interesting. We ran out of rabbits, so sometimes we had to kind of plunk bits of the bodies back together. It was a special day.
Gorman: I wanted to talk about pig s***, if that's all right. That's what I noticed most in Ireland. It's like this really glamorous show and I turn up and it's like, literally, 3-feet depth of pig mess everywhere. I couldn't believe it. I only had a week there and I was like, "I'm done."
On how he learned his character would die
Cosmo: I'm a dedicated fly fisherman. I fish quite a lot up in Oregon for steelhead. And my fishing buddy who's a few years older than me, Bo -- he hasn't read many books in his life. But when I said I'm doing this thing, "Game of Thrones," he said, "Oh, man. I'm going to get these books." We'd be standing up to our waist, trying to catch steelhead in the river ... and he'd say, "Well, I got to Chapter 23 last night. You're still there, kid."
Actor Burn Gorman, speaking at DragonCon 2013 in Atlanta, plays Karl on "Game of Thrones."
And then it came to book three and he says, "I can't see you anywhere, man. He's not talking about you." So that was my conduit to learning where my career was going -- this old guy standing next to me while we were fishing.
On the show's Emmy Award-winning costumes
Cosmo: As you get helped into the leggings and the big leather chest piece and then the cloak, you can feel the sort of gravitas of the character coming. Even the way you walk is informed by these things that drag along behind you; you're almost pulling your cloak behind you. Costuming is a hugely important part of building the character and I wouldn't have it any other way. It does help, although at times it can be a bit annoying and cumbersome. It must have been about 50-60 pounds when it was on. As you see, I'm a lightweight kind of guy (his agency says he is 6-foot-1 and weighs about 240 pounds). But I know when I was wearing all the costume and I was about to get on my horse, he looked really, really unhappy.
Tena: With every single character you play, your costume is your outward appearance to the world. ... That immediately determines how the world, and you yourself, see you.
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