Taking of Deepwood Motte

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Taking of Deepwood Motte
Battle of Deepwood Motte.jpg
by Gino Whitehall © Fantasy Flight Games
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 AC
Place Deepwood Motte, the North
Result Greyjoy victory
Combatants
House Glover House Greyjoy
Commanders
unknown Asha Greyjoy
Strength
unknown 1,000 men
30 longships
Casualties
unknown unknown

The taking of Deepwood Motte[1] or fall of Deepwood Motte[2][3] is a small battle 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]

Prelude

Robb Stark, seeking allies, sends Theon Greyjoy as an envoy to his father to offer an alliance. Balon Greyjoy rejects the offer from the King in the North and instead intends to strike at the North, which is weakly defended with the northern forces fighting in the riverlands and the westerlands. Balon sends his son Theon, his brother Aeron, and Dagmer Cleftjaw to harry the Stony Shore in hopes that the remaining northern lords will leave their castles and march. He 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

Galbart Glover, Master of Deepwood Motte, and his brother, Robett Glover, are away fighting in southern Westeros. 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 moon's turn with a thousand ironborn.[4][1]

Asha takes hostage Robett's family, including Lady Sybelle Glover and her children, Gawen and Erena, as well Larence Snow, the Bastard of Hornwood.[5]

Aftermath

Ours for the Taking. Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk. © Fantasy Flight Games.

Rather than follow Balon's instructions to continue raiding the Stony Shore, Theon instead seizes Winterfell in an effort to compete with Asha. Having few men to hold the large castle, Theon has Stygg ride to Deepwood to request aid from Asha.[6] 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.[7]

After the Battle of the Blackwater, Lord Roose Bolton orders Robett Glover to attack Duskendale. Following the defeat at Duskendale, Roose tells Robb Stark that Robett attacked out of grief and fear for the fall of Deepwood.[3]

Deepwood is eventually retaken by King Stannis Baratheon, during which Asha is taken prisoner.[8][9]

Quotes

With thirty men, I captured Winterfell in a night. You needed a thousand and a moon's turn to take Deepwood Motte.[1]

- Theon Greyjoy to Asha Greyjoy


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