Harrying of the North (The Lion and the Dragon)

The **Harrying of the North**, also known as the **Second Greyjoy's Rebellion**, was a conflict during the War of the Four Kings in which the Ironborn under House Greyjoy attempted to breakaway from the Seven Kingdoms and simultaneously expand their territory by taking advantage of the distracted northern forces.

## Prelude

Some ten years prior to the Harrying, Lord Balon Greyjoy attempted to declare independence from the Iron Throne, believing the Targaryen rule was still weak even after their success in the War of the Usurpers. This independence movement failed and in the years since Balon has been biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to declare independence.

In 298 AC King Rhaegar I Targaryen announced the polygamous marriage of his son and heir Prince Aegon to his second sister, Visenya. This caused uproar among many in the realm, and was seen as an opportunity by many who opposed the Targaryen's to once again rise up and attempt to overthrow. Among those who rebelled against the Iron Throne was Branda Stark, Lady of Winterfell, who took the North's armies with her to the south.

This left the North substantially undefended, with most troops who remained being in houses far from the western coast of the region. Thus Lord Balon Greyjoy saw an opportunity to declare independence from the Seven Kingdoms while also the possibility of expanding his own territory.

The arrival of Eddard Stark with a proposal for an alliance between the Ironborn and Northerners proved to be the catalyst for the invasion beginning. Ned's personal guard were slaughtered by the Ironborn, while the Stark himself was taken as prisoner in the dungeons of Pyke.

## Rise of the Kraken

The invasion of the North began with three separate forces led by Victarion, Asha and Aeron Greyjoy respectively. Balon hoped to capture two key, strategic forts to assist his invasion forces. Firstly was Moat Cailin, one of the most strategically important castles in Westeros which guards the north of the Neck which, if captured, would hamper any ability of the Stark forces in the south to return North.

* **Taking of Deepwood Motte**: Victarion Greyjoy led the entire Iron Fleet of a hundred ships up the Saltspear to attack Moat Cailin. By attacking from the north, Victarion was able to bypass the natural defenses of the fortress and easily defeated the northmen. By capturing Moat Cailin, the Greyjoys controlled the route home for the Stark host, stranding Branda in the riverlands and allowing Balon to execute the rest of his plan.
* **Fall of Moat Cailin**: Asha Greyjoy led a dozen ships around Sea Dragon Point to attack the small wooden keep of House Glover located just off the coast. The keep was easily overrun by the ironmen, making captives of Lady Sybelle Glover, her young children, and Galbart Glover's young ward Larence Snow.
* **Reaving of the Stony Shore:** Aeron Greyjoy and Dagmer Cleftjaw led eight ships along the Stony Shore to burn fishing villages and take salt wives. These raids prompted Leobald Tallhart to send Benfred Tallhart and his Wild Hares to go deal with them. Aeron and his men ambushed them, killing all but Tallhart in battle. Tallhart was later killed by drowning as a sacrifice to the Drowned God on Aeron's insistence.

## Consolidation and Balon's Death

After the initial victories Ser Rodrik Cassel, the master-at-arms of Winterfell, attempted to march to Moat Cailin to retake the settlement for House Umber. On his march to the western shore though House Bolton betrayed the Starks and took Winterfell, causing the knight to turn back in a desperate attempt to stop Ramsay Snow. This gave the Greyjoy's further relief and eventually Balon sent his brother Aeron to take Flint's Finger, while also bolstering the forces holding Moat Cailin and the Deepwood Motte.

* **Taking of Flint's Finger**: With much of the fighting men having gone south from Flint's Finger with the Stark forces, the fort was severely weakened. This led to Balon Greyjoy sending his brother Aeron to take it with his men that had been raiding the western shores. The fort fell fast and thus the Greyjoy's held Flint's Finger and Cape Kraken for the first time in centuries.
* **Assault on Bear Island**: Asha was sent with a replenished force to take Bear Island, the home of House Mormont, a poor, sparsely inhabited island defended by warrior women. The army of Bear Island are away in the south still, with only the women being left behind to defend the island, including Maege Mormont, aunt of Lord Jorah Mormont. Asha's assault went poorly due to clever planning by Maege and many ironborn were slain by women of the island, eventually though the island succumbed to the invaders and the Mormont's were held as hostages in Mormont Keep.
* **Death of Balon Greyjoy**: During a fierce storm at Pyke, King Balon Greyjoy falls from one of the rope bridges that connect the towers of his castle. His body washes up two days later, bloated and broken. Within hours, Balon’s exiled brother Euron Crow's Eye sails into Lordsport and seats himself on the Seastone Chair. When Lord Sawane Botley protests, Euron has him drowned in a cask of seawater. After the death of Lord Balon Greyjoy, the obvious successor to take the Seastone Chair is Theon Greyjoy, however he is still held captive in Casterly Rock by the Lannister's. There is much talk of what to do, whether an attempt should be made to rescue Theon, whether dealings should be made with the Lannister's, or if someone else should succeed Balon. Asha, who had been her father's preferred successor for many years sought to lay claim to the throne and intended to take it by force.
* **Kingsmoot on Old Wyk**: Aeron Greyjoy wished to avoid such a scenario and thus called a kingsmoot, the first in millenia, to decide who should become Lord of Pyke. The ensuing council had many claimants put their names forward, including Gilbert Farwynd, Erik Ironmaker, and Dunstan Drumm. However the biggest names were that of Asha Greyjoy, her uncle Victarion, Aeron who stood in place of Theon, and lastly Euron, the eldest brother of Balon. Asha and Victarion captured the most attention, though House Drumm came to support Theon's absent claim. However Euron Greyjoy comes to wield the most support, his many splendorous gifts and promises manage to convince the majority to his side.
* **Taking of Moat Cailin**: With the death of King Balon Greyjoy, his brother Victarion effectively abandoned Moat Cailin to attend the Kingsmoot and stake his claim to the throne. The Northern forces were returning to deal with the civil war that had broken out with "Lord" Ramsay Snow taking Winterfell, however the ironborn held Moat Cailin stood directly in their way. Lady Branda Stark and her commanders made an elaborate plan to retake the castle, however when they arrived at the fort it was severely under-defended, only 67 ironborn were left defending the walls. The Stark forces assaulted the castle despite Eddard Stark's desired to negotiate, with the fiery Lady Branda deciding to launch an assault instead. The Northern forces took casualties three times as high as that of the ironborn, but the battle was won.
* **Battle of Deepwood Motte**: For sometime after the retaking of Moat Cailin by northern forces, Asha Greyjoy was holed up in Deepwood Motte, awaiting the Stark forces while also hiding from her uncle Euron Greyjoy. After Winterfell was retaken by the Starks, Lady Branda personally led the northern forces to the small fort. After seeing she is vastly outnumbered Asha Greyjoy attempts to flee back to her longships to escape, however this proves to be unsuccessful and Asha is captured by the Starks.
* **Surrender of Flint's Finger**: After the occupied North is nearly entirely retaken there is a skeleton force of ironborn left remaining in Flint's Finger. A small Stark-led force commanded by Eddard Stark travelled to Cape Kraken to take the final ironborn controlled fort. Unlike his niece though, Eddard doesn't have the wild wolf blood and instead negotiated with the tiny defending force and so no blood was spilt to complete the retaking of the North.