Valyrians

The **Valyrians** are an Essosi race and culture. They originate from the Valyrian Peninsula. Members of the race are commonly referred to as the **Blood of the Dragon**.

## Appearance

The Valyrians are usually tall, slender and beautiful, with silver-gold hair, lilac eyes and pale skin.

## History

### Rise

The original Valyrians were a peaceful, independent community of shepherds living near the Fourteen Fires, a chain of volcanoes near present-day Valyria. The shepherds were frequently bothered by the Ghiscari Empire, who would claim the land where the Valyrians settled as Ghiscari territory. One day, however, they discovered something lurking in the Fourteen Fires. They found dragons, who they tamed using magic and used them as war beasts.

Their magic allowed them to forge a new, rare and deadlier form of steel; Valyrian steel. Their dragons, Valyrian steel and mastery of the arts of magic shortly gave them grand influence on the Valyrian Peninsula and Slaver's Bay. They gathered a small amount of people within the community of shepherds and founded the ruling oligarchy of their new empire, the Valyrian Freehold. These oligarchs were known as the Dragonlords

### The fall of Ghis

The Ghiscari Empire tried to halt the Valyrian expansion through a series of was. Five times the Ghiscari Lockstep Legions attacked Valyria, and five times they failed. They always burned in the dragonfire.

In the closing days of the Ghiscari Wars, the armies of the Valyrian Freehold finally reached the capital of the Ghiscari Empire, Ghis. They plundered, sacked and devastated the city, and made slaves of the surviving peasants. They quickly conquered the former Ghiscari colonies.

### Western expansion

Once the Valyrians felt like they no longer needed what's east of their lands, they looked west. They conquered most of western Essos and built great cities and roads that still stand today. Terrified by the conquerors, the Andals, now residing in their native homeland of Andalos, sailed across the Narrow Sea and migrated to the western continent of Westeros to avoid the Valyrians. This migration would come to be known as the Andal Invasion.

The Andals wouldn't get as far away from the Valyrians as they had hoped, however, as shortly after the Andals had settled in Westeros, the Valyrian Freehold captured several islands of Blackwater Bay, most notably Dragonstone, owned by House Targaryen, Driftmark, owned by House Velaryon, and Claw Isle, owned by House Celtigar.

### Conflict with the Rhoynar

After years of peace with the Valyrian Freehold, tensions between the Rhoynar of the Free Cities and the Valyrians had finally come to an end. The tensions did not end peacefully, however, as they ended because of the Rhoynish Wars.

The last war of this series was the Second Spice War, which began when Volantis, a Valyrian colony, started to hunger for conquest and plunder in the Rhoynish Free Cities. The Valyrians were defeated in battle many times by Prince Garin the Great of Chroyane, leading an army, 250,000 strong, at Selhorys, Valysar, and Volon Therys. They defeated a Valyrian army made up of at least 100,000 men, and slayed at least two dragons.

In response to this embarassing and humiliating defeat, the Dragonlords ordered three hundred dragonriders to overwhelm the Rhoynar. The Valyrian dragons, with their riders atop them, burnt the armies of the Rhoynar and captured Prince Garin in the process. The Rhoynar were eventually forced to flee Essos, and Princess Nymeria of Ny Sar would lead the evacuation of the remaining Rhoynar across the Narrow Sea. The Rhoynar landed in Dorne, where they would miscegenate with the Andals, and turn House Martell into House Nymeros Martell, through a marriage between Nymeria and Mors Martell.

### The Doom of Valyria

About 126 years before the Conquest of Westeros, Daenys Targaryen, the daughter of Dragonlord Aenar Targaryen, had a vivid dream of the destruction of Valyria and the death of most of the dragons. She perceived this as a prophetic vision that was meant to be taken literally. She told her father about this, and House Targaryen would flee Valyria and settle on their Westerosi island, Dragonstone. The other Dragonlords saw Aenar as a coward, but, 12 years later, they wished that they had gone to Westeros with him.

The Doom of Valyria occurred 114 years before the Conquest of Westeros. As Daenys the Dreamer had prophecized, the Fourteen Fires erupted, and Valyria was destroyed. The lava burned so hot that even the dragons burned and died. The Doom shattered the Valyrian Peninsula into several islands, forming the Smoking Sea.

Today, they say that "The Doom still rules in Valyria". What they mean by this quite is that the peninsula is still fatally dangerous, as most known odysseys to the split peninsula have failed. The most notable expedition to Valyria was when King Tommen II Lannister of Casterly Rock went missing in Valyria, and was instantly presumed dead when he didn't return after his expected time.

### Shortly after the Doom

The rest of the Valyrian Freehold survived, but not for long. Without the Dragonlord oligarchy to rule them, the Valyrian provinces and colonies fell to chaos and anarchy. The regional governors tried to keep the peace, but they were eventually overthrown by peasants and slaves. The Freehold was no more.

### The Seven Kingdoms

The last of the pure Valyrians permanently settled in Westeros after the Doom. The greatest of which, House Targaryen, conquered the continent unter the leadership of Aegon I Targaryen. The family ruled as Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men for around 280 years before being deposed by one of their rumored cadet branches, House Baratheon.

### Slaver's Bay

The last known living Targaryen, Daenerys Stormborn, has recently conquered much of Slaver's Bay in Essos, ruling from the ancient city of Meereen.

## Appearance

The Valyrian blood comes with many unique phyical features, such as silver-gold hair, lilac eyes and pale skin.

## Culture

### Incest

The culture of the Valyrians holds blood-purity highly. Because of this, incest was commonly practiced in the Valyrian Freehold and the Seven Kingdoms under the Targaryen dynasty. This kept their blood pure, but it came with a price; Valyrians had a high chance of being born insane as a result of the incest. Because of this, a common saying in the Seven Kingdoms is: "Every time a Targaryen is born, the Gods flip a coin."

### Language

All Valyrians, even today, are expected to know how to speak High Valyrian.

### Religion

The Valyrian religion is a polytheistic faith. Their pantheon of deities includes Balerion, Meraxes, Vhagar, and Syrax.

### Magic

The inhabitants of the Valyrian Freehold had immense knowledge of the art of magic. They would enlist wizards into their military, calling them battle-wizards.

### Slavery

The Valyrian Freehold practiced slavery and made it a part of their culture. They adopted this from the Ghiscari Empire. Today, all surviving Valyrian noble houses are against slavery, especially House Targaryen, whose current head, Daenerys Targaryen, conquered much of Slaver's Bay and freed the slaves of the Masters. For this, she became known as the "Breaker of Chains".

## Known noble houses of direct Valyrian descent

* House Targaryen, a former house of Dragonlords and Lords of Dragonstone. Formerly the Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protectors of the Realm. Currently the Kings of Meereen. Currently headed by Daenerys Targaryen.
* House Velaryon, currently the Lords of the Tides and Masters of Driftmark. Currently headed by Monterys Velaryon.
* House Celtigar, currently the Lords of Claw Isle. Currently headed by Ardrian Celtigar.
* House Qoherys, formerly the Lords of Harrenhal. Currently extinct. Founded by Quenton Qoherys.
* House Baratheon, currently the Lords of Storm's End, Lords Paramount of the Stormlands, Lords of Dragonstone, Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protectors of the Realm. Founded by Orys Baratheon. Heading is currently disputed between Tommen I Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon.
* House Blackfyre, claimant Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protectors of the Realm. Founded by Daemon Waters, a bastard of Aegon IV Targaryen who became legitimized as Daemon Blackfyre. The house is named after House Targaryen's (then House Blackfyre's) lost ancestral weapon, Blackfyre. Currently extinct.
* House Rogare, a banking family from Lys.
* House Longwaters, a Crownlander vassal house. Originated from legitimized Targaryen and Velaryon bastards.

## Known alleged houses of direct Valyrian descent

* House Palehair, a house that claims to originate from Aegon II Targaryen through bastardy. Currently extinct.
* House Truefyre, a house that claims to originate from Viserys I Targaryen through bastardy. Currently extinct.

## Known non-Valyrian houses related to Valyrian families through marriage

* House Nymeros Martell, Lords of Sunspear and Princes of Dorne. Gained their Valyrian blood by marrying Targaryen princesses. Currently headed by Doran Nymeros Martell.
* House Arryn, Lords of the Eyrie, Defenders of the Vale, and Wardens of the East. Former Kings of the Mountain and the Vale. Married Targaryens. Currently headed by Robert Arryn.
* House Hightower, Lords of the Hightower, Lords of the Port, Voices of Oldtown, Defenders of the Citadel, and Beacons of the South. Former Kings of the High Tower. Married Targaryens. Currently headed by Leyton Hightower.
* House Westerling, Lords of the Crag. Married Targaryens. Currently headed by Gawen Westerling.
* House Costayne, Lords of the Three Towers. Married Targaryens. Currently headed by Tommen Costayne.
* House Harroway, former Lords of Harrenhal. Married Targaryens. Currently extinct.
* House Plumm. Married Targaryens. Currently headed by Dennis Plumm.
* House Manwoody, Lords of Kingsgrave. Former Dornish kings. Married Targaryens. Currently headed by Dagos Manwoody.
* House Penrose, Lords of Parchments. Married Targaryens. Currently headed by an unknown lord.

## Images of Valyrians

Rhaegar Targaryen (AWOIAF).jpgDaenerys targaryen study with videos by zombiesandwich-d6oms6m.jpgVisereys by amoka.jpgAegonI-Targaryen.jpgRhaenyra I Tagaryen.jpgMaegor I.jpgAerys targaryen by filipehattori-d3fa2ao.jpgJaehaerys I Targaryen.jpgFile-Rhaenys.jpegVisenya-Targaryen.jpgAenys I Targaryen.jpgViserys I Targaryen.jpgAegon II Targaryen.jpgAegon III Targaryen.jpgDaeron I Targaryen.jpgBaelor I Targaryen.jpgViserys II Targaryen.jpgAegon IV Targaryen.jpgDaemonI-Blackfyre.jpgDaeron II Targaryen.jpgAerys I Targaryen.jpgMaekarI-Targaryen.jpgAegon V Targaryen.jpgAemon by amoka.jpgJaehaerys II Targeryen.jpgFile-Alysanne.jpegLord Commander Rivers.png25 middle.jpg