House Blackfyre

House Blackfyre is an extinct noble house of King's Landing, formerly holding fealty to the King on the Iron Throne. A direct off-shoot of House Targaryen, it was founded by Daemon Blackfyre, the legitimised bastard son of King Aegon IV. Their sigil was a black three-headed dragon, breathing black fire on red, the Targaryen sigil with the colours reversed.
House Blackfyre is named for the sword of the same name.
==History==
King Aegon IV Targaryen was infamous for siring many bastards, the most famous of whom were the Great Bastards: Daemon Waters, Aegor Rivers (known as Bittersteel), Brynden Rivers (known as Bloodraven) and Shiera Seastar.
Daemon was the eldest and took primacy as he was the son of Aegon by his cousin Daena Targaryen, the sister and briefly wife of King Baelor I Targaryen. She was locked with her sisters in the Maidenvault in the Red Keep so the sight of them would not tempt Baelor to carnal thoughts. Despite this isolation, she fell pregnant and refused to divulge the identity of the father. For this, she became known as Daena the Defiant. Her son Daemon became a skilled and canny fighter whilst still a boy, and at the age of twelve King Aegon IV acknowledged Daemon as his own. Shockingly, he gave Daemon his sword, the Valyrian steel blade Blackfyre. After this, he seemed to favour the martial, skilled warrior Daemon and disdained his legitimate eldest son, Daeron.
Towards the end of his life in 184 AL, it appears that Aegon IV may have been considering making Daemon his heir, although this would have been highly legally problematic. Aegon IV died before he could make this happen, but he did legitimise all four of his 'great bastards' (those born by noble blood) on his deathbed. Daemon took the house name 'Blackfyre' and wore the colours of House Targaryen reversed. Daeron II took the throne.
Over the next decade the realm began to splinter between the two men. Daemon was a skilled and brave warrior, fearless in battle, highly charasmatic and attractive to women. He was honourable and the soul of chivalry. His half-brother Daeron was less attractive and had a tendency towards fat, but he was also a peacemaker and a diplomat of tremendous skill, keeping the realm out of war, solving internal divisions and establishing closer ties with Dorne. He was already married to Princess Myriah Martell and announced a major coup when Prince Moran Martell of Dorne agreed to marry his sister Daenerys.
A number of factors contributed to the falling out of Daemon and Daeron. Daemon was said to be in love with Daenerys and wished to marry her himself. Daemon was also concerned, as many in the realm were, with the prevalent 'Dornish flavour' of the court in King's Landing, and felt that the Dornish had far too much influence over the king. However, the final straw seems to have been the presentation of evidence that Daeron II was actually the result of an illegitimate union between his mother Naerys and uncle Aemon, and was thus not the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
In 195 AL Daemon Blackfyre claimed the Iron Throne in his own right, splintering the realm almost in half. Great knights and armies flocked to both banners and the First Blackfyre Rebellion was the result, more than a year of fire and fury that ended in the Battle of Redgrass Field, where Daemon Blackfyre and his two eldest sons, Aegon and Aemon, were slain by his half-brother Bloodraven, who had sided with Daeron. Bittersteel, who had sided with Daemon, managed to escape the field with Daemon's younger sons.
House Blackfyre was outlawed and its lands confiscated by order of King Daeron II.
===In exile===
House Blackfyre continued through Daemon's five younger sons, who lived in exile in the Free Cities. Their uncle, Bittersteel, founded a mercenary company known as the Golden Company, which supported their claim to the Iron Throne. Four times after the Redgrass Field, the Blackfyres attempted to prosecute a claim to the throne, thrice aided by Bittersteel and the Golden Company, each time being defeated or driven off.
The last of the Blackfyre Pretenders was Maelys the Monstrous, so-named as he was misshapen and disturbing to look upon. It was said he had consumed his own twin in the womb, for he had a second, malformed head growing out of his shoulder. Maelys made alliance with the Band of Nine, a group of eastern nobles seeking to help one another achieve what they could not do by themselves. The Band based themselves on the Stepstones in preperation for an invasion of Westeros, unaware that King Aegon V had already learned of their plans. The Band was attacked and destroyed by a Westerosi army, and Maelys was slain in combat by a young knight named Ser Barristan Selmy. This conflict became known as the War of the Ninepenny Kings.
===Legacy===
House Blackfyre was considered the greatest threat to the Targaryen rule until the rebellion of Robert Baratheon, since it came so close to unseating the ruling dynasty. After this occasion, the Targaryens were wary over legitimising any future bastards born to their kings.
Although House Blackfyre was apparently extinguished upon Maelys' death, rumours persist of other descendants still living in the Free Cities. Whilst that is unproven, the Golden Company certainly still exists and has a reputation for competence and skill at arms in the Free Cities that is second to none. They would likely remain implacable foes of any surviving scions of House Targaryen.
==Historical Blackfyre characters==
* Daemon I Blackfyre, born as Daemon Waters, founder of House Blackfyre, married to Rohanne of Tyrosh. Started the First Blackfyre Rebellion.
** Aegon Blackfyre, his first born son. His fathers heir and squire. Twin to Aemon.
** Aemon Blackfyre, his second son. A squire to his father and twin to Aegon.
** Daemon II Blackfyre, his third son.
** Haegon I Blackfyre, his fourth son. Heir to his older brother Daemon II.
*** Daemon III Blackfyre, Haegon's eldest son,.
** Aenys Blackfyre, his fifth son.
** Calla Blackfyre, his daughter, married to Ser Aegor Rivers before the First Blackfyre Rebellion.
** Two other sons and at least one daughter.
* Daemon Blackfyre, a cousin to Maelys I, of unknown exact descent.
* Maelys I Blackfyre, Captain-General of the Golden Company, last of the Blackfyre's. Of unknown exact descent. Fought in the Fifh Blackfyre Rebellion, the War of the Ninepenny Kings.
===Related to House Blackfyre===
* Aegor Rivers, known as Bittersteel
* Brynden Rivers, known as Bloodraven
* Shiera Seastar
== Notes and References ==
Category:Families and Groups
Category:Noble Houses
Category:Houses from the Crownlands
Category:House Blackfyre
Category:Extinct Houses
Category:Cadet branches of House Targaryen