Stonehelm, the seat of House Swann, was one of the targets of the Vulture King’s rebellion. Its siege drew Orys Baratheon into his final campaign: he rode from Storm’s End to relieve the stronghold, and died on the return march from wounds sustained in the battle.

Setting and Lordship

Stonehelm belonged to House Swann. During the rebellion, the Vulture King divided his large force, sending one half east to besiege the castle while he led the other west toward Nightsong and Horn Hill. The eastern host was commanded by Lord Walter Wyl, son of the Widow-lover.

The Siege and Relief

Orys Baratheon, by then known as Orys One-Hand, rode out from Storm’s End to break the Dornish force beneath Stonehelm’s walls. Walter Wyl was captured during the fighting. Orys exacted a severe reprisal, invoking the loss of his own hand at Walter’s father’s hands. The battle relieved House Swann’s seat, but Orys had himself been wounded in the action.

Aftermath and Significance

Orys died on the march back to Storm’s End. His son Davos later said that his father died content, recalling the vengeance he had taken against Walter Wyl. Stonehelm’s siege was one of two disastrous engagements brought about by the Vulture King’s decision to divide his forces; the separate defeat of the western host helped turn the wider campaign into the rout remembered as the Vulture Hunt.