The Great Houses of Game of Thrones
By rowankaiser
House Baratheon
House Words: “Ours Is The Fury”
House Sigil: A stag
Location: Historically, Storm’s End in the Stormlands, just to the south of King’s Landing. On Game of Thrones, they’re more associated with Dragonstone, an island north of King’s Landing.
Status at the start of Season 5: House Baratheon is technically split, with Kings Joffrey/Tommen officially considered the heirs to the house in King’s Landing. However, they are widely and accurately perceived as more Lannister than Baratheon, and covered in that section. The true Baratheon heir, Stannis, currently resides at The Wall having just helped the Night’s Watch defeat an army of Wildlings.
Role in the War of the Five Kings: After the death of Jon Arryn, King Robert invites Ned Stark to become his Hand. Ned, like Jon Arryn and Stannis before him, discovers that Robert’s supposed children, Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella, are the products of incest between Cersei and Jaime Lannister.. The Lannisters hasten Robert’s death while hunting. Lord Renly Baratheon offers his aid to Ned in exchange for the crown, but Ned refuses as Renly’s older brother Stannis is the true heir. They attempt to crown Joffrey, while Ned orchestrates a coup for Stannis. Ned is captured and then executed, triggering the full civil war.
Renly declares for the throne, jumping Stannis in the succession. With the bulk of the Baratheon forces behind him, and a strategic marriage to Margaery of House Tyrell, Renly has the strongest army in Westeros. Stannis, who has converted to the religion of the Red God R’hllor also declares for the throne. He travels to the Stormlands to attack Renly’s capital of Storm’s End and take the loyalty of the Baratheon bannermen, which he believes he deserves by right. Renly rides back to meet with Stannis, but their parley is unsuccessful. Stannis’ priestess, Melisandre, assassinates King Renly with a magical shadow. The Baratheon forces rejoin Stannis, but the forces of House Tyrell switch to the Lannister side.
With his new army and a navy reinforced by the pirate Salladhor Saan, Stannis marches on King’s Landing. The strategic skill of Tyrion Lannister and the timely arrival of Tywin Lannister’s army, reinforced by men from House Tyrell, turns the battle in favor of the Lannisters.
With his forces shattered, Stannis retreats to Dragonstone, where Melisandre and her violent religion gain power, even burning non-believers. His chief advisor Davos Seaworth fights against this, unsuccessfully at first, but eventually winning Stannis’ loyalty and being named Hand. He convinces Stannis that a message from the Night’s Watch about the impending arrival of supernatural and Wildling forces is real. Stannis gains the support of the Iron Bank of Braavos, and with that money shifts his army to the North, arriving in time to defeat the Wildling army.
Role in Robert’s Rebellion: Robert is one of the first to join the rebellion, thanks to the kidnapping of his betrothed, Lyanna Stark, and the execution of members of his friend Ned Stark’s family. Robert is considered the most likely candidate to sit on the Iron Throne, thanks to the Targaryen blood from his grandmother.
Robert raises the Stormland banners and manages to survive attacks by superior Targaryen forces until he can join the rest of his armies. His brother Stannis holds the capital of Storm’s End in the face of a brutal siege, with help from the former smuggler Davos Seaworth.
The combined rebel armies defeat the Targaryen armies at the Battle of the Trident, and Robert kills Rhaegar Targaryen in single combat. He takes the Iron Throne, and marries Cersei Lannister to keep the kingdom together. Stannis is given the former Targaryen stronghold of Dragonstone, while the younger brother Renly holds the Stormlands.
History: Orys Baratheon was a general for Aegon the Conqueror; he received the Stormlands after the last Storm King of House Durrandon was killed. The Baratheons remained close to the crown, leading to Princess Rhaelle Targaryen marrying into the House, becoming the grandmother to Robert, Stannis, and Renly.
Profile: House Baratheon is traditionally one of the most militarily powerful of the major Houses in Westeros, and closely associated with the Targaryens. This closeness allowed Robert Baratheon to lay the strongest claim on the Iron Throne after the Targaryens were overthrown.
House Lord: Stannis Baratheon
Heir: Shireen Baratheon
Family Members: Robert Baratheon (deceased), Cersei Lannister, Joffrey Lannister-Baratheon (deceased), Tommen Lannister-Baratheon, Myrcella Lannister-Baratheon, Gendry Waters, Stannis Baratheon, Selyse Florent, Shireen Baratheon, Renly Baratheon (deceased)
Retainers: Brienne of Tarth, Davos Seaworth, Melisandre, Maester Cressen (deceased), Matthos Seaworth (deceased), Salladhor Saan
Notable Vassals: House Seaworth, House Florent, House Tarth, House Velaryon