House Baratheon of Dragonstone

"- Why is your stag on fire? - The king has taken for his sigil the fiery heart of the Lord of Light"

- Renly Baratheon and Melisandre

House Baratheon of Dragonstone is a cadet branch of the original House Baratheon of Storm's End and ruling house of the island of Dragonstone since the defeat of House Targaryen in Robert's Rebellion. Stannis Baratheon is the head of the house and the Lord of Dragonstone. He is a claimant to the Iron Throne in the War of the Five Kings.

Their seat is the island fortress of Dragonstone in Blackwater Bay. The houses of Blackwater Bay, also known as the Lords of the Narrow Sea are sworn directly to Dragonstone.

Background
House Baratheon became the ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms when Stannis's brother Robert Baratheon deposed King Aerys II Targaryen. Stannis fought for Robert in the preceding civil war. He was besieged within the family seat Storm's End. When the siege was lifted Stannis took Dragonstone, the seat of House Targaryen. He was awarded the castle as his own by Robert but was slighted when Storm's End was given to his younger brother Renly Baratheon. Stannis served Robert as Master of Ships on his small council.

Season 1
Stannis left the capital following the death of Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King. Robert died from injuries sustained while hunting. Robert's hand Lord Eddard Stark uncovered the secret that his purported children were actually fathered by his wife's brother Ser Jaime Lannister. Queen Cersei Lannister had Eddard arrested but he was able to send word to Stannis beforehand. Eddard's arrest triggered war between House Lannister and House Stark. Eddard was executed for treason on the order of Cersei and Jaime's son Joffrey, who Cersei had installed as king. Stannis declared his claim on the throne as Robert's eldest brother.

Season 2
Stannis and most of his household converted to the faith of the Lord of Light, under the influence of his adviser, the red priestess Melisandre. Stannis demonstrated his new faith by burning the statues of the Seven gods on the shores of Dragonstone. His conversion alienated some of his followers including his Maester Cressen. Cressen attempted to lure Melisandre into drinking poison, but she was unharmed while he was killed. Stannis was frustrated by his younger brother Renly and the bastard Joffrey also declaring for the throne. He was also faced with Eddard's heir Robb Stark fighting to secede from the Seven Kingdoms as King in the North.

Stannis formed an alliance with the sellsail Salladhor Saan, increasing his fleet to 200 ships. He lacked manpower so he sailed to the mainland to meet with Renly, who had an army 100,000 strong. Stannis was seduced by Melisandre by her promise to provide him with a son. Stannis's parley with Renly was unsuccessful. He tasks his loyal vassal Lord Davos Seaworth with smuggling Melisandre ashore, refusing to say why and ordering Davos not to discuss the mission in future. Once ashore she births a horrific Shadow as Davos cowers in fear. The Shadow kills Renly and Stannis assumes control of the majority of his forces from the Stormlands. However, Renly's allies in House Tyrell returned to Highgarden with their numerous vassals. He plans to move on the capital of King's Landing. Davos urges him to leave Melisandre out of the battle because of rumours that she is controlling him. Stannis is angry with Davos for breaking his orders but accepts his counsel. He names Davos as commander of his fleet for the assault on Blackwater Bay.

During the voyage Stannis also names Davos as his Hand of the King. The fleet fell prey to a trap on its arrival and was decimated by a Wildfire explosion. Davos's command ship was destroyed by the blast. Stannis pressed on with the assault regardless, landing troops using row boats and besieging the city in the Battle of the Blackwater. His forces were eventually routed by the arrival of a host of Lannister and Tyrell reinforcements and the battle lost.

Members

 * Stannis I, self-styled King of Westeros, Lord of Dragonstone and Lord of Storm's End.
 * His wife, Queen Selyse, of House Florent.
 * Their daughter and only child, Princess Shireen Baratheon.

Vassal Houses

 * House Seaworth of Cape Wrath (officially sworn to Storm's End).
 * House Florent of Brightwater Keep (officially sworn to Highgarden).

Household and allies

 * Maester {Cressen}, healer and advisor. Killed in a failed attempt to poison Melisandre.
 * Lady Melisandre of Asshai, called "the Red Woman," a priestess of the Lord of Light
 * Ser Davos Seaworth, called "the Onion Knight," High Captain of the Royal Fleet and Hand of the King.
 * {Matthos Seaworth}, his son, King Stannis' scribe. Killed during the Battle of the Blackwater
 * Ser Imry Florent, Selyse's brother and Stannis's first officer aboard the Fury. Status unknown.
 * Salladhor Saan, a Lyseni pirate and commander of a fleet of mercenary ships.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels the following additional houses are sworn to Dragonstone:
 * House Velaryon of Driftmark.
 * House Bar Emmon of Sharp Point.
 * House Celtigar of Claw Isle
 * House Sunglass of Sweetport Sound.