House Targaryen

House Targaryen
Name	House Targaryen
Crest	Three-headed dragon
Motto	Fire and Blood
Region	The Crownlands
Seat	Dragonstone, Red Keep
Founder	Aegon I Targaryen
Titles	King of the Andals and the First Men, Prince of Dragonstone

House Targaryen was a princely dynasty from Valyria that ruled much of Westeros for nearly three centuries, noted for dragons, dynastic marriages, and recurrent succession crises. Originating from the volcanic island of Dragonstone and claiming descent from the Valyrian Freehold, the family established a royal line in the aftermath of Aegon’s Conquest and shaped institutions such as the Iron Throne and the Small Council. Their legacy influenced later conflicts including the Dance of the Dragons and the War of the Five Kings.

Origins and Valyrian Heritage

Members traced lineage to Valyria and practiced customs of the Valyrian Freehold, including sorcery and dragonlord traditions, which linked them to figures like Aenar Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon by marriage alliances. The family's relocation to Dragonstone before the Doom of Valyria paralleled migrations by houses such as Velaryon and House Celtigar, and their Valyrian bloodline was marked by distinct features celebrated in Torreys of Lys chronicles and catalogued by scholars in the Citadel. Targaryen culture incorporated rituals from Valyrian steel smithing, legal customs influenced by Old Valyria, and diplomatic ties to Pentos, Braavos, and Mycah-era Valyrian settlements.

Aegon’s Conquest and the Targaryen Dynasty

Aegon I Targaryen united the Seven Kingdoms through a combination of warfare, marriage, and political accommodation, winning battles like the Field of Fire and institutions such as the Iron Throne symbolized centralized rule. He secured alliances with houses including Hightower, Arryn, and Tully through negotiated marriages, and established administrative precedents later used by monarchs like Jaehaerys I Targaryen and Viserys I Targaryen. The conquest displaced rulers of Westeros such as Mern IX of House Gardener and reshaped feudal hierarchies involving House Stark and House Lannister.

Kingship, Governance, and Court Culture

Targaryen kingship combined hereditary claims, ceremonial coronations at Harrenhal, and governance through instruments like the Small Council and offices occupied by figures such as the Hand of the King, Master of Coin, and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Court culture at the Red Keep fostered patronage of artists from Lys and Qarth, legal reforms under Jaehaerys I Targaryen mirrored initiatives in the Great Council, and rivalries among courtiers involved houses like Blackwood and Bracken. Royal protocol incorporated titles drawn from pre-conquest traditions and marriages extending influence to Dorne after accords negotiated by monarchs like Maegor I Targaryen and Aegon II Targaryen.

Dragons and Dragonriders

Dragons were central to power projection; notable beasts included Balerion, Meraxes, and Rhaegal whose riders such as Aegon I Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen, and Rhaegar Targaryen altered battlefields at encounters like the Field of Fire and sieges of Storm's End. Dragonlord lineages trained riders within dynastic households and intermarried with dragonrider houses like Velaryon for strategic advantage, while losses of dragons in events such as the Dance of the Dragons and later centuries precipitated military and political decline manifested during crises like the Blackfyre Rebellions.

Key Figures and Family Tree

Prominent monarchs include Aegon I Targaryen, Maegor I Targaryen, Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Viserys I Targaryen, Aegon II Targaryen, and Aerys II Targaryen, and pivotal non-reigning members include Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenerys Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen (the Queen Who Never Was), Aemon Targaryen, and Daemon Targaryen. Marriages connected the line to Hightower, Velaryon, Baratheon, Tyrell, Martell, and Stark families, while cadet branches produced pretenders such as the Blackfyre claimants exemplified by Daemon Blackfyre and military leaders like Bloodraven. Genealogical records in the Citadel and chronicles by maesters document alliances with House Reed, House Manderly, and House Tully across generations.

Civil Wars and Succession Crises

Civil wars defined the dynasty: the Dance of the Dragons between factions led by Rhaenyra Targaryen and Aegon II Targaryen devastated dragon numbers and noble houses like Velaryon and Hightower, while the Blackfyre Rebellions fractured loyalties involving House Tully and House Bracken. Succession disputes implicated institutions such as the Great Council and figures like Viserys I Targaryen and Jaehaerys II Targaryen, leading to conflicts that saw intervention by bannermen including House Lannister and House Arryn and battles at sites like Rook’s Rest and The Twins. These crises produced long-term shifts in fealty patterns impacting later struggles including Robert's Rebellion.

Downfall, Exile, and Legacy

The dynasty’s fall culminated with the deposition of Aerys II Targaryen during Robert's Rebellion and exile of surviving members such as Viserys Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen, whose campaigns engaged actors like Khal Drogo, Jorah Mormont, and the Unsullied while seeking support from Pentos and Meereen. The extinction of dragons and the loss of centralized Targaryen authority reshaped succession norms embodied in the Iron Throne and empowered houses such as Baratheon, Lannister, and Stark, while historians at the Citadel and bards like Archmaester Gyldayn debated causes spanning Alysanne Targaryen’s reforms to The Great Spring Sickness. Cultural memory persists in artifacts like the Iron Throne and the myths recorded in The World of Ice & Fire-style tomes, while pretenders and descendants continued to influence Westeros politics through claimants and restored traditions referenced during assemblies of the Small Council.

Category:Noble houses