[Dragonstone — Locations]
In the crypts beneath Winterfell, Jon pays respects to Ned until he is interrupted by Littlefinger. Littlefinger tries to sweet-talk Jon, but he sees through his manipulation and starts to walk away. Littlefinger informs Jon of his love for Sansa, which causes him to lose his temper and start to strangle him. Jon threatens Littlefinger saying that he will kill him if he ever touches his sister. He then leaves the crypt and gives a farewell nod to Sansa, before joining Davos on the ride to White Harbor, where they will take a ship to Dragonstone.
Jon and Davos arrive at Dragonstone , and are immediately greeted by Tyrion and Missandei . Upon meeting, Tyrion address Jon as the bastard of Winterfell while Jon addressed him as the "dwarf" of Casterly Rock . Jon observes that Tyrion has picked up some scars. Jon also introduces Davos while Tyrion introduces Missandei, who requests that they surrender their weapons. Jon and his entourage hand over their weapons to Daenerys's Dothraki guards.
Days later, Daenerys strolls around Dragonstone with Missandei at her side, both wondering about the fate of the Unsullied. Missandei reveals to the queen that certain things happened between her and Grey Worm, before they are interrupted by Jon Snow.
Back at Dragonstone, Jon watches as Daenerys lands Drogon in front of him. The dragon approaches Jon, who stands his ground. Drogon allows Jon to touch him, to Daenerys's astonishment. She dismounts, at which point Drogon flies off, and claims that the "gorgeous beasts" Jon sees are her children. Daenerys informs Jon of her victory over the Lannisters and they discuss what is needed to help people. Daenerys asks him what Davos meant by "taking a knife in the heart for his people." Jon avoids discussing his resurrection, claiming that Davos gets carried away, but before Daenerys can press him further, they are interrupted by the arrival of Jorah, who has been cured of his greyscale. Delighted, Daenerys embraces Jorah and introduces him to Jon, who tells him that his father was a great man.
Daenerys leads a war council for her resumed campaign against Cersei Lannister for the Iron Throne. As her fleet is sailing back to Dragonstone, she rides Drogon next to Rhaegal, when suddenly Rhaegal is shot by three bolts before plummeting into Blackwater Bay . Euron's Iron Fleet reveals itself from behind Dragonstone's rocks and tries to take down Daenerys and Drogon, but are unable to do as they pull back. Euron instead targets Daenerys's fleet, destroying it and capturing Missandei in the process. On Dragonstone, Daenerys becomes tempted to storm King's Landing. Daenerys, Tyrion, Varys, and Grey Worm parley with Cersei outside the gates of King's Landing, where Cersei executes Missandei in front of them.
Back at Dragonstone, a mourning Daenerys refuses to eat and becomes increasingly angered at the rule of House Lannister, as well as becoming increasingly paranoid that her claim to the throne is losing legitimacy. However, her fears are found to be true when she learns through Tyrion that Varys has plotted to betray her and crown Jon in her place, after learning the truth of his parentage from Sansa. Daenerys has Varys brought out onto the shores of Dragonstone, where she sentences him to die by having Drogon burn him, just as she promised him earlier if he were ever to betray her.
In Season 7 , Daenerys starts off by wearing all black, strong-shouldered gowns. This new style is used to establish her presence and announce her power in Westeros. Clapton states the silhouette of strong shoulders also mirrors that of her brother Viserys. However, it simultaneously represents a dragon with spread wings. Upon her arrival at Dragonstone, her outfit is an altered version of her Season 6 finale dress, however this time there is a collar set over it, and overall includes more elaborate and symbolic design, such as the scaling and hint of red. Throughout the season she also wears a dragon chain across her torso which replaces a crown since she is not a queen yet. At one point, she also has a red sash covered in scales and sometimes has fur piping that is indicative of Westeros' colder climate. When saving Jon Snow, Daenerys wears an outfit completely different from her previous ones; a white, striped fur coat to symbolize her selfless act of rescue, rather than an act of acquiring more power.
In A Song of Ice and Fire , Daenerys was born on the Targaryen island refuge of Dragonstone eight months after her father's death. Her mother died giving birth to her, and a great storm raged at the moment of her birth, destroying what was left of the Targaryen fleet anchored at Dragonstone, giving rise to the nickname "Stormborn." The infant Daenerys and her brother Viserys were spirited into exile across the Narrow Sea by Ser Willem Darry, a loyal retainer of their family, before the castle garrison could hand them over to Robert Baratheon .
Tyrion is later seen meeting with Jon Snow, Davos Seaworth, and their men, as they arrive in a small boat onto the shores of Dragonstone. Tyrion teases Jon, calling him "the bastard of Winterfell", to which Jon retorts, calling Tyrion "the dwarf of Casterly Rock." They greet each other warmly and seem to be happy to see each other again, exchanging friendly barbs back and forth. Jon and his party are then forced to surrender their weapons, and they reluctantly do so. Then, as the party is escorted towards the castle, a group of Daenerys' soldiers whisk away their boat. Jon and Davos exchange looks of concern at this.
As they make their way up the castle steps, Jon and Tyrion have a conversation about how they got to their respective positions, and how Jon's followers must think he's crazy for going to Dragonstone. Tyrion concurs, stating that if he were Jon's advisor, he would have advised against it, and cites that going south doesn't usually work out well for the Starks, to which Jon swiftly replies that he is not a Stark. They are then suddenly interrupted when Drogon swoops down towards them, and everyone is forced to duck for cover. Jon takes a moment to recover from the sudden shock, as the party continues on their journey towards the castle.
The meeting is interrupted by Varys who delivers news about their decimated Greyjoy fleet. Dany allows Jon and Davos to stay as "guests" until they can reach a proper agreement. Later, Tyrion meets with Jon on the grounds of Dragonstone. Jon is unhappy that he is a prisoner while the Night King and White Walkers still pose a threat. Tyrion encourages a despondent Jon not to give up and confides that he trusts the word of Jon and Jeor Mormont . Tyrion also vouches for his Queen and reassures Jon that she is not like her father. Tyrion also asks Jon if there is something he can do to help. Jon tells Tyrion about the vein of dragonglass beneath Dragonstone.
Tyrion then returns to his allies at the Dragonpit, where they are joined shortly after by his brother and sister. Cersei claims she will agree to the truce and send the Lannister forces north to fight alongside the Starks and the Targaryens. After a discussion at Dragonstone over their journey to the North, Tyrion accompanies his Queen and Jon Snow aboard a ship that will take them to White Harbor. On the voyage, Tyrion witnesses Daenerys allowing Jon into her cabin, where the two of them give in to their mutual attraction and engage in a sexual encounter. Concerned with the possible political consequences for his Queen, Tyrion walks away.
After Euron informs Cersei about his success in ambushing the Targaryen forces near Dragonstone, she lies to him that she is pregnant with his child. To deter Daenerys from launching an all-out attack, she allows in civilians to enter the Red Keep. During the parley before the battle, she ignores Tyrion's pleas for surrender to Daenerys and has Missandei beheaded.
Sansa, Jon, and Davos review a message from Tyrion, in which Tyrion asks for Jon to meet with Daenerys Targaryen on Dragonstone . Sansa questions the letter's legitimacy, worried that it was forged to lure Jon into a trap. Fortunately, he confirms the letter is genuine after reading a familiar line from his first meeting with Tyrion. Jon asks Sansa for her opinion. Sansa responds that Tyrion was not like the other Lannisters and he was kind to her. She still affirms that leaving for Dragonstone could possibly put her half-brother in danger, despite Tyrion's letter saying that Daenerys's faction only wishes to forge an alliance against Cersei, albeit also detailing the military forces that Daenerys has at her disposal. After examining the letter for himself, Davos says that three dragons would prove indispensable in their battle against the White Walkers.
Theon later returns to Dragonstone and is shocked to be met on the beach by none other than Jon Snow; the two have not seen each other since Jon left Winterfell for the Wall, over six years ago. Theon hesitantly greets him and asks Jon if Sansa is all right; Jon angrily grabs him by the collar, saying that Theon saving Sansa from the Boltons is the only reason he won't kill him then and there for betraying House Stark in the first place. Theon informs Jon and Davos that Yara was taken captive by Euron and he needs Daenerys's help to get her back, only for Jon to tell him that she has left Dragonstone to carry out her own attack on the Lannister armies.
Theon accompanies Jon's group to the meeting with Queen Cersei, where Euron attempts to force him to swear fealty in order to save Yara. Theon refuses, openly admitting Euron's own dwarf jokes to Tyrion aren't very good. Later, back at Dragonstone, Theon meets with Jon before he prepares to return to the North with Daenerys. As they reflect on their enmities, Theon admits he was conflicted between his birth family and the Starks, though Jon retorts that Ned was more of a father than Balon ever was. Jon assures Theon that he is both a Stark and a Greyjoy, encouraging him to rescue his sister from Euron.
Stannis and Robert never loved one another. Despite Stannis's service during the war, Robert made their infant brother Renly (who was too young to have fought in the war) Lord of Storm's End following his victory, which Stannis took as an affront. Stannis was given Dragonstone and served on his brother's Small Council as Master of Ships . Though not outright cruel or malicious, he is a stern and humorless man, making him the least popular of the Baratheon brothers.
He married Selyse Florent of Brightwater Keep . They have a loveless marriage and only a single child; the daughter Shireen Baratheon . Despite his animosity towards Robert, Stannis is also highly antisocial, and prefers the solitude of Dragonstone in comparison to the company of his brothers.
After King Robert's death, and realizing the truth of Joffrey 's parentage, Eddard decides to back Stannis as the rightful king. Renly offers to help Eddard take Joffrey into custody, but only if Eddard backs Renly's own claim to the throne. Eddard angrily rejects the suggestion, pointing out that Stannis has the better claim and is a skilled battle commander and leader. Renly counters that Stannis is a good soldier like Robert, but like Robert may not make the best king. Eddard later sends a letter to Stannis at his fortress stronghold of Dragonstone, informing him of the situation. Littlefinger also advocates backing someone else - Joffrey or Renly - and manipulating them from behind the scenes, since Stannis claiming the throne will plunge the Seven Kingdoms into war. Eddard is adamant that Stannis is the rightful heir.
Stannis is known as "The King in the Narrow Sea" because his power is centered on Dragonstone . Though he commands a sizeable fleet at sea, Stannis's army is small due to the fact that most of the stormlords have pledged their allegiance to Renly, who also commands the forces of the Reach. Stannis converts to the Lord of Light during his preparations and allows his priestess Melisandre to burn the statues of the seven outside Dragonstone. Maester Cressen attempts to interrupt the ceremony but is casually dismissed by Melisandre. She proclaims Stannis as a prophesied hero when he draws a flaming sword from one of the statues.
After Davos recruits the pirate admiral Salladhor Saan to Stannis's cause (bringing his 30 ships to Dragonstone), Melisandre claims to have seen the path to victory in the flames. He reminds her that he has said her words and burnt the idols of the Seven already. She circles behind him and undoes her robe. She tells him that he must give all of himself. He reminds her of his marriage vow. She says that Selyse is sickly, weak and shut away in a tower and that she disgusts Stannis. She says that Selyse has given Stannis no sons, only stillborns and death. She promises him a son. He repeats the promise as she kisses his ear. He returns her kisses and lifts her onto the table, scattering the models onto the floor as he begins to have sex with her.
Stannis led at the front lines alongside his troops to inspire them on many occasions. His military record prior to the War of the Five Kings was exemplary; he held Storm's End against an overwhelming siege for much of Robert's Rebellion and captured Dragonstone at its conclusion, and he achieved two crucial victories during the Greyjoy Rebellion. His ambush against Mance Rayder's army was also a decisive victory, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered. Stannis's only two major defeats were at the Battle of the Blackwater (where he was attacked on the flank by unexpected Lannister-Tyrell reinforcements) and the battle in the ice (where Stannis's stubborn desire to give battle in spite of the odds doomed him and his army)
Stannis has an unbreakable code of honor and sense of duty and justice which governs his actions. He supported his brother in Robert's Rebellion and fought bravely to put down the Greyjoy Rebellion . When a newly-crowned Robert granted dominion of the much larger and wealthier Stormlands and Storm's End to young Renly and left Stannis with Dragonstone, Stannis accepted his brother's wishes. During the Siege of Storm's End, Stannis held out against the Tyrells despite the hunger, hopelessness and overwhelming numbers they faced. When Davos finally managed to smuggle food into the castle, Stannis made sure his men were fed first before feeding himself. He then rewarded (and punished) Davos fairly, which impressed the smuggler and earned his admiration.
To Stannis's fury, despite the deprivations he suffered in holding the castle, Robert appointed their child brother Renly as Lord of Storm's End while Stannis was given the ancient Targaryen holdfast of Dragonstone (which Stannis captured near the end of the rebellion) to rule instead. Dragonstone is storied and legendary, but also poor, often isolated by bad weather and cold. Robert also blamed Stannis for allowing Aerys's last heirs, Viserys and Daenerys to slip through his fingers when he took Dragonstone (unfairly, as the two children had been spirited to safety by Targaryen loyalists long before Stannis even set sail) and because of this, Stannis took being stripped of Storm's End as an intentional slight. Stannis was also appointed Master of Ships on Robert's Small Council at King's Landing . While he was busy at court, Ser Axell Florent ruled Dragonstone as its castellan . Every year Stannis paid a few visits to Dragonstone. He also led the royal fleet at sea to suppress smuggling and piracy.
At the time the books begin, Stannis has taken an indefinite leave of absence to visit his wife and daughter on Dragonstone. He is married to Lady Selyse of House Florent and has a single daughter, Shireen (they have no sons, alive or stillborn). Davos, knighted by Stannis for his role in the siege, is arguably Stannis's most loyal and steadfast vassal.
In a notable change, in the books, Stannis was the one who initiated the investigation that Jon Arryn conducted in discovering the truth of the parentage of Cersei 's children, and fled back to Dragonstone shortly after Arryn's death (Stannis believed Cersei had had Jon assassinated for uncovering the secret of her incest and feared she might target him next). In the TV series, there is no indication that Stannis knows about the situation before Eddard sends him a letter about it.
Before traveling to the North, Stannis leaves skeletal garrisons in Dragonstone and Storm's End. In the fourth novel, Cersei sends Lord Paxter Redwyne and Mace Tyrell to conquer the two castles. Eventually, Loras Tyrell conquers Dragonstone, and in "Arianne II" sample chapter of the sixth novel it is reported (but not confirmed yet) that Storm's End has been taken by the Golden Company , on behalf of the presumed-dead Aegon Targaryen (son of Elia Martell) , the son of Rhaegar and Elia. It is unlikely that Stannis is aware of the fall of both his castles; in his current position, there is nothing he can do about that anyway.
She leaves Dragonstone for the Riverlands , despite Stannis wanting her to stay and be with him. She insists there is something they must find. When she arrives, she meets Thoros of Myr of the Brotherhood Without Banners . She at first demands to know what happened to Thoros's mission to convert Robert Baratheon. After bluntly telling her he failed, Thoros asks that she be more open about her needs and that she refrain from speaking High Valyrian . Thoros shows her Beric Dondarrion and explains his many resurrections. Melisandre is astonished, noting that even if it were possible, Thoros shouldn't have that kind of power.
Melisandre keeps stating that " Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone ." Since Dragonstone, a volcanic island, is a place of smoke and salt, she claims that Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn. Apparently, Melisandre is unaware that her statement fits someone else - Daenerys, who was born on Dragonstone and has hatched fossilized dragon eggs into live dragons; Stannis, on the other hand, was not born on Dragonstone but in Storm's End, and so far has not done anything that could, even metaphorically, be described as waking stone dragons.
After the victory over the dead, the living celebrate, and she rejects the advances of Tormund. Brienne and Jaime exchange smiles and Tyrion, now very drunk, correctly guesses Brienne is a virgin. Her smile fades and says she must relieve herself. Jaime follows her into her quarters, and they end up having sex. Despite his love for Brienne, Jaime decides to head back after the Iron Fleet ambushed the Targaryen forces near Dragonstone , horrified about Cersei's fate if she loses. Brienne pleads with him not to leave, stating he is a good man, but he states he is as hateful as Cersei.
After Loras is sent to resolve the siege of Dragonstone, Qyburn tells Cersei that in case Loras dies, she will need to find another worthy for the Kingsguard. He claims "I had another sort of champion in mind. What he lacks in gallantry he will give you tenfold in devotion. He will protect your son, kill your enemies, and keep your secrets, and no living man will be able to withstand him." Cersei is skeptical; she orders a gigantic suit of armor at Qyburn's request -despite the blacksmith's insistence no living man can move or fight under such weight- but warns him that if he plays her for a fool, he will pay dearly.
During the meeting at Dragonstone to discuss marching full force on King’s Landing, Daenerys states that she does not want to be known as Queen of the Ashes (i.e. she doesn't want to rule over a country that must be destroyed to be conquered). Olenna remarks to Daenerys that Margaery was the most admired Queen within living memory, among both the nobility and the small folk, but now all that remains of her is ashes. She concludes that for Daenerys to claim the Iron Throne, she must be feared as well as loved, a trait Margaery lacked.
Aegon I fortified his initial landing point at the northern shore of the mouth of the Blackwater River, a strategically very defensible position protected to the east and south by water, and surrounded by open plains which would expose any attacking army long before it arrived. After the conquest, Aegon ruled for some time at the crude boomtown which sprang up there, known as Aegonfort. However, it remained a ramshackle pile of wood and earth, so after some time he moved his seat back to Dragonstone, until such time as a proper new capital city could be built in the former location of Aegonfort. He had Aegonfort razed, while planning and construction of King's Landing continued. By the time Aegon I died, however, only the foundations of the city and tunnels of the future Red Keep were finished (thus apparently Aegon continued to rule from Dragonstone for the rest of his life, though he always intended to move the royal seat back to the mainland some day). The city was only finished during the reign of Aegon's second son, Maegor the Cruel . The Iron Throne itself, however, was not taken to Dragonstone, because it was too big to move - keeping in mind that the Iron Throne in the books is a massive 30 foot tall construct literally made out of thousands of swords.
Dragonstone , or Dragonstone Castle , is the castle that stands upon the eponymous island located in Blackwater Bay . It is the ancestral seat of House Targaryen and the former stronghold of House Baratheon of Dragonstone , a cadet branch of House Baratheon of Storm's End . It is within the Crownlands , the capital region of the Seven Kingdoms .
The island of Dragonstone became the location of the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold, the dragonlords' empire in Essos, which dominated most of the known world, a unique castle that was considered fearsome and foreign due to it's dragon statues. Although the island bore no abundance of gold or jewellery, only bearing vast hordes of dragonglass, it became the refuge of House Targaryen right before the Doom took Valyria and left them as the last surviving dragonlords. Dragonstone became the ancestral seat of the Targaryens afterwards and as Aegon proved during his conquest, the perfect staging point for an invasion.
After King's Landing fell and Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne , Stannis Baratheon was sent to deal with what remained of the royal family and their retainers. However, Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys were smuggled across the Narrow Sea to the Free Cities by a loyal knight. Enraged, Robert stripped Stannis of Storm's End and gave it to their younger brother, Renly , and gave Dragonstone to Stannis, to rein in the Targaryen loyalists there. Stannis would take this as an insult and blame this event on Robert's extreme hatred of the Targaryens. In later years, Robert tried to humor Stannis that he was actually honoring him with the Lordship of Dragonstone because under the Targaryens it was the traditional seat of the heir to the throne, but Stannis scoffed at such pleasantries.
At the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings , Dragonstone becomes the seat of King Stannis Baratheon. Unfortunately for Stannis, at the outset, he is only supported by the lords of the few islands in Blackwater Bay that were already sworn to him. To curry support for his weak position, Stannis converts to the religion of the Lord of Light , influenced by the red priestess Melisandre . At a gathering of Stannis and his supporters on the beach, Melisandre burns the wooden statues of the Seven from Dragonstone's sept as an offering to the Lord of Light.
Whilst discussing their enemies in the Red Keep 's new map room, Cersei Lannister asks her brother Jaime where he thinks Daenerys will head first to launch her invasion. Jaime predicts she will land at Dragonstone; it is strategically located with harbors for her ships, Stannis had left it vacant, and it was where Daenerys was born. Jaime's prediction proves correct, as Daenerys returns to Dragonstone around the same time. She spends a few minutes exploring the castle's entryways, tearing down at least one banner with Stannis's heraldry, before reaching the throne room. Declining to seat herself immediately, she proceeds into the Chamber of the Painted Table and declares "Shall we begin?"
The Targaryen forces head back to Dragonstone , but their fleet is ambushed by the Iron Fleet armed with Scorpions . As a result, Rhaegal is killed and much of the Targaryen fleet wiped out. After Missandei 's execution, Daenerys and Jon return to Dragonstone, where a force of Unsullied remains stationed during the siege of King's Landing. They leave to attack the city after Daenerys decides on her course of action.
Riley's designs for the interior of Dragonstone also took inspiration from Louis Kahn's Salk Institute and the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, while the tiles on the floor of the throne room were influenced by the look of the Giant's Causeway.
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Dragonstone is a volcanic island located a couple of hundred miles north-east of King's Landing. The island has a small port and a large castle on it, built by the Targaryens some 500 years ago when they settled Dragonstone as a trading outpost of the great Valyrian Freehold . When Valyria was destroyed in the cataclysm known as the Doom a century later, Dragonstone was the largest Valyrian stronghold to survive intact. The Targaryens refused to help the colony-states along the west coast of Essos maintain Valyrian rule. They would later become the Free Cities .
The Targaryens instead waited another century, building up their strength, then invaded and subdued Westeros three hundred years ago. They built a new capital at King's Landing, while Dragonstone became the primary holding of the King's heir (who was also named "Prince of Dragonstone"). After the deposing of King Aerys II Targaryen , Robert Baratheon appointed his brother Stannis as Lord of Dragonstone until his own son, Joffrey , became old enough for the office. This has caused a rift between the brothers, as Stannis feels that he should rightfully be commanding the ancestral Baratheon castle of Storm's End instead of their youngest brother, Lord Renly Baratheon and that Robert was punishing him for failing to capture Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen before they were smuggled to safety in Essos after their mother's death. However, the lords of Blackwater Bay sworn to Dragonstone had been staunch Targaryen loyalists, and Robert felt Stannis was more suited to keeping them in line.
Dragonstone is the home port of part of the Royal Fleet. In addition, Dragonstone commands the loyalty of a number of smaller houses located on surrounding islands in the Narrow Sea and on nearby parts of the coastal mainland. Dragonstone is a cold, drafty, and harsh place. Lord Stannis and his family usually prefer to spend as much time as possible at court away from the island but have recently returned to Dragonstone to attend to business there just before the start of the series.
Dragonstone is one of the strongest castles in all of the Seven Kingdoms, due to its advanced Valyrian design, using strong stonemasonry techniques now lost to the world. Its isolated island location greatly enhances its already formidable defensive prowess: a vast fleet of ships would be required simply to transport troops and large siege weapons to its location, and even then they would be forced to make a risky amphibious landing while under fire from the castle's own catapults. The castle itself is not on the sheer scale of the greatest castles of the realm such as Storm's End or the Red Keep , but both of those castles can be assaulted by land armies. The entire point of building so strong a fortress on such an isolated island was to make the perfect refuge and redoubt for greater noble Houses from elsewhere: the indigenous "lands" of Dragonstone are just a few fishing villages and could never have supported the construction of such a powerful castle on their own.
In the fourth novel, Cersei orders Paxter Redwyne to transport 2,000 soldiers to conquer Dragonstone, which Stannis has left poorly garrisoned. He intends to take the castle bloodlessly by either starving the defenders out or creating a breach in the walls through mining and forcing the defenders to surrender. However, when the ironborn start attacking settlements on the coastline of the Reach following Euron Greyjoy 's coronation as King of the Iron Islands , Margaery and Loras Tyrell urges Cersei to send the Redwyne fleet back to the Reach, as it is the only naval force capable of fighting the Iron Fleet . Cersei, unconcerned about attacks on lands controlled by the Tyrells and dismissive of the threat posed by the ironborn, insists that she will only allow the Redwyne fleet back to the Reach when Dragonstone is back in royal hands. Loras estimates it will take at least half a year to starve Dragonstone into submission and asks Cersei for the command, promising to take the castle within two weeks. Cersei agrees delightedly: knowing how rash Loras is, she expects him to get killed. Pycelle objects for the very same reason, but his protests fall on deaf ears. Upon his arrival, Loras challenges Rolland Storm to a trial by combat to end the siege: when Rolland refuses, Loras orders an all out attack.
Dragonstone is taken, but at great cost, due to Loras's rashness: about one thousand Lannister soldiers are needlessly killed, most of them loyal to Tommen, and the best and bravest knights and young lords. Loras, the first to invade the castle, is fatally injured by arrows, mace, and boiling oil. By the point the books reached, he is still lying near death. In the aftermath of the victory, Loras's men search the island but Mace reports to the Small Council they found no treasure, nor any sign of the fabled caches of dragon eggs said to be hidden there by the Targaryens. Kevan personally doesn't believe they looked very hard, but rather than start an argument between his allies and Mace's on the Small Council, concludes that if there was anything of value at Dragonstone, Stannis likely took it with him when he left the island to go north.
The TV series has somewhat altered the design of Dragonstone. In the books, the entire castle is built of fused Valyrian stone, shaped to look like an entire nest of dragons perched on the cliffs, and decorated within with draconic imagery. The Great hall is shaped like a dragon lying on its belly, the kitchens like a curled up dragon, and many of its towers like dragons gazing over the sea or screaming at invaders. The TV-Dragonstone incorporates few of these sweeping architectural features, although it does follow the books in that there are an abundance of carved dragon images throughout the castle.
King Harren Hoare 's grandfather led the Ironborn to conquer the Riverlands , previously occupied by the Stormlands . The Ironborn cared nothing for the inhabitants of the mainland, and their rule was brutal and tyrannical - far more than any previous occupier. To consolidate their hold on the Riverlands, Harren's grandfather commissioned construction of a great fortress on the northern shore of the Gods Eye lake, in the very heart of the region. The largest and greatest fortress ever built in Westeros, it took three generations to finish. The Ironborn broke the backs of the Rivermen in forced labor to complete an instrument for their own domination; it is rumored that Harren mixed blood in the mortar. The great castle was finally finished in King Harren's time, and he arrogantly named it "Harrenhal" after himself. On the very same day that the last brick was laid, however, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters landed with their army from Dragonstone at the mouth of the Blackwater river, along with their three dragons , beginning Aegon's Conquest .
After hearing Sam's story about killing the Other, Stannis says that on Dragonstone there is much of that obsidian in the old tunnels beneath the mountain, in many colors: mostly black, some green, red and purple. Unlike in the show, Stannis does not just mention that; recognizing the importance of the material, he sends word to Ser Rolland, the castellan of Dragonstone, to begin mining it. It is unknown whether his command has been fulfilled.