Look, let's be honest, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad has just dropped a sneaky little teaser about its third regular season in the latest developer notes. This upcoming third season takes us straight to the stormy lands of the Stormlands, where three noble houses are about to tear each other apart for dominance. You are expected to pick a side among them, and the three houses in question are the Conningtons, the Pells, and the Morrigens.

House Connington

House Connington calls Griffin's Roost home, and let's just say they used to be rolling in cash. During Robert's Rebellion, they decided to back the Targaryen cause and reaped some serious royal favour for it. In fact, their head of the house, Jon Connington, actually landed the prestigious gig of Hand of the King, pushing the family's influence to absolute peak heights. Back then, they could practically stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the mighty Baratheons of the Stormlands.

Naturally, once House Baratheon emerged victorious from Robert's Rebellion, the Connington family's soaring ambitions vanished like a midsummer night's dream. They lost practically all of their once-massive lands and ended up completely reduced to mere vassal knights.

During the War of the Five Kings, they threw their weight behind Renly Baratheon first, and when that didn't pan out due to Renly's untimely demise, they switched to Stannis Baratheon. Following their capture at the Battle of the Blackwater, they had no choice but to bend the knee to House Lannister. Because of this little betrayal, their ancestral seat is currently in serious jeopardy. Stannis Baratheon plans to strip House Connington of their lands and install a brand-new lord at Griffin's Roost.

Except, the glorious military feats boasted by the supposed new lord candidate, Edgar Storm, were utter fabrications. Teaming up with Tyra Connington—who was staring down the loss of her castle—they hired mercenaries and staged a little play where Edgar pretended to topple those very mercenaries. Naturally, your heroic intervention brought that sham performance to an abrupt halt, leading Stannis Baratheon to generously bestow the vacant lordship of Griffin's Roost upon you. Naturally, your character—having an emotional soft spot for the Ruthermont estate left behind by dear old father—politely declines the offer and heads back to the North.

If you look at the original novels, the standout figure here is Jon Connington. He was once a squire to Rhaegar Targaryen and served as one of his most fanatical supporters. That particular backstory caught the eye of Aerys II, landing Jon Connington the role of Hand of the King at a rather tender age.

Later on, after taking the fall for a rather embarrassing defeat at the Battle of the Bells, Jon Connington was stripped of both title and lands, getting packed off across the narrow sea into exile within the Free Cities. Since then, Jon Connington pops up in Westerosi history through various means. The television adaptation completely edited this arc out, so if you are curious, you had better pick up the books.

Then there is Ronnet Connington. He is the current head of House Connington and the husband of Tyra Connington—yes, the very person who had to bow to the Lannisters earlier. Aside from that, Ronnet Connington is notorious for calling off an engagement with a young Brienne of Tarth simply because she was deemed too plain. And yes, that is indeed the exact same Brienne of Tarth who ranks among the fiercest fighters in both the original novels and the TV show.

House Pell

House Pell holds Pellwood as their ancestral seat. During Robert's Rebellion, they sided with the Targaryens, but after losing the Battle of Summerhall and watching their head of the house bite the dust, they prudently switched over to the Baratheon camp to finish out the war. When the War of the Five Kings rolled around, they followed House Connington's lead by backing Renly Baratheon, and transitioned to Stannis Baratheon once Renly met his end.

A rather notable figure from the original lore is 'Silveraxe' Pell. During Robert's Rebellion, Silveraxe Pell joined the loyalist forces alongside the father. Following the father's death at the Battle of Summerhall, Silveraxe Pell ended up getting captured. For reasons history refuses to clarify, Silveraxe Pell eventually flipped sides to serve Robert Baratheon—the very man responsible for the father's death. As a side note, the exact personal name of Silveraxe Pell remains a mystery. Some whisper that Silveraxe Pell is one and the same with the current lord, Harwood Pell, but that is pure speculation.

In-game, Harwood Pell is still faithfully following Stannis and managing the local lands. That said, much like the rest of the Stormlands, they are currently grappling with a nasty plague, leading Harwood Pell's son, Jalan Pell, to cross paths with you while investigating a rather suspicious priest of R'hllor.

Jalan Pell eventually teams up with you to take down the mastermind spreading the plague, though Jalan Pell unfortunately loses life and limb in the process. Upon receiving the full rundown of events, a grieving Harwood Pell swears before the Seven, R'hllor, and every other god imaginable that the heretical priest will burn, bringing the Pellwood storyline to a dramatic close.

For what it is worth, the original novels even spoil the ultimate fate of Harwood Pell. Shortly after the events depicted in the game, Harwood Pell joins Stannis Baratheon's northern campaign. While marching across the Wolfswood, the ice gives way, plunging Harwood Pell straight into a freezing lake. Though pulled out by nearby troops in decent time, Harwood Pell succumbs to a fatal fever shortly thereafter.

House Morrigen

Much like the previous two houses, House Morrigen initially backed Renly Baratheon during the War of the Five Kings before shifting allegiance to Stannis Baratheon following Renly's assassination. Curiously enough, historical records regarding their exact stance during Robert's Rebellion are practically nonexistent.

In the game, you can run into Lord Lester Morrigen, who is having a rather miserable time trying to retake Griffin's Roost. However, since the narrative in that region largely revolves around Lester Morrigen's nephew, Edgar Storm, you do not get to dive terribly deep into House Morrigen's personal lore.

Aside from that, they possess such a quiet presence that finding another famous member is a real challenge. At best, Lester Morrigen's youngest brother, Guyard Morrigen, gets a mild mention. Guyard Morrigen was a skilled enough knight to earn a spot in Renly Baratheon's elite Rainbow Guard. After Renly Baratheon was murdered, Guyard Morrigen followed the Stannis Baratheon faction and took the lead as part of the vanguard at the Battle of the Blackwater.

Given that the Battle of the Blackwater turned into an absolute disaster for the Stannis Baratheon camp, Guyard Morrigen could hardly dodge a tragic fate at the front lines. Guyard Morrigen perished in a single combat duel against Garlan Tyrell, while the television adaptation quietly wrote both characters out entirely. That omission is precisely why TV viewers who never cracked open the books remain completely oblivious to House Morrigen's existence.