House Targaryen

House Targaryen of Dragonstone is a noble family of Valyrian descent. The Targaryen sigil is a three-headed dragon breathing flames, red on black. The house words are "Fire and Blood". It eventually became the first royal house of the Seven Kingdoms, as House Targaryen of King's Landing.

The only family of dragonlords who survived the Doom of Valyria, the Targaryens left the Valyrian Freehold twelve years before the Doom. They resided for more than a century at Dragonstone castle on Dragonstone island, until Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, began the first of the Wars of Conquest in 2 BC.

During Aegon's Conquest, the family built the Aegonfort in the new capital city of King's Landing. The Aegonfort was later torn down and replaced by the Red Keep, which remained their main seat for the duration of their dynasty, and which housed the Iron Throne. Their original castle was almost always given to the heir to the throne, the Prince of Dragonstone. The Targaryens eventually built the summer residence Summerhall, which has been given to several younger sons of the family over time.

House Targaryen have ruled as the Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, and the Great House of the crownlands for over three hundred years. Twenty male Targaryens have ruled from the Iron Throne.

When King Daeron III ascended to the throne at the age of 16, many secretly feared that the sickly boy would be incompetent as a ruler. In the following 20 years, he has done little to alleviate such fears. Neurotic and timid, the King seems to owe any strength of reputation to his Queen, and sister. Known to sit the throne in times when her brother is sick in bed, the Queen is known as a cold and unforgiving judge. As the twelve year winter dragged on, the crown’s coffers began to dwindle, as did the kingdom’s faith. The crown began to borrow greater and greater loans from the Iron Bank of Bravos as resources dwindled.

As the Throne continued to take loans and refuse to make payments, tensions began to build between Bravos and her allies within the Free Cities. Finally, the Bank sent a representative to King’s Landing, demanding payment and threatening embargo. Queen Alysanne responded by sending back across the narrow sea the head of the representative, charred to a sensible medium-rare.

The resulting war was more of a series of skirmishes. Neither kingdom had the resources to maintain long sieges. However the various battles on each side of the sea still sufficed to drain the meager reserves of the Iron Throne, and drive them further into debt. Miraculously, as the winter cold began to wane, a peace was struck. With spring eminent, the Targaryens seem to have escaped destruction. However, with their debt still looming and the confidence of their Lords shattered, their seat on the Throne appears to be more unstable than ever.