Targaryen of King's Landing

  The Targaryens can tolerate more heat than most ordinary people, but they are not immune to fire. The Targaryens claim an immunity to illness, but there are stories of Targaryens dying of the shivers on Dragonstone during the Century of Blood.   Another trait typical to Targaryens is the ability to have premonition-like dreams. The trait has been in House Targaryen since before the Doom of Valyria, with the dreams of Daenys Targaryen compelling the family to relocate from Valyria to Dragonstone in 114 BC.  

Customs

In line with the sigil colors, most Targaryens use armor black in color. For instance, Prince Baelon Targaryen wore armor black as night in the Riverlands during his pursuit of the Giant of the Trident, Prince Vaenor Targaryen had night-black armor chased with gold, and King Aelyx once wore a breastplate with the Targaryen sigil made of ruby studs to a Tournament in his youth.   House Targaryen historically follow the old gods of Valyria, but sometime before Aegon's Conquest the family abandoned the Valyrian gods and converted to the Faith of the Seven, the predominant religion in Westeros. However, they continue to follow the Valyrian practice of incestuous marriage, holding themselves apart from and above the noble Westerosi families to maintain the purity of their exceptional blood.   Deceased Targaryens are traditionally cremated, a custom since the days of Old Valyria. If a dragon is available, it is used to light the flame of the pyre. The ashes of many of the dead of House Targaryen have been interred on Dragonstone, including those of King Aegon I, and Queen Visenya as well as their recent ancestors.  

Family Tree

 

Dragons

As one of the forty dragonlord families of Valyria, the Targaryens were closer to dragons than other men. Aenar Targaryen brought five dragons with him when he moved from Valyria to Dragonstone, and Aegon I Targaryen and his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya rode them to battle during the Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms in 2 BC - 1 AC. The Targaryens continue to ride their dragons establishing them as a symbol of their power and a demonstration in part or whole of what separates the Targaryen Dynasty from the many smaller dynasty's they ended.   The Targaryens often gift a newborn child with a dragon's egg in the cradle. The Targaryens house their dragons and eggs in the Dragonpit on Dragonstone, however King Baelon has recently begun construction of a larger pit in King's Landing atop the remains of Rhaenys' High Hill.  

History

Origins and relocation

House Targaryen is one of the forty ancient noble houses known as dragonlords who ruled the Valyrian Freehold, a great empire spanning much of Essos. The Targaryens were not one of the most powerful houses, however. The family resided in Valyria until Daenys Targaryen, also known as Daenys the Dreamer, the daughter of Lord Aenar Targaryen, had visions of a cataclysm that would come over Valyria. Aenar sold his estates in Valyria and moved his wives, children, other relatives, slaves, wealth, and five dragons (including Balerion) to Dragonstone, the island at the entrance of Blackwater Bay and the westernmost outpost of Valyrian influence, where he took possession of a castle of the same name, in 114 BC. Twelve years later the Doom descended on the city of Valyria, leading to the collapse of the Freehold. The Targaryens were the only dragonriders of Valyria to survive. In the century that followed, four of the five dragons of House Targaryen died, with only Balerion surviving. Two more dragons, Vhagar and Meraxes, were hatched from eggs on Dragonstone, however.   During the century after the Doom, which became known as the Century of Blood due to the violent struggles for power in Essos, Volantis attempted to seize power over Valyria's colonies. Most of the other Free Cities rebelled against Volantis, and towards the end of the Century of Blood, the young Lord Aegon Targaryen, rider of the dragon Balerion, was approached by Pentos and Tyrosh to form an alliance. Aegon, mounted on his dragon Balerion, flew to meet the Prince of Pentos, and then to Lys, where he set the Volantene fleet aflame. With Volantis's campaign at an end, he returned to Dragonstone and focused his attention to the lands west, which had always been of interest to him.  

Aegon's Conquest

Aegon Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, aspired to unite the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros under one ruler. Slightly more than a hundred years after the Doom of Valyria, in 2 BC, he began his invasion, in which he was aided by his two sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya. All three were dragonriders, and used their dragons, Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar in battle. Aegon's Conquest, which lasted for two years, began with Aegon's Landing at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush with a small force, and ended when Aegon was anointed king by the High Septon in Oldtown.   House Hoare, the Kings of the Isles and the Rivers, were extinguished in the burning of Harrenhal, and Aegon granted the riverlands to House Tully. House Durrandon, the Storm Kings, were defeated in the Last Storm and replaced by House Baratheon, whose founder Orys was Aegon's half brother. Visenya achieved the submission of Crackclaw Point, but Dorne refused to yield to Rhaenys. House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach, were extinguished at the Field of Fire and replaced by House Tyrell, and House Lannister, the Kings of the Rock, submitted the following day. Rather than face House Targaryen's dragons, House Stark, the Kings in the North, and House Arryn, the Kings of Mountain and Vale, also submitted to the invaders. The Conquest ended when Aegon was anointed king by the High Septon in Oldtown.   From the swords of his enemies, Aegon created the Iron Throne, and began a dynasty. Aegon had constructed a wooden castle, the Aegonfort, at the place where he had first come to shore, and the town that grew around it became King's Landing, the kingdom's new capital. Dragonstone remains in the possession of the Targaryens as well, and was one of Aegon's favorite places. The region around King's Landing became known as the crownlands. During his invasion of the Iron Islands, King Aegon allowed the Iron Islands to choose House Greyjoy as their new rulers however during the fealty of Vickon Greyjoy an attempt was made to Assassinate King Aegon and the Greyjoy was slain in the subsequent fighting. For their betrayal and Lord Tully's swift action in defense of King Aegon, the Iron Islands was given to Riverrun.  

First Dornish War

In 4 AC, Aegon's Wars of Conquest continued with the First Dornish War, during which he and Rhaenys attempted to bring the Dornish under Targaryen rule as well. This was a bloody war, during which Queen Rhaenys Targaryen was killed with her dragon, Meraxes, at Hellholt in 10 AC. An assassination attempt on Aegon that same year led to the creation of the Kingsguard, who would guard Aegon and the kings of the realm to follow.   The First Dornish War eventually ended in 13 AC, after Nymor Martell, Prince of Dorne, had sent his daughter Sabina to King's Landing with a letter and the skull of Meraxes. Though the contents of the letter have never been revealed, Aegon agreed to end the war the next day, slaying the lowborn members of the Dornish delegation before sending them on their way remarking he was being rather gracious, considering they returned the wrong dragon's bones.  

The Sons and Grandsons of the Dragon

Aegon I Targaryen died in 37 AC, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Aelyx I Targaryen. Almost immediately, Aelyx faced four rebellions which had grown out of dissent, dreams of the old days or of vengeance, and of the fact that Aelyx and his younger brother, Baelon, had both been born from incestuous marriages. A bandit named Harren the Red, claiming to be a grandson of Harren the Black, took Harrenhal and killed Lord Gargon Qoherys. In the Vale, Lord Rickard Arryn and his family were taken hostage by his younger brother, Paul Arryn. On the Iron Islands, a man claimed to be the priest-king Urich Sea Breather and helped push Jonos One Arm and a Harlaw as rightful rulers of the Isles, and in Dorne, the Vulture King raised thirty thousand followers against the Targaryens.   Despite commands from King Aelyx to end the rising rebellion in the Iron Islands, mainland matters held his focus so Aelyx was powerless delegating the matter to Lord Tully, who dispatched Lord Piper and a force of multiple houses. Lord Royce of Runestone defeated the supporters of Paul Arryn, though this caused the death of Lord Rickard and his family when Paul threw them out of the Moon Door in the Eyrie. Queen Visenya and Prince Baelon, who had claimed the dragon Balerion after his father's death, flew to the Eyrie and had Paul and his followers executed. The Vulture King had made the mistake of splitting his large army, and was defeated during the Vulture Hunt, in which Lord Orys Baratheon and several other Marcher lords, including Lord Dondarrion, Lady Caron, and Lord Tarly, marched against him. And the last rebel, Harren the Red, was eventually caught by Aelyx's Hand of the King, Lord Alyn Stokeworth and Lord Peytor Tully. Though Alyn was killed by Harren in the fighting that ensued, Harren himself was slain shortly after. As Alyn's replacement, King Aelyx named Baelon as his Hand.   The next challenges Aelyx faced came from the Faith of the Seven. Even though the Targaryens had been followers of the Faith of the Seven since before the Conquest, the Targaryens held themselves apart from the laws of gods and men. By marrying both his sisters, Aegon I had continued both the Valyrian practice of incestuous marriage, which was considered a sin in the eyes of the Seven, as well as the more rarely practiced custom of polygamy, even though the Faith of the Seven considered marriage only possible between one man and one wife. Even though Aegon I had always been careful regarding the Faith, the High Septons had never declared his marriages lawful, though they had not spoken up against Aegon's polygamous and incestuous marriages either. However, when Queen Visenya Targaryen had suggested, in 23 AC, that her son Baelon should be married to Aelyx's infant daughter, Princess Rhaela, the High Septon protested, and Baelon was wed to Meryl Hightower, instead. After sixteen years of marriage, Baelon remained childless. Following the birth of Aelyx I's sixth child in 39 AC, Baelon took a second wife, Mina Hayford. This greatly angered the Faith, and Aelyx gave his brother the choice between abandoning Mina, or going in exile. Baelon chose the latter option, after which he left for Pentos.  

Recent Events

The Faith remained discontent. Though they had not objected to Aelyx's own marriage in 22 AC, to his cousin Alys Velaryon, new troubles arose in 41 AC when Aelyx married his eldest daughter, Rhaela, to his eldest son and heir, Prince Vaenor. The uproar this marriage caused, led to the start of the Faith Militant uprising.   After the death of his newly named hand, Septon Darriston at the hands of the poor fellows at the Sept of Rememberance Aelyx went to meet with the Poor Fellows against the advice of his advisors and guards and was, like the Septon, torn apart by the angry mob his limbs and entrails hung along the street. Dowager Queen Visenya immediately called Baelon back from his exile, allowing him to claim the throne. Baelon took King's Landing back from the Faith Militant, though he has spent his entire reign fighting against them. In addition, he fought against Aelyx's heir, Vaenor, and killed both him and his dragon Quicksilver in 43 AC.   Baelon finished the construction of the Red Keep, which had begun in 35 AC, though he killed all the construction workers after work was completed. He had come back from his exile with a third wife, Teneah, but was still without an heir towards the end of his reign. Denouncing the claims of Aelyx's only surviving son, Daemon, Baelon married his three Black Brides, one of whom was Daemon's sister, Rhaela, and named Rhaela's daughter Daenys as his heir until he had a child of his own.  

Seat and Holdings

See King's Landing for information on the city and Iron Throne,   The ancestral seat of Dragonstone is a castle on the island of the same name at the entrance to Blackwater Bay, below the Dragonmont. It was the original seat of House Targaryen in Westeros, and had been colonized and fortified as the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold. Shaped from stone to look like dragons, the castle has a dark reputation.   Dragonstone, though old and strong, commands the allegiance of only a few lesser lords whose islands are too thinly populated to provide any great numbers of troops, although they have some naval strength. A short distance west of Dragonstone is the island of Driftmark, which is the seat of House Velaryon, a Valyrian house and historically a naval power. Other houses sworn to Dragonstone include Celtigar of Claw Isle, who are also of Valyrian descent, Seaworth of Cape Wrath, Bar Emmon of Sharp Point, and Sunglass of Sweetport Sound.   A grim place, Dragonstone was built by Valyrians with arcane arts, fire, and sorcery. Capable of liquefying and reshaping stone with dragonflame, the dragonlords used their magic to shape Dragonstone to look like multiple dragons.   Dragon architecture can be found throughout the castle, such as small dragons framing gates and dragon claws holding torches. A pair of great wings cover the armory and smithy, and dragon tails form archways and staircases. The citadel of Dragonstone is wrought all of black stone. Doors can be set in the mouths of stone dragons. Instead of merlons, gargoyles and grotesques serve as brooding crenellations along the three curtain walls. Designs include basilisks, cockatrices, demons, griffins, hellhounds, manticores, minotaurs, wyverns, and other creatures. Statues in the shape of dragons can be found all over the castle. Dragonstone has a castle yard and a library. There is a fishing village with a port beneath the curtain walls. King Aegon I Targaryen was fond of the salty air of Dragonstone, which smells of smoke and brimstone.   Notable locations at Dragonstone include:

• The Stone Drum is a massive tower which serves as the central keep of Dragonstone. It is named for the booming and rumbling sounds that can be heard during storms. To reach the Stone Drum from Sea Dragon Tower, one must cross the gallery and pass through the middle and inner walls. A high stone roofed bridge arching over emptiness leads from the Stone Drum to the entrance towards the dungeons. The Chamber of the Painted Table is a round room on the top floor of the Stone Drum. It holds a large table, the Painted Table, carved and painted in the form of a detailed map of Westeros.
• The Great Hall is carved in the shape of a huge dragon lying on its belly; the heavy red doors of the hall are set in the mouth, and those entering pass beneath the gateway teeth and through the dragon's maw.
• The kitchens resemble a curled up dragon where smoke and heat vent through its nostrils.
• Sea Dragon Tower, shaped like a dragon gazing serenely out across the sea, includes the maester's chambers and the rookery.
• The Windwyrm is a tower shaped like a dragon which seems to scream defiance.
• Aegon's Garden can be reached when going down after the arch of the Dragon's Tail. Within grow tall dark trees, wild roses, towering thorny hedges, and cranberries. The garden has a pleasant piney scent.
• The sept of Dragonstone, dedicated to the Faith of the Seven, contains statues representing the seven aspects of the Seven gods, carved from the masts of the ships that had carried the first Targaryens from Valyria, but have frequently been repainted since then. The statue of the Crone has pearl eyes, the Father a gilded beard, and the Stranger looks more animal than human.
• A turnpike stair and smooth stony passages lead to windowless cells beneath Dragonstone. Thick stone walls in the dark dungeon are warm to the touch.

 

Notes