Dragonflame

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Dragonflame or dragonfire is the fire produced by a dragon. The dragon expels its fire from its gullet and out of its mouth.[1] The older and larger the dragon the more devastating its fire.[2] The High Valyrian word for dragonfire is dracarys.[1]

Balerion's breath heats the Iron Throne during its forging. © Lindsey Burcar

Characteristics

The flames of a dragon grow hotter and fiercer as the dragon ages. The flames of a hatchling can set straw aflame, whereas the flames of much older dragons are able to melt steel and stone.[2] A dragon's scales, which thicken with age, protects the dragon from fire, although it is not entirely impervious to flame. The scales of an adult dragon are stronger than steel,[3] and can deflect crossbow bolts.[4]

Wildfire is said to be a close cousin of dragonflame,[5] though it does not burn as hot.[6]

Each dragon can breath flames in a distinct color, potentially somewhat associated with the coloring of its body:

Dragon Color of body Color of eyes Flame
Balerion Balerion's scales[7] and wings[8][9][10] were black. Unknown Black flames,[10] sometimes with swirls of red.[8]
Drogon Drogon's scales are black, his horns and spinal plates are blood red. His eyes are smoldering red pits.[11] Black flames shot with red.[11]
Quicksilver Unknown Unknown Pale white fireballs.[10]
Rhaegal Rhaegal's scales[12][13] and wings[14] are jade-green. His eyes are bronze.[13][N 1] Either yellow flames,[12] yellow and red flames[15] or "orange-and-yellow fire shot through with veins of green".[13]
Sunfyre Sunfyre had gleaming gold scales, which shone like beaten gold in the sunlight,[2] and pale pink wing membranes.[16] Unknown Golden flames.[17][2]
Tessarion Tessarion's wings were a dark cobalt, while the scales of her claws, crest, and belly were a bright beaten copper.[16] Unknown Cobalt blue flames.[17]
Viserion Viserion's scales are cream colored, while his horns, wing bones and spinal crest are gold.[7][1] His eyes are the color of molten gold.[18][13] Pale gold flames shot through with red and orange.[13]

Furthermore, the fireballs spit by the dragons Vermax, Silverwing, Sheepstealer, Seasmoke, and Vermithor during the battle of the Gullet were described as "blue and orange, red and gold".[17]

History

Three dragons destroy a castle with dragonflame. by Tomasz Jedruszek. © FFG

The Valyrian Freehold used dragonflame to make Valyrian steel.[19][20] It was also employed in construction to melt and fuse stone to form dragonstone, as in the cases of the dragonroads and the Black Wall of Volantis.[21]

During Aegon's Conquest, Aegon I Targaryen used Balerion's dragonflame against Harrenhal and at the Field of Fire. Afterwards, the flames of Balerion were used to forge the Iron Throne.[22] Aegon and his sister-wife Visenya used the flames of their dragons Balerion and Vhagar to burn every Dornish stronghold at least once, with except Sunspear and its shadow city.[23]

King Maegor I Targaryen and his mother, Dowager Queen Visenya, used their dragons Balerion and Vhagar to burn several holdfasts in the Reach and westerlands in 43 AC.[10]

During the Dance of the Dragons, King Aegon II Targaryen is severely injured during the battle at Rook's Rest when dragonflame melts his armor into the flesh of his left arm.[17] While attempting to claim the dragon Sheepstealer during the Red Sowing, Alyn Velaryon was injured by burns that covered his back and legs.[17]

Silverwing, Sheepstealer, Seasmoke, and Vermithor descended upon the fleet of the Triarchy in the early days of 130 AC, and burned the ships by spitting balls of fire, "blue and orange, red and gold".[17] Prince Aemond Targaryen brought Vhagar to the riverlands, where he burned numerous villages and castles.[24]

Aegon II Targaryen and Sunfyre fought Lady Baela Targaryen and her dragon Moondancer on Dragonstone in 130 AC. During the battle, Moondancer was blinded by Sunfyre's flames, and shortly after succumbed to wounds received in battle. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen was later executed by her brother, Aegon II, by being engulfed in Sunfyre's flames.[2]

The Targaryens practise the custom of cremating their deceased family members. The funeral pyre of Aegon I Targaryen was lit by the dragon Vhagar,[10] and the funeral pyre of Aenys I Targaryen by the dragons Quicksilver, Vermithor and Silverwing.[10]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

In the House of the Undying, Drogon destroys the indigo heart that stands at the center of the room, and the burns the Undying after they attempt to drain Daenerys's life.[25]

A Storm of Swords

Drogon lets loose his flame. © FFG

Daenerys Targaryen teaches her fledgling dragons to loose their flame upon her command of "dracarys", the High Valyrian word for "dragonfire".[1]

At the start of the fall of Astapor Daenerys Targaryen commands Drogon to burn Kraznys mo Nakloz. Her two other dragons Viserion and Rhaegal are also unleashed. During the battle all three dragons are airborne, loosing their flames.[26]

A Dance with Dragons

Prince Quentyn Martell is mortally burned by Rhaegal while attempting to tame Viserion.[13]

Quotes

Drogon! Dracarys![26]

What feeds a dragon's fire?[27]

Marwyn's rhetorical question, to Samwell Tarly

Then the dragon opened its mouth, and light and heat washed over them. Behind a fence of sharp black teeth he glimpsed the furnace glow, the shimmer of a sleeping fire a hundred times brighter than his torch.[13]

—thoughts of Quentyn Martell

The dragon caught one burning body just as it began to fall, crunching it between his jaws as pale fires ran across his teeth.[28]

—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister

Longclaw had been forged in the fires of old Valyria, forged in dragonflame and set with spells.[20]

—thoughts of Jon Snow

Notes

  1. A Clash of Kings erroneously state Rhaegal's eyes to have the color of "molten gold" (A Clash of Kings, Daenerys II)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 8, Daenerys I.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
  3. Fire & Blood, Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I.
  4. Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
  5. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II.
  6. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 12, Cersei III.
  7. 7.0 7.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 12, Daenerys I.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Fire & Blood, Aegon's Conquest.
  9. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Fire & Blood, The Sons of the Dragon.
  11. 11.0 11.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 52, Daenerys IX.
  12. 12.0 12.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 12, Reek I.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 68, The Dragontamer.
  14. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 40, Daenerys III.
  15. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 50, Daenerys VIII.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
  18. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 11, Daenerys II.
  19. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 72, Daenerys X.
  20. 20.0 20.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 58, Jon XII.
  21. The World of Ice & Fire, The Seven Kingdoms: The Reach: Oldtown.
  22. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 43, Eddard XI.
  23. The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons.
  24. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant.
  25. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 48, Daenerys IV.
  26. 26.0 26.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 27, Daenerys III.
  27. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
  28. The Winds of Winter, Tyrion II