House Velaryon

**House Velaryon of Driftmark** is a noble house of Valyrians in The Crownlands, and one of the few houses of The Seven Kingdoms besides the Targaryens that originated in Essos.

They rule Driftmark, an island in Blackwater Bay located west of Dragonstone. Their seat, High Tide, is located on a small island off the coast of Driftmark, for a period of time they relocated to Castle Driftmark after High Tide was burnt, one of the first things King Rhaegar I Targaryen did after being crowned was to commission the rebuilding of the castle.

Their words are "*The Old, the True, the Brave*".

## **History:**

### **Origins:**

House Velaryon is an ancient and proud house, with the blood of old Valyria in its veins. A noble house with a storied Valyrian lineage, the Velaryons had come to Westeros even before the Targaryens, if their family histories can be believed, settling in The Gullet on the low-lying and fertile isle of island of Driftmark (so named for the driftwood that the tides brought daily to its shores) rather than its stony, smoking neighbour, Dragonstone. The castle of Driftmark housed their ancient high seat, the Driftwood Throne, which according to legend had been given to them by the Merling King to conclude a pact.

Though never dragon riders, the Velaryons had for centuries remained the oldest and closest allies of the Targaryens. The sea was their element, not the sky. During the Conquest, it was Velaryon ships that carried Aegon’s soldiers across Blackwater Bay, and later formed the greater part of the royal fleet. Throughout the first century of Targaryen rule, so many Lords of the Tides served on the small council as master of ships that the office was widely seen as almost hereditary.

Their close proximity to the Gullet enabled the Velaryons to fill their coffers from the passing trade in the narrow sea and Blackwater Bay. They allied with House Targaryen from Dragonstone and House Celtigar from Claw Isle, both houses of Valyrian descent; while the Velaryons and Celtigars dominated the middle reaches of the narrow sea with their ships, the Targaryens ruled the skies with their dragons.

### **Aegon's Conquest:**

The close relations between Houses Velaryon and Targaryen resulted in multiple marriages between the houses, both before and after the Wars of Conquest. From one such marriage was born Valaena Velaryon. She married Aerion Targaryen, the Lord of Dragonstone, with whom she had three children: Visenya, Lord Aegon, and Rhaenys.

House Velaryon allied with the Targaryens at the start of **Aegon's** Conquest. Lord Daemon Velaryon was made master of ships by Aegon the Conqueror after the mouth of the Blackwater Rush had been secured. Daemon died fighting for Aegon I in the battle in the waters off Gulltown, however.

### **Early Targaryen reign:**

House Velaryon kept an influential position at the court of the Targaryen kings during the first two centuries of the Targaryen reign. In 10 AC Ser Corlys Velaryon became the first Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. His elder brother, Lord Aethan Velaryon became master of ships for Aegon I. Lord Aethan thus succeeded his father as the Admiral of the Royal Fleet, and in turn was succeeded by his own son Lord Daemon Velaryon. Lord Aethan fought against Sargoso Saan, a pirate-lord, in The Stepstones.

Aethan's daughter, Alyssa, was married to Prince Aenys Targaryen, heir to the throne, in 22 AC, with whom she had six children (Rhaena, Aegon, Viserys, Jaehaerys, Alysanne, and Vaella). Alyssa became queen at her husband's coronation. She outlived Aenys I and became a prisoner of his brother, Maegor I Targaryen, on Dragonstone, when Maegor claimed the throne over Aenys's sons by Alyssa. In 44 AC Alyssa fled in the confusion that followed the death of Dowager Queen Visenya Targaryen. Her last surviving son by Aenys, Jaehaerys, put forward his claim for the throne. Lord Daemon Velaryon, Maegor's admiral of the fleet, who had previously supported Maegor, turned against the cruel king, and many of the great houses of Westeros joined with him.

Alyssa's son Jaehaerys became king at the age of fourteen, and Alyssa ruled as his regent, aided by Lord Rogar Baratheon. After Jaehaerys reached the age of majority, the regency ended, and Alyssa married Rogar, giving birth to two more children: Boremund and Jocelyn Baratheon. The Velaryons of the Old King's reign were a house even more influential than House Lannister.

### **The Sea Snake:**

After Daemon Velaryon eventually died he was directly succeeded as Lord of the Tides by his grandson Corlys Velaryon, also known as The Sea Snake, who rose to fame with his many voyages across the seas of the world. Corlys became the first man from Westeros to sail to Yi Ti, returning rich with spices, silks, and other treasures. He accumulated so much wealth that House Velaryon became the richest house in the realm, and himself the wealthiest man in The Seven Kingdoms, waxing even greater than the Lannisters or Hightowers. Because their ancestral castle, Driftmark, was damp and crowded, Corlys constructed a new seat for the Velaryons, High Tide.

Alyssa's daughter Jocelyn was eventually wed to Alyssa's grandson, Prince Aemon Targaryen, at the time the heir to the throne. Their child, Princess Rhaenys, was in turn wed to Lord Corlys and gave birth to two children by him: Laena and Laenor , both of whom became dragon riders. During the Great Council of 101 AC, Laenor's claim to the throne was presented before the lords of The Seven Kingdoms. Although primogeniture favoured him, and his father's wealth, fame and reputation resulted in much support for Laenor, in the end he lost to Prince Viserys Targaryen, causing a rift between the Velaryons and the Iron Throne. After Queen Aemma Arryn died, King Viserys I's Lord Lyonel Strong, suggested Corlys's twelve-year-old daughter Laena as a new bride, but House Velaryon was passed over once more. In response, Corlys and his family shunned Viserys' wedding to Alicent Hightower.

Corlys eventually befriended Prince Daemon Targaryen, with whom he invaded the Stepstones in 106 AC. When Daemon's wife, Rhea Royce, died in 115 AC, Corlys happily agreed to wed Laena to Daemon, following the death of Laena's betrothed. Laena's brother, Laenor, had married Rhaenyra Targaryen, the Princess of Dragonstone, the year before. Although that marriage resulted in three sons, it was rumoured that all three boys were bastards of Ser Harwin Strong, as they looked nothing like Rhaenyra and Laenor.

Laena and Daemonreside in Pentos and live there for some time alongside their two daughters, Baela and Rhaena.Laena suffers from complications during her third pregnancy. After Daemon is informed that it would perhaps be possible to save the baby through the use of a caesarean section, Laena resolves to die a dragon rider's death, walking to Vhagar and commanding the dragon to incinerate her. Vhagar reluctantly complies, burning Laena alive in front of Daemon. Laena is buried at High Tide according to the customs of House Velaryon, her sarcophagus being dropped into the sea. Her eulogy is delivered by her uncle Vaemond Velaryon.

Laenor was suspected to be killed shortly after by Ser Qarl Correy and organised by Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra, which was a ploy to strengthen Rhaenyra's claim by instating Daemon as prince consort, and to allow Laenorhis desired freedom, a pretend duel is staged between Laenor and Qarl in the Hall of Nine in front of a witness, who quickly leaves to inform Corlys. Before Corlys and Rhaenys arrive, a servant murdered by Daemon is planted in the hall and burned beyond recognition so as to make it seem that Laenor has been killed. Laenor, who has shaved his head to hide his Valyrian features, escapes on a boat with Qarl with the aim of self-exile in Essos.

### **The Oakenfist:**

Following the death of his first wife, Jaehaera Targaryen, King Aegon III Targaryen married Lady Daenaera Velaryon, the daughter of Daeron Velaryon, a cousin to Lord Alyn Velaryon. Daenaera gave birth to five children: Daeron, Baelor, Daena, Rhaena, and Elaena. Although both of her sons would rule as kings, both died childless. Through her daughter Daena, however, Daenaera is an ancestor of House Blackfyre.

Alyn Velaryon, formerly Alyn of Hull, became of Lord of Driftmark upon the death of Corlys the Sea Snake. During the regency of Aegon III, Alyn was the greatest rival to Lord Unwin Peake, then Hand of the King. Alyn was refused his grandfather's place as regent for the young king, and then was made to sail against The Stepstones, where he won a great victory at sea and earned the name Oakenfist. Alyn was later dispatched to The Westerlands to defeat Dalton Greyjoy, the Red Kraken. Lord Unwin had hoped that Alyn would fail, but instead, this expedition became the first of Alyn's six great voyages. Alyn later played an important role in the return of Aegon III's brother, Viserys, having negotiated his release from captivity in Lys.

In 157 AC, Alyn Oakenfist took a decisive part in King Daeron I Targaryen's conquest of Dorne as master of ships. He commanded a fleet that broke The Planky Town and swept halfway up The Greenblood river while the main Dornish strength was engaged with Daeron in The Prince's Pass. Alyn returned to subdue The Planky Town and The Greenblood in 160 AC after the Dornishmen rebelled.

Alyn had an unknown number of children with his wife, Lady Baela Targaryen, the eldest daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon. Although he was married, he loved the Princess Elaena Targaryen, and had two bastards by her, the twins Jon and Jeyne Waters. Elaena hoped to marry Alyn, but he disappeared at sea. Their son Jon earned knighthood, married, and had a son of his own who began House Longwaters.

### **Robert's Rebellion:**

The Velaryons frequently served as master of ships—so often that at times the office had seemed hereditary—and provided much of the Iron Throne's royal fleet. Lucerys Velaryon served as master of ships for King Aerys II Targaryen, being one of the king's bigger supporters against his son Rhaegar, the prince of Dragonstone, while Lucerys Velaryon's son Monford had sided with Prince Rhaegar.

After Robert's Rebellion, the new king, Rhaegar I Targaryen, granted the lordship of Driftmark to Monford Velaryon and also appointed Monford to the Small Council as Master of Ships.

## **Family:**

* Lord Monford Velaryon, Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark.
	+ Monterys Velaryon, his son and heir.
* Aurane Waters, "the Bastard of Driftmark", Monford's bastard brother.