Valyrian steel

**Valyrian steel** is a type of steel from Valyria, used to make weapons and various other items of unparalleled quality. Magic plays a role in its forging, which makes the steel special and gives it magical characteristics.

## Characteristics

The properties of Valyrian steel are the result of both folding iron many times to balance and remove impurities, and the use of unknown spells, giving unnatural strength to the resulting steel. Bloodmagic and/or fire magic presumably plays a role in spells used to make Valyrian steel, as all Valyrian sorcery came from blood or fire.

Valyrian steel blades are lighter, stronger, harder, and sharper than even the best castle-forged steel. Nothing holds an edge like Valyrian steel, therefore swords hundreds of years old are sharp as the day they were forged. The blades feature distinctive rippled patterns (similar to real-world Damascus steel), the mark of steel that has been folded back on itself many thousands of times. Most Valyrian steel is dark grey in colour, almost appearing black. No common fire, not even dragonflame, can damage Valyrian steel.

## Usage

Valyrian steel can be used for weapons, tools, jewellery, ornamentation, and armour.

In the order of maesters, links of Valyrian steel signify the study of magic, known as "the higher mysteries". Only one in a hundred maesters has earned such a link. An archmaester of the higher mysteries, who has demonstrated expertise in this subject, has a ring, rod, and mask of Valyrian steel. The maesters who gain Valyrian steel links do not have to forge the metal themselves.

## Dragonsteel

In the archives of the Night's Watch at Castle Black, there is an account of the Long Night that speaks of the last hero slaying Others with a dragonsteel blade, which they could not stand against. It is thought that dragonsteel may be another name for Valyrian steel.

## History

Valyrian steel was manufactured in the Valyrian Freehold, spell-forged with the assistance of dragons and dragonflame. The costly material became even more expensive when the method of making new Valyrian steel was lost with the Doom of Valyria, and existing weapons became highly treasured and extremely rare. In all the world, only the Free City of Qohor has preserved the art of reworking Valyrian steel. The master smiths of Qohor jealously guard their secrets, the spells needed to reforge Valyrian steel without losing its strength or unsurpassed ability to hold an edge.

Maester Pol spent many years of residence in Qohor, investigating the secrets of their blacksmiths for his treatise on Qohorik metalworking. He was thrice publicly whipped, and cast out for making too many inquiries. The final time, his hand was also cut off, per the allegation he had stolen a Valyrian steel blade. According to Pol, the true reason for his final exile was his discovery of blood sacrifices — including that of infant slaves — which the Qohorik smiths use in their efforts to produce a steel equal to the original Valyrian steel.

There may be thousands of Valyrian steel blades remaining in the known world, but in Westeros there are only 227 such weapons according to Archmaester Thurgood's *Inventories*, some of which have since been lost or have disappeared from recorded history. Most Valyrian steel blades in Westeros are treasured heirlooms of noble houses, each with its own name and storied history, and even impoverished lesser houses are unwilling to give them up.

After the death of King Aegon I Targaryen in 37 A.C., the king's body was burned in a funeral pyre, with his hands folded over the hilt of his Valyrian steel sword, Blackfyre. Blackfyre's blade was darkened by the dragon-lit flames, but the sword was otherwise unharmed.

## List of Valyrian steel objects

### Blades known to still exist

* Blackfyre, one of the two ancestral swords of House Targaryen. The sword of King Aegon I Targaryen. Carried by all Targaryen kings, currently carried by King Aeric I Targaryen.
* Dark Sister, the second of the ancestral swords of House Targaryen. Originally made for a woman's hand, it was later wielded by Queen Visenya Targaryen. Currently carried by Maelor Targaryen.
* Heartsbane, the ancestral two-handed greatsword of House Tarly.
* Ice, the ancestral two-handed greatsword of House Stark, currently in the possession of Brandon Stark.
* Lady Forlorn, the ancestral sword of House Corbray, currently in the possession of Ser Connas Corbray.
* Longclaw, the ancestral Valyrian steel bastard sword of House Mormont. Currently in the possession of Colyn Mormont.
* Nightfall, the ancestral blade of House Harlaw.
* Orphan-Maker, the ancestral sword of House Roxton, held by House Peake.
* Red Rain, the sword of House Drumm, which was stolen by them in a raid. Given the name and colouring, possibly the ancestral sword of House Reyne.
* Truth, a Valyrian steel sword in the possession of House Rogare of Lys.
* Valyrian steel axe reportedly possessed by House Celtigar.

### Blades with unknown fates

* Brightroar, the ancestral sword of House Lannister, lost when Tommen II Lannister, King of the Rock, sailed to Valyria and never returned.
* Lamentation, the ancestral sword of House Royce, lost in the Storming of the Dragonpit.
* Vigilance, the ancestral sword of House Hightower. Its last known owner was Lord Ormund Hightower.
* A great curved Valyrian steel blade with a dragonbone hilt, wielded by Sandoq the Shadow in 135 A.C.

### Other objects

* A small number of maesters have Valyrian steel links in their collars, representing their study of magic and occultism. Marwyn also has a ring, rod, and mask of Valyrian steel.
* Dragonbinder, a dragon horn banded with red gold and Valyrian steel.
* The crown worn by King Aegon I Targaryen and some of his successors in the Targaryen dynasty, a circlet of Valyrian steel studded with rubies. It was last used to crown Aemond I Targaryen.