House Targaryen

### Age

Rulers of Dragonstone island since 200 BC. Unknown amount of time beforehand as a noble family of the Valyrian Freehold

### Ancestral weapon

Blackfyre (lost)
Dark Sister

House Targaryen is a noble family of Valyrian descent, and is the only family of dragonlords who survived the Doom of Valyria. They left Valyria twelve years before the Doom occurred and resided for more than a century on the island of Dragonstone, until Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives began their conquest in 2 BC. House Targaryen ruled as the kings on the Iron Throne and as the Great House of the crownlands for nearly two hundred years, until the Blackfyre Rebellion of 196AC.

House Targaryen took possession of the castle Dragonstone upon leaving Valyria. Following the Conquest, they built the Aegonfort in the capital city of King's Landing. The Aegonfort was later torn down and replaced by the Red Keep, which remained their main seat for the duration of their dynasty, and which housed the Iron Throne. Dragonstone almost always given to the heir to the throne. The Targaryens eventually built the summer residence Summerhall in 188AC. Since 196AC, the Red Keep, Dragonstone and Summerhall have been held by House Blackfyre.

After exile, the Targaryens almost lost everything again at the Siege of Myr, where the Nestoris seized The Kingdom of the Three Daughters from them. A year later Baelor Targaryen, declared on the Nestoris and seized their lands back. He subsequently, named himself an emperor of the kingdom and reorganized the kingdom to something more like the Seven Kingdoms.

## Culture

### Traits

The phrase "blood of the dragon" refers to the Valyrian descent of the Targaryens, and more specifically to the fact that they were one of forty dragonlord families of Valyria. The typical Targaryen features remind strongly of the typical Valyrian features: pale skin, silver, platinum, or gold hair and eyes in a variety of shades of purple, or light blue.

The Targaryens can tolerate a bit more heat than most ordinary people; However, they are not immune to fire.

Another trait typical to Targaryens is the ability to have premonition-like dreams. The trait has been in the Targaryen family since before they relocated from Valyria to Dragonstone in 126 BC. This trait was passed on to the cadet branch, House Blackfyre, as well.

### Customs

House Targaryen's words are "Fire and Blood." Their sigil is a three-headed dragon breathing flames, red on black. The three-headed dragon represents the Conqueror and his two sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya.

Although the Targaryen kings took their seat at King's Landing, the place where Aegon and his army first landed in Westeros and made their first fort, replaced by the Red Keep later on, their earlier seat of Dragonstone remained in their possession as well. It eventually became the traditional seat of the heir-apparent to the throne, who was known as the Prince of Dragonstone (or Princess of Dragonstone, in a few occasions).

House Targaryen historically followed the gods of Valyria. Sometime before Aegon's Conquest, the Targaryens abandoned the Valyrian gods and converted to the Faith of the Seven, the predominant religion in Westeros. However, they continued to follow the Valyrian practice of incestuous marriage, wedding brother to sister, cousin to cousin, uncle to niece and aunt to nephew, holding themselves apart from and above the noble Westerosi families.

Deceased Targaryens are traditionally cremated. The ashes of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and his sister-wife, Queen Alysanne Targaryen, were interred and placed beneath the Red Keep.

### Dragons

As one of the forty dragonlord families of Valyria, the Targaryens were closer to dragons than other men. Aenar Targaryen brought five dragons with him when he moved from Valyria to Dragonstone, and Aegon I Targaryen and his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya rode them to battle during the Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms in 2 BC - 1 BC. The Targaryens rode their dragons during the first century and a half following Aegon's Conquest. Deaths in battle, especially during the Dance of the Dragons, and a growing infirmity in each following generation caused the family's stable to dwindle. The last dragon was a deformed and sterile creature, who died young in 153 AC, during the reign of Aegon III, the Dragonbane.

The Targaryens housed their dragons in an immense domed structure in King's Landing, the Dragonpit, which was constructed during the reign of Maegor I Targaryen. Not all dragons which hatched were ridden, however. On the island of Dragonstone, several dragons, both wild and previously ridden, resided at least during the reigns of Viserys I and Aegon II Targaryen.

At some point, it became tradition to gift a newborn child with a dragon's egg in the cradle.