Second Dornish War

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
Second Dornish War
Location Dornish Marches
Battles Battle at Stonehelm
Siege of Nightsong
Result Iron Throne victory
Iron Throne: Vulture King
House Wyl
Notable commanders
Lord Orys Baratheon
Lord Samwell Tarly
Lord Harmon Dondarrion
Lady Ellyn Caron
Vulture King†
Lord Walter Wyl
At Stonehelm:
  • ~7,500[1]
  • hundreds of knights
    several thousand spearmen
    +30,000 smallfolk[2][1]

    The Second Dornish War was the battle against the first Vulture King and his followers when they invaded the Reach and stormlands during the reign of King Aenys I Targaryen in 37 AC.[1]


    The Vulture King was a Dornish outlaw who gathered thousands of followers to rise against King Aenys I Targaryen; the outlaw wished to avenge Dorne for the destruction wrought upon her by House Targaryen during the First Dornish War. Although Deria Martell, the Princess of Dorne, denounced the Vulture King, she did not take to the field. The Vulture King managed to become the largest of the four rebellions King Aenys I faced during the first year of his reign.[1]

    The Vulture King scored a number of early victories against the Marcher lords, and his support swelled to more than thirty thousand men, most of them smallfolk. With such a large host, the Vulture King decided to divide his forces in two, sending one half to besiege Stonehelm under the command of Lord Walter Wyl while marching ahead the other half against Nightsong and Horn Hill. Unable to capture Nightsong, the Vulture King halted his siege and began to march west.[1]

    Vulture Hunt

    The end of the War was known as the Vulture Hunt, the Vulture King's decision to split his army allowed the opposing forces to easily defeat him. Lord Orys Baratheon of Storm's End defeated the Dornish host led by Lord Walter Wyl during a battle at House Swann's castle of Stonehelm. Walter was captured alive, and Lord Orys, to avenge the loss of his own sword hand at the hand of Walter's father, the Wyl of Wyl, had Walter's hands and feet hacked off as "usury".[1][3]

    Lady Ellyn Caron and Lord Harmon Dondarrion, the Lord of Blackhaven who had been mutilated by the Vulture King earlier in his campaign, cut off his retreat, while Lord Samwell Tarly appeared in his line of march. The Vulture King's lines shattered and his host fled. The hunt for these fleeing rebels became known as the "Vulture Hunt".[1][2] The Vulture King himself was captured alive and tied naked between two posts, where he was left to die. He eventually died of thirst and exposure, although the singers like to claim the rebel king was torn to pieces by the vultures from whom he had taken his name.[1][2]


    To show his gratitude for their services, King Aenys I Targaryen rewarded Davos Baratheon, Lord Samwell Tarly, Lady Ellyn Caron, and Lord Harmon Dondarrion with gold, offices and honors.[1]


    3. The World of Ice & Fire, The Stormlands: Andals in the Stormlands.