The new region, Stormlands, in Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is situated in the southeastern corner of Westeros. It is the ancestral seat of House Baratheon, the new masters of the Seven Kingdoms. Named for the relentless storms howling off the Narrow Sea, the locals are, as you might expect, a rather rugged and bellicose bunch. It is a land that prides itself on martial prowess—after all, it produced the legendary Robert Baratheon.

Now, Robert isn't the only one in the picture. He had two younger brothers: Stannis and Renly. After Robert’s death, both declared themselves king, sparking the War of the Five Kings. Renly met a grisly end, and Stannis, fresh from his defeat, has retreated to the Stormlands. This is where our protagonist enters the fray, seeking obsidian and crossing paths with Stannis. Let's peel back the layers of this complicated man.

Turns out, legitimacy doesn't buy you a throne.

Stannis is a man who treats the law like a holy scripture. He is a rigid, uncompromising legalist who wouldn't know a grey area if it hit him in the face. To put it politely, he is a man of principle; to put it bluntly, he is as flexible as a brick wall. This trait has defined, and arguably ruined, his entire career.

During Robert’s Rebellion, Stannis held the line at Storm's End. With only 500 men, he withstood a year-long siege by the Tyrell host. They were reduced to eating rats and stewed leather boots, yet Stannis refused to break. It was here he gained his most loyal follower, Davos Seaworth, though the origin of their bond is truly baffling.

Davos, a common smuggler at the time, figured he could turn a tidy profit by running the blockade to feed the starving garrison with onions and fish. His timely arrival gave the dying men enough strength to keep fighting. Stannis rewarded him by granting him a knighthood, the name 'Seaworth', and a small keep.

But because this is Stannis, he couldn't just let it slide. A smuggler is a criminal, regardless of the circumstances. As justice for his past crimes, Stannis chopped off the tips of Davos's fingers. It is peak Stannis—punishing a man for saving his life. Bizarrely, Davos kept the finger bones in a pouch around his neck as a good luck charm. It’s a strange, masochistic sort of loyalty that I simply cannot wrap my head around.

Despite holding the line for a year, Robert gave Storm's End to his youngest brother Renly, leaving Stannis with the dreary volcanic island of Dragonstone. It was a massive slight, though some argue it was a position of prestige once held by Targaryen crown princes. Stannis eventually served as Master of Ships, thanks to his undeniable naval brilliance.

However, after Jon Arryn’s suspicious death, Stannis discovered the truth: Cersei Lannister's children were not Robert's. He retreated to Dragonstone, rallied his banners, and declared himself the 'King of the Narrow Sea'. Despite having the strongest legal claim, his prickly personality left him with no allies. Even his own brother Renly turned against him, rallying the Stormlords to his own cause. A lack of charisma really is a fatal flaw in politics.

Stannis besieged Storm's End, and after Renly was assassinated, he absorbed his brother’s army. With 20,000 men and 200 ships, he marched on King's Landing. Disaster struck at the Blackwater, where Tyrion Lannister’s trap and a betrayal by the Reach decimated his forces. It was his first, and most devastating, defeat.

Mental collapse, meet the plague.

As if a shattered army wasn't enough, a plague broke out in the Stormlands. It turned out that a radical splinter group of R'hllor worshippers—the followers of Stannis's advisor, Melisandre—had spread the disease to undermine the influence of the Faith of the Seven. Stannis was at his breaking point.

Enter our protagonist, seeking obsidian and offering aid. Stannis, ever the grump, initially treated them with cold suspicion. But as the player efficiently dealt with the heretic Iridum and worked with the maesters to formulate a cure, Stannis began to soften. In a world where competent people are hard to find, the protagonist became an invaluable asset.

Stannis rewards merit, if nothing else. He offered the player lordship over Griffin's Roost and recognition as head of House Tyrell. The player, naturally, declined to protect their own ancestral lands. Stannis, seemingly impressed, handed over the obsidian and prepared to march North. 'The Night's Watch has called for aid, and as King, I must answer,' he declared. We shall see what becomes of his march when we meet him in the North.