Mountain's men

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The Mountain with the Mountain's men - by Nordheimer ©
Ser Gregor's men, by serclegane
Left to right: Chiswyck, Polliver, The Tickler, Raff The Sweetling, the Sarsfield squire, and Shitmouth

The Mountain's men[1][2] are men-at-arms of the westerlands in service to Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain That Rides.

About

See also: Images of the Mountain's men

The Mountain's men are a dangerous, unsavory bunch. They are all hard-eyed, hard mouthed men; according to Ser Jaime Lannister they would have to be to ride beside a man like the Mountain.

The best that can be said for Gregor’s men is that they are not quite as vile a bunch as the Brave Companions.[3] Sandor Clegane is familiar with his brother’s men and refers to them to as Gregor’s "pet rats". Gregor never brings them to court.[4]

Recent Events

The rape of the brewer’s daughter - by Roman Papsuev

A Game of Thrones

After Catelyn Stark abducts Tyrion Lannister, Ser Gregor and his men strike some of the first blows in what grows into the War of the Five Kings, raiding the riverlands. Lord Tywin Lannister sends them across the Red Fork under the guise of brigands to ravage the holdfasts of Sherrer, Wendish Town, and Mummer's Ford in the hopes of drawing Tully forces away from Riverrun and the Golden Tooth.[5]

When Lord Eddard Stark dispatches a party of men led by Beric Dondarrion to execute Ser Gregor for his crimes, Tywin Lannister ambushes them at the Mummer's Ford. When Dondarrion and his men attempt to retreat across the Red Ford it is Ser Gregor's men who take them in the rear.

Thereafter, the Mountain's men join Lord Tywin's host as it marches through the riverlands, eventually fighting in the Lannister vanguard on the left flank of the battle on the Green Fork. After the battle, Lord Tywin withdraws to Harrenhal but leaves the Mountain's men and others to raid in the riverlands.

A Clash of Kings

Clegane's band foraging - by Marc Simonetti. © FFG

Clegane's band sacks Castle Darry, killing the eight-year-old Lord Lyman Darry. They also take and burn Stone Hedge, taking its food supplies and burning the harvest of Lord Jonos Bracken.

As the band is foraging and raiding they capture and question various smallfolk. Amongst the people they capture are Hot Pie, Gendry and, Arya Stark of Winterfell, although they are oblivious to her true identity.[6] Arya quickly comes to know Gregor’s men and their various personality quirks. Gregor and his men take their surviving prisoners to serve Lord Tywin Lannister at Harrenhal.

Tywin sends Gregor and his men to destroy Lord Roose Bolton’s northern host. During this time, they skirmish several times with the brotherhood without banners, and lose four men to Beric Dondarrion’s night raids before returning to Harrenhal, taking up residence in the Wailing Tower.

While in the guise of a common servant, Arya overhears Chiswyck speak of Gregor's actions after the Hand's tourney but before the outbreak of war. Gregor was furious about the trick that the "Knight o’ Pansies" played on him by riding an in-season mare that distracted his stallion. While returning from the tourney with seven of his men, Gregor brooded on his loss. An overflowing river detoured the group to a nearby alehouse, where he and his men gang raped the brewer’s daughter, Layna. Arya orders the Faceless Man Jaqen H'ghar to kill Chiswyck.[7]

During Lord Tywin's attempt to break through back to the westerlands at the Battle of the Fords, the Mountain's men join up with Tywin's host and attack the crossing at the Stone Mill, which is defended by Ser Edmure Tully's forces. Along with the rest of the Lannister force, the Mountain's men are pushed back and forced to retreat.[8] Harrenhal is taken by Lord Bolton in their absence.

A Storm of Swords

Following their failure to cross the Red Fork, Ser Gregor and his men retake Harrenhal, which Roose Bolton has abandoned to Vargo Hoat. Inside, Gregor's men slaughter the inhabitants and defenders except for the cook who opens the gate, the castle smith Ben Blackthumb, and a girl named Pia whom the Mountain and his men rape repeatedly.

Leaving Polliver as castellan and some men including the Tickler to hold Harrenhal, Ser Gregor and the rest of his men follow a force sent by Lord Bolton toward Duskendale. The survivors of the battle of Duskendale are harried in their retreat by Ser Gregor's men. Bolton's rearguard is then separately ravaged by the Mountain and his party when they attempt to cross the ruby ford.

After kidnapping Arya Stark, Gregor's brother Sandor explains to her that it could be someone worse than him that kidnapped her and that she does not know his brother. Arya protests that she does know Gregor and then names some of Gregor’s men. This surprises Sandor, who is amazed that a highborn girl like Arya should know them.[4]

At some point after Polliver is left as castellan, Arya and Sandor confront some of Gregor’s men who have gone to drink, whore, and "tickle the innkeep" at the crossroads inn. A fight breaks out when they attempt to capture Sandor and the pair kill Polliver, the Tickler and a Sarsfield boy.[2]

A Feast for Crows

The remnants of Ser Gregor's men-at-arms, including Raff the Sweetling, Dunsen, and Shitmouth, remain stationed at Harrenhal.[9] When Ser Jaime Lannister arrives there on his way to Riverrun, a handful of Gregor’s men emerge from the castle’s towers to watch him dismount. Jaime discovers that Gregor had named Polliver as his castellan after his departure, but Shitmouth informs him that Polliver was killed in a run-in with Sandor Clegane at the crossroads inn, leaving no one in charge at Harrenhal.[3]

After viewing Vargo Hoat’s head, Jaime asks Shitmouth where the rest of him is. Shitmouth tells Jaime that the rest of him has rotted or been eaten and that Gregor fed his flesh to the captives – referring to Vargo’s flesh as “roast goat”. Jaime thinks that his father Tywin’s dogs have gone mad and that somehow revenge has lost its savor.

When Jaime informs Gregor’s men that they can either ride with him to the siege of Riverrun or join Ser Bonifer Hasty’s men, the men state Gregor promised rich rewards for those that rode with him. Jaime tells them to take any grievances up with Queen Regent Cersei Lannister.[3] Before he leaves Harrenhal, Jaime takes the head of one of Gregor’s men who tried to rape Pia. As the man is about to be beheaded he protests that he had her hundreds of times, and that they all did.

After the fall of Riverrun, Rafford is ordered by Jaime to escort Ser Robin Ryger and Ser Desmond Grell to Maidenpool for their journey to the Wall and make sure they make it alive.[10]

A Dance with Dragons

Twenty men accompany Red Ronnet Connington to White Harbor via Maidenpool, most of them the Mountain's former men. Lord Randyll Tarly mentions how Gregor's men arrived in Maidenpool while he was in charge of the town. They were not there a day when one was accused of murder and another of rape; Randyll executed the murderer and gelded the raper.

When they arrive at King's Landing with Red Ronnet, Randyll suggests they be sent to the Wall where such scum belong. Lord Mace Tyrell agrees and states he would not suffer such men in the City Watch. Lord Regent Kevan Lannister decides not to exile them, however, as they are fighters and the Iron Throne needs swords against the new threat of the Golden Company. He later tells Grand Maester Pycelle and Ser Harys Swyft to hire the Mountain's men if they feel they need guards against House Tyrell.[11]

The Winds of Winter

Raff the Sweetling is among Harys Swyft's guard in Braavos, where he is killed by Mercy.[12]

Known Mountain's men

Quotes

At Wendish Town, the people sought shelter in their holdfast, but the walls were timbered. The raiders piled straw against the wood and burnt them all alive. When the Wendish folk opened their gates to flee the fire, they shot them down with arrows as they came running out, even women with suckling babes.[5]

Raymun Darry to Eddard Stark


Varys: You are quite certain these were more than brigands?
Raymun: Brigands, Lord Varys? Oh, they were brigands, beyond a doubt. Lannister brigands.[5]

Varys and Raymun Darry


They rode down my ‘prentice boy. Chased him back and forth across the fields on their horses, poking at him with their lances like it was a game, them laughing and the boy stumbling and screaming till the big one pierced him clean through.[5]

– unnamed smith from Sherrer to Eddard Stark


Cersei: And someone needs to set Harrenhal to rights. We have urgent need of Wylis Manderly, assuming he is still alive and captive, but the garrison has not replied to any of our ravens.
Jaime: Those are Gregor's men at Harrenhal. The Mountain liked them cruel and stupid. Most like they ate your ravens, messages and all.[3]

- Cersei Lannister and Jaime Lannister

References and Notes