Difference between revisions of "Siege of Storm's End (299)"

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{{Template:Battlebox
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{{Battlebox collapsible combatants
|  image  =
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|  image  = [[File:Renly the traitor.jpg|350px]]
| caption =
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| caption = [[Stannis Baratheon]] and [[Renly Baratheon]], holding [[Renly's peach|his peach]], during their parlay
 
| battle_name = Siege of Storm's End
 
| battle_name = Siege of Storm's End
 
| conflict = [[War of the Five Kings]]
 
| conflict = [[War of the Five Kings]]
| date = [[299 AL]]
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| date = {{Date|299}}
| place = [[Storm's End]], the [[Stormlands]]
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| place = [[Storm's End]], the [[stormlands]]
| result = [[Stannis Baratheon]] victory
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| result = [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]] victory
 
| colour_scheme =
 
| colour_scheme =
| combatant1 = [[House Baratheon]]
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| combatant1 = '''[[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]]:'''<br>[[Crownlands]]
| combatant2 = [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]]
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*[[House Bar Emmon]]
| commander1 = [[Cortnay Penrose]]<br>[[Renly Baratheon]]
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*[[House Celtigar]]
| commander2 = [[Stannis Baratheon]]
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*[[House Chyttering]]
| strength1 = unknown
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*[[House Farring]]
| strength2 = 5 000
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*[[House Follard]]
| casualties1 = [[Cortnay Penrose]]<br>[[Renly Baratheon]]
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*[[House Massey]]
| casualties2 = unknown
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*[[House Velaryon]]
 +
[[Stormlands]] (all switched to Stannis after Renly's death, except House Tarth)
 +
*[[House Bolling]]
 +
*[[House Buckler]]
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*[[House Caron]]
 +
*[[House Connington]]
 +
*[[House Errol]]
 +
*[[House Estermont]]
 +
*[[House Fell]]
 +
*[[House Gower]]
 +
*[[House Grandison]]
 +
*[[House Hasty]]
 +
*[[House Horpe]]
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*[[House Mertyns]]
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*[[House Morrigen]]
 +
*[[House Peasebury]]
 +
*[[House Penrose]]
 +
*[[House Selmy]]
 +
*[[House Staedmon]]
 +
*[[House Wensington]]
 +
*[[House Wylde]]
 +
[[Reach|The Reach]] (switched after Renly's death)
 +
*[[House Crane]]
 +
*[[House Florent]]
 +
*[[House Fossoway of Cider Hall]]
 +
*[[House Fossoway of New Barrel]]
 +
*[[House Meadows]]
 +
*[[House Mullendore]]
 +
*[[House Varner]]
 +
*[[House Willum]]
 +
| combatant2 = '''[[House Baratheon]] of [[Storm's End]]:'''<br>
 +
[[Reach|The Reach]], led by [[House Tyrell]]
 +
*[[House Ambrose]]
 +
*[[House Beesbury]]
 +
*[[House Blackbar]]
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*[[House Bulwer]]
 +
*[[House Bushy]]
 +
*[[House Caswell]]
 +
*[[House Costayne]]
 +
*[[House Cuy]]
 +
*[[House Dunn]]
 +
*[[House Footly]]
 +
*[[House Graceford]]
 +
*[[House Hightower]]
 +
*[[House Hunt]]
 +
*[[House Inchfield]]
 +
*[[House Leygood]]
 +
*[[House Merryweather]]
 +
*[[House Norcross]]
 +
*[[House Oakheart]]
 +
*[[House Osgrey]]
 +
*[[House Peake]]
 +
*[[House Redwyne]]
 +
*[[House Rowan]]
 +
*[[House Shermer]]
 +
*[[House Tarly]]
 +
*[[House Webber]]
 +
*[[House Wythers]]
 +
[[Stormlands]]
 +
*[[House Tarth]]
 +
| commander1 = King [[Stannis Baratheon]]<br> Ser [[Davos Seaworth]]
 +
| commander2 = King [[Renly Baratheon]]<br>Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]]<br> Ser [[Loras Tyrell]]<br> Lord [[Randyll Tarly]]<br> Lord [[Mathis Rowan]]
 +
| strength1 = 5,000{{ref|acok|31}} <small>(At the start of the siege)</small><br>Two [[shadow assassin]]s<br>~15,000 cavalry<ref group="N">Stannis originally has five thousand men (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 31|Catelyn III]]), but describes his host as numbering twenty thousand men shortly after Renly's death (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 42|Davos II]]), while Davos Seaworth describes the host as “nearly twenty thousand” men strong shortly before the start of the [[Battle of the Blackwater]] (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 58|Davos III]])</ref> <small>(Joined after Renly's death)</small>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
| strength2 = ~18,750<ref group="N">The host of [[Renly Baratheon]] is said to number a hundred thousand (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 17|Tyrion IV]]). Renly himself claims to have eighty thousand with him at Bitterbridge, while another ten thousand are with Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] at Highgarden (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 22|Catelyn II]]). The forces of House Tyrell make up the majority of Renly's forces. Renly's cavalry, said by Catelyn Stark to number ten thousand (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 33|Catelyn IV]]), accompanies him to Storm's End to lift the siege, while his foot, according to Stannis near sixty thousand strong (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 42|Davos II]]), remains at Bitterbridge when Renly goes to lift the siege of Storm’s End. As Renly previously stated that the total of his men numbered eighty thousand, either Catelyn was incorrect in her statement and Renly's cavalry actually numbered ~twenty thousand, or Stannis was wrong and Renly's foot actually numbered ~seventy thousand, or Renly had been exaggerating by stating eighty thousand while he actually had only seventy thousand men. The first option seems most likely, as Stannis, who originally had five thousand men (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 31|Catelyn III]]), has twenty thousand men shortly after Renly's death (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 42|Davos II]]), indicating that ~15.000 men from Renly's army have joined him. As only one fifth of Renly's knights did not join Stannis (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 36|Tyrion IX]]), the total of Renly's cavalry numbered ~18.750 men, nearing twenty thousand.</ref>
 +
<br>Storm's End's garrison
 +
| casualties1 = none
 +
| casualties2 = King [[Renly Baratheon]]<br>Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]]<br>Ser [[Robar Royce]]<br>Ser [[Emmon Cuy]]
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{See homonyms | Siege of Storm's End (disambiguation)}}
 +
The '''siege of Storm's End''' is a short engagement during the [[War of the Five Kings]]. After both [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] and [[Renly Baratheon]] proclaim themselves king, Stannis lays siege to Renly's seat, [[Storm's End]], forcing Renly to ride for Storm's End to confront him. The conflict ends in victory for Stannis, and he gains a large part of Renly's cavalry following Renly's death. Having significantly increased his strength, this victory enables Stannis to march on [[King's Landing]] for the largest battle of the conflict, the [[Battle of the Blackwater]].
  
The '''Siege of Storm's End''' was the site of a short siege and a regicide during the [[War of the Five Kings]]. This siege led directly to the largest battle of the conflict, the [[Battle of the Blackwater]].
+
==Prelude==
 +
Following the death of King [[Robert I Baratheon]], his heir, Prince [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], is crowned.{{Ref|agot|57}} However, Robert's two brothers also express their claim to the throne. Robert's youngest brother, [[Renly Baratheon]], is the first to present his claim. Having fled [[King's Landing]] with Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] shortly before Robert's death, Renly rode to [[Highgarden]], married [[Margaery Tyrell]], the daughter of [[Mace Tyrell]], the [[Lord of Highgarden]], and claimed the [[Iron Throne]] a fortnight later.{{Ref|agot|69}} Renly's strength comes from both the [[Reach]] and the [[stormlands]].{{Ref|agot|71}}
  
==Intro==
+
Renly's elder brother, [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]], who had fled to [[Dragonstone|his seat]] on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]], later proclaims his own claim for the throne, on account of his belief that Joffrey and his siblings had not been fathered by Robert, but instead by Queen [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei's]] twin brother, Ser [[Jaime Lannister]].{{Ref|acok|Prologue}} Although Stannis has been gathering his strength for half a year, he still lacks the strength to attack King's Landing, as few [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone#Sworn to Dragonstone|Houses are sworn to Dragonstone]] and the rocky, volcanic islands surrounding Dragonstone have a sparse population. Additionally, Stannis considers his brother's proclamation as a treasonous act, and is angered that the men of the stormlands have given their support to Renly, the [[Lord of Storm's End]].{{Ref|acok|Prologue}}
===Dragonstone===
 
Stannis was one of the first  members of [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert's]] Small Council to harbor  suspicions of the parentage of the King's children, and to discover that  they were born of incest between [[Cersei Lannister|Queen Cersei  Lannister]] and her brother [[Jaime Lannister|Ser Jaime]]. Taking his suspicions and what proof he could muster, in the form of Robert's  numerous bastard children, to [[Jon Arryn|Lord Arryn]], he hoped to  convince the [[Hand of the King]], one of Robert's oldest and most  trusted friends, of the Lannisters's treason. When Arryn died under  suspicious circumstances shortly thereafter, Stannis fled to  Dragonstone, his seat of power. Rallying what strength he could, with  but few [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone#Sworn_to_Dragonstone|Houses sworn to Dragonstone]], he closed the port and its surrounding waters,  hiring mercenaries and pirates of the [[Free Cities]] to augment his  forces. As the lord of an island nation and the former Master of Ships, Stannis' naval power was considerable, but the sparse population of the rocky, volcanic islands surrounding Dragonstone left him without the strength to risk openly contesting the Lannisters.<ref>[[A Clash  of Kings]], [[A Clash of  Kings-Prologue|Prologue]]</ref><ref>[[A Clash of Kings]],  [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 10|Chapter 10]], Davos</ref>
 
  
After  Robert died, Stannis presented his claims through letters distributed  throughout the Seven Kingdoms, proclaiming [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince  Joffrey]] and his siblings the fruit of incest, and claiming the crown  as Robert's eldest surviving brother and rightful heir. With neither  proof, nor the support or love of nobles and commons alike, his proclamation ended as little more than tavern gossip.<ref>[[A  Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 10|Chapter 10]], Davos</ref>
+
With his huge host, Renly begins his march from Highgarden on the [[Roseroad]] towards King's Landing, accompanied by his young bride,{{Ref|acok|10}}{{Ref|acok|17}} but his host moves slow.{{Ref|acok|22}}
  
===Battling Renly===
+
Stannis receives counsel from a red priestess, [[Melisandre]], who tells him of two futures she has seen in her flames; One in which Stannis is defeated in King's Landing by his brother Renly, and one in which he sails to Storm's End, where his brother shall die, and his men will flock to Stannis.{{Ref|ACOK|42}} With the strength he has gathered thus far, Stannis sets sail for the stormlands.{{Ref|acok|22}}
Even before Stannis' ravens had taken wing with his claim, his younger  brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] had ridden from King's Landing to [[Highgarden]], where he wed the daughter of [[Mace Tyrell|Lord Tyrell]]  and claimed the crown for himself. For Stannis, this was blatant  treason. What more, Stannis was infuriated with the knowledge that the  [[the Stormlands]] had thrown in with Renly, despite the fact that  Stannis, as the eldest son of House Baratheon, should have held claim to  the loyalty of his House's ancestral seat. Unwilling to let such  treachery pass, when Stannis at last set out from Dragonstone to war, he  made not for King's Landing, but Storm's End.<ref>[[A Clash of  Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 22|Chapter 22]], Catelyn</ref>
 
  
 
==Siege==
 
==Siege==
===Regicide===
+
[[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] arrives in the [[stormlands]] with five thousand men{{Ref|acok|31}} and lays siege to the coastal fortress [[Storm's End]], [[Renly Baratheon|Renly's]] seat.{{ref|ACOK|22}}{{Ref|ACOK|25}} Renly is at [[Bitterbridge]] with his army when the news reaches his camp. He splits his forces and rides with some twenty thousand cavalry to Storm's End to break the siege.{{ref|ACOK|31}} He confronts Stannis during a parlay, with Lady [[Catelyn Stark]] in attendance, during which he offers Stannis [[Renly's peach|a peach]], but the two brothers are unable to set aside their differences. Neither will yield; Instead, they agree that a battle is set to start at dawn the next day.{{ref|ACOK|31}} However, shortly before the battle is to start, while being armored for battle by [[Brienne Tarth|Brienne of Tarth]], Renly is killed by a [[shadow assassin]] summoned by [[Melisandre]].{{Ref|ACOK|33}} Ser [[Emmon Cuy]] and Ser [[Robar Royce]], who had been guarding the king's tent, accuse Brienne of the murder when they see Renly dead in Brienne's arms. Catelyn Stark, who had witnessed Renly's death, convinces Ser Robar that Brienne is innocent. Escaping Ser Emmon, Catelyn and Brienne flee the camp and head for the [[riverlands]].{{Ref|acok|33}} A raging Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] later kills Ser Emmon Cuy and Ser Robar Royce for failing to protect their king.{{ref|ACOK|36}}
Stannis sailed for Storm's End, encircling it with his meager land host and blockading it from the sea with his superior naval force.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 41|Chapter 41]], Tyrion</ref><ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 31|Chapter 31]], Catelyn</ref> However Renly could not let an army take him in the rear so he marched on Storm's End. During the parley Stannis and Renly threatened each other but agreed that battle would take place at dawn the next day. However before the battle could take place, [[Melisandre]] called forth a shadow being and slew Renly in his tent. [[Brienne of Tarth]] was blamed for the murder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 31|Chapter 31]], Catelyn</ref>
+
[[File:Shadow baby birth.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Melisandre]] of [[Asshai]] births a [[Shadow assassin|shadow baby]].]]
 +
With Renly dead, the majority of the host that had accompanied him to Storm's End swears their allegiance to Stannis.{{ref|ACOK|36}} [[House Florent]] and both branches of [[House Fossoway]] also defect to Stannis, but a fifth of Renly's knights returns to Bitterbridge with Ser [[Loras Tyrell]].{{ref|ACOK|36}} First to join Stannis is Lord [[Alester Florent]], the uncle of Stannis's queen, [[Selyse Florent|Selyse]].{{Ref|acok|36}}
  
===King Stannis===
+
The siege continues as Storm's End's castellan, Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]], refuses to yield the castle to Stannis{{ref|ACOK|36}} because he fears for the safety of King [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert I]]'s [[bastard]] son [[Edric Storm]].{{Ref|ACOK|42}} During a parley beneath the walls, Cortnay offers single combat with a champion of Stannis's choosing, but is rebuffed by the king.{{ref|ACOK|42}}
Upon Renly's death a whole section of the force that had accompanied him to Storm's End went over to Stannis. First among them was [[Alester Florent]], the King's uncle. However, Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]], Renly's castellan inside Storm's End continued to hold out, refusing to hand over the castle. During a parley beneath the walls, Ser Cortnay offered single combat with a champion of Stannis's choosing, but was rebuffed by the king. Stannis wanted [[Edric Storm]] and Cortnay refused to surrender him.
 
  
In order to coerce Ser Cortnay, several ideas were proposed, among them was to threaten to kill Ser Cortnay's father, Lord Penrose. Stannis refused that idea too. Instead he turned to [[Davos Seaworth]] to smuggle [[Melisandre]] beneath the walls of Storm's End to unleash yet another shadow being.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Davos</ref> Ser Cortnay soon fell from a wall and Lord [[Elwood Meadows]], who was Ser Cortnay's second, surrendered the castle.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 45|Chapter 45]], Catelyn</ref>
+
In order to coerce Ser Cortnay, several ideas are proposed, among them storming the castle, leaving a force to mount a protracted siege, or threatening to kill Cortnay's father, Lord [[House Penrose|Penrose]]. Stannis refuses all of these suggestions. Instead, he turns to [[Davos Seaworth]]. To end the siege quickly, Davos  smuggles Melisandre under the castle by boat, where he witnesses her giving birth to another shadow, who assassinates Cortnay.{{ref|ACOK|42}}{{Ref|acok|44}} Although it is said that Cortnay threw himself from a tower, [[Varys]], the [[master of whisperers]] from Joffrey's [[small council]], correctly points out that Cortnay had not seemed lost to despair.{{Ref|acok|44}}
 +
 
 +
Lord [[Elwood Meadows]], who becomes castellan after Cortnay, surrenders the castle to Stannis.{{ref|ACOK|45}}
  
 
==Aftermath==
 
==Aftermath==
After the fall of Storm's End, Stannis had now collected enough men to mount an attack on [[King's Landing]]. This set up the largest battle of the war, the Battle of the Blackwater.
+
Sixty thousand men from Renly's army remain encamped at [[Bitterbridge]], but when news of Renly's death reaches them,{{Ref|ACOK|42}} fighting breaks out between those who whish to support Stannis and those who follow [[House Tyrell]]'s decision not to do so. Stannis sends Ser [[Parmen Crane]] and Ser [[Erren Florent]] to retrieve Renly's former army for him,{{Ref|ACOK|42}} but they are taken prisoner.{{Ref|ASOS|Appendix}} Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] seizes the supplies and puts many men, mostly [[House Florent|Florents]], to death.{{ref|acok|44}} In [[King's Landing]], the [[small council]] of King Joffrey decides to attempt to make an alliance with [[House Tyrell]] by offering to marry Joffrey to Margaery. [[Petyr Baelish]], representing King Joffrey I,{{ref|ACOK|36}} travels to Bitterbridge and wins the allegiance of [[House Tyrell]]. Riders are sent north to warn Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] of Stannis's threat to the capital.{{ref|ASOS|14}}
 +
 
 +
Stannis names Ser [[Gilbert Farring]] as his own castellan of Storm's End,{{Ref|asos|36}} with [[Elwood Meadows]] as his second in command.{{Ref|asos|Appendix}} He leaves two hundred men to hold Storm's End,{{Ref|asos|36}} and, after burning the [[godswood]] as an offering to [[R'hllor]],{{Ref|acok|41}} begins his march north towards [[King's Landing]] while his fleet sets sail towards the city as well. The forces of Houses [[House Baratheon|Baratheon]], [[House Lannister|Lannister]], and [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] meet in battle during the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], one of the largest battles of the war.
 +
 
 +
==Quotes==
 +
{{quote|Your Grace, I see no need for battle here. The castle is strongly garrisoned and well provisioned, Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]] is a seasoned commander, and the trebuchet has not been built that could breach the walls of [[Storm's End]]. Let Lord [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] have his siege. He will find no joy in it, and whilst he sits cold and hungry and profitless, we will take [[King's Landing]].{{ref|ACOK|31}}}} - [[Mathis Rowan]] to [[Renly Baratheon]]
 +
 
 +
 
 +
{{quote|Bring on your storm, my lord, and recall, if you do, the name of this castle.{{ref|ACOK|42}}}} – [[Cortnay Penrose]] to [[Stannis Baratheon]]
 +
 
 +
==Notes==
 +
{{Notes}}
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
{{references|2}}
  
 
{{Template:War of the Five Kings}}  
 
{{Template:War of the Five Kings}}  
 
==References and Notes==
 
{{references|3}}
 
  
 
[[Category:Battles|Storm's End]]
 
[[Category:Battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:War of the Five Kings|Storm's End]]
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[[Category:Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Baratheon battles|Storm's End]]
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[[Category:House Caron battles|Storm's End]]
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[[Category:House Errol battles|Storm's End]]
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[[Category:House Estermont battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Florent battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Fossoway of Cider Hall battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Fossoway of New Barrel battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Morrigen battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Rowan battles|Storm's End]]
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[[Category:House Tarly battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Tyrell battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Varner battles|Storm's End]]
 +
[[Category:House Velaryon battles|Storm's End]]

Revision as of 14:56, 24 June 2017

Siege of Storm's End
Renly the traitor.jpg
Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon, holding his peach, during their parlay
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 AC
Place Storm's End, the stormlands
Result House Baratheon of Dragonstone victory
Commanders
King Stannis Baratheon
Ser Davos Seaworth
King Renly Baratheon
Ser Cortnay Penrose
Ser Loras Tyrell
Lord Randyll Tarly
Lord Mathis Rowan
Strength
5,000[1] (At the start of the siege)
Two shadow assassins
~15,000 cavalry[N 1] (Joined after Renly's death)
~18,750[N 2]
Storm's End's garrison
Casualties
none King Renly Baratheon
Ser Cortnay Penrose
Ser Robar Royce
Ser Emmon Cuy

The siege of Storm's End is a short engagement during the War of the Five Kings. After both Stannis and Renly Baratheon proclaim themselves king, Stannis lays siege to Renly's seat, Storm's End, forcing Renly to ride for Storm's End to confront him. The conflict ends in victory for Stannis, and he gains a large part of Renly's cavalry following Renly's death. Having significantly increased his strength, this victory enables Stannis to march on King's Landing for the largest battle of the conflict, the Battle of the Blackwater.

Prelude

Following the death of King Robert I Baratheon, his heir, Prince Joffrey, is crowned.[2] However, Robert's two brothers also express their claim to the throne. Robert's youngest brother, Renly Baratheon, is the first to present his claim. Having fled King's Landing with Ser Loras Tyrell shortly before Robert's death, Renly rode to Highgarden, married Margaery Tyrell, the daughter of Mace Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden, and claimed the Iron Throne a fortnight later.[3] Renly's strength comes from both the Reach and the stormlands.[4]

Renly's elder brother, Stannis, who had fled to his seat on Dragonstone, later proclaims his own claim for the throne, on account of his belief that Joffrey and his siblings had not been fathered by Robert, but instead by Queen Cersei's twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister.[5] Although Stannis has been gathering his strength for half a year, he still lacks the strength to attack King's Landing, as few Houses are sworn to Dragonstone and the rocky, volcanic islands surrounding Dragonstone have a sparse population. Additionally, Stannis considers his brother's proclamation as a treasonous act, and is angered that the men of the stormlands have given their support to Renly, the Lord of Storm's End.[5]

With his huge host, Renly begins his march from Highgarden on the Roseroad towards King's Landing, accompanied by his young bride,[6][7] but his host moves slow.[8]

Stannis receives counsel from a red priestess, Melisandre, who tells him of two futures she has seen in her flames; One in which Stannis is defeated in King's Landing by his brother Renly, and one in which he sails to Storm's End, where his brother shall die, and his men will flock to Stannis.[9] With the strength he has gathered thus far, Stannis sets sail for the stormlands.[8]

Siege

Stannis arrives in the stormlands with five thousand men[1] and lays siege to the coastal fortress Storm's End, Renly's seat.[8][10] Renly is at Bitterbridge with his army when the news reaches his camp. He splits his forces and rides with some twenty thousand cavalry to Storm's End to break the siege.[1] He confronts Stannis during a parlay, with Lady Catelyn Stark in attendance, during which he offers Stannis a peach, but the two brothers are unable to set aside their differences. Neither will yield; Instead, they agree that a battle is set to start at dawn the next day.[1] However, shortly before the battle is to start, while being armored for battle by Brienne of Tarth, Renly is killed by a shadow assassin summoned by Melisandre.[11] Ser Emmon Cuy and Ser Robar Royce, who had been guarding the king's tent, accuse Brienne of the murder when they see Renly dead in Brienne's arms. Catelyn Stark, who had witnessed Renly's death, convinces Ser Robar that Brienne is innocent. Escaping Ser Emmon, Catelyn and Brienne flee the camp and head for the riverlands.[11] A raging Ser Loras Tyrell later kills Ser Emmon Cuy and Ser Robar Royce for failing to protect their king.[12]

With Renly dead, the majority of the host that had accompanied him to Storm's End swears their allegiance to Stannis.[12] House Florent and both branches of House Fossoway also defect to Stannis, but a fifth of Renly's knights returns to Bitterbridge with Ser Loras Tyrell.[12] First to join Stannis is Lord Alester Florent, the uncle of Stannis's queen, Selyse.[12]

The siege continues as Storm's End's castellan, Ser Cortnay Penrose, refuses to yield the castle to Stannis[12] because he fears for the safety of King Robert I's bastard son Edric Storm.[9] During a parley beneath the walls, Cortnay offers single combat with a champion of Stannis's choosing, but is rebuffed by the king.[9]

In order to coerce Ser Cortnay, several ideas are proposed, among them storming the castle, leaving a force to mount a protracted siege, or threatening to kill Cortnay's father, Lord Penrose. Stannis refuses all of these suggestions. Instead, he turns to Davos Seaworth. To end the siege quickly, Davos smuggles Melisandre under the castle by boat, where he witnesses her giving birth to another shadow, who assassinates Cortnay.[9][13] Although it is said that Cortnay threw himself from a tower, Varys, the master of whisperers from Joffrey's small council, correctly points out that Cortnay had not seemed lost to despair.[13]

Lord Elwood Meadows, who becomes castellan after Cortnay, surrenders the castle to Stannis.[14]

Aftermath

Sixty thousand men from Renly's army remain encamped at Bitterbridge, but when news of Renly's death reaches them,[9] fighting breaks out between those who whish to support Stannis and those who follow House Tyrell's decision not to do so. Stannis sends Ser Parmen Crane and Ser Erren Florent to retrieve Renly's former army for him,[9] but they are taken prisoner.[15] Lord Randyll Tarly seizes the supplies and puts many men, mostly Florents, to death.[13] In King's Landing, the small council of King Joffrey decides to attempt to make an alliance with House Tyrell by offering to marry Joffrey to Margaery. Petyr Baelish, representing King Joffrey I,[12] travels to Bitterbridge and wins the allegiance of House Tyrell. Riders are sent north to warn Lord Tywin Lannister of Stannis's threat to the capital.[16]

Stannis names Ser Gilbert Farring as his own castellan of Storm's End,[17] with Elwood Meadows as his second in command.[15] He leaves two hundred men to hold Storm's End,[17] and, after burning the godswood as an offering to R'hllor,[18] begins his march north towards King's Landing while his fleet sets sail towards the city as well. The forces of Houses Baratheon, Lannister, and Tyrell meet in battle during the Battle of the Blackwater, one of the largest battles of the war.

Quotes

Your Grace, I see no need for battle here. The castle is strongly garrisoned and well provisioned, Ser Cortnay Penrose is a seasoned commander, and the trebuchet has not been built that could breach the walls of Storm's End. Let Lord Stannis have his siege. He will find no joy in it, and whilst he sits cold and hungry and profitless, we will take King's Landing.[1]

- Mathis Rowan to Renly Baratheon


Bring on your storm, my lord, and recall, if you do, the name of this castle.[9]

Cortnay Penrose to Stannis Baratheon

Notes

  1. Stannis originally has five thousand men (A Clash of Kings, Catelyn III), but describes his host as numbering twenty thousand men shortly after Renly's death (A Clash of Kings, Davos II), while Davos Seaworth describes the host as “nearly twenty thousand” men strong shortly before the start of the Battle of the Blackwater (A Clash of Kings, Davos III)
  2. The host of Renly Baratheon is said to number a hundred thousand (A Clash of Kings, Tyrion IV). Renly himself claims to have eighty thousand with him at Bitterbridge, while another ten thousand are with Lord Mace Tyrell at Highgarden (A Clash of Kings, Catelyn II). The forces of House Tyrell make up the majority of Renly's forces. Renly's cavalry, said by Catelyn Stark to number ten thousand (A Clash of Kings, Catelyn IV), accompanies him to Storm's End to lift the siege, while his foot, according to Stannis near sixty thousand strong (A Clash of Kings, Davos II), remains at Bitterbridge when Renly goes to lift the siege of Storm’s End. As Renly previously stated that the total of his men numbered eighty thousand, either Catelyn was incorrect in her statement and Renly's cavalry actually numbered ~twenty thousand, or Stannis was wrong and Renly's foot actually numbered ~seventy thousand, or Renly had been exaggerating by stating eighty thousand while he actually had only seventy thousand men. The first option seems most likely, as Stannis, who originally had five thousand men (A Clash of Kings, Catelyn III), has twenty thousand men shortly after Renly's death (A Clash of Kings, Davos II), indicating that ~15.000 men from Renly's army have joined him. As only one fifth of Renly's knights did not join Stannis (A Clash of Kings, Tyrion IX), the total of Renly's cavalry numbered ~18.750 men, nearing twenty thousand.

References