Difference between revisions of "Mutiny at Craster's Keep"

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| casualties1 = [[Jeor Mormont]]<br>[[Craster]]<br>[[Garth of Oldtown]]
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===Loyalists===
 
===Loyalists===
 
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* Lord Commander [[Jeor Mormont]]
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* [[Kedge Whiteye]]
 
* [[Kedge Whiteye]]
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* Sweet [[Donnel Hill]]
 
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* [[Lew (Left Hand)|Left Hand Lew]]
* [[Garth|Garth of Oldtown]]
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===Craster's Family===
 
===Craster's Family===
 
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* [[Garth (Greenaway)|Garth of Greenaway]]
 
* [[Garth (Greenaway)|Garth of Greenaway]]
 
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* Clubfoot [[Karl]]

Revision as of 01:30, 2 January 2013

Mutiny at Craster's Keep
Conflict Conflict Beyond the Wall
Date +/- 299 AC
Place Craster's Keep
Result Betrayer victory
Loyalist retreat
Combatants
Night's Watch
Craster's Family
The Betrayers
Commanders
Jeor Mormont
Craster
Dirk
Ollo Lophand
Casualties
Jeor Mormont
Craster
Garth of Oldtown
Rolley

The Mutiny at Craster's Keep was a rebellious engagement involving the Night's Watch at Craster's Keep. After the crushing defeat at the Fist of the First Men, the Night's Watch were forced to retreat. The survivors were able to make it to Craster's Keep where they sought shelter.

Background

The Night's Watch had been losing strength for years with fewer volunteers every season and so it relied more and more on the dungeons of the Seven Kingdoms to fill the ranks. Most of these disreputable individuals were selected for the Great Ranging and the forced march further into the winter beyond the Wall made them even more disgruntled.


Chett and a few other brothers planned to betray Lord Commander Mormont and his seniors so they could escape the Watch but the combination of the heavy weather and the assault from the Others at the Fist of the First Men made this plan redundant. The retreat to Craster's Keep brought their morale to an all time low and certain brothers started being more vocal with their criticism.

Brawl

The trouble starts when Ulmer asks for more bread, as Craster’ wives have brought only two loaves for the starving men to eat. Clubfoot Karl chimes in that they need more bread, the Lord Commander puts him in his place. Karl says he wants what Craster is hiding. Craster’s eyes narrow and he says that he has his women to feed. Dirk implies that means he has a secret larder. Craster gets annoyed. Karl calls Craster a niggardly man and a liar. The men of the Night’s Watch start to argue about all the food Craster must have, hams, sausage, oats, apples, dried berries, cabbages, pine nuts and salt mutton.


The Lord Commander rises and tells the men silence, and that he’ll hear no more talk. Clubfoot Karl defies him and stands up. The Lord Commander commands him to sit, eat, and be silent.


No one speaks. No one moves. All eyes are on the Lord Commander and the big clubfooted ranger. They stare at each other across the table. It seems to Samwell that Karl breaks first, and was about to sit, though sullenly … but Craster interrupts the standoff, rises with axe in hand and tells Karl, Dirk and both Garths he’ll not sit and anyone that calls him a niggard must leave with empty bellies and sleep outside in the cold.


One of the Garths calls Craster a bloody bastard. Craster loses his temper and quickly vaults across the table with axe in hand. A woman screams. Garth (Greenaway) and Orphan Oss draw their knives. Karl stumbles back and trips over Ser Byam Flint. One instant Craster is spitting curses, the next he is spitting blood. Dirk grabs Craster by the hair, yanks his head back and opens his throat ear to ear with one long slash. Craster crashes face first across Ser Byam Flint and drowns in his own blood, the axe slipping from his fingers.


The furious Lord Commander stands over Craster’s corpse, saying that the gods will curse them, as there is no crime so foul as for a guest to bring murder into a man’s hall. Dirk replies that there are no laws beyond the Wall and shoves a knife under the chin of one of Craster’s wives demanding that she show them where the food is or he will kill her.


The Lord Commander tells Dirk to unhand her but Garth (Greenaway) blocks his path and Ollo Lophand yanks him back. They both have blades in hand. Ollo warns the Lord Commander to hold his tongue. Instead the Lord Commander goes for his dagger. Ollo had only one hand but it was quick. He twists free of the Lord Commander’s grasp and shoves a knife into Mormont’s belly, and yanks it out again, all red.


It seems to Samwell that everything goes mad after that.

Participants

Loyalists

Craster's Family

Betrayers

Aftermath

Grenn urged Sam to come with them but he wouldn't move. Grenn shouted and slapped him but still could not get Sam to budge. Grenn, Dolorous Edd, Giant, Dywen and other loyalists admit defeat and retreat back to Castle Black to report on the disastrous expedition. They are forced to leave Sam behind as the traitors would have killed them all. Of note, Sweet Donnel Hill & Kedge Whiteye were complicit in Chett's plan to betray their brothers on the Fist of the First Men but it appears after the defeat, they decided to remain loyal to the Watch.

Later, Sam is still in deep shock, sitting cross-legged on the floor, with the dying Mormont’s head in his lap. The mutineers that are still alive are gorging on the food in the cellar or up in the loft raping Craster’s wives.

The Old Bear tells Sam to make for the Wall, that he must tell them

All. The Fist. The wildlings. Dragonglass. This. All.

Just before he dies he asks Sam to tell his son Jorah to take the black and that it is his dying wish. And that he forgives him.

Sam and Gilly’s flight

Just then three of Craters wives approach Sam, one of which is Gilly holding her baby. They tell him to take Mormont’s sword and cloak. They manage to usher Samwell away and get him to leave with Gilly and her child on two horses, to head for someplace warm.

Fate of the Traitors

The majority of the traitors stayed behind at the Keep to feast on Craster's stores and rape his wives/daughters. After this was done, they planned to head south over the Wall for a warmer climate but they never made it. Whilst leading Bran Stark and his companions north, Coldhands tracks them down and killed them. Their corpses were then discovered buried in the snow by Summer and his wolf pack.