Addam Velaryon

"With the loss of four dragons, Rhaenyra's only advantage was fading. Luckily for her, over the centuries House Targaryen had spilled more than blood on Dragonstone. She promised gold and title to any of the Targaryen bastards who could tame the six untamed dragons on the island. These bastards were called the dragonseeds, though most were called supper. Perhaps the dragons were eventually sated or bored, but four of them accepted riders and were enlisted in Rhaenyra's cause."

- Viserys Targaryen Addam Velaryon is an unseen character in Game of Thrones''. ''He is long dead by the start of the series. He was a dragon-rider for Rhaenyra Targaryen's faction during the Dance of the Dragons.

Biography
Addam was a bastard scion of House Targaryen - known as one of the "dragonseeds". Originally he lived in obscurity on the ancestral Targaryen holding, Dragonstone island. As the great Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons progressed, Rhaenyra Targaryen's faction - which was based on Dragonstone - realized that they had more living dragons than dragon-riders, with six riderless beasts nesting on the island. It is believed that only those of Targaryen blood can successfully bond with and ride a dragon, so Rhaenyra proclaimed rewards for any commoners on Dragonstone who could successfully bond with one of the unclaimed dragons - specifically Targaryen bastards and descendants of Targaryen bastards who had been fathered over the years on commoners of the island by young Targaryen princes. Addam was one of only four of the so-called dragonseeds to successfully bond with a dragon, Seasmoke.

In the books
According to Archmaester Gyldayn, Addam's origins remain a matter of dispute among historians to this day. His mother Marilda claimed he and his brother Alyn were fathered by Ser Laenor Velaryon. However, it is more likely they were fathered by Laenor's father, Lord Corlys Velaryon, but kept unacknowledged and far from court in order to not offend Corlys's fiery-tempered wife, Rhaenys Targaryen.

Dragonrider
When Prince Jacaerys Velaryon decided that the blacks needed more dragonriders during the Dance of the Dragons, many men on Dragonstone came forward to answer the prince’s call. One of them, Addam of Hull, managed to bond with Seasmoke. When his brother Alyn tried to tame Sheepstealer, the dragon set fire to his cloak. Seasmoke drove off Sheepstealer as Addam used his own cloak to beat out the flames.

Not long after Addam had proven himself by flying Seasmoke, Lord Corlys Velaryon petitioned Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen to remove the taint of bastardy from Adam and Alyn. The queen complied and Addam of Hull, dragonseed and bastard, became Addam Velaryon and Corlys's heir to Driftmark.

When King's Landing fell to Rhaenyra, her dragonriders made their descent one by one. Once Prince Daemon Targaryen was certain there would be no harm, he signaled to his wife to descend upon Syrax. Addam remained aloft, flying Seasmoke around the city walls, the beat of his dragon’s wide leathern wings a caution to those below that any defiance would be met with fire.

Once it was decided that Queen Rhaenyra would remain in the King's Landing, Addam Velaryon remained with Seasmoke and Prince Joffrey Velaryon. Syrax, Seasmoke, and Tyraxes were expected to suffice for the defense of the city, and the rest of the dragonriders went to battle. Apart from Syrax, Seasmoke and the other dragons were kept in the Dragonpit. It had long been the custom for at least one dragonrider to reside in the pit, so as to be able to defend the city should it come under attack. Because the queen preferred to keep her dragon by her side, that duty fell to Ser Addam Velaryon.

Second Tumbleton
With the Two Betrayers on their minds after the First Battle of Tumbleton, many voices in the black council questioned Addam's loyalty. Only Lord Corlys, the Hand of the Queen, spoke in defense of the dragonseed, remarking that Addam and Alyn were “true heirs” and worthy of Driftmark. The Hand's impassioned protests were in vain and Queen Rhaenyra, suspecting a turncloak, commanded Ser Luthor Largent to arrest Addam in the Dragonpit. Addam, who had been forewarned, managed to make his escape flying away with Seasmoke, fleeing before he could be put to the question. By ordering the arrest of Addam, the queen lost not only a dragon but her Hand as well. Corlys was beaten and imprisoned for warning Addam.

As the Second Battle of Tumbleton was put into motion, Addam was determined to prove that all bastards need not be turncloaks. The singers say that Addam flew from King's Landing to the Gods Eye where he landed on the sacred Isle of Faces and took counsel with the Green Men. Known fact says that he flew far and fast descending on castles great and small whose lords were loyal to the queen to piece together an army. By the time Addam was ready to descend on Tumbleton, he had almost four thousand men at his back.

Ser Addam attacked Tumbleton at night, taking the greens completely unawares. As chaos ensued Addam could see the battle turning into a rout below him. By this time, two of the enemy dragonriders, Hugh Hammer and Prince Daeron the Daring, were dead; although Addam could not have known that, he could see Vermithor, Silverwing, and Tessarion. The riderless Tessarion took flight and Addam turned his dragon to meet her. Both being young dragons they moved fast and nimbly as they fought. The fight ended when the riderless, enraged Vermithor rose into the sky and set about indiscriminately killing those on the ground.

As Vermithor wreaked carnage, Seasmoke fell upon him, driving him shrieking into the mud. According to Archmaester Gyldayn, Addam must have felt duty bound to protect his men on the ground, though surely he knew in his heart Seasmoke could not match the older dragon. The riderless Tessarion soon joined the fray and all three dragons fought to the death on the ground amidst mud and blood and smoke.

After Second Tumbleton, Lord Unwin Peake bowed to defeat and ordered a retreat, taking the remnants of the great host that Prince Daeron and Lord Ormund Hightower had led from Oldtown. Addam, the accused turncloak, had saved King's Landing from Rhaenyra's foes at the cost of his own life.

In 138 AC, the bones of Addam were returned to Driftmark from Raventree Hall. His brother Alyn, by then Lord of the Tides, put only the word "LOYAL" as the epitaph on Addam's tomb.

Sea also
As the great Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons progressed, Rhaenyra Targaryen's faction - which was based on Dragonstone - realized that they had more living dragons than dragon-riders, with six riderless beasts nesting on the island. It is believed that only those of Targaryen blood can successfully bond with and ride a dragon, so Rhaenyra proclaimed rewards for any commoners on Dragonstone who could successfully bond with one of the unclaimed dragons - specifically Targaryen bastards and descendants of Targaryen bastards who had been fathered over the years on commoners of the island by young Targaryen princes.

Nettles was one of only four of the so-called dragonseeds to successfully bond with a dragon, Sheepstealer. She cleverly managed to gain his trust by bringing him gifts of freshly killed sheep until he gradually became accustomed to her presence.