Moat Cailin

Moat Cailin is a ruined fortress in the Neck, the only dry passage through the swamps, and its fall to Roose Bolton's forces marks a decisive turning point in the northern war, opening the way for the Boltons and Freys to march on Winterfell.

Location and Strategic Importance

Moat Cailin plugs the northern end of the causeway, the only dry road through the Neck. The ruins consist of three towers: the Drunkard's Tower, which leans as if about to collapse; the Children's Tower, which thrusts straight into the sky but has a shattered top; and the Gatehouse Tower, squat and wide, the largest of the three, slimy with moss and with a gnarled tree growing sideways from its stones. The swampy ground beyond the causeway is impassable, an endless morass of suckholes, quicksands, and glistening green swards that turn to water when trod upon, infested with venomous serpents, poisonous flowers, and monstrous lizard lions. The swamp-dwellers, called bog devils by the ironborn, are also a constant threat. The causeway is narrow, and the ruins are positioned so that any enemy coming up from the south must pass beneath and between them, exposing his back to arrows from the other two towers while climbing damp stone walls. The Karstarks took the Drunkard's Tower and the Umbers the Children's Tower during Robb Stark's campaign, while Robb himself claimed the Gatehouse Tower.

The Ironborn Garrison and Its Deterioration

After the ironborn seized Moat Cailin, Victarion Greyjoy commanded them to hold it until his return. The garrison, however, was left to rot. Ralf Kenning, the commander, lay dying, his body swollen and crawling with worms from a poisoned arrow. The men were starving, drinking the water despite its foulness, and many had died. The garrison was reduced to a handful of men, some of whom had resorted to cannibalism. The ironborn were abandoned, left to die by their king, Euron Greyjoy, who had other wars to fight.

Theon Greyjoy's Mission and the Fall

Ramsay Bolton sent Theon Greyjoy, disguised as a prince, to treat with the ironborn. Theon, broken and terrified, rode alone to the ruins, clutching a peace banner. He found the garrison in a state of collapse, with Ralf Kenning dying and the men demoralized. Theon killed Kenning and then addressed the remaining ironborn, offering them safe passage if they yielded. After a brief confrontation, the one-armed man Adrack Humble killed Dagon Codd, who refused to yield, and the garrison surrendered. Theon hauled down the golden kraken banner and led the prisoners back to Ramsay's camp.

Aftermath and Significance

Ramsay Bolton had the ironborn prisoners killed, their corpses impaled on stakes along the causeway. The flayed man of House Bolton was hoisted above the Gatehouse Tower. The fall of Moat Cailin opened the way for Roose Bolton's host to march north, and the Freys and Boltons soon after marched on Winterfell. The victory also allowed Ramsay to marry his false Arya Stark, further consolidating Bolton power in the north.