Rhaenys Rivers

## Bastard of House Targaryen

Rhaella Targaryen (Half)

Daella Targaryen (Half)

Aerys Targaryen (Half)

**Rhaenys Rivers** is one of the three bastards of the late Crown Prince Viserys and rider of the great dragon Tessarion. She is well-known from the War of Four Daughters as The Tempest: a fierce warrior and even better dragonrider, detached from most of society with the exception of her siblings Lucerys and Maelys, Ser Walter Yronwood, and most recently Prince Aemon.

## Appearance

Rhaenys is tall, a few inches under six feet, muscled from years of fighting and running and climbing. She is as lithe and agile as her dragon, moving with the grace of someone who knows the limits of her body. Her face is slim and pale, reminiscent of her mother, with wide violet eyes (often distant, or narrowed in distrust), a streamlined nose, and thin lips framed by long locks of silvery white-blonde, usually drawn up into a hasty bun or horse's tail.

She prefers well-structured tunics and trousers of black and grey or soft hues of blue, similar to Tessarion's hide, with long sleeves and a high collar to hide the scars she received during the War, most significantly the large one running along the right side of her neck down to her collarbone just above her sternum. Her riding leathers are solid black and studded with silver detail, while her regular armor is a stunningly silver half-plate and chain to encourage freedom of movement.

## History

**392 AC:** Rhaenys is born late in the year at Harrenhal as the third bastard of Crown Prince Viserys and Laela Rivers. Outside of her immediate family, her birth is not very well-received.

**396 AC:** Rhaenys begins lessons with a septa quite early, having quickly developed a very aggressive temper with the other children. Her mother hopes the strict teachings will train such undesirable traits out of her daughter, though it is soon obvious that Rhaenys does not fear her teacher and punishments only lead to greater fury, with rumors of the child biting the septa and landing blows (no one ever actually sees the marks, but that does not stop the gossip of the bastard girl's insanity from spreading).

**397 AC:** The Crown Prince Viserys comes to visit Maelys and Rhaenys. Though she wishes to see him, Rhaenys is sequestered away and Viserys is told that she is ill with something highly contagious. She spends the week apart in her room, though Maelys and Lucerys steal away to keep her company.

**398 AC:** Prince Aemon Targaryen arrives at Harrenhal to visit all of his family, including the bastards. Once again Rhaenys is sequestered, but Aemon demands (using his status and his dragon, Ancalagon, to sway them) to see his niece, only six years younger than him as well. The two are introduced, and after a few rocky greetings Rhaenys lays hands on a dragon for the first time. Aemon tells her that he bonded with Ancalagon at the age of only eight years, and insists that she try as well.

**400 AC:** Remembering Aemon’s tale of his dragon bonding, Rhaenys declares on her eighth birthday that she should be allowed to try and tame a dragon. Fed up with her charge's fits of rage, the septa locks the girl in a room of solitude in "silent prayer" for three days while her brother Maelys is away at King’s Landing. Rhaenys emerges infinitely more subdued. It is noted that she doesn't seem more accepting of her lessons despite this, only quieter. She begins to distance herself from others, including her siblings.

**401 AC:** Her older brother Maelys, in an attempt to bridge the widening gap between himself and Rhaenys, offers to practice a wide array of weapons with her. She seems to take quickly to the amateur teachings, and looks at ease with a blade in her hand.

**402 AC:** Rhaenys hears stories of her brother Lucerys and half-sister Rhaella, of their father’s adoration or beloved demeanor, respectively. She is star struck by the rumors, and continues her weapons training in earnest, but is only able to practice with Maelys in secret.

**407 AC:** Rhaenys’ training is discovered and, in a desperate effort to instill her with ladylike traits befitting a scion of House Targaryen, she is sent to King’s Landing. Her detached personality does not help an already lackluster welcome, and despite a few feeble attempts at making friends with the ladies of the court, Rhaenys’ move only serves to further distance her from normal society.

**408 AC:** As tensions rise between Westeros and the Free Cities and the dragonriders of House Targaryen prepare for war, Rhaenys grows impatient with her role in King’s Landing. She begins making trips to the dragonpit, simultaneously feeling more comfortable around the dragons living there and hoping to form a bond. One dragon in particular appears the most protective of her: the great dragon Tessarion, offspring of Viserion. Over a period of months the two form a slow, deep bond, and a lucky few bear witness to the frigid Rhaenys talking to the blue dragon late into the night, stringing more words together than any had heard from her voice in almost a decade. On her sixteenth nameday, Rhaenys steals riding gear in an attempt to take Tessarion to the skies. She is found out, but instead of simply being scolded Crown Prince Viserys insists that his daughter try riding; either she is successful and the bond is true, or she deservedly falls to her death. The ride is successful, albeit obviously amateur, but the pair take off and land safely, seemingly without Rhaenys speaking a single word. When she reaches the ground, Rhaenys finds her father strangely absent from the crowd.

**409 AC:** While seeking new armor to ready herself for the coming war, Rhaenys meets a drunken Ser Walter Yronwood, who believes her someone else, and challenges her to a (supposedly friendly) duel. Even wildly inebriated the man is almost able to best her. Now slightly more sober, the exiled knight requests to be at her service; though Rhaenys remains cold, following a brief discussion with her dragon, she surprisingly agrees, citing her father’s words: “You save me one day and your allegiance is true, or I’ve made an awful mistake and I deserve my death. Neither outcome is one that I can later regret.” Rhaenys and Tessarion enter the War of Four Daughters in the first official offensive, the taking of Pentos. It was largely an intimidation tactic, with minimal bloodshed. Both dragon and rider remain to oversee operations and keep the peace, until they are called in as reinforcements during the Battle in the Ruins; they arrive the morning of the second day amidst the full swing of battle. The pair are considered a much-needed relief, and the blue hellfire they rain earns Rhaenys the name “The Tempest.” Unfortunately, Tessarion is injured during the evening and forced to land, but Rhaenys refuses to pull herself from the fight. Midway through the third day she grows tired and receives a heavy blow to her neck and shoulder, which would cause a scar that never truly fades. Ser Walter finds the injured Rhaenys amongst the chaos, slays her attacker, and drags her to safety; it is after this that she begrudgingly admits them friends. Immediately after the battle, Rhaenys and Tessarion return to King’s Landing to recuperate.

**410-413 AC:** After nearly a year of recovery, both dragon and rider are ready to return to battle, but after the death of Rhaegal Rhaenys finds she is unable to take Tessarion with her. After a brief period of indecision, she admits that she is not ready to part with the feeling of purpose war gives her, and departs with Ser Walter to rejoin the fray. She would participate in several engagements, most notably the Siege of Volantis, the Seven Day Battle, Orchard’s Battle, and the Farm Battle. Upon hearing of her brother Maelys’ massacre at the Mourning Manse, a shaken Rhaenys returns to King’s Landing with Ser Walter. It takes the rest of the year to regain Tessarion’s trust.

**415 AC:** An unexpected run-in with Ancalagon sparks memories in Rhaenys, and she is reunited with Prince Aemon after seventeen years. Both have grown into near-unrecognizable people, and though she is surprisingly friendly with Ancalagon, Rhaenys is (at first) noticeably wary of their rider.

**416 AC:** Crown Prince Viserys dies. Rhaenys shows no change in her usual demeanor at his funeral.

**417 AC:** Rhaenys travels home to Harrenhal for a brief visit that she soon regrets, her unmarried dragon rider status stirring gossip for which she has no patience for, instigating an abrupt return to King’s Landing.

## Possessions

### Trinkets

* A silver puzzle ring gifted to her during her time in Pentos; it was given to her by a child, in exchange for a closer look at Tessarion. Rhaenys let the girl stay until she was called away.

### Other

* A deep red cloak embroidered with black and gold dragons along the hem.
* Her custom riding armor and battle armor sets.

## Connections

* Maelys Rivers - Her second eldest brother and weapons instructor while growing up. She held him in high-esteem until the Massacre at Mourning Manse, and now harbors an ambivalent unease towards him.
* Lucerys Waters - Her eldest brother and the favorite child of the late Crown Prince Viserys. She grew up on tales of him in King’s Landing and, despite his kind demeanor towards her, regards him with wonder, fear, and — perhaps — the smallest bit of resentment.
* Ser Walter Yronwood - Her sworn sword and best friend, aside from Tessarion. Perhaps the only person she feels she can speak freely around, there is a subtle thread of mutual respect between them. He is said to be the only person to ever make her smile.
* Prince Aemon Targaryen - Her uncle, though only six years her senior. They first met as children and he can be considered the foremost catalyst in her drive to become a dragon rider, but almost two decades apart have since softened what might have been a strong bond.

## Rumours

* Supposedly has lain with no men (true). Conversely, has supposedly lain with many men, including her sworn sword (not as true).
* Supposedly bit the finger off her childhood septa.
* Has fought during most of the War of Four Daughters, both with and without her dragon; those she stood beside know her as the Tempest.

## Recent Events

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