The Stormlands

The Stormlands is one of nine regions that form together to create the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros beneath House Targaryen.Once ruled by the great Storm Kings of House Durrandon from Storm’s End, this kingdom once grew to encompass not only what is the modern Crownlands, but the Riverlands as well at its height. However, following the conquest of Aegon I Targaryen, the Stormlands were reforged as vassals of the Iron Throne, with Orys Baratheon, a bastard half-brother of the conqueror, wedding the last of House Durrandon to form the and forming House Baratheon, Lords Paramount of the Stormlands. Since the Conquest, the Stormlands have been ruled from Storm’s End, who in turn answer to the Iron Throne.

Bastards of noble descent have the surname 'Storm' bestowed upon them.

Geography
The stormlands are bordered to the north by the crownlands, west by the Reach, south by Dorne and the Sea of Dorne, and east by Shipbreaker Bay and the narrow sea. They are one of the smaller regions of Westeros, a land of harsh mountains, stony shores, and verdant forests, including the kingswood and the rainwood along Cape Wrath. Major rivers include the Slayne and part of the Wendwater.

The windswept plains and grasslands of the Dornish Marches, located in the south-west in a long salient along the Red Mountains, once served as an effective buffer zone between the stormlands and their old enemies of the Reach and Dorne, but now belong to the Crownlands following the Marcher Uprising.

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,[8] though the seas along the stormlands can be clear and blue. The waters around Tarth are particularly famed for their clear blue color, earning Tarth the name "Sapphire Isle".

People and Economy
The stormlands are thinly populated compared to most of the Seven Kingdoms, and their people have a reputation for being stormy like their weather. The province is known for its fierce warriors and sailors, and for moss-covered cottages among its rainy woods and green hills. Many smallfolk in the stormlands claim descent from a promiscuous Storm King, Ronard Storm.

Although it is rainy, the region is fertile enough. There are no cities in the stormlands due to the strong martial culture of the storm lords, but larger fortresses such as Bronzegate are often supported by several small towns. The Weeping Town is a thriving port on the Sea of Dorne. The kingsroad runs north from Storm's End to King's Landing in the crownlands.

Military Strength
According to a semi-canon source from 2005, the population of the stormlands is diffused, and the region can perhaps raise some thirty thousand men. In this timeline, it is almost certainly lesser given the assimilation of the Marches into the Crownlands. However the Stormlands are well known for their fearsome warriors.

The Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion
The Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion had begun once Daemon III Blackfyre arrived in the Seven Kingdoms, landing on Massey’s Hook before travelling to Wendwater Bridge. The Black Dragon had earned a hard fought victory in the field as Bloodraven and Bittersteel traded their lives for one another. Though Daemon had been required to retreat across the Narrow Sea once Prince Aegon Targaryen and Lord Lyonel Baratheon defeated his forces.

The Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion
Otherwise referred to as the Marcher Rising, Lord Ronnel Caron had been accused of treason for conspiring with the Blackfyre Pretenders across the Narrow Sea, and a demand for his arrest found itself to the Stormlander Marches. The Marcher Lords, as a result, rose in rebellion and hoisted the banner of the Black Dragon. Prince Aegon had marched to see them surrender beside his sworn sword, Ser Duncan the Tall, and found themselves killed in their efforts. Lord Baratheon does little to put an end to the rebellion, and once the Crown forces put the Marcher Lords to rest, House Caron is all but destroyed as the remaining members are either slain in battle, sent to the Night's Watch, forced to become Silent Sisters. All bar one that fled to Essos.

In response to the inaction on behalf of Lord Baratheon, King Aemon I Targaryen had taken the Marches from the Stormlands and sworn them directly beneath Summerhall, which in turn had been sworn directly to the Crown. The Stormlanders losing a sizeable portion of their territories.

The Liar’s Strike (272-274)
An opportunistic bandit claiming  the name Lucamore Storm and bastardized descent from the Caron’s of Nightsong began a brief reign of terror, striking at the lands of the marchers, and other Stormlanders in general, claiming to seek revenge for his kin and to strike at the other Stormlanders and marchers for not rising up.

During his spree, Summerhall and the Marcher Lords worked together, and Prince Daeron of Summerhall led the charge against them. To the dismay of his kin, Lucamore managed to slay Daeron, only to be bested and captured by the prince’s longtime companion Ser Jeremy Norridge.

Under torture by Norridge himself, Lucamore confessed his heritage was a lie, and was given over to House Fell, whose young son he had kidnapped and murdered. He was officially executed by hanging, but witnesses claim the bloody mess that had been Lucamore ‘Storm’ surely had been already dead by the time he swung.

The Griffin’s Quarrel (290-291)
At the wedding feast of Lord Hightower, Prince Gaemond Targaryen of Summerhall, youngest brother to Prince Rhaegar, and Jocelyn Connington, sister to Lord Jon Connington, are found abed. They flee to avoid punishment, though at first this is taken surprisingly well, with talks of a marriage ensuing that might ease tensions between the long time rivals Rhaegar and Jon.

Instead, it erupts into conflict when Jocelyn dies giving birth the bastard triplets, as does one of the children. After his demands that Gaemond and his bastards be delivered to Griffin’s Roost to be ‘dealt with’, Lord Jon calls several allies to raise their banners when Rhaegar refuses, and in turn Summerhall calls on allies of their own.

After several bloody skirmishes, the conflicts comes to a conclusion in the lands between Griffin’s Roost and Summerhall, where the forces of Prince Rhaegar and Lord Jon clash at last. Scholars agree that the arrival of the elder of Rhaegar’s three younger brothers, Jaehaerys, with Dornish reinforcements would’ve ruled the battle a decisive Targaryen victory, but the prince never came.

Instead it became an all out brawl, culminating in a mutually fatal duel between Lord Jon and Prince Rhaegar where the former managed to run the latter through on his sword, only to find a dagger plunged into his eye. In disarray following the deaths of their leaders, the chaos continued for some time before Martell spears arrived to put an end to the fighting.

Punishments were given to both sides, with many instigators, including Gaemond Targaryen, being sent to the Night’s Watch. And, despite claims and a septons testimony that Jocelyn and Gaemond had wed, King Aemon refuses to legitimize the remaining two bastard boys in an effort to not further sow dissent.

A week later, Prince Jaehaerys is found hung and disemboweled outside Blackhaven, the rest of his forces are never seen or heard from again. Well never conclusively proven, the Dondarrions are suspected.

The bastard boys, named Rhaegar and Jaehaerys to honor their uncles, are given the name Redwing by Prince Valarr, the last of Rhaegar’s brothers living, but not legitimization. They remain at Summerhall to this day.

The Lonely Dornish, The War of the Pirate King(299AC-300AC)
The Princess of Dorne who had been too proud to call upon any allies before had now grown old and in that age amiable. Letters were sent to the Stormlord’s so they may join the fleet of her two sons in holding back the Stepstone offensive. It is vague the reasons of most Houses yet, in the end, House Baratheon refused or simply didn’t act quick enough to come to Dorne’s aid. Many attribute this to the war’s loss.

The Ascension of King Viserys III
King Aemon Targaryen, the Old King, passes away at the age one-hundred-and-four, the longest-reigning king in the history of House Targaryen, ruling for as long a time as Jaehaerys the First was alive. Viserys III inherits, taking the Iron Throne. Almost immediately, R'hllor converts and red priests begin to appear in his court, seeking favor with the so-called Red Dragon.

The Stormlands has been a bulwark against the Red God, with not a single house converting, and any red priest or worshipper of the Red God rarely lasts a day. Men of noble and common blood look across the the Narrow Sea for their king, to the Blackfyre Pretender who has to continued to build his strength for the Seventh Blackfyre Rebellion, the Holy Seventh.

The Wrath of the Onion (282-Present)
Davos of Flea Bottom, a lowborn sailor turned smuggler, once again turns, becoming a pirate. An expert sailor, and father to a large brood of equally skilled sons, the Crownlander’s heir now heads the small but formidable pirate fleet which scourges the shores of the Stormlands. It is said this ‘Fleet of Fleas’ is made up largely of small ships, yet the commanders are so skilled they have even dared to take a ship in the heart of Shipbreaker Bay

Houses

 * House Baratheon of Storm's End


 * House Bolling


 * House Brownhill


 * House Buckler of Bronzegate


 * House Connington of Griffin's Roost


 * House Estermont of Greenstone


 * House Fell of Felwood


 * House Grandison of Grandview


 * House Hasty


 * House Herston


 * House Horpe


 * House Kellington


 * House Mertyns of Mistwood


 * House Peasebury of Poddingfield


 * House Penrose of Parchments


 * House Rogers of Amberly


 * House Swygert


 * House Tarth of Evenfall Hall


 * House Trant of Gallowsgrey


 * House Tudbury


 * House Wensington


 * House Whitehead of the Weeping Town


 * House Wylde of Rain House