Fall of Harrenhal

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Sack of Harrenhal
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 AC
Place Harrenhal
Result Stark victory
Combatants
House Lannister House Stark
Commanders
Amory Lorch Roose Bolton
Vargo Hoat (changes side)
Robett Glover (freed captive)
Strength
garrison of 100 men[1] 100 northmen inside the castle
~100 Brave Companions
Casualties
Amory Lorch+
entire garrison
unknown

The Sack of Harrenhal is a battle that takes place at Harrenhal during the War of the Five Kings.

Prelude

After being defeated at the Battle of the Green Fork, Lord Roose Bolton withdrew his forces back across the Green Fork while Lord Tywin Lannister camps at Harrenhal.[2] However, Robb Stark attacks the Westerlands, drawing Lord Tywin out of Harrenhal. He names Ser Amory Lorch as castellan and marches out, leaving as a garrison only a hundred Lannister men and the Brave Companions, an unsavory sellsword outfit from Essos under the command of Vargo Hoat.[3][1]

Battle

Vargo returns to Harrenhal after one of his raids with at least one hundred captives, claiming to have beaten Lord Roose when he tried to cross a river. The incognito Arya Stark, seeing an opportunity, demands that Jaqen H'ghar help her in freeing the northern prisoners. Under the guise of bringing the guards onion soup, Arya, Jaqen, Rorge and Biter, whose help Jaqen enlists, kill the guards watching the northern prisoners and set them free. Unknown to Ser Amory Lorch and independently of Arya and Jaqen, a deal has been struck by Vargo and Roose that Vargo is to turn over the castle. The Brave Companions turn on their former Lannister allies, killing many in their beds.[1]

Aftermath

Once the garrison is killed, Roose marches on Harrenhal and Vargo turns the castle over to him. By taking Harrenhal from House Lannister, Tywin is trapped between Roose's force at Harrenhal and Ser Edmure Tully's at Riverrun, culminating in the next major battle of the War of the Five Kings, the Battle of the Fords. At Harrenhal, Amory is killed by a large black bear in the bear pit as sport for the Brave Companions.[1]

References and Notes