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The Kingdom of the Stormlands lies in the southeast of Westeros, from Blackwater Bay to the Dornish Marches. A harsh landscape, breeding even harsher warriors, it is home to the feared Storm Kings of House Durrandon, who have ruled the kingdom for ten thousand years from their ancestral seat at Storm's End. The Kingdom of the Stormlands is noted to have the most disciplined army in Westeros, as well as one of the largest.

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House Durrandon

"Ours Is The Fury"

— Words Of House Durrandon

The royal house of the Stormlands, as well as one of the most powerful houses in all of Westeros. They are among the few noble houses in Westeros who claim to have divine blood in their veins, through the marriage of their Famous Ancestor Durran Godsgrief with Elenei, the daughter of the gods of wind and sea. Their seat at Storm's End has stood for ten thousand years and for an equally long time, the Durrandon's have ruled over their lands with an iron fist. Noted to be capable warriors, many Durrandon kings have been among the best fighters of their age. They are feared for their temper and for their affinity for waging wars across all of Westeros.

In General

Animal Motifs: Stags, as seen in their sigil.
Badass Boast: One of the most impressive house words in the entire series.
Cool Crown: The crown of the Storm Kings is a massive circlet with two heavy antlers attaches to it.
Determinator: A proud Durrandon does not give up, even if defeat is seemingly inevitable.
Famous Ancestor: Besides Durran Godsgrief, there's Durran the Young, Durwald the Fat, Erich VII the Unready and Arlan III Durrandon, who conquered the Riverlands.
Hot-Blooded: The Durrandons are famous for their temper, something attributed to their supposedly divine heritage.
Proud Warrior Race Guy: Their entire kingdom is this, but the Durrandon's themselves take it to another level.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Their physical features almost always include black hair and pale skin and they have a reputation for beauty.
Vestigial Empire: Though still a force to be reckoned with, the Durrandon line has slowly started to decline for hundreds of years now, especially after they lost a sizeable part of their kingdom to the Ironborn. They still reign over the area between Blackwater Bay and the Dornish Marches, but it is only a fracture of what their kingdom used to be during their prime.
What Beautiful Eyes!: Almost every Durrandon has recognizable dark blue eyes that are noted to be very beautiful.

King Argilac Durrandon

The Storm King, the First of his Name, Bringer of Tempests, Blood of the Gods

The King of the Stormlands at the time of the story and a man in his sixties. In his youth, he used to be the best fighter in his kingdom, perhaps even in Westeros, although his advancing age has started to take a toll on him. Nonetheless, he is a fearsome fighter and a capable king. He has been married twice, though both of his wives and three out of four children have died. Only his youngest child and sole daughter, Argella, is still alive by the time the story starts.

A Father to His Men: Argilac honestly cares for his men and once they have made it through his training. He tries his best to keep them alive as much as possible.
Animal Motifs: Stags, who can also be found on the sigil of his house. Argilac displays a regal, prideful behaviour, commonly expected from stags and his crown is also heavily inspired by stag's antlers.
Authority Equals Asskicking: He is both, the king of the Stormlands and one of his people's most experienced fighters. In his youth, he has reached Memetic Badass levels of asskicking and his age only barely slows him down.
Brutish Character, Brutish Weapon: The old king's weapon of choice is a massive war hammer.
Bullying a Dragon: In a twist of the trope, Argilac is both, the bully and the dragon in one particular scene. He is the dragon to the Targaryen ambassador, who foolishly insults his daughter, with the effect that Argilac cuts off both of his hands. At the same time, he is the bully to Aegon Targaryen, who rides a literal dragon and whom Argilac probably shouldn't provoke.
Cool Crown: The crown of the Storm Kings, a thick circlet with two massive metal antlers on top. Might double as Awesome, but Impractical, since it has to have quite the weight, but Argilac doesn't seem to be bothered by it.
Drill Sergeant Nasty: His approach to train his recruits is to toughen them up through pain and beatings.
Due to the Dead: He actually buried Maester Raymond, the previous Maester of his family, at the Durrandon's crypts despite the arguments of his banner men.
Frontline General: As he has proven in several wars, Argilac is not only a general, but also a warrior. He has fought on the frontlines in many battles, personally slaying his foes and gaining the respect of his people in the process.
General Ripper: Argilac has a reputation for being a warmonger and his youth was constantly spent in battle. His special enemies are the dornish, with which his kingdom has a constant set of skirmishes in the contested dornish marches at the very border of his kingdom.
The Good King: Despite his massive flaws, Argilac has signs of this as well. He is honourable, just towards his people, his actions show wisdom when they are not motivated by his rash temper, he is more or less modest and definitely still active despite his age. He also cares greatly for his kingdom and his people.
Hair-Trigger Temper: He is infamous for his horrible temper, that led him to do rash and brutal actions more than once. The only ones who are safe from this temper are his loved ones, as he has never once raised his hand against any member of his family.
Hot-Blooded: Argilac is a king with passion. No matter the topic, he can get heated and passionate about it in an instant. This is, of course, not always a good thing though.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Compared to his daughter, he has more emphasis on the jerk part, but Argilac still is a good man underneath his flaws. He is rash, aggressive and can be needlessly violent, on top of his justified reputation as a warmonger, but he is also a fair and caring king, a loving father and a brave warrior.
Kick the Dog: Cutting of the hands of the Targaryen ambassador has been a needlessly cruel move, especially as the man was only reporting the words of his king and therefore doing his duty.
Manly Facial Hair: He has a thick, black beard that compliments his overall badass appearance.
Memetic Badass: In-universe example. Argilac's skill in battle has reached the point where he is considered to have had legendary skill in his youth. Though probably slightly exaggerated, he is nonetheless a deadly fighter that still tries his best to earn this reputation.
Old Soldier: At the time of the story, he is in his sixties and his age starts to affect him. This doesn't stop him from personally kicking ass when training his recruits though.
Older Than They Look: He is in his late sixties, but his hair is still completely black, which, paired with his bushy beard, hides his true age quite well. He is visibly past his prime, but doesn't look a day older than fifty.
Papa Wolf: This trait has been described as the best and worst aspect of Argilac's personality. He loves his daughter dearly and there is no doubt that he would do anything for her. If someone threatens or insults her, he is going to end them.
Pet the Dog: After hearing that one of the commanders of the Reach forces has outlawed his men from raping the dornish they fight against, Argilac does not hesitate to give the same order to his own men, stating that he wouldn't tolerate rape.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: These traits are common for the Durrandon line and Argilac naturally displays them.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: Though his position would allow him to just sit back and rule from the comfort of his castle, the Storm King is not content with this at all. He is a renowned warrior and Frontline General, who actively works for the good of his kingdom.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Argilac is a perfect example of this trope, despite his age.
What Beautiful Eyes!: Like all Durrandon's, Argilac has dark blue eyes that are highly attractive.

Princess Argella Durrandon

The Storm Princess

Argella is the youngest child of King Argilac Durrandon from his second wife, Daeria of Myr. Due to a cruel twist of fate, she is his only surviving cild of four. This makes her the heiress of the Kingdom of the Stormlands, a rarity, considering that her kingdom never had a female heiress before.

Action Girl: As the heiress to the Stormlands, her father expects this trope of her, so he gave her the single best combat training available, occasionally even with himself as the trainer.
Animal Motifs: Like her father, stags, or in her case, fawns. She is outright called 'Little Fawn' by some characters, as a play on the sigil of her family and of the fact that she is Argilac's daughter. Like a stag, she displays proud, regal and vain behaviour, but her actions are also driven by a certain naivety, more befitting of a young fawn.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: She is the heiress to the most powerful kingdom of Westeros and at the same time more than capable of fighting and kicking ass.
The Beautiful Elite: Argella is undeniably beautiful, as well as the heiress to one of the most powerful kingdoms in Westeros, on top of having received a flawless education at court.
Beneath the Mask: In public, Argella hides most of her true feelings behind a mask of mildly annoyed sarcasm, which makes her appear far more snobbish than she truly is.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Drent. Most of it comes from her side, since Drent typically tries to be as polite as possible towards her. At least from his side, there are also confirmed feelings.
Big Damn Heroes: In chapter 9 she saves Lucas from being tortured to death by the Sphynx and Connor.
Bratty Teenage Daughter: Has shades of this. She is a downplayed example, but nonetheless highly demanding, spoiled and snobbish, especially when it comes to her father.
Broken Ace: There is no doubt that Argella is stunningly beautiful, a surprisingly capable fighter, with great potential as an administrator and a genuine desire to improve the lives of her subjects, all of which make her well-suited to be the future ruler of the Stormlands. However, she also has problems of self-doubt, an almost clinical yearning to prove herself worthy of her status, problems with rejection and unwilling to delegate uncomfortable tasks, causing her to be guilt-ridden whenever her orders cause misfortune.
Deadpan Snarker: Argella is among the most snarky characters in the story. Blessed with a barbed tongue, a majority of the things she says is some sort of a sarcastic comment, often aimed at one of the other characters.
Defrosting Ice Queen: She starts the story somewhat stuck-up and cold towards others. Over the course of Book 1, she slowly starts opening up to the people around her and she becomes much warmer in her interaction with them in the process.
Frontline General: Very much like her father in these regards. Argella is not afraid to personally lead her men to battle and in fact insists on it. She is also capable of doing such a thing.
Hair-Trigger Temper: A trait she shares with her father. Her own temper is not as bad as his, but it's nonetheless noticeable. She has a bit of self-control over her actions, but when she is truly pissed off, she gets livid with anger in a way that is not unlike her father's temper.
Hidden Depths: Behind her cold, vain facade, Argella hides a heart of gold. Despite her confidence in many things, she also hides insecurities about her position as her father's heiress.
The High Queen: This is what she aspires to be. Judging by some of her decisions over the course of the story, she is on a good way of becoming an example of this trope once she actually inherits the crown.
Hot-Blooded: Once again, a shared family trait. Like her father, Argella is incredibly passionate about the things she does, no matter what it is.
I Am Not My Father: Argella is an interesting case, in that she equally tries to be like her father and like this trope at the same time. She tries to have all of his strengths, but none of his flaws. Whenever she does not agree with his course of action, she tends to outright mention this trope word for word.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She loves to put special emphasis on the jerk part, being a Royal Brat and a serious Troll. However, she has a clear heart of gold, which isn't even hidden all too well and she genuinely cares for other people.
Kick the Dog: When her father mutilated the Targaryen ambassador Argella mercilessly made fun of him. Admittedly, he made her livid with anger before, but it was still needlessly cruel and petty. Shortly afterwards, he humiliates the ambassador's entourage, by sending them to the pig pens to wait until the ambassador would be patched up by the maester.
Lovable Alpha Bitch: Argella is snobbish, vain, just as arrogant as her father or maybe even more so. She can be mean-spirited and has a catty streak. However, on top of all of these, she cares for others, is just and brave, with more compassion than almost any other character in a position of power in the story.
The Magnificent: The Storm Princess. It isn't even her official title, which is just 'Princess', but more used as a semi-official way of addressing her not only as the Princess of the Stormlands, but as the heiress of the Storm King.
Minored In Ass Kicking: With all her badass points, it should still be remembered that Argella is not primarily a fighter. She was raised to rule, but since her future kingdom has a very strong martial tradition, her education also happened to include learning how to wield a weapon. She is primarily a ruler and not a fighter, even though she shows talent for the latter.
My God, What Have I Done?: When confronted with Gordar Celtigar, cousin of a man her father brutally mutilated and who later died as a result of these wounds, Argella is heavily affected and hit by her own shortcomings in this situation. It is notably the first time she actually shows regret for one of her past actions.
Nice to the Waiter: The first time she is actually seen doing something nice in the story is when she shares her expensive wine with Drent, who is merely a soldier under her command.
Pet the Dog: She gets several, to show that she is not as bad as she initially seems.
- Her interaction with Drent is one long string of such moments, which overlaps with Nice to the Waiter above.
- She goes out of her way to rebuild Lucas' confidence in himself after his ordeal in Oldtown.
Politically-Active Princess: As the heiress to the Stormlands, it is absolutely required of her to be knowledgeable about politics and to get a taste in it herself. Her mission to Raylansfair, which is her entire storyline in Book 1, is a result of this. Her father encourages it heavily, knowing that she will need this skills once she is queen.
Precision F-Strike: Usually, Argella is one of the most well-spoken characters in the entire story and among the few who actively watch their language. However, she has some moments where she lands a well-placed one of these.
Argella: "Does it still look like a fucking joke to you?"
Pretty Princess Powerhouse: Argella is both, a princess and a badass. However, most importantly, she is far from a typical badass in appearance, being a delicate young woman, easily mistaken for a Princess Classic. Her role as heiress to the Kingdom of the Stormlands more or less forced her to pick up the sword though, meaning she is at least as deadly as everyone under her command.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Her appearance includes black hair and very pale skin. On top of that, she is also famous for her beauty.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Surprisingly, she turns out to be this, when she ends up as one of the few people in Raylansfair that genuinely wish to better the conditions of the smallfolk. Her actions during the raid on Raylansfair also make her a major ally to the defenders of the city.
Royal Brat: Despite her positive traits, she still is a spoiled and vain young woman, who also happens to be the first-in-line for the Kingdom of the Stormlands.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: Argella is the daughter of a warrior king and trained to fight. As such, she is not even the slightest bit afraid to personally lead her men into battle.
Ship Tease: With both, Lucas and Drent. Both have confirmed feelings for her, though her own thoughts remain a secret.
Silk Hiding Steel: It's not a lot of silk, but she prefers to appear like a mixture between a Royal Brat and Princess Classic at first glance, hiding her true colours. It's only when she faces opposition that she has to show the steel.
Sole Survivor: Out of four Durrandon children, she is the only one still alive at the time of the story. Her half-brother died shortly after his birth and her two brothers died together with her mother when their ship sank in a storm.
Spare to the Throne: In fact, she used to be the spare to the spare, being third in line to the throne of the Stormlands after her two older brothers, Davos and Artos. After both of them died when their ship sank during a storm, Argella, who narrowly survived, advanced to her current position as the heiress.
Stepford Snarker: Argella is not very good at genuinely showing emotions safe for anger and pride. Whenever she experiences one she's not comfortable with, she tends to become extra snarky, to overplay it, though she isn't very good at fooling others either.
Troll: Part of her more jerkish qualities, she has a habit of playing tricks on people to a degree that can be outright cruel at times. A specific example would be her interaction with Torrence, where she let him believe that she would sever both of his hands for hitting her, up until the point where he started to wet himself. She then left him alone in his tent, after forcing him to loudly recite prayers to the Seven for the entire night, making him the laughingstock of her entire army. As she later stated, she only intended to humiliate him and never even truly thought about physically harmung him.
Tsundere: Most of the time she's a clear Tsun. Argella is prideful, snobby and quick to anger or annoy. However, she has a strong Dere side as well, which is especially shown in the way she cares about the well-being of others. Just don't expect her to full admit to this though.
Warrior Princess: Coming from a line of warrior kings, this is mandatory for her.
"Well Done, Daughter!" Gal: As Argilac's only living child, Argella knows there are high expectations for her. They are even higher since she is the first woman to ever be the heiress of the Stormlands. As such, she tries incredibly hard to win her father's approval and to make him proud.
What Beautiful Eyes!: The Durrandon eyes, which are of a very dark blue colour. It's a trait that runs in the family.
World's Most Beautiful Woman: Many Durrandon's are famously good-looking, but Argella receives special praise by those around her, with many considering her to be this. Wether or not they are correct is up for debate, but she is a contender for that title nonetheless.

Prince Davos Durrandon

The Storm Prince

Firstborn son of Argilac Durrandon from his second wife, Daeria of Myr. He is already dead by the time the story began, having died in the storm that claimed the lives of his mother and his younger brother as well. In his case however, he died saving his younger sister, Argella.

The Ace: Davos was a noble warrior, leading troops from a young age, good-looking as all Durrandon's are, just and generous, with a personality that allowed him to be revered even years after his death.
Alliterative Name: Davos Durrandon.
Heroic Sacrifice: When the ship he, his siblings and mother are on, gets into a storm and sinks, his mother and younger brother are quickly killed. He himself manages to swim almost to the shore out of his own strength, before realizing that his little sister, Argella, is about to drown. So he returns, diving to save her and succeeding at this, although the effort proves to be too much for him and he dies shortly afterwards.
Hero Worship: His best friend, Emphryus, has such an opinion on him and from the few times others speak about him, one can get the idea that they feel similarly, especially his little sister.
Posthumous Character: By the time of the story, Davos is long dead, having died during a tragedy a rough decade ago.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Being a Durrandon, Davos has likely shared the looks of his father.
Warrior Prince: Davos was not only the heir to the Stormlands, he was also noted to be a gifted warrior. During his father's war against the Reach, he led troops and fought himself, something that gained him great respect among the Stormlanders.

Durrandon Bannermen and Retainers

House Swann

"Beware Our Bite"

— Words Of House Swann

House Swann of Stonehelm is among the oldest noble houses of the Stormlands, dating back to a time beyond secured written sources, with the claim of being the eldest of the houses among the Dornish Marches. They have a firm loyalty to House Durrandon of Storm's End and are among their principal bannermen and supporters. After the recent death of Lord Steffon Swann, his young son Bryce is Lord of Stonehelm, with his mother Jeyne as the regent.

Ser Landry Swann

Captain of King Argilac's royal guard and brother of the late Lord Steffon Swann of Stonehelm.

Bodyguarding a Badass: He protects King Argilac, not that the king isn't capable of fighting himself.
The Captain: Of the Stormlands royal guard.
Large and in Charge: He's even taller than Argilac's and leads Storm's End royal guard.
Manly Facial Hair: Landry has an impressive beard. Being the leader of Argilac's personal guard means the old warrior king himself saw him as worthy of leading his personal guard.
Praetorian Guard: Landry is part of Argilac Durrandon's royal guard, their leader on top of that.
Remember the New Guy?: The parts set at Storm's End in Chapter 4 of Book 1 didn't even mention him. Back then, Ser Emphryus was the only member of the royal guard with any bit of screentime.

House Morrigen

"No Foe Unnoticed"

— Words Of House Morrigen

One of the smaller noble houses of the Stormlands and a vassal to House Connington of Griffin's Roost, House Morrigen holds a strategically valuable position at the castle of Crow's Nest, from where they are able to quickly spot any threat marching on Storm's End from the south. Their current head is Loras Morrigen.

Ser Dickon Morrigen

A younger member of King Argilac's guard and member of House Morrigen of Crow's Nest.

Praetorian Guard: He is a member of Argilac Durrandon's royal guard.
Those Two Guys: First introduced alongside Beric Storm, with whom he seems to spend a lot of assignments, such as guarding the royal tomb of Storm's End while the king visits his deceased family.

House Dondarrion

"Strike Them Down"

— Words Of House Dondarrion

An old house from the Dornish Marches, originating from a humble messenger, who carried an important message to Storm's End while pursued by two dornish raiders. Both of the raiders were killed by lightning, allowing the messenger to deliver his message and a grateful Storm King of old to grant him lands in the marches, where the new Lord Dondarrion made his seat at Blackhaven. They are among the chief houses to fight against the dornishmen. Their current head is Eric Dondarrion.

Ser Beric Storm

The Bastard of Blackhaven

The bastard son of Lord Eric Dondarrion of Blackhaven and member of King Argilac's royal guard.

Heroic Bastard: As mentioned above, Beric is the bastard son of Eric Dondarrion. Despite the common stigma assigned with bastardy, he also serves as a proud member of House Durrandon's royal guard.
Praetorian Guard: He is a member of Argilac Durrandon's royal guard.
Those Two Guys: First introduced alongside Dickon Morrigen, with whom he seems to spend a lot of assignments, such as guarding the royal tomb of Storm's End while the king visits his deceased family.

House Buckler

"Pride and Purpose"

— Words Of House Buckler

House Buckler is one of the smaller houses of the Stormlands, controlling a small patch of land in the northern part of the kingdoms. However, together with the neighbouring houses Fell and Errol, they are known as some of the most loyal supporters of the Storm King. Their current head is Benedict Buckler.

Lord Benedict Buckler

Lord to Bronzegate and father to Bernard, Benedict is one of Argilac's northernmost vassals and despite his lack of power beyond his rather small lands, he takes his duties very seriously.

Alliterative Name: Benedict Buckler
Bald of Authority: Benedict is completely bald, as well as a seasoned warrior, proud and loyal retainer of the Storm King and essentially the first line of defense against any invasion from the north.
Character Death: Killed by Quingar Qoherys under his roof and against Orys Baratheon's orders.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While he does act rather aloof towards his son, as seen below, he does show some pride when hearing of his prowess during the joust at Storm's End. He also shows genuine praise towards Emphryus Dresfel, whom he seems to admire.
Parental Neglect: In a slightly downplayed version, it seems he and Bernard don't have the best relationship towards each other. Instead of expressing concern over his sons injuries, he spends most of their reunion remarking on his failure to court Argella Durrandon. However, he still shows a bit of pride and surprise when hearing that Bernard defeated Emphruys Dresfel during the joust.
Undying Loyalty: Towards House Durrandon in general and Argilac in particular. It is mentioned that while Benedict lacks power, especially when compared to houses as major as Estermont or Caron, he makes more than up for it with his unquestionable loyalty towards the Storm King.

Bernard Buckler

Lord Bernard Buckler

Firstborn son of House Buckler of Bronzegate and one of the three suitors for Princess Argella.

Alliterative Name: Bernard Buckler. It seems to be a family thing.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Out of the three suitors that arrive at Storm's End during Argilac's Interlude, Bernard is the one that looks the most like a warrior, as well as the most prideful of the three.
Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: As the most accomplished fighter, as well as the most openly aggressive and cocky of the three suitors, Bernard easily fits the role of the brawn.
Determinator: The only reason why he does not stop his likely futile, frustrating and utterly unwanted attempt at courting Argella Durrandon is because he is simply that determined not to disappoint his family. This is best seen during the tournament, where no matter how often the vastly more skilled Emphryus Dresfel lands a hit with his lance, Bernard refuses to go down. Though badly wounded in the process, he actually manages to win, leaving the tournament with his dignity intact.
Family Honor: Bernard feels a lot of pride for being a Buckler and feels deep loyalty for his family, to the point where the only reason he doesn't drop out of the attempt to marry Princess Argella is because he does not want to bring shame upon House Buckler.
Hidden Depths: For a man that started off as quite rude and air-headed, he shows a surprising level of introspective, some deep thoughts about his own position in life and a rather humble outlook about what he truly wants and why marrying Princess Argella isn't all that great from his point of view.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While a bit rude at first, he has no problem having a friendly talk with Drent, despite the difference in status. He also bears no ill will for Drent's feelings towards the girl he is supposed to court.
To Be Lawful or Good: Ultimately, Bernard finds himelf trapped in one of these decisions. Ordered by his father to court Princess Argella Durrandon to his best, he quickly realizes that the aloof princess is not the person he wishes to spend the rest of his life with, nor does he feel up to the challenge of ruling the Stormlands by her side, after being raised to solely rule over the rather small lands of Bronzegate for most of his life. As a result, he struggles to do the lawful thing, remaining in Storm's End and doing what his father asked of him, or to follow his own morals and wishes and just abandon an ultimately hopeless attempt to marry into the royal family.
Odd Friendship: He gets along well with Malcolm Mertyns, who is reserved and not particularly talkative, in contrast with his outspoken and belligerent nature.
Stay in the Kitchen: It is implied he might have a more traditional understanding of the Westerosi gender roles, when he expressed surprise at the princess leading soldiers to battle.
You Are in Command Now: After his father's death he becomes the new Lord of Bronzegate.

House Errol

"A Harvest Well Armed"

— Words Of House Errol

House Errol of Haystack Hall might be one of the smaller and lesser important houses in the Stormlands, yet together with their neighbours, the Bucklers of Bronzegate and the Fells of Fellwood, they are among the most loyal bannermen of House Durrandon. They are known for their small, but very fertile lands, ensuring rich trade in food with the other parts of the kingdom. Their current head is Arlan Errol.

Jonathan Errol

Secondborn son of House Errol of Haystack Hall and one of the three suitors for Princess Argella.

Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: While neither of the three suitors is described as ugly, Jonathan is the youngest of the trio and therefore the most boyish, giving him the role of the beauty out of the three.
Exact Words: His father's justification for sending him instead of the firstborn that was sent by the neighboring houses Buckler and Fell. As Argilac specifically called for second sons, he sent Jonathan instead of his heir.
Interclass Romance: According to his friend Bernard Buckler, Jonathan has feelings for a common girl in service of his family, despite the fact that he, as a member of a noble house, is far above her position. It is one reason why he is highly unwilling to properly court Princess Argella.
Out of Focus: Compared to his companions Bernard and Warrick, who each get a decently sized role in Drent's storyline, Jonathan appears merely in passing and never directly speaks with him.

House Fell

"Brave Above All"

— Words Of House Fell

House Fell of Fellwood lies in the northern parts of the Stormlands and is one of the smaller houses of the Stormlands. They are close allies with their neighbours, the houses Buckler and Errol and are among the most loyal houses of the entire kingdom. Their current head is Dontos Fell.

Warrick Fell

Heir of House Fell of Felwood and one of the three suitors for Princess Argella.

Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Out of the three suitors, Warrick fits the role of the brains, being a smart, observant and reserved person.
Bookworm: His friend Bernard Buckler states that he is more interested in books than the beautiful princess he is supposed to court, or in any woman, in fact.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Not a moron by any means, but just because he prefers reading and is generally a quiet person it doesn't mean he's incompentent at fighting, as proven by his performance at the melee tournament.
Deadpan Snarker: Snarks a bit to his friend Bernard for his lack of tact when introducing them to Princess Argella.
The Quiet One: He literally only says his name and house when presented to King Argilac and generally seems a bit bored and almost unwilling to actually court for Argella alongside his companions.
The Smart Guy: Warrick's most outstanding feature is his high intelligence. He is calm and reserved, but highly observant and manages to deduce the plot to humiliate the three suitors through sheer intelligence.
The Stoic: He doesn't talk or emote much, boredom being his default expression.
Tranquil Fury: When he finally confronts Drent over purposely singling him out in the melee and working with Argella to humiliate him, he is clearly furious, yet does not raise his voice or act aggressive in any way.
Unwanted Spouse: To a degree notably higher than with his companions Jonathan and Bernard, Warrick does not want to be at Storm's End and he does not want to marry Princess Argella despite the benefits this would offer to him. He doesn't even try to hide this fact.

House Estermont

"Steady We Move"

— Words Of House Estermont

One of the most important and powerful bannermen of House Durrandon, House Estermont of Greenstone has also always been a difficult subject to the Storm King's of House Durrandon. Being of Andal descent, they control the island of Estermont and are usually not concerned with the affairs of the mainland part of the kingdom, making them distanced from their powerful liege lords and hard to win for any cause. Their current head is the elderly Lucan Estermont, one of King Argilac's fiercest critics.

Lord Lucan Estermont

The Lord of Greenstone

The elderly Lord of Greenstone, Lucan Estermont is close to ninety years of age, which makes him one of the oldest men in Westeros and the oldest Lord of the Stormlands. He was the father of Leona Estermont, Argilac Durrandon's first wife, a match that was made to bind Greenstone closer to the throne. However, he never got over her Death by Childbirth and the following death of his grandson, which made him bitter.

Animal Motifs: Lucan, head of a house that has a turtle on its banners, is a notably Long-Lived man, who is also mentioned as being hard-headed and resilient, much like the animal itself.
Commander Contrarian: He is mentioned as having become bitter after the death of his daughter, the previous Storm Queen and her newborn son not long afterwards. King Argilac outright offended him by marrying a foreign woman after her, for love on top of that. Nowadays, he is King Argilac's fiercest critic and a very uncomfortable bannerman.
The Ghost: So far, Lucan is only mentioned and his age makes it unlikely he will be able to leave his seat at Greenstone to be present in other locations in his kingdom.
Long-Lived: In the setting, very few actually live to the age of ninety, yet Lucan has almost reached it and he makes no intent of slowing down, much to his former son-in-law's chagrin.
Outliving One's Offspring: The first of his children to die has been his daughter Leona, about three decades before the story started. Over the years, Lucan has lived for so long that all his other children have followed, leaving him with no legitimate son to name his heir. Instead, he has to settle for his eldest grandson, Jarrod.

Jarrod Estermont

The eldest grandson of the current Lord Estermont and due to the death of all of Lucan's children, he is the heir of Greenstone. He's proposed by Maester Qoherys as a possible suitor for Argella, an idea quickly shut down by Argilac since he's already married to Marianne Mertyns.

Disappeared Dad: His father has died years ago, leaving Jarrod, the only son, as his grandfather's heir.
The Ghost: Only mentioned in Argilac's interlude.
Unexpected Successor: Given how Long-Lived characters are rare in the setting, a father outliving all of his sons is highly unusual. As such, Jarrod, being Lord Lucan's grandson, is definitely not the most expected heir to Estermont.

House Mertyns

"Silence the Night"

— Words Of House Mertyns

A noble house from Mistwood in the Stormlands, House Mertyns is among the smaller of House Durrandon's principal bannermen, their seat unassuming and they themselves often overlooked, a trait which the most cunning members of their line have often used to their advantage. With a reputation for being quiet and a bit broody, the Mertyns' are nonetheless known to be loyal to House Durrandon. Their current head is Manfryd Mertyns.

Ser Malcolm Mertyns

The Black Owl

The only son and heir of Manfryd Mertyns, as well as the older brother of Marianne Estermont, wife of the future Lord Estermont, Jarrod. Malcolm is a knight of the Stormlands and of considerable skill, though he is also known for his intelligence and sharp observation skills.

Alliterative Name: Malcolm Mertyns.
Animal Motifs: Malcolm has a strong owl theme going on, being of a house that has the owl as their sigil. His physical appearance shows similarities to owls, particularly his thick eyebrows and he dresses mostly in grey. He also owns a cloak styled in the shape of owl wings. His nickname, the Black Owl, comes from his deadpan humour and dark hair.
Awesomeness by Analysis: He is able to not only correctly pin down several aspects of Argella Durrandon's character, namely her lack of genuine friends and her almost crippling perfectionism, but he also easily uncovers the true reason for Drent fighting in the melee of Storm's End.
Cool Sword: Wields the Ancestral Weapon of his family, a Valyrian steel sword called Silver Mist.
Deadpan Snarker: Bordering on being a Silent Snarker, Malcolm does not speak very much, but what little he does say is usually of a dry wit.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Subverted. Though his nickname, 'The Black Owl', makes him sound like a villainous member of the owl-themed House Mertyns, he actually did not receive it due to any darkness in his personality, but rather his dark and deadpan sense of humour as well as his black hair.
Nice Guy: Though quiet and sardonic, Malcolm is still remarkably friendly, easily getting along even with smallfolk, as seen in the casual way he interacts with Drent.
Odd Friendship: The calm and observant heir to Mistwood is apparently friends with Bernard Buckler, the confident, outspoken and belligerent heir to Bronzegate.
The Quiet One: Malcolm is definitely not a talkative man, as he prefers to let others do the talking while he observes, speaking only up after careful consideration of what he would like to say.

House Grandison

"Rouse Me Not"

— Words Of House Grandison

A house whose lands are near the border with the Reach. The family suffered greatly in the battle of Summerfield fifteen years prior when their lord and his sons all perished in combat, leaving his soft younger brother as Lord. Their current head is Horace Grandison.

Ser Gerald Grandison

The Black Lion

The heir of House Grandison of Grandview. A boisterous man who is very different from his mild-mannered father. He participated at the tourney at Storm's End.

Alliterative Name: Gerald Grandison.
Boisterous Bruiser: Argella describes him as loud and brash, and he's definitely a fighter.
Determinator: Normally someone would rest after being defeated in a melee, but he still mustered strength to participate and win the jousting.
The Ghost: While indirectly seen and mentioned, he hasn't been introduced in person.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Not only he ended as runner up of the melee tournament, he entered the jousting and won.
Unexpected Successor: Technically speaking, he hasn't inherited yet, but he was born as fourth in line, and after his uncle and cousins all perished, he found himself as the new heir of Grandview.

Other Durrandon Bannermen

Ser Emphryus Dresfel

A knight in service of House Durrandon and member of the personal guard of the royal family. Emphryus comes from a family with a long tradition of warfare and service to House Durrandon. As such, he is exceptionally loyal to them and regarded as one of the finest swordsmen of his time.

Anti-Hero: Emphryus is a harsh, battle-hungry knight, with a thuggish fighting style and a slightly bullyish behaviour around those he dislikes. Nonetheless, he is a loyal and brave Durrandon knight, which generally makes him a hero.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: House Dresfel is only minor nobility, yet Emphryus has managed to get a prestigious position in the royal guard of House Durrandon, which is a testimony to his skills. Actually an unusually high number of historical Dresfel's has served in such a position.
Badass Boast: He drops a very impressive one during the final stages of the Raid on Raylansfair:
Emphryus: “You're facing Ser Emphryus Dresfel now. I am not a barely trained boy like the ones you just cut down. I am a sworn knight of House Durrandon and the best swordsman in the world. And I am going to kill every single one of you that dares to cross this line”
Beware the Quiet Ones: Whenever he is on duty, Emphryus is not a man of many words. Yet at the same time, this is when he is at his most dangerous, as he has repeatedly shown that there is nothing he wouldn't do to keep his princess and king save.
Big Brother Instinct: Emphryus has known the Storm Princess since she was a young girl and as one of the best friends of her older brother, he has been fond of her for a long while. His protectiveness of her goes deeper than usual with bodyguards, yet he shows no signs of having a Bodyguard Crush, meaning that his feelings are likely motivated by this.
Blood Knight: One of his strongest traits is his unnerving lust for battle and bloodshed.
Bodyguarding a Badass: Emphryus is the chosen bodyguard of Argella Durrandon during their mission to Raylansfair. As it quickly turns out, she is a very capable fighter and doesn't really need his protection.
Boisterous Bruiser: In a fight, he drops his usual quietness and becomes a loud
Combat Pragmatist: Despite being a knight, Emphryus doesn't think highly of knightly combat techniques. Instead, he fights in a brutal style more befitting of a sellsword, which gives him a tremendous advantage over others. Combining this with his size and speed makes him truly unstoppable.
Cool Sword: House Dresfel has a family sword, known as The Dessel, a slightly curved bastard sword. Unlike other ancestral swords, it is not meant to look good, but solely designed to kill.
Defrosting Ice King: Over the course of Book 1, he slowly mellows down and shows just how much he actually adores Argella, especially as he realizes how much she reminds him of her older brother. He also becomes more friendly towards both, Drent and Lucas as the time progresses.
Hero Worship: He has a very high opinion on Davos Durrandon, the late crown prince of the Stormlands and older brother of Argella. When she starts acting more like him, she wins him over and he becomes one of her most ardent supporters.
Intergenerational Friendship: Emphryus is in his thirties, yet good friends with both, Argilac Durrandon and Baron Schodek who are both about twice as old as he is.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: There is no doubt that Emphryus is strong on the jerk part, but he has his moments that paint a nicer picture of him. For once, he is unfailingly loyal to his king and to his princess, whom he even adores like a brother. He shows respect to those who show loyalty or strength. And his more jerkish lines are often not unjustified either.
Kick the Dog: His behaviour around Lucas is beyond cruel, as he regularly makes smug comments towards the other knight's mutilations, openly seeing him as unfit to serve House Durrandon. Argella heavily calls him out on this.
Knight in Sour Armour: With his Blood Knight tendencies, his jerkish qualities and harsh temper, Emphryus is far from the model of a true knight. Nonetheless, he is a loyal supporter of House Durrandon and fights for what he believes is the right thing.
Legacy of Service: The Dresfel family has never been among the most powerful noble families of the Stormlands, but always among the most loyal ones, with Emphryus ancestors serving House Durrandon proudly and unfailingly. They have made up a significant part of the historical Durrandon royal guard.
Lightning Bruiser: Part of what makes him such a dangerous man is his ability to be both, very fast and very strong, as well as durable enough to take many hits when protected by armour.
Master Swordsman: Emphryus' skill is widely known and he gets a chance to show it during the Raid on Raylansfair, where he proves to be absolutely unstoppable with his sword.
Number Two: For once, this is his unofficial position among the royal guard, where he serves as the most trusted member next to their leader, Baron Schodek. However, during the Stormlander mission to Raylansfair, he is this to Argella, as the one she trusts the most and as her main bodyguard.
One-Man Army: He has always claimed to be this, but truly lives up to his reputation when he outright stops an army of Ironborn in their tracks, using a chokepoint and clever movement to avoid being surrounded and taking them on in single combat.
Pet the Dog: Despite the abrasive personality he shows around Lucas, he pulls one of these at the end of their interaction in the armoury, when he hands him an eyepatch, so that he can fit in with the other soldiers without sticking out because of his missing eye.
Praetorian Guard: Like many of his ancestors before him, he is part of the royal guard of House Durrandon.
Put the "Laughter" in "Slaughter": As part of his Boisterous Bruiser personality, Emphryus thrives on the battlefield, to the point where he has the guts to laugh as he faces down an entire army.
The Quiet One: Emphryus is not a big talker, yet makes up for it with his skill in combat. Whenever he speaks, it is in a dry, witty way, but he mostly prefers to act, or to be a silent guardian.
So Proud of You: Emphryus is moved almost to tears when Argella steps up to become the leader her father always wanted her to be. This is made particularly moving when he compares her to her deceased brother, whom he deeply admired.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: House Dresfel shows many of the traits that are commonly found with House Durrandon, hinting at possible shared ancestry between the houses. Emphryus is no exception, being a tall, wiry and very good-looking man with dark features.
Undying Loyalty: His whole family prides themselves in this and Emphryus intends to make his ancestors proud in this regard. As unwavering as his loyalty to House Durrandon is, it gets even stronger when it comes to the young princess, whom he cares for deeply.
You Shall Not Pass!: His main contribution to the defense of Raylansfair during the Ironborn attack is him holding the gates of the castle against a far superior number of foes, without letting any of them pass over a line he drew into the sand before.

Ser Baron Schodek

The eldest member of House Durrandon's royal guard, as well as their current leader. Baron is a proud, traditionally-minded warrior, who has served House Durrandon for decades. He also has a strange connection to the sellsword Garen.

Bit Character: He only appears in two chapters in Book 1, at the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth, before leaving for his own mission, without holding much importance to the plot in the meantime.
Hero of Another Story: Shortly after the Storm Princess and her entourage leaves for Raylansfair, Baron starts a mission of his own, to prevent a war between two rivalling houses, one of which sworn to House Durrandon and the other being sword to House Hoare. In doing so, he likely prevents a war between the two most powerful houses of Westeros.
Odd Friendship: He, the cultured and experienced knight, is somehow very close to Garen, the harsh, jerkish sellsword, who has a strong lack of loyalty and actually only seems to stay at Storm's End for Baron's sake.
Old Retainer: Baron has served House Durrandon for decades, which made him one of Argilac's most trusted knights, as well as one of the most respected men in the entire kingdom.
Old Soldier: Baron is one of the eldest knights in service of King Argilac, being at least as old as his liege. Nonetheless, he is still on duty and the most experienced member of the royal guard on top.
Only Sane Man: Somehow, Baron is the only one who doesn't really trust Tariel, seeing her as a danger. And indee, given that she tries to manipulate the Storm King into unjustly annexing a part of the Reach, he does have a point.
Parental Substitute: Their exact relationship hasn't been explained in too much detail, but Garen is highly fond of him, more than he usually would be about a mere friend.
Praetorian Guard: He is the leader of Argilac's royal guard.

Jax Montclair

A sergeant in the army of the Stormlands and leader of a small unit, which includes, among others, Drent Golton, as well as Edonia and Torrence Bernile. He is a calm, quiet and serious man, known for his chivalrious behaviour.

A Father to His Men: Jax clearly cares for his men and he respects them. His leadership tends to bring out the best in them and this trait in turn makes him highly respected and popular among his men.
Almighty Janitor: His rank, sergeant, is not particularly high and actually relatively easy to reach. However, he is way more competent than this and only in his current position because he wishes to remain on the frontlines, to win enough honour to become a knight one day.
The Big Guy: His role among the Stormlanders in Raylansfair is a mixture between this and The Lancer. He is the supporting leader of the Stormlanders and an authority among the soldiers.
Carry a Big Stick: His weapon of choice is a spiked metal mace.
Colonel Badass: Despite his relatively low rank, Jax sheer determination towards his job, as well as his physical strength and skill, make him one of the most formidable soldiers among the entire Stormlander army, which in itself qualifies as a Badass Army.
Consummate Professional: No matter what, Jax remains professional and dedicated to his position and the house he serves. He also has a total lack of tolerance for soldiers who behave less professional under his command.
Deathbed Promotion: As he lays dying, Argella officially knights him, and even though she technically doesn't have the authority to do that, Argilac is willing to let it pass and let Jax be remembered as a knight.
Dying Moment of Awesome: Jax dies in horrible agony, after being poisoned by arrows meant for the Storm Princess. His death is equal parts awesome and heartbreaking, as he manages to Go Out with a Smile, knowing that he saved the life of the future queen of the Stormlands twice in a manner of second. He even mustered the strength to take the second arrow meant for her, this time by deliberately using his shoulder as a shield.
Family Man: It's something he doesn't talk about much, but Jax has two young sons whom he cares greatly for. His wife died years ago, leaving him a widower and his actions ever since have been motivated by his desire to keep them save and cared for.
Go Out with a Smile: In his final moments, Argella reveals to him that she intends to knight him, before swiftly going through with the ceremony. Jax realizes what this will mean to his sons, who will now be the sons of a knight, which fills him with deep satisfaction despite the pain he is in.
I Just Want to Be Badass: Jax himself is plenty of badass already, but he wishes to be nothing more than to take th extra level and become a knight, a dream he had since he was merely a little boy.
The Reliable One: Something that gets him the personal attention of the Storm King eventually is his reputation to be a very reliable man, the kind of soldier one can trust, which he constantly proves due to his dedication.
Sergeant Rock: He fits the trope to a T.
Taking the Bullet: In the final stages of the Raid on Raylansfair, Jax notices an archer who prepares to take a shot at the Storm Princess. He blocks the arrow with his shield, though due to the unique nature of the bow, it goes right through and pierces his arm. Despite being in pain over this, he manages to catch the second arrow as well, by pushing his shoulder in the way, all the while he shouts orders for Drent to gt the princess to safety.
The Quiet One: Jax doesn't really speak much and relies his orders in a calm, quiet voice, which is still enough to get his point across. He gets slightly more chatty when off-duty, but he rarely allows himself such a luxury.
Undying Loyalty: His loyalty to House Durrandon is absolute, to the point where he doesn't hesitate to risk his life to defend their members, especially the Storm Princess, whom he grew fond of.

Drent Golton*

Ser Drent Golton

A young soldier in the army of the Stormlands. Originally from the Reach, he left his home many years ago to build a new life in the Kingdom of the Stormlands, where he joined the army. He is one of the Point-of-View characters in the story.

Almighty Janitor: Despite being a lowly soldier, Drent is one of the most capable men that surround the Storm Princess during her mission to Raylansfair. She, as well as his commanding officer, recognize this and often give him the harder, more specialized tasks.
Anti-Hero: For the most time, Drent has traits of a typical hero, being noble, brave and compassionate. However, as a soldier of one of the more morally grey kingdoms of Westeros, he is fully ready to do questionable acts when ordered to. He has repeatedly shown of being fully capable to act in a heroic way, but when forced to decide between his orders and between what he believes to be right, he has so far always chosen his orders.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: There is some heavy subtext between him and Argella. The belligerent part is mostly on her side though, whereas he's a little more straightforward about his feelings.
Bodyguard Crush: While spending time with her as her bodyguard, Drent slowly starts to develop feelings for Argella.
Bodyguarding a Badass: Argella, being very much a Pretty Princess Powerhouse, doesn't really need his protection, as she has repeatedly shown. It is entirely possible that she's a better fighter than him, having received heavy training by the best warriors in the Stormlands for years.
Combat Pragmatist: Drent serves under Jax Montclair, who encourages this sort of behaviour. As such, Drent has no problems with fighting dirty and while his opponent is at a disadvantage.
Deadpan Snarker: He has quite the sharp wit.
Going Native: Not a native of the Stormlands, Drent moved there many years ago, after his fiancee died from a disease. Feeling like he has nothing left in his homeland, he soon settled in and is now considered a full Stormlander.
Headbutting Heroes: After betraying his trust to gain Argella's favour, any bit of friendship between Drent and Garen is gone. Even before, they didn't really got along, but afterwards, they firmly cross into this territory.
Heartbroken Badass: Eventually, Drent reveals that he used to have a fiancee, who died due to a terrible disease in his hometown. Losing his beloved prompted him to leave his homeland and to settle down in the Stormlands.
Interclass Romance: Admittedly, it hasn't been more than a Ship Tease so far, but a very heavy one at that, with confirmed feelings on Drent's side. The object of his affection is none other than Princess Argella Durrandon, crown princess of the Kingdom of the Stormlands, whereas he is a mere soldier in her father's army.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Drent's jerkish qualities are downplayed, but still very much there and occasionally shown. He can be a bit of a dick, turning on those who trust him (even if it's only a minor breach of trust), putting his orders before doing the morally good thing and being capable of petty behaviour. However, he is brave, generally a good person and with a lot of care for his friends.
Just Following Orders: This is how he justifies his questionable actions, by citing his orders.
Knighting: For his deeds both at Raylansfair and at Bronzegate, he's knighted by King Argilac himself.
The Lancer: During the mission to Raylansfair, Drent grows exceptionally close to Argella, to the point where she seems to trust him more than any other soldier, including his commanding officer, Jax Montclair.
My Country, Right or Wrong: More often than not, Drent morally questions the orders he gets, or the behaviour of his king, but in the end, he is loyal to the Stormlands and puts aside any objections he might be able to bring up.
Number Two: In Montclair's group of soldiers, he is second to the sergeant only.
The Reliable One: Drent has repeatedly shown to be exceptionally dutiful as a soldier, to the point where he is trusted with the most important tasks during their mission to Raylansfair. However, his status as The Reliable One does not extend to personal relationships, where he can occasionally betray the trust others put into him, out of his loyalty to House Durrandon.
Secret-Keeper: After walking in on them during the intercourse, Drent is among the few people that are outright aware of Garen's secret relationship with Argella's advisor Tariel. Both make him swear not to tell anyone about this.
Ship Tease: There has been a notably large number of hints between him and Argella.
Smarter Than You Look: While he doesn't exactly look stupid by any means, Drent has the appearance of a typical soldier and is seen by many as a mere commoner. He is, in fact, a very smart man, which often comes as a surprise to those that underestimate him previously.
Sympathetic P.O.V.: A Zig-Zagged example. He usually is fairly sympathetic and heroic, as well as one of the more likable Point-of-View characters in the story. However, his betrayal of Garen's trust can't really be justified that easily, yet it isn't held against him in the narrative (save for Garen's reaction) and not portrayed as overly negative, mostly because Garen has been portrayed as an abrasive Jerkass before.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Drent is described as such, complete with a Perma-Stubble.
To Be Lawful or Good: During the Raid on Raylansfair, he encounters Ian Shortwood again, who offers peace between them if Drent helps him in saving a group of unarmed civilians. However, Drent is also on orders to guard a relatively unimportant side street. Deciding to be lawful in this case, he finds himself forced to decline Ian's offer.
Undying Loyalty: He already starts the story pretty loyal to House Durrandon, but over the course of it, as he grows closer to Argella, he becomes even more ardently loyal to the house and to her in particular.
What the Hell, Hero?: After betraying his trust and revealing his negative opinion on the princess to Argella herself, Garen is understandably pissed at him and calls him out on this quite heavily.

Edonia Bernile

One of the soldiers in the Storm King's army, as well as one of the few women who fight for House Durrandon. Edonia is the older sister of Torrence Bernile and loves her brother dearly, yet wishes that he would do more with his life. She is a famous archer and well-respected for this skill.

The Ace: Edonia is noted to be perfect at mostly everything she tries. She is unfailingly nice, respected and liked by most of the people around her, a highly talented archer and dutiful soldier, as well as quite smart. This is one of the reasons Torrence resents her.
Action Girl: As a female soldier, Edonia is portrayed no less capable than her male companions.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: When it seems that the Storm Princess has Torrence at her mercy and intends to mutilate him, Edonia is reduced to begging for his life and health. It turned out to be unnecessary, but its the sentiment that counts.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: It is, like most things in their relationship, a one-sided example, but for all the times Edonia has been annoyed by her brother's antics, Edonia displays genuine care and worry whenever he is truly in danger.
Beauty Equals Goodness: Edonia is noted for her beauty and she is also one of the most straightforwardly nice characters in the entire story, showing no signs of a secret agenda behind her kindness, which many around her consider refreshing.
Beware the Nice Ones: Yes, Edonia is a very nice and kind person who is easily one of the most likable characters in the cast. This doesn't mean that she isn't among the most deadly ones, with her skills in ranged combat.
Big Sister Instinct: Despite the fact that he doesn't truly like her all that much, Edonia loves her brother and sees herself as responsible for him. This is the main reason why she even joined the army of the Storm King, to be close to him at all times and to look after him.
Combat Pragmatist: All things considered, Edonia simply isn't as strong as a man, being of far shorter and slimmer build. She makes up for this with pragmatism, mostly picking her targets from afar and she is very good at killing with her bow.
Fiery Redhead: In a downplayed example of the trope, Edonia still shows some fiery traits, but not as many as the trope played straight. She is calm and analytical, unless her brother is in danger, which triggers a very rash and hectic side of hers.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: There is no doubt that Edonia is the responsible sibling in her relationship with Torrence, who is a big fool. She tries to control his foolish antics, to little avail, while being helpless to save him from himself.
Friendly Sniper: Edonia is a very talented archer and deadly in ranged combat, yet this doesn't stop her from being friendly, chatty and easy to like. In fact, she is so nice that many forget just how deadly she can be.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Despite personally disagreeing with the kind of politic the Storm king is pursuing, Edonia stays loyal to House Durrandon, partially because she has sworn an oath and partially because she wishes to keep an eye on her brother, who would serve the house no matter what.
Nice Gal: Edonia's most obvious trait is that she is the living embodiement of this trope.
Parental Abandonment: When she was just a young child, her partents where killed by a disease, leaving her and her brother orphaned. This in turn lead to her being made his legal guardian.
Promotion to Parent: After the early death of her parents, Edonia was left in charge of Torrence. Being only two years older than him and very young when she got orphaned, she didn't quite make the best job with this.
Sibling Rivalry: A very one-sided example, but Torrence considers himself her rival. Edonia loves her brother dearly and is quite hurt by this behaviour. She is unable to get through to him in his attempts to best her.
Sibling Yin-Yang: The nice, kind and likable Edonia is the sister of the awkward, jerkish Torrence. Where she is The Ace and respected for her skills and sense of duty, as well as for her likable personality, Torrence is the polar opposite, being only mediocre as a fighter, not kind and friendly and disliked for being a bit of a jerk and a tryhard.
Sour Supporter: Edonia makes no secret out of her low opinion on House Durrandon in general. She seems to be particularly annoyed by the Storm King's shameless display of violence and thirst for war.
The Squadette: Among the inner circle of soldiers around Sergeant Montclair, Edonia is the only woman and she is not the slightest bit less of a kick-ass than her companions. In fact, she might even be better than them.
Stepford Smiler: No matter the situation, Edonia faces them with a kind smile, even when she shouldn't be. This opens up the strong possibility, which Drent even lampshades, that she isn't even nearly as cheerful as she seems to be and that the constant struggle with her brother has left a toll on her.
Undying Loyalty: Not to House Durrandon in general, mind you, but after seeing her in action, Edonia developed deep loyalty to Argella. It got only stronger when the princess risked a lot to save her brother from a dangerous situation.

Torrence Bernile

The younger brother of Edonia. Like his sister, he is a soldier in the army of the Storm King. Unlike her, he is a swordsman, but not a particularly talented one, which leads to many problems between the siblings.

Always Someone Better: To him, it is his own sister, who is more talented, more popular, more respected and generally better in everything than him. This is a major reason why he has a dislike of her.
Butt-Monkey: Torrence has a talent to get into situations where things don't quite work out for him. Over the course of Book 1, only Garen is more of an example of this trope among the Stormlanders. Even his introduction scene cements his status already, by causing him to get into a fight with none other than Argella Durrandon.
Casanova Wannabe: He likes to style himself as a charming womanizer, when he actually comes across as rather sleazy an unlikable. This is best seen when he tries to seduce the Storm Princess, even if he fails to recognize her at the time. She reacts appropriately disgusted by his advances.
Defrosting Ice King: His introduction features him getting into a fight with Drent and he is quite sour and angry for a while afterwards. However, he slowly warms up to Drent again, revealing a softer, more likable side of his.
Fearless Fool: As Jax notices, this is th reason why he isn't more trusted among the Storm King's army. His craving for recognition often leads to him overestimating his own skills or underestimating the enemy, which in turn often makes him a liablity more than a genuine help.
Fiery Redhead: Like his sister, he has dark red hair and he has also the temper to match, being quick to anger or to annoy and fearless in battle.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Torrence is without a doubt the foolish one to Edonia's responsible. Where Edonia is calm and rational, Torrence often puts himself in danger without even realizing the severity of his situations.
Glory Seeker: Torrence's deepest wish is to become a knight, a hero even, respected, known and love by everyone around him. He is so far away from this that he tries to achieve this way too hard.
Hidden Depths: Behind the careless, jerkish facade, Torrence can be quite a thoughtful man, who puts a lot of thinking into how to be more well-liked by the men around him and how to surpass his sister.
I Just Want to Be Badass: Torrence wishes for nothing more but to be a famous and renowned swordsman, so that he can win the approval of the other Stormlanders. The fact that he is anything but a badass and actually merely mediocre in combat stresses him immensely.
Inferiority Superiority Complex: A main reason for Torrence's arrogance is actually a feeling of being inferior and living in Edonia's shadow. It triggers a counter-reaction, which causes him to act more inflated and arrogant than he truly is.
Jerk Justifications: The main reason why Torrence can be a bit of a dick is because he tries too hard to appear badass and likable. He fails at both, which makes him only further frustrated and prone to act in the rash, hot-headed ways that make him such a disliked man in the first place.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Make no mistake, Torrence is a jerk, despite having more likable qualities as well. A lot of his abrasiveness doesn't come from his Inferiority Superiority Complex, but it's really the way he is. Nonetheless, he tries his best to be a better man than he appears to be at first and he has his fair shar of likable traits as wll, once someone gets to know him better.
Oh, Crap!: He has a very strongly reaction when he finally realizes that it was Argella Durrandon he messed with.
Parental Abandonment: Both of his parents died when he was very young, leaving him in the care of his barely older sister Edonia. She has struggled with raising such a stubborn boy, leaving to him growing up with some serious issues.
Sibling Rivalry: It is a one-sided rivalry, as Edonia has no intentions of being his rival, but Torrence nonetheless feels inferior to Edonia and therefore tries to beat her at everything he does. Usually, he fails, which only makes him more annoyed with her.
Sibling Yin-Yang: His sister Edonia is both, a Nice Gal and The Ace, traits which make her very popular. Torrence has to live in her shadow, is mediocre in combat and in social situations as well, disliked for being kind of a jerk and highly frustrated with his position in life, whereas Edonia is, understandably, more happy with her lot.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He is tall and very handsome, with dark auburn hair that highlights to brown.
Too Dumb to Live: Somehow, Torrence manages not to recognize the Storm Princess as she stands in front of him and he manages not only to seriously offend her, but also to accidentally hit her in his fight with Drent. It is partially justified though in that she was wearing commoner's clothes with the intention of not appearing too suspicion. Still, given that she is famous for her good looks, he could have recognized her, should have, as Drent and Edonia both notice.
The Un-Favourite: Not to his parents, who died when he was young and apparently loved him and his sister dearly, but to his commanding officer, Jax Montclair, who clearly favours the more dutiful and skilled Edonia.

Garen

A sellsword who recently found work at the Storm King's court. Thanks to his connection to Ser Baron Schodek, one of the king's oldest and most trusted friends, Garen has risen to prominence at the court, which ultimately gave him a bit of trust from King Argilac himself.

Anti-Hero: The only reason Garen even qualifies as a hero is because of his affiliation with the usually heroic Stormlanders. Other than that, he lacks any sort of heroic trait.
Bastard Bastard: Garen's father is unknown, with the implication that he is a bastard and while he is not evil, he is a major Jerkass without many likable traits.
Butt-Monkey: All things considered, Garen can be a pain in the ass, but he usually swiftly gets some karmic justice, which happens quite often. Him badmouthing the Storm Princess gets him into trouble when Drent decides to reveal this to her and when he causes trouble later on, he is swiftly knocked out by Montclair, with the implication that he'll get further punishment once he would wake up again. Few scenes in the story truly work out of him.
Everyone Has Standards: Despite being a Jerkass and prone to Kick the Dog, Garen does have a few lines he wouldn't cross and things he sees as too harsh. A good example would be the way King Argilac deals with the Storm King, which he sees as highly unnecessary.
Friends with Benefits: His relationship with Tariel started off as this. While it remains in this field for him, there are hints that she has taken a more romantic liking to him.
Headbutting Heroes: After Drent betrayed his trust, by revealing his opinion about the Storm Princess to her, he really doesn't get along with him anymore. While he at least tried to act civil around him before, even if he was rather smug and belittling towards Drent, any semblance of this faded the moment he learned about Drent's betrayal.
Hot Guys Are Bastards: Garen is described as a very good-looking man, having the unearthly features of the Valyrians. At the same time, he is a massive Jerkass and a Bastard Bastard, who is rather easy to dislike.
Jerkass: One of the most major non-evil examples in the story.
Jerkass Has a Point: For all his rude and abrasive traits, it can't be denied that he is correct with his disapproval of Argilac Durrandon's actions. He it the only one who actually realizes the danger this puts the entire kingdom into and though he doesn't word it in a diplomatic fashion, he certainly has a point when he disapproves of such behaviour in general.
Kick the Dog: The most serious example might be the way he interacts with Tariel. The woman clearly holds feelings for him and seeks his approval, yet he treats her as harsh as he treats anyone else, despite how obviously she is wounded by this.
Odd Friendship: Despite their heavy differences, he is friends with a highly experienced knight, Ser Baron Schodek, who is a member of King Argilac's royal guard. In fact, they are so close that Baron might be more to him than just a friend.
Only in It for the Money: Being a sellsword, Garen is highly open about this.
Only Sane Man: In Chapter 4, he is portrayed as the only one critical of Argilac mutilating the Targaryen ambassador, a move that will clearly provoke a needless war against a powerful enemy in a time where the Stormland's don't need this enemy.
Pragmatic Hero: His advice leans towards the most pragmatic at all times. He has no problem with leaving others behind or screwing them over if it means putting himself into a better position and there is a lot he would do for his own gain, out of sheer pragmatism.
Punch-Clock Hero: Garen is not a classical hero in any way. Being a sellsword, he makes it clear just why he serves the Storm King, with the implication that he wouldn't do so if the pay wouldn't be outstanding.
The Resenter: Though Garen dislikes House Durrandon in general, his mood seems to grow especially sour whenever Argella does something that gives her the approval of those around her, with the implication that he has a particular grudge against her.
Secret Relationship: Shortly after arriving in Storm's End, he started one with Tariel. It gets uncovered by Drent in Chapter 8, when he almost walks in on them. That said, given Tariel's obvious feelings for him, many other characters had a similar suspicion even before.
Sour Supporter: He has no illusions about the king he works for. In fact, he is even overly cynical and negative about House Durrandon and their mission to Raylansfair, wasting no time to voice his disapproval whenever possible.
Street Smart: Garen never shows signs of having received formal education and frankly, being a bastard he never really had a chance, yet he is anything but stupid. He correctly understands even diplomatic nuances and his advice, though pragmatic and cynical, is often quite sound from a certain point of view.
Tap on the Head: Suffers from one for the scene he causes while the Stormlanders try to give food to the smallfolk. While he tries to stir up trouble there, after being insulted by a man, Montclair swiftly intervenes by giving him one of these.
What the Hell, Hero?: Usually, Garen is not the one to speak about morals, but when Drent betrays his trust, he is portrayed as absolutely rightful in his anger, when he calls Drent out on this behaviour.
White Hair, Black Heart: A slightly downplayed example. His heart is less black and more amoral, but occasionally, these two traits overlap. There are few moral lines he wouldn't cross if he is sufficiently paid for it. In any way, his hair has the platinum blonde of the Valyrians, the closest natural hair colour there is to white.

Tariel

Tariel was born as a bastard in the city of Raylansfair. Through several events in her past, she was exiled from the city and ended up at the court of the Storm King, where her exceptional intelligence and beauty eventually gave her a position as one of his advisors.

All Girls Want Bad Boys: Tariel is highly attracted to the unrepentant Jerkass Garen, despite, or maybe especially because of the way he treats her. Her attraction has become so strong that she is barely able to hide it and it seems to be at least partially fuelled by his cold Bad Boy persona.
Anti-Villain: Sure, her actions are villainous, but Tariel is also a major Broken Bird, whose motives at least evoke sympathy. She's also not truly evil and capable of realizing that she took it too far once it got laid out to her.
Bastard Bastard: Tariel's birth name, which she hates, is Tariel Flowers. Initially appearing as a Heroic Bastard, she slowly reveals her true colour, being an envious, spiteful woman who never got over how she was wronged in her past. She ends up manipulating the Storm King and those around him all for a chance at getting her revenge.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She poses as a mere advisor to the Storm King, hiding her manipulative and vengeful nature. Below this facade, she is a Manipulative Bitch and obsessed wth her vengeance, to the point where she is willing to seriously Kick the Dog to get what she wants.
Brainy Brunette: Her brown hair is also a sign of her extraordinary intelligence.
Broken Bird: After everything she's been through, little remains of the once innocent and idealistic Tariel, safe for a broken, sorrowful woman, who fills this void with meaningless relationships and political schemes, all the while plotting her revenge on the people of Raylansfair.
The Chessmaster: At the very least, she considers her to be one and given her success, she has good reason to assume that she truly is this. She is surely capable of making complex schemes, yet the main Chessmaster is her friend Sherryl, who truly pulls the strings.
Dark and Troubled Past: As described below, she was used as The Scapegoat by those who blamed her for her lovers death and the subsequent ruin of Raylansfair's economy. As a girl of merely sixteen years, she was cast out from her childhood home, forced to abandon her friends, some of which hold a grudge against her to this day and forced to start a new life elsewhere.
The Exile: After being blamed for her lover's death, Tariel was exiled from her childhood home of Raylansfair and forced to move away. She was notably young at this time, barely sixteen.
Fall Guy: Ultimately, it turns out that this is her role in Sherryl's game. It absolutely crushes her, to the point where even Argella, normally unsympathetic to her, shows some softness towards her.
Green-Eyed Monster: As it turns out, Tariel's main motivation aside from revenge is envy towards those who still have the simple live in Raylansfair she has always yearned for. This envy drives her to her worst actions.
Kick the Dog: Tariel wants to get back at the people who once wronged her and destroyed her old life. However, she crossed the line quite heavily when she extends this to every person in Raylansfair, innocent men, women and children included, just to get her revenge on a selected few, when she urges Argella to leave them to die. Argella of course is having none of it.
Manipulative Bitch: Using her good looks, Tariel is fully capable of using emotions she evokes in others, both of the positive and negative kind, to her favour, by playing people against each other. She is not even nearly as skilled as Sherryl when it comes to this though.
My God, What Have I Done?: After being verbally destroyed by the Storm Princess, Tariel seems to undergo a change of heart, realizing just how far her thirst for vengeance has taken her. She ends up begging Argella to support the people of Raylansfair, a move that earns her at least partial redemption.
Out-Gambitted: Tariel is a skilled and capable manipulator. However, not even she has expected to be betrayed by her alleged best friend Sherryl, who used her as a Fall Guy and took credit for their shared scheme, eventually twisting it into something that merely supports her own side.
Rags to Riches: Born a lowly bastard and banished from her home town, Tariel's intelligence and beauty eventually helped her to an impressive rise in power once she arrived at the Storm King's court, where she even managed to catch his ear with her sound advice. Today, she is a lady, noble in all but name and highly respected by the lord of the Stormlands.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Tariel is described as stunningly beautiful, with dark brown hair and pale skin to put even more emphasis on it. In fact, she is beautiful enough not to pale next to Argella.
The Scapegoat: In her youth, Tariel's first lover was an influential married merchant in Raylansfair, who mostly used her youthful naivety to his favour. When his wife found out about his affair, she killed him with an axe in a fit of rage, trying to kill Tariel as well, something the city guard prevented her from doing. Thing is, after the wife got hanged for murder, the vast trading empire of Tariel's lover was ruined and with it, Raylansfair's economy. Many lost their job and source of living and in their anger, they blamed Tariel for all of this, as if she was the one initiating the affair.
Secret Relationship: Shortly after his arrival in Storm's End, Garen caught her eye and the two developed a strictly physical relationship. Her behaviour around him hint at a crush though, which is decidedly one-sided.
Sex for Solace: Drent encounters her relationship with Garen when he almost walks in on both of them in the act. This happens only hours after Tariel got humiliated and betrayed by her oldest and most trusted friend, which means that this trope likely applied.
Smug Snake: Her arrogance is her greatest flaw and eventually comes to bite her, when the one person she fully trusted ends up turning against her and betraying her, leaving her without any sort of a backup plan.
Then Let Me Be Evil: Tariel once was a genuinely sweet, young woman, who fell for the wrong man and was ruined by the backlash of their relationship, which included of her being used as a scapegoat for the things that followed upon her lover's death. The constant abuse and hostility she had to face eventually caused her to snap and to turn into a much darker person, not exactly evil, but obsessed with getting her revenge upon the people of Raylansfair who treated her so badly.
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: The abuse she had to suffer makes her motives, her anger and sorrow, very understandable. It evokes sympathy even in those who usually aren't too fond of her and who disapprove of her goals. All in all, Tariel only acts out of being hurt, lashing out like a wounded animal.

Maester Qoherys

The new Maester of Storm's End after the death of his predecessor, the elderly Maester Raymond. Qoherys has Valyrian features and is noted to be more warrior than scholar, yet due to him replacing the incredibly well-liked Raymond, the court of Storm's End has a hard time warming up to him.

Badass Bookworm: As a Maester, Qoherys is definitely a bookish man. However, he has studied war and forged more than one link of his chain from iron, showing he has a lot of knowledge on the matter. He is also described as looking like a warrior by the Storm King, himself a warrior of a legendary reputation.
Genius Bruiser: Qoherys' general physique is more that of a warrior and he wears a gambeson beneath his robes, proving that he is every bit a fighter as he is a scholar.
Loyal to the Position: Like most Maesters, he's now loyal to the ruler of Storm's End regardless of his personal feelings, although he seems to be genuinely trying to prove his worth.
Our Founder: Reveals that before he became a Maester, he was the founder of House Qoherys, which carries his name, and he's the uncle of Quenton Qoherys and the great-uncle of Quingar.
Reasonable Authority Figure: While his advice might not be what Argilac Durrandon wants to hear, Qoherys offers it regardless, as he sees it as the best course of action for the Stormlands in the war to come.
Sucksessor: He's seen as this by Argilac, since he has replaced Maestr Raymond, who has served House Durrandon for seventy years and was considered family by the Storm King.
Token Heroic Valyrian: Qoherys is, so far, the only pureblooded Valyrian who is opposed to Aegon and House Targaryen, by virtue of being the Maester assigned to Storm's End, therefore serving one of Aegon's strongest enemies.

The Dornish Marches

Symond Brownwell

The captain of the Stormlander forces in the Dornish Marches, where he serves in a joint operation with soldiers from the Reach. Little else is known about him, as he does not appear in Book 1, but prominently send a letter to the King, which got discussed in the war council of Storm's End.

The Ghost: Symond does not appear in Book 1, but is mentioned during the Storm King's war council.
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: He certainly believes so, which is why he informs King Argilac that Yoreen Flowers, the commander of the Reach forces, has outlawed rape among his men, in the hopes that Argilac will order the same.
Reasonable Authority Figure: His letter gives off such an impression.
Sergeant Rock: From his letter, it can be deduced that he is a tough, no-nonsense type of soldier and her serves in a position of medium leadership, as one of the commanders of the operation in the Dornish Marches, a place of minor skirmishes between the Stormlanders and the Dornishmen.

Characters / Forum of Thrones - The Stormlands

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