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House Baratheon
House Baratheon

Cersei Lannister: "I seem to recall he laid siege to Storm's End for the better part of a year."
Olenna Tyrell: "All he laid siege to was the banquet table in the command tent."
Cersei Lannister and Olenna Tyrell discuss her son Mace's command of the Siege of Storm's End.[src]

Storm's End[2] is the ancestral seat of House Baratheon. Lord Gendry Baratheon is the Lord of Storm's End. Storm's End is a formidable fortress, located on the southeastern coast of Westeros overlooking Shipbreaker Bay.

History[]

Background[]

StormsEndCompleteGuide

A map showing Storm's End on the coast of the Stormlands

Storm's End's construction was attributed to Durran Godsgrief, a legendary figure of the Age of Heroes, who earned the hatred of the sea god and the wind goddess when he took Elenei, daughter of the two gods, as his wife. In rage, the two gods sent massive storms to destroy Durran's keep. Durran defied the gods and built a larger and more formidable keep, but it was also destroyed. Durran's seventh keep, built allegedly with the aid of Bran the Builder, withstood the rage of Elenei's parents and gained the name of Storm's End.[3]

Storm's End became the seat of the rulers of the Stormlands, the Storm Kings, for millennia. When Aegon the Conqueror invaded Westeros, he sent his commander and rumored half-brother, Orys Baratheon, to take Storm's End. The last of the Storm Kings, Argilac the Arrogant, left the safety of his stronghold and met Baratheon in open battle. Argilac was defeated, and Orys Baratheon took Argilac's domains, sigil, motto and daughter, becoming the founder of House Baratheon [4]

One of the mightiest fortresses on the entire continent, Storm's End has endured many sieges but has never fallen to any attacker in its millennia-long history. Its seaward wall is 80 feet thick with a 150 feet drop into the sea below. The castle is said to be protected by spells woven into its walls that prevent magic from penetrating its defenses.

During Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Storm's End was besieged for over a year by the forces of House Tyrell, who had remained loyal to the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen. The castle garrison, commanded by Robert's brother Stannis, was reduced to eating dogs and rats and were on the verge of resorting to cannibalism when they were saved by a shipload of onions, smuggled into the castle by the noted smuggler Davos. After Aerys's death, Eddard Stark bloodlessly raised the siege, as Lord Mace Tyrell realized that the war was lost, and he swore fealty to King Robert. Davos was raised to knighthood for his actions.

To Stannis's displeasure, he was made Lord of Dragonstone by his brother, leaving their infant brother Renly as the titular Lord of Storm's End. Stannis considered this a slight, as Dragonstone is even colder and harsher than Storm's End, despite Dragonstone being a fortress of great tactical importance and a history as a seat for Princes.

House of the Dragon: Season 1[]

KOTNS Storm's End Still 2

Rhaenyra Targaryen, Boremund Baratheon, and Ser Criston Cole in the main hall of Storm's End.

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen journeys to Storm's End during a royal tour of the realm. Lord Boremund Baratheon and Ser Criston Cole are by Rhaenyra's side as a number of suitors for her hand are presented to the Princess of Dragonstone. However, none of the candidates are to the princess's liking, and she departs just after Willem Blackwood slays Jerrel Bracken over an insult. She chooses to end the tour two months ahead of schedule, and returns to King's Landing.[5]

Prince Lucerys Velaryon travels to Storm's End as Rhaenyra's envoy to convince Lord Borros Baratheon to support his mother over King Aegon II Targaryen. He lands his dragon Arrax within the castle courtyard only to see Vhagar outside Storm's End's walls, realizing his uncle Aemond Targaryen is present. Lucerys is escorted into Storm's End by a detachment of Baratheon guards to Lord Borros, the audience also attended by Lord Borros' daughters and Aemond. Borros is offended when Storm's End's maester reads him Rhaenyra's message demanding him to fulfil his father's oath to support her claim to the Iron Throne, pointing out that the Greens offered him a marriage pact between Aemond and his daughter Floris, an offer Lucerys can't match due to his own betrothal to Rhaena Targaryen. Borros dismisses Lucerys but also intervenes when Aemond threatens his nephew with violence, refusing to let Aemond violate guest right by harming an envoy and ordering his guards to escort Lucerys out. Lucerys departs Storm's End atop Arrax, only to be pursued and killed by Vhagar over Shipbreaker Bay, destroying any chance of a peaceful resolution to the Dance of the Dragons.[6]

Game of Thrones: Season 2[]

Renly Stannis Parley

Parley between Stannis and Renly Baratheon near Storm's End.

Renly Baratheon, who remains Lord of Storm's End, parleys with his brother Stannis Baratheon (both claimants to the Iron Throne) on a cliff near Shipbreaker Bay in the vicinity of Storm's End to discuss a peace. The negotiations fail, with both brothers vowing to destroy the other.[7] After Renly's assassination, control of the castle reverts to Stannis.[8]

Game of Thrones: Season 3[]

Stannis loses Storm's End and the Stormlands in the aftermath of his defeat at the Battle of the Blackwater, with forces loyal to Houses Lannister and Tyrell consolidating control of the region in the name of Joffrey Baratheon, who thus becomes Lord of Storm's End.[a]

With the castle under the control of the Iron Throne, Robert Baratheon is per his wishes buried at Storm's End alongside his forefathers.[9]

Game of Thrones: Season 4[]

Following Joffrey's murder at the Purple Wedding, his brother Tommen Baratheon inherits his titles,[10] including that of Lord of Storm's End.

Game of Thrones: Season 6[]

The death of Tommen marks the legal extinction of House Baratheon[11] and leaves the position of Lord of Storm's End vacant.

Game of Thrones: Season 8[]

Storm's End remains unclaimed by the time of the Battle of Winterfell. After the battle, Daenerys Targaryen legitimizes Gendry, the unacknowledged bastard son of Robert Baratheon, as Lord Gendry Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, and head of House Baratheon.[12]

In the books[]

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Storm's End consists of a massive curtain wall surrounding a single immense drum tower. Unlike many other castles, which consist of a complex of different buildings, Storm's End is entirely contained within one large building. This is due to the immense storms that frequently batter the castle, necessitating a design that minimized the amount of time inhabitants would need to be outside.

Edric Storm, the only of Robert's bastards who was openly acknowledged by him, was raised at Storm's End, fostered by Renly.

In A Clash of Kings, following Renly's death, Stannis demands Ser Cortnay Penrose, the castellan of Storm's End, to yield the castle and deliver Edric Storm to him. Ser Cortnay remains loyal to Renly even after his death, and refuses to surrender. He is subsequently killed by the second of Melisandre's shadow demon, and his successor Lord Elwood Meadows yields the castle.[13]

In A Storm of Swords, Stannis appoints Ser Gilbert Farring as the castellan of Storm's End.[14] Stannis takes most of his troops to the Wall, leaving a small garrison of two or three hundred soldiers in Storm's End.[15]

In A Feast for Crows, the garrison of Storm's End refuses to yield to the Iron Throne. Mace Tyrell besieges the castle with a large force,[16] but hearing that his daughter was arrested, he marches to King's Landing with most of his troops.[17] The remaining small force, under the command of Lord Mathis Rowan, does not make any progress.

In A Dance with Dragons, soon after the presumed-dead Jon Connington and Aegon Targaryen (son of Elia Martell) arrive at Westeros, Connington makes plans to capture Storm's End, figuring that it will give them a secure fastness to which they may retreat at need, and winning it will prove their strength; upon hearing the plan, Aegon demands to lead the attack himself.[18]

By the point the books reached, Storm's End has not surrendered yet to the crown. Following the fall of Dragonstone, it is the last stronghold (aside from the Nightfort) which still belongs to Stannis.

In "Arianne II" sample chapter of the sixth novel, while princess Arianne Martell (Doran's daughter and heiress) is on her way to meet Aegon and Connington on behalf of her father, she hears rumors that Storm's End has been conquered by the Golden Company, and that an army (presumably a Tyrell force) is descending on the castle from King's Landing. These rumors have not been confirmed yet.[19]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Script: 110 "The Black Queen"
  2. Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 8: "The Prince of Winterfell" (2012).
  3. "The Complete Guide to Westeros: The Age of Heroes" featurette, Season 1 Blu-ray boxset
  4. "The Complete Guide to Westeros: House Baratheon" featurette, Season 1 Blu-ray boxset
  5. House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 4: "King of the Narrow Sea" (2022).
  6. House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 10: "The Black Queen" (2022).
  7. Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 4: "Garden of Bones" (2012).
  8. Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 5: "The Ghost of Harrenhal" (2012).
  9. Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 4: "And Now His Watch Is Ended" (2013).
  10. Game of Thrones: Season 4, Episode 3: "Breaker of Chains" (2014).
  11. Game of Thrones: Season 6, Episode 10: "The Winds of Winter" (2016).
  12. Game of Thrones: Season 8, Episode 4: "The Last of the Starks" (2019).
  13. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 42, Davos II (1998).
  14. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 36, Davos IV (2000).
  15. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 63, Davos VI (2000).
  16. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 12, Cersei III (2005).
  17. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 43, Cersei X (2005).
  18. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 61, The Griffin Reborn (2011).
  19. The Winds of Winter, Arianne II (TBA).

Notes[]

  1. A map in "Kissed by Fire" shows Lannister and Tyrell map markers in the Stormlands, and no Baratheon map markers.

External links[]


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