Difference between revisions of "Great ranging"

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[[Category:Beyond the Wall]][[zh:游骑兵远征]]

Revision as of 15:54, 4 July 2012

Jeor Mormont leading the Ranging (HBO)

The Great Ranging is an expedition organised by the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Jeor Mormont, which took place in the year 299 AC. Lord Commander Mormont led three hundred sworn brothers of the Night's Watch north Beyond the Wall. Two hundred men from Castle Black and another hundred from the Shadow Tower. It was the biggest ranging in living memory, near a third of the Night's Watch's strength.

Goals

Expedition North and New Discoveries

The expedition passed seven deserted wildling villages, the fourth of which was Whitetree, before arriving at Craster's Keep. The expedition camps for the night at Craster's Keep. There they learn that the villages are empty because Mance is gathering all the Free Folk in the Frostfangs with the intent to strike at the Wall as the wildlings chieftains have done in the past. It is the stated that the most recent invasion was led by Raymun Redbeard.[4]

Lord Commander Mormont decides they will camp at the Fist of the First Men‎ and await Qhorin and the men from the Shadow Tower. Qhorin's party were late after they ran into a wildling scouting party led by Alfyn Crowkiller. They were successful in stopping the wildlings reporting back to Mance, at the cost of four men and a dozen wounded. A prisoner taken in the battle revealed that Mance Rayder was searching for some magic to bring down the Wall.

After Qhorin finally made it to the rendezvous point, it is decided to send three scouting parties into the Frostfangs mountains to discover the size of the host and what Mance is looking for, led by Jarmen Buckwell, Thoren Smallwood, and Qhorin Halfhand himself.

Disaster at the Fist and Retreat

Shortly after the return of Thoren Smallwood's team, the expedition is attacked at the Fist of the First Men‎ by the White Walkers.[5] After an unsuccessful counterattack, due to being caught unaware and ill-prepared to fight an unfamiliar foe, Lord Commander Mormont rallies about fifty Brothers onto horseback to break out of the Fist in a tactical retreat. It is assumed that the Brothers who were unable to form up with Mormont's retreat were all slaughtered by the wights.

As the horses got more tired and the weather got worse, the Lord Commander organized the injured to be put on the horses and set the able men walking with torches to guard the flanks and rear. Luckily the Wights did not give an effective pursuit, only nibbling at the stragglers. It is during this march south that the Watch rediscovers the effect of Dragonglass on the Others; Samwell Tarly, Small Paul and Grenn are among the stragglers and in self defence, Samwell stabs an Other by mistake causing the entire creature to dissolve.[6]

Forty four Brothers, twelve of them seriously injured, survived the Others attack and were able to reach Craster's Keep. However, morale was low, food was scarce and although Craster offers them some food but many of the disgruntled members of the group claim Craster is holding out on them, eventually drawing their weapons. Craster tried to fight them but was killed by Dirk. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, who tries to intervene, is killed as well by Ollo Lophand, which leads to a brawl between the mutineers and the loyalists.[7] About a dozen loyalists decide to retreat and manage to return to Castle Black;[8] Samwell Tarly and Gilly also manage to escape.[9]

Aftermath

Nearly a third of the Night's Watch's strength, most of its command and experienced fighting force were lost. With less than thirty Brothers to return to the Wall after the disaster at the Fist of the First Men, the mission was considered a failure. With tens of thousands of wildlings still marching on the Wall, the depleted force must rely on ingenuity and new leadership to survive any further engagements with hostiles beyond the Wall.

Known Members

Command

Rangers/Scouts

Stewards


References and Notes