Alyn of Hull

Alyn of Hull
Biographical information
Born	Hull, Driftmark
Political information
Affiliation(s)	Velaryon fleet Blacks
Personal information
Culture	Crownlander
Father	Corlys Velaryon
Mother	Marilda of Hull
Sibling(s)	Addam of Hull Paternal half-siblings: Laenor Velaryon {Laena Velaryon}
World of Westeros
Series	House of the Dragon
Season(s)	2
Appeared in	6 episodes (see below)
First seen in	"A Son for a Son"
Portrayed by	Abubakar Salim

"I am of salt and sea. I yearn for nothing else."

―Alyn of Hull

Alyn of Hull is a sailor in the Velaryon fleet and a bastard son of Lord Corlys Velaryon.

Biography

Background

Alyn and his brother Addam are originally from Hull, a portuary town in Driftmark. He and Addam are bastard sons of Lord Corlys Velaryon. He regularly shaves his head to hide his silver hair.

At some point he joined the Velaryon fleet and participated in the final stages of the War for the Stepstones, saving the life of Corlys when he was wounded during combat and fell into the sea.

House of the Dragon: Season 2

Alyn is in Spicetown's harbor helping with repairs to the Sea Snake, Corlys Velaryon's flagship, when the Lord of the Tides appears to oversee the repairs. Alyn greets his lord and informs him of the current situation at the blockade of the Gullet.

Corlys wants his ship ready to lead the campaign but Alyn responds that the Sea Snake will take weeks to be ready for battle again, although he promises to talk to his brother, Addam, to see if it is possible to enlist more shipwrights.

Alyn then gives Corlys a dagger that he commissioned for his grandson, the murdered Prince Lucerys. Alyn gives his condolences to Corlys calling Lucerys's murder "the blackest of treacheries" before returning to work. Corlys notes he was told it was Alyn who personally jumped into the sea to save him after his throat was slashed and he fell overboard in the ambush, and that he owes him a great debt, but Alyn says he was just doing his duty.

Alyn is helping the crew of the Sea Snake when his brother appears, whom he has not seen in many months. Both hug and walk away, joking about Alyn's adventures and what awaits them at home for lunch. It is then that Addam mentions his brother's loyal services to Lord Corlys Velaryon, and asks if he will leave with him when the ship is ready. Alyn answers that Corlys did not ask him to go with him, and that it is better that way, because Alyn knows that a bloody war is about to break out, even though Addam believes it is a great opportunity for his brother to gain fortune and reputation.

Alyn is continuing his work on the Sea Snake when Rhaenys appears at the harbor. He addresses her as "milady," but she corrects him by asking him to call her "princess." Rhaenys says that she has been told that Alyn was the one to save Corlys's life in the Stepstones. Examining his face, she continues that she was not told how comely Corlys's savior was, and bitterly comments that his mother must have been very beautiful. Corlys interrupts, and Alyn leaves to resume his work. Rhaenys tells her husband that she knows who Alyn is and that he should be raised and honored for his actions, not hidden away.

Alyn is still working on the Sea Snake. He wears a turban to hide his Valyrian hair. While working, the Lord of Driftmark appears at the shipyard to pay him a visit. Alyn greets him, and Corlys professes that he wishes for Alyn accompany him as his first officer on the Sea Snake as soon as repairs are complete. Alyn initially wants to refuse, but Corlys insists that he accept the position and orders him to prepare to board the next day.

Back in Hull, Alyn shaves his head. Addam finds this ridiculous, since anyone can identify him as Corlys' bastard with or without the silver hair. Addam pressures his brother to go with Corlys, believing that it may be the opportunity to be recognized as his natural son, and, perhaps, to compete for the Driftwood Throne, but Alyn declares that, after a lifetime in the service to the House Velaryon, he only wants to get away from Driftmark, and that Corlys would prefer that House Velaryon become extinct than recognize him or Addam as his children.

Alyn is loading fish onto the Sea Snake when his father arrives at the shipyard. Corlys orders him to fill a few fishing boats with soldiers and take them to the coast of King's Landing. Alyn accepts, and Corlys tell him that his brother Addam has claimed Laenor's dragon, Seasmoke. Though surprised, Alyn says that Addam has always been after glory, and that it would have been normal for him to do something like that. Corlys admits that he never knew of Alyn's mother's lineage and suggests that if she had Targaryen blood maybe Alyn has as well. Corlys suggests that Alyn could try to become dragonrider himself, but he refuses, stating that he is made for "salt and sea."

Now on Dragonstone, Alyn receives a message from Lady Mysaria for Elinda Massey, Alyn takes it, and goes with his ships to King's Landing to deliver the message to one of Mysaria's agents.

Quotes

"You want to help me? Is this the help you offer after all these years? A reminder to be grateful? Do you know what it was like for us? To grow up fatherless, to be sneered upon as bastards, never sure of the bread to feed us? Do you know what hunger does to a boy? What grief does? Or shame? I sold fish in the market from cold dawn until sunset, putting by coppers to stave off the winter, and I watched the man who sired me walk past with his son and heir, with a fur around his shoulders, choosing sweetmeats to eat after supper by the fire. And now that boy is dead. And his sister before him. And the heir that took his place. And now, now, now you remember I live. Now you wish to suddenly scatter the crumbs of your favor! I am an honorable man, and I will serve you because I must. But if it is all the same, I will decline any offers of help. If I survive this war, I will continue as I began... alone."

―Alyn, to Corlys

Family

Daemon Velaryon Deceased

Lady Velaryon Deceased

Aenys I Targaryen Deceased

Alyssa Velaryon Deceased

Corwyn Velaryon Deceased

Wife Deceased

House Targaryen

Marilda of Hull

Corlys Velaryon

Rhaenys Targaryen Deceased

Vaemond Velaryon Deceased

Alyn of Hull

Addam of Hull

Laenor Velaryon1

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Daemon Targaryen

Laena Velaryon Deceased

Jacaerys Velaryon

Lucerys Velaryon Deceased

Joffrey Velaryon

Baela Targaryen

Rhaena Targaryen

¹ While Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are officially Laenor's, he and Rhaenyra never had any biological issue. Their three sons were in fact fathered by Harwin Strong.

Behind the scenes

On April 24, 2023, HBO announced that Abubakar Salim had been cast in the role of Alyn of Hull for House of the Dragon: Season 2. His character description reads as follows:

"A young sailor who saved the Sea Snake’s life in battle at the Stepstones."

In the books

In Fire & Blood, Alyn was a bastard son of Marilda of Hull, and younger brother of Addam of Hull. He was born in 115 AC, a year after his brother. He and Addam grew up in their maternal grandfather's shipyard and served on the trading cog Mouse.

No one doubted that Alyn and his brother were dragonseeds, since both had a silvery hair and purple eyes. According to their mother, their father was Laenor Velaryon; they looked like him, but the claim was questionable in view of Laenor's sexual preference. Grand Maester Munkun and Septon Eustace both dutifully asserted that Laenor was the father, but the court jester Mushroom claimed the father was Corlys. Laenor is unambiguously not Alyn's father in the TV series, as Alyn was alive when Laenor was a small boy.

Alyn did not fight in the War of the Stepstones, which ended the same year he was born (115 AC).

Unlike the series, in the books Alyn never met Rhaenys. The jester Mushroom claimed that Corlys kept Alyn and his brother Addam hidden so as not to offend his wife.

Appearances

• The Dance of Dragons (mentioned indirectly)
• – "A Son for a Son"
• – "Rhaenyra the Cruel"
• – "The Red Dragon and the Gold"
• – "Smallfolk"
• – "The Red Sowing"
• – "The Queen Who Ever Was"

External links

• Alyn of Hull on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)