Battle at Duskendale

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Battle at Duskendale
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 AC
Place Duskendale
Result Iron Throne victory
Combatants
House Baratheon of King's Landing.svg Iron Throne/ House Baratheon of King's Landing:

House Tyrell.svg The Reach, led by House Tyrell

House Lannister.svg Westerlands, led by House Lannister

House Stark.svg Kingdom of the North and the Trident/ House Stark:

The North

Commanders
House Tarly.svg Lord Randyll Tarly
House Clegane.svg Ser Gregor Clegane
House Glover.svg Robett Glover
House Tallhart.svg Ser Helman Tallhart
House Karstark.svg Harrion Karstark
Strength
unknown possibly ~3,000 men[1]
Casualties
reported "heavy"[2] at least 1,000[2]
Robett Glover (captured)
Ser Helman Tallhart
Harrion Karstark (captured)

A battle at Duskendale[3] is one of the final battles of the War of the Five Kings. Its lasting effect is to bleed Robb Stark's forces further and to weaken the noble houses of the north.

Background

While at Harrenhal, Lord Roose Bolton learns of Stannis Baratheon's defeat in the Battle of the Blackwater and the siege of Darry by Ser Helman Tallhart. He orders Helman to kill his Lannister captives and put Darry to the torch, and then march with Robett Glover to Duskendale in the mostly-unharmed crownlands. With Torrhen's Square and Deepwood Motte, their strongholds in the north, having been seized by the ironborn, Roose states both men are keen for vengeance.[4] Roose also sends Harrion Karstark with the remaining Karstarks at Harrenhal.[5] The army, a third of the foot[3] of Robb Stark, King in the North, burns its way towards Duskendale.[6]

Meanwhile, after the victory over Stannis at the Blackwater and the new alliance between House Lannister and House Tyrell, the two houses loyal to King Joffrey I Baratheon have combined their forces. The Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister, sends Lord Randyll Tarly with a sizeable army, composed of men from the stormlands and the Reach, to catch the northern force at Duskendale and throw them back. Tywin also sends Ser Gregor Clegane with westermen to cut off their retreat on the kingsroad.[6]

Battle

Northern participants include Houses Cerwyn, Glover, Hornwood, Karstark, and Tallhart.[4][7]

The army loyal to House Baratheon of King's Landing includes men from the Reach, the stormlands, and the westerlands. Named participants include Houses Tarly, Leygood, Ambrose, Fossoway of Cider Hall, Fossoway of New Barrel, and Tarly.[7]

Lord Randyll Tarly catches Robett Glover outside of Duskendale and traps him against Blackwater Bay. Ser Helman Tallhart is killed during the fierce battle,[8] which takes places in the fields and farms outside Duskendale.[7] There are heavy losses on both sides, including possibly a thousand dead northmen. As Robett falls back toward Harrenhal he encounters Ser Gregor Clegane near the kingsroad,[2] and the northern host is broken.[5]

Aftermath

Robett Glover is taken prisoner by Gregor Clegane,[3] while Gregor's men hunt stragglers.[5] Gregor is reportedly wounded in the fighting.[9] Robett eventually sails from Duskendale in an exchange for Martyn Lannister,[10] but Harrion Karstark is held in captivity at Maidenpool.[8]

The northern foot is destroyed, which hurts Robb Stark's ability to retake the north. It is later revealed that Roose Bolton had secretly defected to the Lannister side and in his attempt to diminish the northern lords' ability to attack him, he had sent much of the northern army to its destruction.[5][11][12][13]

The northmen are buried in a common grave by the sea marked only by a wooden sign reading "HERE LIE THE WOLVES", while Randyll Tarly's less numerous dead are buried in heroes' tombs beneath the septs of Duskendale. Brienne of Tarth notices many used weapons, armor, and clothing from the battle available for sale at Duskendale's market square.[7]

Quotes

Gods be praised! A great victory for King Joffrey![2]

Duskendale, on the narrow sea? Why would they go to Duskendale? A third of my foot, lost for Duskendale?[3]

Robb: Duskendale. Robett Glover will answer for that when I see him, I promise you.
Roose: A folly, but Glover was heedless after he learned that Deepwood Moote had fallen. Grief and fear will do that to a man.[11]

References

  1. According to A Clash of Kings-Chapter 39, Roose has 10,000 men when he is sent to Harrenhal. In A Storm of Swords-Chapter 35 Robb laments the loss of a third of his foot at Duskendale.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 19, Tyrion III.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 35, Catelyn IV.
  4. 4.0 4.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 64, Arya X.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 37, Jaime V.
  6. 6.0 6.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 4, Tyrion I.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 9, Brienne II.
  8. 8.0 8.1 A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
  9. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 66, Tyrion IX.
  10. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 45, Catelyn V.
  11. 11.0 11.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 49, Catelyn VI.
  12. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 51, Catelyn VII.
  13. George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Robett Glover.