House Velaryon

Lord of the Tides

Master of High Tide

**House Velaryon of Driftmark** rules the island of Driftmark, the largest island of Blackwater Bay in the Crownlands. Their castles include Driftmark and High Tide. The head of House Velaryon is titled Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark. The Velaryons are sworn to Dragonstone. Their arms depict a silver seahorse on sea green. Their words are "*The Old, the True, the Brave*".

## Origins

House Velaryon is an ancient and proud house, with the blood of old Valyria in its veins. House Velaryon was a closely allied family to House Targaryen in Valyria. Velaryons, like the Targaryens, often have the Valyrian features of silver hair and purple eyes.

The Velaryons traveled to Westeros before the Targaryens, having settled on the island of Driftmark, and they claim that they received the Driftwood Throne from the Merling King to conclude a pact. The Velaryons filled their coffers by gaining monopoly over the passing trade and Velaryon ships dominated the middle reaches of the narrow sea while their allies, the Targaryens, ruled the skies with their dragons.

The House continued to maintain close ties with the Targaryens after the Doom of Valyria, as evidenced by the marriage of Aerion Targaryen and Valaena Velaryon, the parents of Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys. When Aegon and his sisters began their Wars of Conquest, Driftmark men followed, and the lord of the house, Daemon Velaryon, became Aegon's master of ships. Daemon was killed near Gulltown during Aegon's Conquest, however. The first Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was Ser Corlys Velaryon.

## History

Lucerys Velaryon served as master of ships for Aerys II Targaryen. During the War of the Usurper, the Velaryons presumably remained loyal to the Targaryens, sending men with Aerys's heir, Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, to fight in the Battle of the Trident.

### War of the Five Kings

Lord Monford Velaryon answers Stannis Baratheon's summons when he crowns himself king and calls his banners. Stannis comments to Davos Seaworth his disgust about having to sup with his lords, among them Velaryon, whom he expects to threaten to take his levies home unless they attack at once. Lord Velaryon's contribution to Stannis's fleet is the *Pride of Driftmark* and her three sister ships named *Bold Laughter*, *Harridan*, and *Seahorse*. When Stannis makes public the accusations of Joffrey Baratheon being born from incest, Monford states that only steel will decide the matter.

When Stannis besieges Storm's End during the War of the Five Kings, Lord Velaryon urges him to storm the castle walls as soon as possible. Monford burns with his ship at the Battle of the Blackwater. Before sinking, the *Pride of Driftmark* manages to take down two Lannister ships. When leading his sortie, Tyrion Lannister finds himself surrounded with Ser Balon Swann and Ser Mandon Moore by a circle of Velaryon spearmen. Aurane Waters, the Bastard of Driftmark, is made prisoner during the battle and surrenders to King Joffrey Baratheon.

Monford is succeeded by his six-year-old son, Monterys Velaryon. Despite Stannis's defeat at the Blackwater, the Velaryons are still counted amongst his supporters.

### Second War of Conquest

The seahorse arms of House Velaryon are spotted by Jon Snow during the attack by Stannis on the wildling camp north of the Wall. During the Winter War, their banners are seen again throughout Stannis's campaign, until his death in 302 AC. After that, the remaining Velaryon soldiers returned to Driftmark, and bent the knee to King Aegon VI Targaryen.

When Daenerys Targaryen came to Westeros, trying to claim the Iron Throne for her own, the Velaryon fleet stood idly while the Royal Fleet was annihilated. Exhausted by the Winter War and without an adult Lord, House Velaryon was largely left out of the conflict, even after Daenerys' dragon burned the inner Crownlands. After Daenerys was murdered in Dorne, peace returned to the Crownlands and thus to Driftmark as well.

### War of the Waters

Because it was Aurane Waters, the Bastard of Driftmark who had stolen the ships from King's Landing, the Velaryon men decided to assume responsibility and sent some of their own ships to strengthen the remaining Royal Fleet in order to bring down the aspiring pirate lord. At the Battle off Bloodstone, Aurane's ships were destroyed or captured, the man himself escaping and disappearing. Because of the Velaryon's brave, voluntary action, they grew in prestige in the eyes of the newly forged realm.

### War of the Lords Scorned

As a new conflict arose in the vicinity of Diftmark, the now capable and strong House Velaryon decided to prove their unyielding loyalty to the Crown. Lord Monterys raised his levies after he heard the reports of the death of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, took the massive naval strength of Driftmark and sailed them across Crackclaw Point and into Maidenpool. Their ships blockaded any movement in those waters that could've benefited the rebels, and after King Aegon informed Lord Monterys that they would be arriving to lift the siege of Maidenpool, they made land and joined in on the battle, catching their enemies between Aegon's armies and them. The rebellion was crushed, and House Velaryon returned home, once again with the favor of the realm.

### War of the Shadow

Though the newly-made Lord Lucaerys Velaryon swore to the Targaryens who sat the Iron Throne in this war, the fleet of Driftmark did little, as most of the fighting happened inland, where their ships couldn't reach the enemy armies.

### War of the Seven Banners

Lord Lucaerys' son, Maelys Velaryon had established a kingdom of his own in the Stepstones prior to the beginning of the war. The young man who had been refused his birthright, the island of Driftmark and all the benefits that came with it because of certain personal differences between the father and the son, had originally been assigned to aid his mother's family in Braavos to deal with pirates. Upon his return, he had changed his course and taken the ships that officially belonged to his father to the Stepstones. There, he had captured the island of Bloodstone and taken the alias of *"Bloodlord"*.

The Bloodlord and his ships swore their allegiance to the Iron Throne, after an envoy from Dorne had come to them offering glory and a sizable chest of gold. First, the Bloodlord fought alongside the King himself at Redstone, then was assigned to join forces with Aegor Targaryen. The Bloodlord fought with him in the Battle of Corpse Lake, and later helped him siege Myr. However, he had to leave because of personal reasons, returning to Bloodstone and joining the war against the Sea Snake in Dorne. After fighting in Dorne for a year, he returned to Myr to finish what he had started. He spent the rest of the war at the siege, until he returned to Driftmark and left behind the name of Bloodlord.

Lord Lucaerys raised his levies and vassals and sailed with the Prince of Dragonstone to the same battles as his disguised son, but only found out about his son's presence after a battle near Myr where the Bloodlord dueled him. The duel could not commence, however, and the Bloodlord escaped to the docks of Myr, taking his own ships as well as those of his father's. Cursing his son, Lucaerys spent the rest of the war in Aegor Targaryen's siege camp before returning home.

### Last decade

In 372 AC the old and mentally unstable Lucaerys arranged the execution of his son's wife, Myrcella Dalt. Devastated, Maelys was taken to Dragonstone where they raised an army against High Tide and besieged it. Corlys Velaryon, who the old Lord trusted, was let inside and after the siege began, murdered Lucaerys and opened the gates for his brother, making him the new Lord of the Tides. After the Hand of the King had looked into the matter, Maelys was officially given lordship over the island.

Two years into his new position, Maelys ordered the ancient castle of Driftmark be reconstructed, as the stronghold had fallen into bad shape during the years. Stonemasons and architects were hired all the way from Volantis to rebuild the castle. The project was completed in 378 AC, and Maelys moved the Driftwood Throne there and ruled his holdings from Driftmark. He named Corlys to look after High Tide.

In 377 AC, the Crown appointed Maelys the new Master of Ships in the Small Council.

## Recent Events

Lord Maelys and his household are invited to the grand tournament and feast in Oldtown.