Dance of the Dragons

Dance of the Dragons
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Name	Dance of the Dragons
Date	129–131 AC
Location	Westeros, crownlands, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Crownlands, Dragonstone
Outcome	Succession of Aegon III Targaryen; decline of Targaryen dragons
Combatants	House Targaryen loyalists (Black faction) vs House Targaryen rival claimants (Green faction)
Commanders	Rhaenyra Targaryen; Daemon Targaryen; Aegon II Targaryen; Alicent Hightower; Helaena Targaryen
Casualties	Massive noble and dragon losses; depopulation of The Reach and the Riverlands

Dance of the Dragons The Dance of the Dragons was a civil war in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros between rival Targaryen claimants to the Iron Throne. Sparked by a disputed succession following the death of Viserys I Targaryen, the conflict pitted the Greens—supporters of Aegon II Targaryen and Alicent Hightower—against the Blacks—loyal to Rhaenyra Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen—and drew in Houses across the realm including Hightower, Velaryon, Hightower of Oldtown, Harrenhal, Hightower of Oldtown, and House Tully. The war devastated King's Landing, scattered the Targaryen dragons, and reshaped the political landscape of Westeros.

Background and Causes

Succession disputes followed the death of Viserys I Targaryen when courtiers and great houses debated hereditary rights and precedent. Factions formed around rival heir presumptive claims: the Greens, led by Alicent Hightower and backed by Otto Hightower and much of King's Landing's court; and the Blacks, rallied by Rhaenyra Targaryen and supported by Lucerys Velaryon, Corlys Velaryon, and Daemon Targaryen. Dynastic custom, marriage alliances with houses such as House Velaryon and House Hightower, and influential personalities including Ser Criston Cole and Rhaenys Targaryen intensified the crisis. Longstanding rivalries between Old Valyria-descended families and powerful regional magnates in the Reach, the Riverlands, and the Vale provided the military and naval assets that turned dispute into open war.

Major Factions and Key Figures

The Green faction coalesced around Aegon II Targaryen and his mother Alicent Hightower, supported by Otto Hightower, the Small Council's allies, and martial leaders like Ser Criston Cole. Backers included House Lannister of Casterly Rock, elements of House Tully of Riverrun, and portions of the Crownlands. The Black faction rallied to Rhaenyra Targaryen—the designated heir of Viserys I—and her husband Daemon Targaryen, drawing support from House Velaryon, House Arryn of the Vale, regional houses in the Stormlands, and dragonriders like Caraxes's rider. Prominent commanders and counselors influencing both sides included Rhaenys Targaryen, Corlys Velaryon, Jacaerys Velaryon, Alyn of Hull, and the captains of the Redwyne and Hightower fleets.

Timeline of Major Battles and Events

Early clashes began with the coronation of Aegon II Targaryen in King's Landing and the Black fleet's attempts to assert control of sea lanes dominated by House Velaryon and House Redwyne. The battle for the Stepstones and the naval engagement off Shipbreaker Bay marked crucial shifts as dragons like Syrax, Vhagar, Caraxes, and Sunfyre fought over fleets and castles. Key land engagements included sieges of Harrenhal, the sacking of Rook's Rest and the assault on Stonedance; notable aerial duels occurred over The Twins and the Gods Eye. The death of major dragonriders—Lucerys Velaryon at the Battle of the Gullet; Rhaenyra's capture during the Sack of King's Landing; and the catastrophic dragon-on-dragon clashes between Caraxes and Sunfyre—turned momentum repeatedly. The war reached a decisive ebb with the fall of Dragonstone, the assassination of Aegon II's supporters, and the eventual coronation of Aegon III Targaryen.

Political and Social Consequences

The civil war tore apart alliances among House Lannister, House Stark of Winterfell, House Tyrell of Highgarden, and House Tully, producing widespread lordly defections and reprisals. Peasant and smallfolk losses in the Riverlands and the Reach caused famine and migration, while pillage and dragonfire destroyed towns such as Godsgrace and Stoney Sept. Institutional shifts included reassertion of royal prerogative under Aegon III Targaryen, weakened influence of the Small Council's most hawkish members, and the marginalization of House Hightower and House Velaryon from central power. Noble bloodlines were extinguished or reduced—houses like House Tarly and cadet lines of House Targaryen suffered heavy casualties—reshaping marriage politics and feudal loyalties across the Seven Kingdoms.

Dragons and Warfare

Dragons transformed siegecraft, naval warfare, and battlefield tactics as aerial bombardment and dragon-on-dragon duels became decisive. Dragons such as Vhagar and Balerion's legacy influenced fearsome reputations; riders like Daemon Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen used aerial mobility to strike fortifications and command seas around Dragonstone and Blackwater Bay. The attrition of dragon numbers—through duels like Sunfyre vs Caraxes and accidental fires during urban fighting in King's Landing—reduced the Targaryens' strategic edge. Logistical constraints, including fodder shortages and the difficulty of training new riders from houses like Velaryon and Hightower, limited long-term dragon deployment and precipitated the gradual extinction of dragons as war assets.

Aftermath and Legacy

The war concluded with the crowning of Aegon III Targaryen and a period of reconstruction for King's Landing, Dragonstone, and the devastated Riverlands. Politically, House Targaryen emerged intact but diminished; dragon numbers dwindled, altering future continental power balances and enabling greater autonomy for great houses such as House Lannister and House Tyrell. Cultural memory preserved the conflict through ballads, chronicles kept by the Maesters of the Citadel, and memorials in places like Rook's Rest and Harrenhal—influencing later succession crises including the Blackfyre Rebellions and debates in the Small Council over regency. The Dance's legacy endured in heraldry, ruined keeps across Westeros, and the long-term decline of dragonlord hegemony.

Category:Targaryen Civil Wars