House Targaryen
House Targaryen is a family that features in A Song of Ice and Fire.
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History
House Targaryen was one of the noble families that lived in the lands of Westeros.
It was 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 to Dragonstone, an 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 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. Aegon's Conquest, which lasted for two years, began with Aegon's Landing at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush with a small force. 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.
Overview
In appearance, House Targaryen was a noble family of humans that came to reside in the lands of Westeros.
Their sigil was that of a three-headed dragon breathing flames, red on black. The three-headed dragon represented the Conqueror and his two sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya.
House Targaryen historically followed the gods of Valyria. Sometime before Aegon's Conquest, the Targaryens abandoned the Valyrian gods and converted to the Faith of the Seven, the predominant religion in Westeros.
The original seat of the house was a Dragonstone that was a castle on an island of the same name located at the entrance of Blackwater Bay below Dragonmont. It was colonized and fortified as the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold. Shaped from stone to look like dragons, the castle had a dark reputation
Members
- Aenar Targaryen :
- Daenys Targaryen :
- Aegon Targaryen :
- Aerys Targaryen :
- Daemion Targaryen :
- Aerion Targaryen :
- Rhaenys Targaryen :
- Daemon Targaryen :
- Daenerys Targaryen :
Notes
- House Targaryen was created by George R. R. Martin and featured in the setting of the A Song of Ice and Fire universe.
In other media
Television
Video games
Appearances
- A Song of Ice and Fire:
External Links
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