Difference between revisions of "Taking of the Shields"

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
(Aftermath)
m (Quotes)
Line 46: Line 46:
  
 
{{quote|This was my victory, not his. Where was he? Back on [[Oakenshield]], lazing in [[Oakenshield Castle|a castle]]. He stole [[Victarion Greyjoy's third wife|my wife]] and he stole [[Seastone Chair|my throne]], and now he steals my glory.{{ref|AFFC|29}}}} – [[Victarion Greyjoy]]'s thoughts, regarding [[Euron Greyjoy]]
 
{{quote|This was my victory, not his. Where was he? Back on [[Oakenshield]], lazing in [[Oakenshield Castle|a castle]]. He stole [[Victarion Greyjoy's third wife|my wife]] and he stole [[Seastone Chair|my throne]], and now he steals my glory.{{ref|AFFC|29}}}} – [[Victarion Greyjoy]]'s thoughts, regarding [[Euron Greyjoy]]
 +
 +
 +
{{quote|'''Aeron''':“Your victories are hollow. You cannot hold the Shields.”<br>
 +
'''Euron''':“Why should I want to hold them? The Shields have served my purpose. I took them with one hand, and gave them away with the other. A great king is open-­handed, brother. It is up to the new lords to hold them now. The glory of winning those rocks will be mine forever. When they are lost, the defeat will belong to the four fools who so eagerly accepted my gifts.”<ref> Batlicon Reading [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VuqHngBpOZ1p0jqkD7xRTCHExMFwBa8qE7VCLsKXzxU/mobilebasic?pli=1 notes ] </ref>}} - [[Aeron Greyjoy]] and [[Euron Greyjoy]]
  
 
==References and Notes==
 
==References and Notes==

Revision as of 21:03, 6 August 2016

Taking of the Shields
Battle for the Shield IslandsTomasz Jedruszek.JPG
Battle for the Shield Islands - by artist Tomasz Jedruszek. © FFG.
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 300 AC
Place Shield Islands, the Reach
Result Greyjoy victory
Combatants
House Greyjoy
Houses sworn to Pyke
House Chester
House Serry
House Grimm
House Hewett
Commanders
Euron Greyjoy
Victarion Greyjoy
Strength
Iron Fleet fleets of the Shield Islands
Casualties
6 longships, including Hardhand significant
38 ships captured
Ser Talbert Serry
Lord Humfrey Hewett
Lord Moribald Chester
Lord Guthor Grimm

The taking of the Shields[1][2] is the opening battle of Euron Greyjoy's new campaign after his ascension to King of the Isles and the North. It takes place in and around the Shield Islands in the Reach.

Background

When Euron Greyjoy is chosen by the ironborn at the kingsmoot he promises to conquer the Seven Kingdoms and return the ironborn as a significant power.[3] His first strike will be a surprise attack on the unguarded Reach, whose armies are campaigning in the crownlands, riverlands, and stormlands.[4][5]

Battle

(1) The Iron Fleet sails far from the coast.
(2) Vanguard sails up the Mander.
(3) The defenders follow the vanguard.
(4) The main force attacks the Islands.
(5) Having taken the Islands the main force waits
for the returning fleet.
(6) The Iron Fleet is victorious.

Torwold Browntooth and the Red Oarsman lead twelve ironborn longships up the river Mander to draw out the defenses of the Shield Islands. Instead of sailing along the Reach's coastline, Euron leads the other ironborn ships into the Sunset Sea and attacks the Shields from the west, with the setting sun hiding their approach.[5]

Ser Harras Harlaw lands at Grimston and plants his standard beneath the castle walls. Daring the defenders to face him, he kills five and forces two to yield. After the seventh man is defeated the septon in the castle declares the gods have spoken and surrenders the castle. The islands of Greyshield, Greenshield, and Southshield are captured before the next morning, while Oakenshield lasts half a day. Euron uses Oakenshield Castle at Lord Hewett's Town as his base, with Lord Humfrey Hewett and his family captured.[5]

When the Shields' ships abandon Torwold and the Red Oarsmen in the Mander and return to the islands, they are trapped by the Iron Fleet at the river's mouth. Lord Captain Victarion Greyjoy slays Ser Talbert Serry during the boarding of a Serry vessel when Talbert falls overboard. Victarion loses only six ironborn ships, including Hardhand, but captures thirty-eight. Victarion allows a dozen southron ships to escape to the Mander.[5]

Aftermath

Victarion Greyjoy attributes the success of his brother Euron's attack from the west to blood sacrifice and the assistance of warlocks. King Euron raises four new lords, granting Oakenshield to Nute the Barber, Southshield to Andrik the Unsmiling, Greenshield to Maron Volmark, and Greyshield to Ser Harras Harlaw.[5]

The lords sworn to Highgarden who escaped destruction on the islands or the Mander retreat and wait for reinforcement from Highgarden. The peasant women and children whose husbands and fathers died during the battle are sold into slavery instead of thralldom by the ironborn.[5] According to the tidings that reach King's Landing, Lord Chester and Lord Hewett are slain, Lord Grimm is held captive in his own castle, and Lord Serry flees to Highgarden with the remnants of his fleet. Ser Willas Tyrell sends word to House Hightower at Oldtown and Ser Garlan Tyrell begins raising men to retake the Shields.[1]

Later, after capturing Aeron, Euron bluntly admits to him that he never had any serious long-term intentions to hold the Shield Islands. Attacking them served the purpose of opening up the Mander to their raiding ships for a time, enough to distract the northern half of the Reach from sending aid to Oldtown when he attacks it in earnest. At first it seemed that the four recipients of the islands were rivals from the Kingsmoot he was bribing into his loyalty: Nute was Victarion's champion, Andrik a champion of House Drumm, the Volmarks always tried to make some claim to rule due to their descent from House Hoare, and the Harlaws had supported his niece Asha. Instead, Euron admits that the real reason he captured the four small islands - after already destroying their fleets - was so he could simply pass them off as toxic gifts to his political enemies, knowing better than they do that they won't realistically hold them for long. Bribes only placate political rivals for so long, death is more certain. Nor does he expect to be blamed for this: the ironborn will only remember his victory taking the islands, but will blame their loss on the Houses that tried to hold them.[6]

Quotes

It is a great victory.[5]

Nute, to Victarion Greyjoy


Aye, a great victory for the Crow's Eye and his wizards.[5]

Victarion Greyjoy's thoughts


This was my victory, not his. Where was he? Back on Oakenshield, lazing in a castle. He stole my wife and he stole my throne, and now he steals my glory.[5]

Victarion Greyjoy's thoughts, regarding Euron Greyjoy


Aeron:“Your victories are hollow. You cannot hold the Shields.”
Euron:“Why should I want to hold them? The Shields have served my purpose. I took them with one hand, and gave them away with the other. A great king is open-­handed, brother. It is up to the new lords to hold them now. The glory of winning those rocks will be mine forever. When they are lost, the defeat will belong to the four fools who so eagerly accepted my gifts.”[7]

- Aeron Greyjoy and Euron Greyjoy

References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 32, Cersei VII.
  2. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 38, The Watcher.
  3. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 19, The Drowned Man.
  4. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 12, Cersei III.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 29, The Reaver.
  6. Batlicon Reading notes
  7. Batlicon Reading notes