The Baratheons would have been better off in the North

[Floki of the Ironborn]

When I look at the Baratheons, they seem to be incredibly misplaced regarding the region they rule. The Stormlands are militaristic, sure, with no cities or huge marketplaces like the other southern kingdoms, but their bannermen are among the most fickle, disloyal, and contentious as anywhere except the Iron islands. Even the marcher lords deserve to have weathervanes for sigils. 

Meanwhile most of the Baratheons are not deep thinkers, nor are they particularly duplicitous. They seem mostly straightforward and direct, preferring action to words. They strike me as being closer to Umbers or Karstarks than any southern lord. Their ancestors even have a shared history with the Starks. Robert and Stannis are also clearly disdainful of Andal gods, customs, and hypocritical chivalry. Sure, Renly is an outlier but he’s just that, an outlier.

I feel like if the Baratheons had been Stark bannermen in the North, they would have been much happier than ruling a contentious little region surrounded by enemies.

[Lion of the West]

22 minutes ago, Floki of the Ironborn said:

When I look at the Baratheons, they seem to be incredibly misplaced regarding the region they rule. The Stormlands are militaristic, sure, with no cities or huge marketplaces like the other southern kingdoms, but their bannermen are among the most fickle, disloyal, and contentious as anywhere except the Iron islands. Even the marcher lords deserve to have weathervanes for sigils. 

Meanwhile most of the Baratheons are not deep thinkers, nor are they particularly duplicitous. They seem mostly straightforward and direct, preferring action to words. They strike me as being closer to Umbers or Karstarks than any southern lord. Their ancestors even have a shared history with the Starks. Robert and Stannis are also clearly disdainful of Andal gods, customs, and hypocritical chivalry. Sure, Renly is an outlier but he’s just that, an outlier.

I feel like if the Baratheons had been Stark bannermen in the North, they would have been much happier than ruling a contentious little region surrounded by enemies.

The idea that a certain region breeds a certain kind of people in Westeros is wrong and I doubt that the Baratheons would have fitted in better in the North than they did in the Stormlands. In fact one of the great points of the story is in my opinion that there are no national characteristics that defines people from a certain geographic area. Its all about individuals and there are shy and timid people in the North just like there are aggressive and hard people in the Reach.

In regards to the behavior of the Stormlands I really don't see in what way they are more disloyal than anyone else. In fact I would call the Stormlords to be up with the Vale lords, Northmen and Westermen to be among the more loyal regions to their liege.

Aegon's Conquest - follow their king against the Targaryens

Dance - follow Lord Baratheon

Blackfyre Rebellion - follow Lord Baratheon (could be some disloyalty but we've yet to hear about it)

Lyonel Storm's Rebellion - seems to have followed Lord Baratheon against the Iron Throne

Robert's Rebellion - divided between loyalist and rebel

War of Five Kings - follow their liege Renly, then switch to Stannis before finally switching to Joffrey (all of them Baratheons) only after all is pretty much lost.

[Tygett Lannister]

Stereotypes lol

[Stormking902]

 

 

58 minutes ago, Floki of the Ironborn said:

When I look at the Baratheons, they seem to be incredibly misplaced regarding the region they rule. The Stormlands are militaristic, sure, with no cities or huge marketplaces like the other southern kingdoms, but their bannermen are among the most fickle, disloyal, and contentious as anywhere except the Iron islands. Even the marcher lords deserve to have weathervanes for sigils. 

Meanwhile most of the Baratheons are not deep thinkers, nor are they particularly duplicitous. They seem mostly straightforward and direct, preferring action to words. They strike me as being closer to Umbers or Karstarks than any southern lord. Their ancestors even have a shared history with the Starks. Robert and Stannis are also clearly disdainful of Andal gods, customs, and hypocritical chivalry. Sure, Renly is an outlier but he’s just that, an outlier.

I feel like if the Baratheons had been Stark bannermen in the North, they would have been much happier than ruling a contentious little region surrounded by enemies.

Which bannerman are disloyal?? They mostly all were loyal to Robert during the rebellion and the ones that werent loyal Robert crushed and allowed them to bend the knee immediatly after there defeat in the field. Durring the WO5K alote of the lords sat out because they didnt wanna get involved in a Baratheon civil war because they didnt wanna choose which Baratheon they wanted to fight for. 

The Stormlords seem very loyal to me anyways ..........

[Dorian Martell's son]

6 hours ago, Floki of the Ironborn said:

When I look at the Baratheons, they seem to be incredibly misplaced regarding the region they rule. The Stormlands are militaristic, sure, with no cities or huge marketplaces like the other southern kingdoms, but their bannermen are among the most fickle, disloyal, and contentious as anywhere except the Iron islands. Even the marcher lords deserve to have weathervanes for sigils. 

Meanwhile most of the Baratheons are not deep thinkers, nor are they particularly duplicitous. They seem mostly straightforward and direct, preferring action to words. They strike me as being closer to Umbers or Karstarks than any southern lord. Their ancestors even have a shared history with the Starks. Robert and Stannis are also clearly disdainful of Andal gods, customs, and hypocritical chivalry. Sure, Renly is an outlier but he’s just that, an outlier.

I feel like if the Baratheons had been Stark bannermen in the North, they would have been much happier than ruling a contentious little region surrounded by enemies.

Either way, they are written as characters to die, so it matters not where the author says they are from 

[The Sunland Lord]

As we saw in the War Of The Five Kings, the North had some treacherous vassals. These treacherous vassals were followed by their soldiers in their disloyalty. 

Northmen=loyalty and honour is a stereotype.

Maybe Robert would fit as an Umber, for example, but Stannis is a story of his own. The man even worships (or at least believes in its powers) R'hllor which does not fly in the North. 

 

[James Steller]

54 minutes ago, The Sunland Lord said:

Stannis is a story of his own. The man even worships (or at least believes in its powers) R'hllor which does not fly in the North. 

 

Stannis doesn't truly worship R'hllor. That's an invention of the show. He constantly denies his fervent Queen's Men the right to burn people alive when they're on the march to Winterfell, until some men are found guilty of cannibalism. He makes use of R'hllor and his followers without truly worshipping him. 

And besides, if he was a Northman, he would have worshipped the old gods, same as them. And yes, his personality might have changed entirely with a different life in the North, but I'm with Floki in that he would have been happier in the North. Northmen generally ARE more loyal. Look how many of them are still supportive of the Starks even during their downfall and possible extinction (Mormonts, Manderlies, Glovers, Umbers, etc). Thousands of them march for the daughter of "The Ned", and the instant a male Stark shows up, practically all of Bolton's 'allies' will jump ship, even if they haven't been plotting already.

The only signs of active disloyalty that we get comes from the Karstarks, the Dustins, and the Boltons. The Karstarks only became disloyal out of loss and personal insult, the Dustins are motivated similarly, and the Boltons are just designated as the evil baddies of the North. 

[Frey Kings]

The  Baratheons have benefited greatly due to their closeness they share with the Royal Ruling Family of Westeros. I doubtt they get the same privilege up north where... "loyalty and honour" only exists during peace times. 

[Ralphis Baratheon]

Robert Baratheon was the head of the Stark fan club if that's any consolation.