Weeping War

The **Weeping War** was a short-lived dispute between the Stormlands and Dorne in 368 AC. The conflict broke out as a result of trade disputes and was resolved before any full-scale warfare could occur. The recency of the war has left bitterness between the two kingdoms.

## Prelude

Trade with the Free Cities had proven profitable for many of the houses in the Sea of Dorne. Years of peace and the avoidance of the Stepstones saw free sailing between the many ports of Dorne, the Stormlands, and Essos. This made many men rich and left them wanting even more. Control over the sea would establish a source of income that would be unrivaled across the southeast of the continent.

When the greed grew foul and turned to ambition, the various lords of the Stormlands and Dorne began to vie for greater control over the trade routes used by the merchant ships from the east. Midway through the year, ship unlawfully passing through Stormlands-controlled waters, destined for Dorne, were sunk by a swift responding fleet sent out from Stonehelm. With no one kingdom in a position to back down, actions were taken on both sides of the sea.

## The War

Lord Axell Baratheon of Storm's End knew that it was imperative to make the first move, hoping that a swift response could see an end to the conflict before it could fester. Ser Othell Baratheon, heir to his father's seat, was sent with the combined fleets of the Stormlands to secure the Sea of Dorne for House Baratheon. Princess Elia Martell launched a fleet of her own, intent on rounding the Broken Arm and meeting the Baratheon aggressors. However, the Princess cleverly sent a ground force from the Boneway to march into the Stormlands to take Stonehelm, denying the Stormlords their greatest port.

When news spread of Dornishmen marching north, Lords Swann and Dondarrion mustered their forces as swiftly as they could and marched on the Wyl River. Their force was small, made so by the speed at which the Dornishmen had made north. The two armies met at the Battle of the Boney Ford, with the much larger Dornish army routing their enemies and continuing their march on Stonehelm unopposed. Meanwhile, the fleets of the Stormlands and Dorne met in the first of two battles, off the coast of the Broken Arm. The engagement proved a stalemate, but it had succeeded in tying up Baratheon naval support of Stonehelm, which had now fallen under siege.

Othell Baratheon pulled his fleet back closer to friendly shores, but the Dornish fleet remained in pursuit. Meanwhile, Lyonel Baratheon, who had been serving as a squire in Stonehelm for some years, was doing what little he could in the defence of the castle. The Swanns hadn't the means of sallying out of their castle, and as such were trapped within their walls. The defends of Stonehelm could do little other than pray during the siege, remaining as resolute as they could in the face of starvation or assault. The Baratheon fleet made for Stonehelm, but their pace was slowed by the rough coastline of their country and by the damage inflicted during their previous battle.

The Dornish fleet caught the Baratheon fleet off the southern coast of the Cape of Wrath, in a battle that would end up giving its name to the conflict itself. In the sight of the Weeping Tower, Dornish ships descended upon those of the Stormlords. The battle was hard fought, but with the coast to their backs, the Baratheon ships had little room to maneuver. By day's end, seventeen Baratheon ships had been sunk to the Dornish five, and Othell Baratheon's body was never retrieved from his flagship, with Lord Elmar Estermont suffered a similar fate. Now, having made the Stormlords prisoners and taken their ships, the even larger Dornish fleet was free to sail on Stonehelm, completely engulfing the port from both land and sea.

## Conclusion

The situation within Stonehelm grew even more dire when the sails of the Dornish ships were spotted making their approach from the east. With a combined sea and land force, the Dornish would no longer need to wait out the defenders in a siege. An assault was imminent, and Stonehelm would undoubtedly fall to the Dornish, likely resulting in thousands of deaths and the death of another Baratheon heir.

Fortunately, while Dornish ships had distracted the Stormlords from their land march, the Dornish focus on Stonehelm had blinded them to movements from the north. Lord Axell Baratheon descended from the north with fifteen thousand swords, far outnumbering both the Dornish army on land, and any sailors-turned-soldiers currently waiting aboard Dornish ships. Having lost one son, the Lord of Storm's End was not willing to lose another. Wisely, the Martells fell back from their siege, and Lord Axell followed them to the border at the Boney Ford.

It was there that Lord Axell and Princess Elia met. Axell was no great friend of the King, but he shared his name and blood with him. This fact, coupled with the Martell's betrothal to the crown only recently being broken, proved enough in convincing the Princess of Dorne that the King's wrath would follow behind that of the Lord of Storm's End. Not in a situation where slighting the king could be afforded, House Martell backed down. The ruse successful and uncertain of the Stormlord's ability to successfully enter Dorne, Lord Axell left it there, and the brief war between the two kingdoms was ended.

## Aftermath

The uncertain conclusion to the war ensured that relations between Dorne and the Stormlands remained the same. Though the war was a stalemate officially, it was certainly a victory for the Dornish morally. The Baratheons had been beaten back to their own shores, invaded, and the heir to their kingdom slain. The Dornish had not suffered a defeat in the short-lived conflict, and without the threat of the king's wrath would likely have won further victories that the Stormlords could not afford to endure.

Resentment for the king reached a new high following the conflict, particularly in Storm's End. In the eyes of the Baratheons, the king's cousin and his ancestral subjects had died defending Baratheon interests. Yet, the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms remained absent, opting not even to command an end to the hostilities. If not for the bluff of Lord Axell, their family would perhaps have suffered far greater losses at the hands of the Martells.

In Dorne, opinion differed slightly, though resentment of the king grew also. Princess Elia knew that the Stormlords could ill-afford to invade her lands, but the apparent disregard for the old betrothal was evident to all in Dorne. King Edric had been betrothed to a princess of Dorne, and yet the king had sided with the Stormlords in the conflict, though it was the Stormlords who had needlessly attacked merchants in the seas, beginning the conflict in the first place. Innocent people had been killed and yet the King chose old ties of blood over old ties of marriage and the side of justice.