House Targaryen

"The Targaryen dynasty united the Seven Kingdoms and lasted nearly three centuries. It was forged in fire, sealed in blood... and destroyed by rebellion."

- Viserys Targaryen



House Targaryen is one of the former Great Houses of Westeros and the previous ruling royal house of the Seven Kingdoms, before House Baratheon took the Iron Throne, and the few surviving Targaryens fled into exile. House Targaryen's symbol is a three-headed red dragon on a black background and their motto is "Fire and Blood".

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 Sea some 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 son Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna Stark of Winterfell for reasons unknown. 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 two children were taken by Targaryan loyalists into exile in the Free Cities of the East.

Targaryens have some common genetic traits such as silver-white hair.

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. 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 during the attack. When the wound festers 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. Daenerys allows Duur to use blood magic to treat him. Drogo's bloodrider Qotho violently objects, injuring Daenerys and triggering premature labour. Duur's spell leaves Drogo catatonic and Daenerys's son stillborn. His khalasar splinters leaving Daenerys with only dozens of riders remaining. Daenerys kills Drogo to end his suffering. She then has Duur burned alive on his funeral pyre, also placing her dragon eggs among the flames. She steps into the inferno and emerges the next day unharmed with three newborn dragons.

Season 2
Daenerys's adviser Ser Jorah Mormont warns that rival khals will target her and advises that she flee into the Red Waste. Her crossing is harrowing and she loses the majority of her horses 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 a king. Jorah counsels against entering Xaro's debt and reveals his own, unrequited, feelings for Daenerys.

Members

 * King {Aerys II Targaryen}, called "the Mad King" and "King Scab", slain by Ser Jaime Lannister at the end of Robert's Rebellion.
 * His sister-wife Queen {Rhaella}, also of House Targaryen, died in childbirth.
 * Their oldest son and heir, Prince {Rhaegar Targaryen}, slain by Robert Baratheon at the Battle of the Trident.
 * Prince Rhaegar's wife, Princess {Elia} of House Martell, slain during the Sack of King's Landing by Lannister bannermen.
 * Prince Rhaegar's daughter, Princess {Rhaenys}, slain during the Sack of King's Landing.
 * Prince Rhaegar's son and heir, Prince {Aegon}, slain during the Sack of King's Landing.
 * Aerys and Rhaella's second son, Prince {Viserys Targaryen}, called "the Beggar King", in exile in the Free Cities. Killed by Khal Drogo for threatening his wife and unborn son Rhaego.
 * Aerys and Rhaella's daughter, Princess Daenerys Targaryen, in exile in the Free Cities. Widow of Khal Drogo.
 * Daenerys and Drogo's son {Rhaego}. Stillborn.
 * Aemon Targaryen, known popularly as "Maester Aemon", the uncle of Aerys II Targaryen, a maester serving at Castle Black. Still alive, despite being almost a hundred years old. As a member of the Night's Watch and the order of Maesters, Aemon renounced his family ties and allegiances and his claim to the Iron Throne decades ago.

Ancestors

 * King Aegon I, "the Conqueror"/"the Dragon", founder of the Targaryen dynasty and the Iron Throne. Rider of Balerion. Succeeded by Maegor I.
 * Queen Visenya, sister-wife to Aegon I. Rider of Vhagar and wielder of Dark Sister.
 * King Maegor I, "the Cruel", their son, successor of Aegon I. Built the Red Keep.
 * Queen Rhaenys, sister-wife to Aegon I. Rider of Meraxes.


 * King Aegon II,
 * Rhaenyra, self-styled Queen, fed by Aegon II to his dragon.
 * King Aegon III, her son, who succeeded Aegon II
 * King Baelor I, "the Blessed"/"the Beloved", son and successor of Aegon III. Built the Great Sept of Baelor.
 * Queen Daena Targaryen, "the Defiant", sister-wife of King Baelor and mistress of Aegon IV.
 * Daemon Blackfyre, bastard son of Aegon IV by Daena.
 * Aegon, Aemon and Daemon II, sons of Daemon Blackfyre by Serena Blackfyre.
 * King Viserys II, second son of Rhaenyra, elevated to the Iron Throne after the death of Baelor I. Succeeded by Aegon IV.
 * King Aegon IV, "the Unworthy", son and successor of Viserys II.
 * Queen Naerys, sister-wife to Aegon IV
 * King Daeron II, "the Good", son of Aegon IV and Naerys. Perished during the Great Spring Sickness.
 * Queen Myriah, of House Martell, wife to Daeron II
 * Prince Prince Baelor, their son.
 * King Aerys I, their son, successor to Daeron II.
 * Queen Aelinor their daughter, Aerys I's sister-wife. Succeeded by Maekar I.
 * Prince Rhaegel, their son.
 * King Maekar I, their son, successor of Aerys I.
 * Aerion Targaryen, "Aerion Brightflame", who killed himself drinking wildfire.
 * Aemon Targaryen, who became Maester and joined the Night's Watch.
 * Aegon V, "the Unlikely", successor of Maekar and predecessor of Aerys II, "the Mad King".
 * Princess Daenerys. Married to Prince Maron of House Martell.

Household and allies

 * Ser Jorah Mormont, exiled Lord of Bear Island, advisor and bodyguard to Khaleesi Daenerys.
 * {Irri}, a Dothraki handmaiden. Killed during the robbery of Daenerys' dragons
 * {Doreah}, a Lyseni handmaiden and former bedslave. Left to die inside Xaro Xhoan Daxos' vault.
 * Jhiqui, a Dothraki handmaiden.
 * Kovarro, a Dothraki warrior and Bloodrider to Daenerys.
 * Aggo, a Dothraki warrior and Bloodrider to Daenerys. Missing in the Red Waste
 * {Rakharo}, a Dothraki warrior and Bloodrider to Daenerys. Killed and beheaded by a rival khalasar
 * Ser Barristan Selmy, exiled Lord Commander of King Robert Baratheon's Kingsguard, and a member of King Aerys Targaryen's former Kingsguard. After being illegally dismissed from service by Robert's successor Joffrey and his mother Cersei, Barristan traveled halfway around the world to find Daenerys Targaryen and pledge his support to her as the rightful heir to the throne.

Military strength
From exile Daenerys commands a khalasar containing only a few dozen riders, less than half of whom are warriors. Her trio of hatchling dragons are not yet large enough to fight.

King Robert Baratheon expressed fear that even after all these years, there are still a sizable number of noble Houses in Westeros who are either secret Targaryen loyalists, or who later developed some grievance with Robert's rule, and would flock to the Targaryen banner if they attempted to retake the Iron Throne in open war. It is not clear to what extent paranoia influenced his opinions, since Ser Jorah stresses to Dany that the number of Targaryen loyalists in Westeros is far lower than Viserys liked to believe. Viserys, at least, believed that because House Tyrell of the Reach and House Martell of Dorne fought on the Targaryen side during Robert's Rebellion, the prospects were good that they'd be willing to join his cause and rebel against Robert.

By the time Daenerys reaches Astapor in Slaver's Bay, her young dragons are starting to become big enough to be useful in combat. During the Sack of Astapor, Daenerys gains an army of over 8,000 Unsullied warrior-eunuchs.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Targaryen moved from Valyria to Dragonstone, apparently in fear of a prophecy predicting the destruction of Valyria a century before it happened. After the fall of Valyria, the Targaryens stayed on Dragonstone for a hundred years, apparently hoarding the strength of their dragons and debating whether to invade Westeros or to attempt to seize control of the Valyrian colony-states which later became known as the Free Cities. In the event, they chose to invade Westeros instead.

House Targaryen ruled Westeros for 283 years, during which time they survived substantial civil wars (including the Dance of Dragons and no less than five Blackfyre Rebellions), plague (the Great Spring Sickness) and even an attempted foreign invasion (in the War of the Ninepenny Kings). They were brought down when the Mad King's insanity became too dangerous to be ignored.

The Targaryens adopted the religion and many of the customs of Westeros, but two old Valyrian customs they continued to perform in defiance of public disapproval: Targaryen princes and kings were allowed to have multiple wives and Targaryens were allowed to marry brother to sister, something considered an abominable sin elsewhere in Westeros.

The generations of Targaryen inbreeding produced a distinctive set of physical features shared by all of their members during the House's three centuries of rule. This includes a generally pale appearance with silver-white (platinum blonde) hair, and purple irises. While pale they are not albinos, but even their eyebrows are white. The actors playing both Daenerys and Viserys are actually dark-haired in real life, so they had to wear wigs (though a slight difference that obsessive fans have pointed out is that they didn't dye their eyebrows white to match). The TV series opted not to portray Targaryens with purples eyes, partially due to the logistical difficulty in matching up purple contact lenses for actors in every shot. The TV series actually did originally film Viserys and Daenerys wearing violet contact lenses, but showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss quickly abandoned their use. As they explained in the Season 1 Blu-ray episode commentaries, "actors act with their eyes, and [the lenses] really hurt the emotion."

According to the TV series official pronunciation guide developed for the cast and crew, "Targaryen" is pronounced "Tar-GAIR-ee-in", as opposed to "Tar-gar-yen" etc.