Taking of Deepwood Motte
| Taking of Deepwood Motte | |||||||||||||||||
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 Battle of Deepwood Motte, by Gino Whitehall © Fantasy Flight Games | |||||||||||||||||
| Conflict | War of the Five Kings | ||||||||||||||||
| Date | 299 AC | ||||||||||||||||
| Place | Deepwood Motte | ||||||||||||||||
| Result | Greyjoy victory | ||||||||||||||||
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The taking of Deepwood Motte[1] or fall of Deepwood Motte[2][3] is a siege during the War of the Five Kings. Planned in secret by Balon Greyjoy, the seizure of Deepwood Motte, the seat of House Glover, allows the Greyjoys to control the northern Sunset Sea and have a secure base in the heart of the north.[4]
Contents
Prelude
Galbart Glover, Master of Deepwood Motte, and his brother, Robett Glover, march south with Robb Stark after the arrest of his father, Lord Eddard Stark.[5] After Eddard's execution, Robb is proclaimed King in the North at Riverrun.[6]
Seeking allies, Robb sends his friend, Theon Greyjoy, as an envoy to his father, Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands. Balon rejects Robb's offer, however, and instead intends to strike at the north, which is weakly defended with northmen away fighting in the riverlands and the westerlands. Balon sends his son Theon, his brother Aeron Damphair, and Dagmer Cleftjaw to harry the Stony Shore in hopes that the remaining northern lords will march away from their castles. Balon sends his daughter Asha to seize Deepwood Motte, and he sends his brother Victarion with the majority of the Iron Fleet to seize Moat Cailin, thereby preventing the northern lords in the south from returning to their seats.[4]
Battle
Asha Greyjoy takes thirty longships of picked men and sails north around Sea Dragon Point. She lands on the tidal flats to the north of Deepwood and seizes the castle after a month long siege with a thousand ironborn.[4][1] Deepwood's steward loses a leg during the fighting.[7]
Asha takes hostage Robett's family, including Lady Sybelle Glover and her children, Gawen and Erena, as well Larence Snow, the Bastard of Hornwood.[8]
Aftermath
Rather than follow Balon's instructions to continue raiding the Stony Shore, Theon instead seizes Winterfell in an attempt to compete with Asha. Having few men to hold the large castle, Theon has Stygg ride to Deepwood to request aid from Asha.[9] She visits Theon at Winterfell, but he refuses to give up his new seat and Asha leaves him only with ten reinforcements.[1] All ten abandon Theon when Ser Rodrik Cassel approaches the castle, and Theon is soon captured by House Bolton during the sack of Winterfell.[10]
After the Battle of the Blackwater, Lord Roose Bolton orders Robett Glover to attack Duskendale. Following the battle at Duskendale, Roose tells Robb Stark that Robett attacked out of grief and fear for the fall of Deepwood.[3]
Asha is eventually taken prisoner by King Stannis Baratheon during the fight by Deepwood Motte.[7][11]
Quotes
With thirty men, I captured Winterfell in a night. You needed a thousand and a moon's turn to take Deepwood Motte.[1]
Robb: Duskendale. Robett Glover will answer for that when I see him, I promise you.
Roose: A folly, but Glover was heedless after he learned that Deepwood Motte had fallen. Grief and fear will do that to a man.[3]—Robb Stark and Roose Bolton
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 56, Theon V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 9, Bran I.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 49, Catelyn VI.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 24, Theon II.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 53, Bran VI.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 71, Catelyn XI.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 26, The Wayward Bride.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Appendix.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 50, Theon IV.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 66, Theon VI.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 42, The King's Prize.
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