Noble Houses - House Targaryen

"Half the Targaryens went mad didn't they? What's the saying? 'Every time a Targaryen is born the gods flip a coin.'"

―Cersei Lannister

House Targaryen is a former Great House of Westeros and was the ruling royal House of the Seven Kingdoms for three centuries, before it was deposed during Robert's Rebellion and House Baratheon replaced it as the new royal House. The few surviving Targaryens fled into exile. House Targaryen's sigil is a three-headed red dragon on a black background, and their words are"Fire and Blood".

History

Background

Once a noble family of the vast Valyrian Freehold, an empire spanning most of the eastern continent, the Targaryens were given control of the island of Dragonstone in the Narrow Seasome centuries ago. After the obliteration of Valyria in the Doom, the Targaryens launched a devastating invasion of Westeros using three dragons to spearhead their attack. In a short period of time, six of the seven formerly independent kingdoms had surrendered to the Targaryen leader, King Aegon I, unifying the continent under his rule. The last hold-out, Dorne, joined the kingdom through a political and marriage alliance some two centuries later.

During the increasingly erratic reign of King Aerys II, his sonRhaegar kidnapped Lyanna Stark of Winterfell for unknown reasons. This sparked a massive uprising led by Eddard Stark,Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn. At the end of this war Aerys and Rhaegar were dead and the Targaryen power-base in Westeros destroyed. Aerys's youngest children, Viserys and Daenerys, were taken by Targaryen loyalists into exile in the Free Cities of the East.

Generations of compound inbreeding have preserved in the Targaryen bloodline the classic Valyrian features of silver-white (platinum blonde) hair, and very fair, pale skin. Allegedly, this also preserved in their bloodline the ability to successfully bond with and ride dragons. They also seem to be somewhat more tolerant of extreme heat and high temperatures than other people, though they are by no means invulnerable to fire – or at least, not all of them.

Season 1

Viserys Targaryen arranges for the marriage of his sister Daenerys to the powerful dothraki Khal Drogo in exchange for a promise that Drogo will help him to reclaim his crown. The marriage was brokered by Illyrio Mopatis, a magister of Pentos. Illyrio gives Daenerys a trio of ancient dragon eggs as a gift.^[2] Daenerys comes to love both Drogo and his people while Viserys is increasingly frustrated by Drogo's failure to deliver on his promise.Daenerys becomes pregnant with Drogo's son and he is prophesied to be the "Stallion that mounts the world." Frustrated by the acceptance of Daenerys by the Dothraki, Viserys drunkenly threatens her unborn child and demands his crown. Drogo kills him by pouring molten gold over his head.

Drogo then pledges to invade Westeros for Daenerys when she survives an assassination attempt. He raids villages of the Lhazareen to enslave their inhabitants, intending to use them to barter passage across the Narrow Sea. He takes a superficial wound when he is challenged by Mago for apparently taking orders from a woman, namely Daenerys, who wants to spare the female slaves from being raped by the dothraki. Concerned that the wound could fester and become infected, Daenerys turns to the captive Mirri Maz Duur to treat him. Duur's reputation as a "maegi" causes friction between Daenerys and Drogo's warriors. Duur deliberately infects this wound, causing Drogo's life to become endagered. Unaware of Duur's actions, Daenerys allows her to use blood magic to treat Drogo, using the blood of Drogo's horse. His bloodrider Qotho violently objects, injuring Daenerys and triggering premature labor. Duur's spell leaves Drogo catatonic and Daenerys's son stillborn. His khalasar splinters leaving Daenerys with only dozens of riders remaining. After a tearful, loving farewell speech, Daenerys smoothers Drogo with a cushion. She then has Duur burned alive on his funeral pyre, also placing her dragon eggs among the flames. Duur dies in agony in the fire, her screaming filling the night air. Daenerys then steps into the fire, but the next morning, it is revealed that she is unharmed and holding the dragon hatchlings in her hands.

Season 2

Daenerys's adviser Ser Jorah Mormont warns that rival khals will target her and advises that she flee into theRed Waste. Her crossing is harrowing and she loses the majority of her horses (namely her own, Drogo's first gift to her) and some of her people. Upon arriving in Qarth she is allowed into the city under the protection of wealthy merchant Xaro Xhoan Daxos. Xaro makes a pragmatic marriage proposal, promising to fund Daenerys return to Westeros in exchange for becoming her husband. Jorah counsels against entering Xaro's debt and reveals his own, unrequited, feelings for Daenerys. Daenerys refuses Xaro's offer after finding herkhalasar slaughtered and her dragons missing. After retriving them, Daenerys locks Xaro in his own vault along with one of her handmaidens, who was sleeping with Xaro. With her dragons once more by her side, she and the remnants of her khalasar raid Xaro's wealthy home.

Season 3

Having seized as much of Xaro's wealth as she and the remnants of her khalasar could carry, Daenerys and her retainers flee Qarth by ship. Daenerys reluctantly takes Jorah's advice to make for Astapor, a city inSlaver's Bay known for its warrior-slaves. Jorah feels that using their wealth to purchase an army is her best course of action. Shortly after their arrival, Daenerys is nearly assassinated by one of the remaining Warlocks, but is rescued by Ser Barristan Selmy, who has tracked her down to pledge fealty to House Targaryen once again.

House Targaryen's fortunes take a dramatic turn when Daenerys double-crosses the Good Masters of Astapor, seizing their elite Unsullied and burning the slave-owning elite with the dragon she pretended to sell to him. Daenerys thus becomes the first Targaryen in generations to march at the head of her own conquering army.

Daenerys turns her attention to Yunkai, where she manages to win over the Second Sons and liberate that city from the Wise Masters.

Season 4

The now-sizeable Targaryen army moves on the largest slaver city, Meereen. The city is taken with the aid of a slave revolt organized by the Unsullied, with its navy being commandeered by the Second Sons a few days later. Upon learning how poorly Astapor and Yunkai have faired since she left, Daenerys decides to remain in Meereen and rule as queen until the slaves are truly free and she has enough force to take all of Westeros.

Season 5

Daenerys continues to try to control Meereen but faces major opposition from a clandestine organization calling themselves the Sons of the Harpy, who have recently begun assassinating lone Unsullied. Yunkai's return to the Targaryen fold is organized by Hizdahr zo Loraq, with a council of former slaveholders and freedmen ruling the city and all major decisions being submitted to Daenerys for approval. But Daenerys, reluctant to allow the Wise Masters to reopen the fighting pits, jeopardizes the deal. Meanwhile, in Pentos, Varys works to convert a new asset to the Targaryen cause: the fugitive Tyrion Lannister. At the The Wall, Aemon Targaryen, maester of Castle Black and the only other remaining Targaryen succumbs to his poor health and dies.