Difference between revisions of "Moat Cailin"

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===A Storm of Swords===  
 
===A Storm of Swords===  
 
Upon hearing of his brother [[Balon Greyjoy|Balon's]] death, Victaron leaves a token force under the command of [[Ralf Kenning]] behind to hold the Moat, while he sails to decide the issue of the new [[Iron King]].
 
Upon hearing of his brother [[Balon Greyjoy|Balon's]] death, Victaron leaves a token force under the command of [[Ralf Kenning]] behind to hold the Moat, while he sails to decide the issue of the new [[Iron King]].
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At [[Oldstones]], upon receiving the news of [[Balon Greyjoy]]’s death from the captain of the ''[[Myraham]]'', [[Robb Stark]] immediately makes plans to march on Moat Cailin.  He realises that Victarion will have been compelled to return to [[Pyke]]. Robb states to his bannermen,
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{{Quote|Moat Cailin is the key. Lord Balon knew that, which is why he sent his brother Victarion there with the hard heart of the Greyjoy strength. {{Ref|asos|24|p 525}}}}
  
 
===A Feast for Crows===  
 
===A Feast for Crows===  

Revision as of 20:18, 7 May 2013

Moat Cailin
Ancient fortress ruins
Moat cailin by reneaigner.jpg
Art work by Reneaigner ©
Location Westeros, The North, The Neck
Founded Dawn Age
Moat Cailin is located in The North
Moat Cailin
The North and the location of Winterfell
Moat Cailin by Cris Urdiales ©

Moat Cailin is ancient fortress on the northern edge of the great swamp known as the Neck, in the North. It is one of the North's most important strongholds, even though much of it now stands in ruins. Its importance stems from the fact that it commands the causeway, which is the safe route for armies to travel through the swamps of the Neck. It is a very effective natural choke point which has protected the North from southern invasion for thousands of years. The only way for an invader to effective bypass Moat Cailin is to win the allegiance of the Reeds who know of other routes through the swamps. Those are not on any map, known only to the Crannogmen, such as narrow trails between the bogs and wet roads through the reeds that only boats can follow and given the Reeds' strong ancestral ties to the Starks, this is unlikely to happen.

History

It's claimed that Moat Cailin was raised roughly 10,000 years ago, by the the First Men. A great stronghold, with twenty towers and great basalt curtain wall as high as that of Winterfell's. It used to be a key defence of the north, against which the Andal armies threw themselves time after time with no success. Today only great blocks of black basalt lay scattered about, half sunk in the ground, where the wall once stood. The wooden keep rotted away a thousand years past and three remaining towers out of a fabled twenty are green with moss.[1]

According to myth, the Children attempted to use Moat Cailin to hold back the flood of invading First Men and, by working powerful magics from the 'Children's Tower', when that failed due to the humans' superior numbers, attempted to shatter the Neck and completely separate the North from the South in the same manner they shattered the Arm of Dorne centuries earlier. However, the Children failed and only succeeded in flooding it, creating bogs and swamps. However, the cataclysm proved the strength of their power and may have proved instrumental in bringing the First Men to agree to the terms of the Pact that ended hostilities between the two races.

While in the present era most of Moat Cailin's former towers have fallen into ruin and have not been permanently manned for centuries. However, even the three remaining towers are more than capable of defending the passage to the South, provided that they are fully manned. A key point is that Moat Cailin was only designed to resist attack from the south, and thus its northern flank is relatively exposed to attack by even a small force. This weakness was exploited by the Ironborn in the Battle of Moat Cailin during the War of the Five Kings.

Towers

The remaining three towers command the causeway from all sides and enemies must pass between them. Attackers would have to face constant fire from the other towers should they attempt to attack any one tower, wading through chest deep water and crossing a moat.[2]

The three remaining towers of Moat Cailin are as follows:

  • Gatehouse Tower is the only tower which still stands straight, even retaining some of the walls around it.[2]
  • Drunkard's Tower is so named due to its great lean. It stands where the south and west walls once met.[2]

Recent Events

Theon Greyjoy rides to Moat Cailin - by Marc Simonetti ©

A Game of Thrones

On the march south, Robb Stark took the Gatehouse Tower as his seat, Greatjon Umber took the Children's Tower for his and Rickard Karstark, the Drunkard's Tower.[2]

A Clash of Kings

Victarion Greyjoy was sent by his brother Balon Greyjoy to take Moat Cailin. [3] Believing that the Neck is the key to the kingdom Balon Greyjoy reasoned on Pyke,

Once we hold Moat Cailin, the pup will not be able to win back to the north . . . and if he is fool enough to try, his enemies will seal the south end of the causeway behind him, and Robb the boy will find himself caught like a rat in a bottle. [4]

After Theon Greyjoy declares himself the Prince of Winterfell Maester Luwin councils Theon that Moat Cailin sits on the edge of the bogs. Lord Howland can make his uncle’s occupation a visit to hell if he chooses, but so long as Theon hold his heirs Jojen Reed and Meera Reed he must stay his hand. [5]

A Storm of Swords

Upon hearing of his brother Balon's death, Victaron leaves a token force under the command of Ralf Kenning behind to hold the Moat, while he sails to decide the issue of the new Iron King.

At Oldstones, upon receiving the news of Balon Greyjoy’s death from the captain of the Myraham, Robb Stark immediately makes plans to march on Moat Cailin. He realises that Victarion will have been compelled to return to Pyke. Robb states to his bannermen,

Moat Cailin is the key. Lord Balon knew that, which is why he sent his brother Victarion there with the hard heart of the Greyjoy strength. [6]

A Feast for Crows

The sixty-three-man Ironborn garrison begins to run low on food and supplies.

A Dance with Dragons

Ramsay Bolton sends Theon Greyjoy to offer the Ironborn food and safe passage in return if they surrender unarmed. When they do surrender Ramsay has all sixty three of them flayed alive. The next day their skinless bodies, still dripping fresh blood, are put on pikes and displayed along the road.[7]


References and Notes