Stormlands
The people of the stormlands are like unto their weather, it has oft been said: tumultuous, violent, implacable, unpredictable. - The World of Ice and Fire[1]
The Stormlands, also known as the Kingdom of the Storm, is located to the south-east of Westeros, bordering the Riverlands and the Blackwater to the north, the Reach to the west, Dorne to the south, and the coast of the Narrow Sea to the east. The Stormlands is renowned for its autumn storms that rip through deep forests, stony mountains, and wind-battered cliffs, and beyond[1]. The region is dominated by its enormous woods, and timber is never in short supply[2]. The Stormlands has been nominally ruled by House Durrandon since the Dawn Age as Storm Kings, and for millennia the men of this land have existed as a largely homogenous group with shared customs, traditions, and heritage.
The First Men of this region are known as Stormmen. They are a harsh, martial people, where strength and resilience are highly prized, and a man's competence is oft more respected than bloodline. The Stormmen value a fierce warrior, praising battle-talent and a man's prowess as the highest virtues. As such many second sons and ambitious smallfolk seek out fame, fortune, and glory as wandering sellswords, brave mercenaries, and valiant adventurers both within and far beyond the confines of the Stormlands seeking their next conquest.
Life is rarely easy here, and success is largely defined by defiance against the elements and uncompromising stubbornness with much of the land actively resisting attempts to tame it. While competition is fierce between the nobility, outsiders face a united front if they encroach on the hard-earned prosperity in the Stormlands, though local raids, minors wars, and feuds are a regular occurrence. To outsiders, the nobility of this land are known as Stormlords[3].
With the Coming of the Andals much of Durrandon control eroded, and the unity of the Stormmen was undone. By 31 A.I. Massey's Hook, much of Cape Wrath and the Rainwood, and the Isle of Tarth paid little heed to the Storm Kings, and existed independently.
Main Regions
History
The Coming of the Andals
Few Andals arrived in the Stormlands in the early days of their coming. Houses Manning and Pyle landed on the southern edge of Blackwater Bay, House Polander settled on the Severisles in the Red March. The most impactful of the first Andals in the Stormlands, however, was House Morne, which settled on the eastern portion of Tarth. Within a few decades, the Mornes launched a conquest of Tarth, and expelled House Evenstar from their ancestral seat. Ser Galladon of Morne named himself king, and refused to bow to Storm's End when Durrandon messengers were dispatched following his crowning.
The Storming of Tarth followed, and House Morne was ejected from the isle, with House Blacktyde of Tarth taking up residence in Evenfall Hall for the foreseeable future. Storm King Qarlton II Durrandon led this reconquest, and his rule would see the Pyles, Polanders, and Mannings subjugated under the Storm Throne. Qarlton later expanded his dominion to the southern edge Blackwater Rush.
The Storm Kings saw relative prosperity for a time after this. They exchanged border raids with the Yronwoods occasionally, and joined an effort to oust House Risley from the Reach. Ser Prentys Strickland attempted to land on the Hook, and forcibly convert the populace to worship of the Seven, but an alliance between Storm King Durran XIX Durrandon and King Kermit Massey saw his host shattered.
This would be the end of Durran Stormcrowned's achievements by and large, however. His realm fought several wars that all ended in defeat for the Stormlands, and saw many homes empty come winter. A foray into the Blackwater was shattered by Vance and Darklyn forces, and an attempt at fighting the Yronwoods again resulted in failure. With his ambitions falling flat, the Storm King fell into depression. He abdicated suddenly, and left the realm to join the Night's Watch with three of his sons. The remaining sons then squabbled over their inheritance, resulting in a crippling civil war called the Great Stag Duel.
After the Duel, Andals across the kingdom started fomenting dissent or causing chaos. The Ullers usurped Tarth from the Blacktydes, necessitating a costly war to reconquer it. Morne was sacked, and all septs on the isle were burned. Andals were pushed to resettle on Morningside Isle, and prohibited from re-establishing themselves on the main island of Tarth. House Leygood seceded and swore fealty to Duskendale, leading to a war that the Storm King lost, and Duskendale further expanded to the Bywater Woods. House Sloane arrived and promptly began pillaging the countryside, and many lords failed to capture their leader, Isembard.