House Baratheon

House Dondarrion

House Errol

House Estermont

House Penrose

House Selmy

House Swann

House Targaryen of Summerhall

House Tarth

House Trant

House Wylde

**House Baratheon** **of Storm's End** is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, and is the principal house in the Stormlands, which they rule as Lords Paramount of the Stormlands. Their seat, Storm's End, is an ancient castle raised by the Storm Kings from the now-extinct House Durrandon. The Baratheon sigil is a crowned black stag on a field of gold. Members of the family tend to be tall and powerfully built, with black hair and blue eyes, as well as strong, square jawlines. They are known fo their mercurial tempers, and their words are "*Ours is the Fury*".

After Robert's Rebellion, House Baratheon split into three branches: Lord Robert Baratheon was crowned king and took residence at King's Landing, thereby creating House Baratheon of King's Landing. Robert gave the seat of Dragonstone to his younger brother, Stannis, creating House Baratheon of Dragonstone. Robert's youngest brother, Renly, became the Lord of Storm's End, continuing House Baratheon of Storm's End.

The current Head of House Baratheon is Arstan Baratheon.

## Recent History

### **War of the Five Kings:**

As much as it was the occasion for the return of the Targaryen Dynasty, the War of the Five Kings was first and foremost a succession conflict for House Baratheon. The rightful King by Baratheon laws, Stannis Baratheon, led a campaign in the North, where he died against forces of House Bolton. He sent his retainer Ser Justin Massey to support his daughter’s claim, and for that Ser Justin rallied support of the so-called King’s Men in Essos, from where he invaded the Stormlands in the wake of Aegon VI’s arrival. Ser Justin himself was slain, and the cause of Queen Shireen was pushed back to Essos, now led by Rolland Storm, the bastard of Nightsong.

When Daenerys Targaryen arrived to fight her nephew, Shireen’s advisors ascertained her that House Baratheon would bend the knee once more, and so, Shireen was installed as Lady Paramount of the Stormlands, to gather support against Aegon’s candidate Jon Connington. Daenerys’ conquest proved successful, and House Baratheon sat in Storm’s End once more.

### **The Second Targaryen Reign:**

Lady Shireen wed Devan Seaworth, the son of her closest advisor Davos Seaworth, the Lord of the Rainwood. Both of them had been connected to the Red Faith of R’hllor before, but now, they wed under the Light of the Seven, placing the Stormlands in line with the Andal Faith once more. Her fertility affected by her severe illness, Shireen gave only birth once, to Davos Baratheon, her heir named after her trusted councillor.

Lord Davos married Ellyn Caron, the daughter of the legitimised Lord Rolland of Nightsong, and ruled until an early wave of sickness from Essos proved fatal for him in 365 AC. He was succeeded by his son Byron, a skilled administrator who diligently avoided further spread of the sickness in the Stormlands, while developing the bureaucracy and jurisprudence of Storm’s End to an excellent level. He kept good diplomatic relations with all other provinces of the Realm, and during his reign, the Stormlands were peaceful and prosperous. In 376 AC, the Sickness, three years before fully arrived on the shores of the Narrow Sea, claimed another member of House Baratheon, Lord Byron’s son Harbert, leaving his grandson Addam Baratheon as heir, who appeared more of a martial man than Lord Byron.

### **War of the Four Daughters:**

In 406 AC, Lord Byron died at the age of seventy-two, and his grandson Lord Addam took over the rule of Storm’s End. Under his reign, the Stormlands joined the War of the Four Daughters in Essos, and fought many battles with varying success. After the disappointing end, Lord Addam dies when the ship carrying him home sinks in a storm before the Stepstones.

### **A Ballad in Blood:**

Since Lord Addam’s death in 414 AC, Lord Arstan Baratheon rules the Stormlands, once more a man of administration like his great-grandfather, but with martial experience from the war, as well. Like it was centuries ago, House Baratheon once more counts itself among the loyal vassals of House Targaryen.

## Traits

Most Baratheons have dark hair and a muscular build, while standing considerably taller than the average man, even within the Stormlands. Nonetheless, truly strong men like King Robert are rare, and so, the Fury from their words can be just as well displayed in a stern look as it can be in a show of mighty muscles

## Seat

Storm's End is surrounded by a massive outer curtain wall, one hundred feet high and forty feet thick on its thinnest side and nearly eighty feet thick on its seaward side. It is composed of a double course of pale grey stone with an inner core of sand and rubble. The wall is smooth and curving, the stones so well placed and so perfectly together that the wind can find no purchase. On the seaward side, there is a one hundred fifty foot drop below the wall into the sea. There is no safe anchorage by the castle.

The curtain wall protects the castle's kitchens, stables, and yard. Storm's End has only one tower, a colossal drum crowned with formidable battlements, so that from a distance enemies can see what appears to be a single huge, spiked fist thrusting towards the sky in defiance. The tower is so large that it comfortably contains the granary, barracks, armory, feast hall, and lord's chambers all at once. It is said that there are spells woven into the stonework. The seaward side of the castle stands upon Durran's Point, a high white cliff overlooking the sea. There is a watery passage through a cavern that leads beneath the castle, protected by a portcullis, bars, and murder holes.

The godswood of Storm's End has a weirwood heart tree carved with a solemn face.

Despite a good wind off Shipbreaker Bay, the weather is hot at Storm's End in summertime.[8] There are fields and stony ridges in the vicinity.

## Family Tree

Descends from Shireen Baratheon, who married her distant cousin Devan Seaworth. After departing Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with Devan Seaworth, she made her way to Braavos where she remained until receiving word of Aegon’s Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms.

Upon returning to Westeros, she bent the knee and was restored to her rightful seat by the king. Lord Protector Devan Seaworth would lead the men of the Stormlands to war twice, in support of Aegon against his aunt and North to the Wall.

* Lady Shireen Baratheon
* Lord Protector Devan Seaworth
	+ Davos Baratheon
		- Harbert Baratheon
			* Arstan Baratheon