Baelor Targaryen

Baelor I Targaryen, full name Baelor of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, called Maegor the Blessed and Baelor the Beloved, is a mentioned character in the first season. He died before the time of the series, and is not expected to appear. He was a King of Westeros in the Targaryen dynasty.

Background
Baelor was a King in the Targaryen dynasty. He had the Great Sept of Baelor built in the city of King's Landing during his reign. The structure became the center of the Faith of the Seven.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Baelor is the was the second son of Aegon III and ruled after the death of his brother Daeron I Targaryen. He wished to become a septon, but his father refused, instead insisting that he marry his sister Daena in the traditional Targaryen manner. Baelor obeyed, but extremely reluctantly and refused to consummate the marriage.

Upon his brother King Daeron's death, Baelor is said that began his reign by walking the Boneway barefoot to make peace with Dorne. It is also said that he saved his cousin Aemon the Dragonknight from a snake pit, where he was bitten many times by the vipers whose venom could not kill him because of his faith in the Seven; this tale may simply be a metaphorical version of his visit to Dorne, referring to Dorne itself as a "snake pit," and the Dornish, "vipers." Whatever the truth, Baelor returned home having negotiated the marriage of his grand-nephew Daeron to Myriah Martell as a means of making peace with Dorne after Daeron I's failed conquest. Later, when Daeron was King, he negotiated the marriage of his much younger sister Daenerys (who was born after he had already had a son of his own) to the Prince of Dorne, thereby uniting the realms.

Baelor earned the contempt of his nobles by forcing Lord Belgrave to wash the feet of a leper. He tried to replace all the ravens that delivered messages with doves, and confined his sisters, Daena Targaryen (to whom he was married), Rhaena, and Elaena in the Maidenvault so they did not tempt him with carnal thoughts.

He attempted to birth new dragons by praying over the dragon eggs but his prayers went unanswered. Baelor once banished all the whores and sex workers from King's Landing. Baelor decided not to re-arm the faith, as Baelor was a man of peace who believed the only weapon the faithful should have is prayer.

During his reign he had a stonemason named as the High Septon, a man that could carve stonework so beautifully that Baelor believed him to be the Smith in human form. While a fantastic stonecarver, the new High Septon could not read, write or recite any prayers. Rumor spread that Baelor's Hand had him poisoned to end the embarrassment to the realm. Baelor then raised a boy of eight years to High Septon, who Baelor claimed worked miracles, although the boy could not save the king's life on his deathbed. History says Baelor starved himself to death by prolonged fasting to cleanse himself of lust, but some believe he was poisoned by his Hand and uncle, Viserys.