Stormlands
From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
The Stormlands is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms on the continent of Westeros. It was formerly a sovereign nation by the same name until the War of Conquest, in which the last Storm King was slain. The Stormlands are ruled from the castle of Storm's End by House Baratheon. They are so-named for the savage and frequent storms that batter the coast. Bastards born in the Stormlands are given the surname Storm.
Geography
The Stormlands are located south of King's Landing, bordered on the west by the lands of the Reach, south by the Sea of Dorne and to the east by Shipbreaker Bay. It is one of the smaller regions of Westeros, a land of harsh mountains, stony shores, and verdant forests, including the Rainwood and the Kingswood along Cape Wrath.
The Dornish Marches, located in the south-west, which stretches a long salient along the Red Mountains, serve as an effective buffer zone between the Stormlands and their old enemies of the Reach and Dorne. For centuries it was a regular battleground, changing hands more than once until Dorne became part of the Seven Kingdoms.
A few islands, including Tarth and Estermont, are also considered part of the Stormlands. Ships coming across the Narrow Sea avoid the notorious Shipbreaker Bay and its storms, though the seas along the Stormlands can be amazingly clear and blue. The waters around Tarth are particularly famed for their clear blue color, earning Tarth the name "Sapphire Isle."
Notable locations
- See also: Category:Places in the Stormlands
- Storm's End, the ancestral seat and castle of the Storm Kings and now of House Baratheon.
- Rainwood
- Dornish Marches
History
The Stormlands were the domain of the Storm Kings, whose territory once stretched almost to Moat Cailin in the Neck. For thousands of years the Stormlands were the first line of defense against Dornish incursions, so they have strong martial traditions and a number of strong castles.
The last Storm King to rule the land was Argilac the Arrogant, who was slain during the War of Conquest. His lands, titles, sigil, and words were given to Orys of House Baratheon, which has ruled the land since. Under Targaryen rule, the storm lords continued to battle the Dornishmen until their incorporation.
Robert's Rebellion saw the Baratheons raise a rebel alliance against the Targaryen empire. When Robert arrived from the Vale to call his banners, he first had to defeat his recalcitrant bannermen at Summerhall before marching north to his eventual victory. After his death, during the War of the Five Kings, the storm lords almost unanimously supported Robert's youngest brother, their liege Renly Baratheon, before switching allegiance to the middle brother Stannis after Renly's death at Storm's End. In turn, virtually all of them left Stannis's service in favor of Robert's alleged son King Joffrey after the Battle of the Blackwater. Since then the Stormlands has held to the king's peace, although the recent landing of the Golden Company has renewed conflict in the south.
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