Difference between revisions of "Corlys Velaryon"

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{{Hatnote|"Sea Snake" redirects here. For the ship, see ''[[Sea Snake]]''. For the Kingsguard knight from the reign of Aegon I Targaryen, see [[Corlys Velaryon (Kingsguard)]]. }}
 
{{Infobox character
 
{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Velaryon.PNG|50px|left]] Corlys Velaryon [[File:House Velaryon.PNG|50px|right]]
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| Character_name = [[File:House Velaryon.svg|50px|left]] Corlys Velaryon [[File:House Velaryon.svg|50px|right]]
| image         = [[File:Sea Snake.jpeg]]
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| image = [[File:Sea Snake.jpeg]]
| image_caption = Art by [http://enife.deviantart.com/art/The-Princess-and-the-Queen-431753079 Enife]
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| image_caption = Art by [http://enife.deviantart.com/art/The-Princess-and-the-Queen-431753079 Enife].
| Alias         = The Sea Snake
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| Alias = The Sea Snake
| Title         = [[Lord of the Tides]]<br>[[Master of Driftmark]]<br>[[Hand of the King|Hand of the Queen]]<br>[[Regent|Lord Regent]]<br>[[Master of ships]]
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| Title = [[Knight|Ser]]<br>[[Lord of the Tides]]<br>[[Master of Driftmark]]<br>[[Lord admiral]]<br>[[Master of ships]]<br>[[Hand of the King|Hand of the Queen]]<br>[[Regent|Lord Regent]]<br>Captain of the ''[[Cod Queen]]''<br>Captain of the ''[[Summer Maid]]''<br>Captain of the ''[[Ice Wolf]]''<br>Captain of the ''[[Sea Snake]]''
| Allegiance     = [[House Velaryon]]<br>[[Blacks]]<br>[[Greens]]
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| Allegiance = [[House Velaryon]]<br>[[Blacks]]<br>[[Greens]]
| Race           =  
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| Race = [[Valyria]]n
| Culture       = [[Valyrian Freehold|Valyrian]]
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| Culture = [[Crownlands]]
| Spouse         = Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]
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| Spouse = Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]
| Issue         = Ser [[Laena Velaryon]]<br>Lady [[Laenor Velaryon]]
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| Issue = [[Laena Velaryon]]<br>[[Laenor Velaryon]]<br>[[Addam Velaryon]] (rumored)<br>[[Alyn Velaryon]] (rumored)
| Father =  
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| Father =
| Place_of_Birth =
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| Place_of_Birth = [[Driftmark]]{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain}}
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|53}}<ref>''See the [[Years after Aegon's Conquest/Calculations Ages#Corlys Velaryon|Corlys Velaryon]] calculation.''</ref>
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| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|53}}{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain}}
| Place_of_Death =
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| Place_of_Death = [[Red Keep]], [[King's Landing]]{{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}
| Date_of_Death = {{Date|132}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| Aegon III}}
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| Date_of_Death = {{Date|132}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}
| Books         = ''[[The World of Ice and Fire]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[The Rogue Prince]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[The Princess and the Queen]]'' (mentioned)
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| Books = ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[Fire & Blood]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[The Rogue Prince]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[The Princess and the Queen]]'' (mentioned)
| coat-of-arms   =
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| coat-of-arms =
 
}}
 
}}
:''For the Kingsguard, see [[Corlys Velaryon (Kingsguard)]].''
 
:''For the ship, see ''[[Sea Snake]]''.''
 
'''Corlys Velaryon''', known as the '''Sea Snake''', was a fabled [[Lord of the Tides]], Master of [[Driftmark]], and head of [[House Velaryon]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Red Kraken}} He was the husband of Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]. During the [[Dance of the Dragons]], he became [[Hand of the King|Hand]] to Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]].{{ref|tpatq}}
 
  
==Appearance and Character==  
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'''Corlys Velaryon''', known as the '''Sea Snake''', was a fabled [[Lord of the Tides]], [[Master of Driftmark|Master]] of [[Driftmark]], and head of [[House Velaryon]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Iron Islands: The Red Kraken}} He was the husband of Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]. During the [[Dance of the Dragons]], he became [[Hand of the King|Hand]] to Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]].{{Ref|tpatq}}
During his elder years, Corlys liked to say that he was clinging to life "like a drowning sailor clinging to the wreckage of a sunken ship."
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==Appearance and Character==
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By the of age seven-and-thirty, Corlys was hailed as the greatest seafarer the [[Seven Kingdoms]] had ever known.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Corlys was said to be as brilliant as he was restless, and as adventurous as he was ambitious. Though he accomplished much and more in life, he was seldom satisfied.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Corlys was known to be intractable, even in old age.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of Dragons – The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}} He was remembered as wise in peace and valiant in war.{{Ref|FAB| Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}} He was a proud man.{{Ref|FAB| The Dying of Dragons – The Blacks and the Greens}} Queen [[Alicent Hightower]] thought him arrogant.{{Ref|FAB| Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}
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During his elder years, Corlys liked to say that he was clinging to life "like a drowning sailor clinging to the wreckage of a sunken ship".
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===Early life===
 
===Early life===
Corlys was named after Ser [[Corlys Velaryon (Kingsguard)|Corlys Velaryon]], the first [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard]]. Corlys once sailed his ''[[Ice Wolf]]'' [[beyond the Wall]] but was unsuccessful in find a northerly route around [[Westeros]]. He then sailed aboard his ''[[Sea Snake]]'' on multiple voyages to [[Essos]], accumulating wealth from visits to [[Qarth]], [[Yi Ti]], and [[Leng]].{{ref|TWOIAF| Jaehaerys I}} Corlys was the first [[Westeros]]i to visit [[Nefer]] in [[N'Ghai]] and to navigate the [[Thousand Islands]].{{ref|awoiaf| Nefer and The Thousand Islands}} During his last travel, Corlys filled the ''Sea Snake'''s hold with gold and bought twenty more ships at Qarth, loading them with spices, elephants, and silk. Corlys took his nickname from his famous ship, the expeditions of which are described in Maester [[Mathis]]'s ''[[The Nine Voyages]]''.{{ref|TWOIAF| Jaehaerys I}}
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Corlys was born in {{Date|53}} to the eldest son of Lord [[Daemon Velaryon (son of Aethan)|Daemon Velaryon]].{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under Jaehaerys I}}  He was [[named after]] Ser [[Corlys Velaryon (Kingsguard)|Corlys Velaryon]], who served King [[Aegon I Targaryen]] as the first [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}
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Corlys took the sea at a young age, first crossing the [[narrow sea]] to [[Pentos]] with an uncle when he was only six. Corlys would make such voyages every year that followed, working on the ships as a member of the crew. According to the captains he served under, they had never seen such a natural sailor as Corlys. He became a captain himself at the age of sixteen, when he sailed the ''[[Cod Queen]]'' from [[Driftmark]] to [[Dragonstone]] and back.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} By the age of twenty-three, Corlys was already a celebrated mariner.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} Corlys sailed to [[Oldtown]], [[Lannisport]], [[Lordsport]], [[Lys]], [[Tyrosh]], Pentos, and [[Myr]]. He sailed the ''[[Summer Maid]]'' to [[Volantis]] and the [[Summer Isles]], and he took ''Ice Wolf'' to [[Braavos]], [[Eastwatch-by-the-Sea]], [[Hardhome]], [[Lorath]], and the [[Port of Ibben]]. He also took ''Ice Wolf'' [[beyond the Wall]], but was unsuccessful in find a northerly route in the [[Shivering Sea]] around [[Westeros]].{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
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Ser Corlys sailed aboard his ''[[Sea Snake]]'', a ship he designed and built, on nine great voyages to [[Essos]]. During his first voyage, he sailed beyond the [[Jade Gates]] at [[Qarth]] to [[Yi Ti]] and [[Leng]]. Corlys returned with treasures like silk and spice, allowing to double the wealth of [[House Velaryon]].{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} His second voyage took him to [[Asshai]], where he "lost his love and half his crew", according to the stories. At Asshai, Corlys also saw a ship docked in the harbor that he believed to have been the ''[[Sun Chaser]]'' of [[Elissa Farman]].{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} Corlys's third voyage led to him becoming the first Westerosi to navigate the [[Thousand Islands]] in the Shivering Sea and visit [[Nefer]]{{Ref|AWOIAF|Nefer}} in [[N'ghai]] and [[Mossovy]].{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
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During his ninth voyage on ''Sea Snake'', Corlys filled the ship's hold with gold and bought twenty more ships at Qarth, loading them with spices, [[elephants]], and silk. Only fourteen ships reached Driftmark and all the elephants died, but Corlys became vastly wealthy from the venture.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} He took his nickname "Sea Snake" from his famous ship. Corlys's expeditions on the ''Sea Snake'' have been described by Maester [[Mathis]] in his book ''[[The Nine Voyages]]''.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}
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===Lord of the Tides===
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Ser Corlys became head of [[House Velaryon]] and [[Lord of the Tides]] after the death of his grandsire. Richer than Lords [[House Lannister|Lannister]] or [[House Hightower|Hightower]] through his expeditions, Lord Corlys used his great wealth to construct a new seat, [[High Tide]],{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} where he stored his eastern treasures. The towns of [[Hull]] and [[Spicetown]] sprang up and drew trade away from [[King's Landing]].{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
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In {{Date|90}}, Corlys married the sixteen-year old Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]], the only child of Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]], who in turn was the eldest son of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Two years later, Corlys sailed his fleet to [[Tarth]], to aid Prince Aemon in fighting the [[Myr]]ish exiles who had invaded the island. Shortly before they left, Corlys's wife announced she was pregnant. During the campaign, Prince Aemon died, leading King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] to appoint a new heir to the throne. He chose his second son [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon]] over Aemon's only heir, Rhaenys, thereby also passing over Corlys and Rhaenys's unborn child. Furious over this decision, Corlys gave up his admiralty and his place on the king's [[small council]] and returned to [[Driftmark]] with his wife.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}
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In {{Date|93}}, Rhaenys gave birth to a daughter, [[Laena Velaryon|Laena]]. The next year, their son, [[Laenor Velaryon|Laenor]], was born.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} When Prince Baelon died in {{Date|101}}, King Jaehaerys I's succession became unclear again, and reports reached the court that Corlys was gathering ships and men to defend the rights of his son.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} When the king declared a [[Great Council]] would be held at [[Harrenhal]] to settle the succession, Corlys and his wife traveled there, using their wealth and influence to try and persuade the lords present to vote for Laenor, after Rhaenys and Laena had been passed over once again on account of their sex. Corlys's fame, reputation, and wealth did much to support Laenor's claim, but in the end, Baelon's son [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys]] received the majority of the votes, and was named [[Prince of Dragonstone]].{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}
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Following the death of Queen [[Aemma Arryn]], in {{Date|105}}, [[Grand Maester]] [[Runciter]] suggested to King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] that he take Corlys's twelve-year-old daughter, Laena, to wife. King Viserys, however, chose [[Alicent Hightower]]. Angered by the third time his wife and children had been scorned by [[House Targaryen]], Corlys and his family did not attend the wedding in {{Date|106}}.{{Ref|TRP}} Instead, he made an alliance with Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]], King Viserys's younger brother, equally angered by the king's marriage. Corlys had suffered from the [[Triarchy]]'s rule over the [[Stepstones]], and together with Daemon was determined to conquer the Stepstones for themselves. The fighting began in {{Date|106}}, with Daemon leading their army and Corlys leading their fleet. They won many victories in the first few years, and by {{Date|109}} all but two of the islands and the waters in between were firmly under their control. When Daemon declared himself [[King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea]], Corlys placed the crown upon his.{{Ref|TRP}} No further involvement of Corlys in the conflicts have been reported after {{Date|109}}.
  
Corlys became head of [[House Velaryon]] after the death of his grandsire. Richer than Lords [[House Lannister|Lannister]] or [[House Hightower|Hightower]] through his expeditions, Corlys used his great wealth to construct a new seat, [[High Tide]], where he stored his eastern treasures.{{ref|TWOIAF| Jaehaerys I}}{{ref|TPATQ}}
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In {{Date|113}}, King Viserys I and his [[small council]] began discussions concerning a betrothal for Princess [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], Viserys's heir. They eventually agreed on Corlys's son, Laenor. Laenor and Rhaenyra were married in {{Date|114}}. When Rhaenyra gave birth late that same year, Corlys overruled his son's wish and insisted that the child would be given a traditional Velaryon name. The boy was named [[Jacaerys Velaryon|Jacaerys]].{{Ref|TRP}} Two more sons, [[Lucerys Velaryon|Lucerys]], in {{Date|115}}, and [[Joffrey Velaryon|Joffrey]], in {{Date|117}}, would follow.{{Ref|TRP}}
  
Lord Corlys and his fleets fought alongside Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] during the [[War for the Stepstones]]. When Daemon declared himself the [[King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea]], Corlys placed the crown on the new king's head.{{ref|trp}}
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By {{Date|115}}, Corlys's daughter Laena had been betrothed for nearly a decade to the son of a former [[Sealord of Braavos]]. After the Sealord had died, the son had proven to be a wastrel and a fool, who lost all of his family's wealth and power, after which he turned up on Driftmark. Corlys lacked a graceful way to break the betrothal, but was unwilling to let the marriage occur, and had thus repeatedly postponed the wedding over the years. When Prince Daemon Targaryen arrived on Driftmark and asked for Laena's hand in marriage, Corlys thus agreed. Daemon mocked the late Sealord's son until the latter demanded a [[trial by combat]], in which he was slain by Daemon. A fortnight later, Corlys saw Laena and Daemon wed.{{Ref|TRP}} Through this marriage, Corlys would have two more grandchildren: the twin girls [[Baela Targaryen|Baela]] and [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]], born in {{Date|116}}.{{Ref|TRP}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
  
The children of Corlys and Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]] both died in {{date|120}}, [[Laena Velaryon]] from childbed fever and Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]] from a quarrel with Ser [[Qarl Correy]]. Later in the same year Prince Daemon, Laena's widower, married Princess [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], Laenor's widow.{{ref|TRP}}
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In the first few days of {{Date|120}}, Corlys's daughter Laena died several days after giving birth to her third child, who had died within an hour after birth. His son, Laenor, died not long after, stabbed to death by Ser [[Qarl Correy]] while attending a fair in [[Spicetown]]. That same year, Lord [[Lyonel Strong]] and his son, Ser [[Harwin Strong|Harwin]], died during a fire at Harrenhal. While there are many stories concerning this fire, the court fool [[Mushroom]] claims Corlys had been involved in the fire, as revenge on Harwin cuckolding his son.{{Ref|TRP}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
  
In {{date|126}} Corlys was struck with a sudden fever; the issue arose of who would succeed him as Lord of the Tides should he die. With his trueborn children dead by law the title would go to his grandson by Rhaenyra, [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]. However, Jacaerys would presumably ascend the Iron Throne after his mother and so Rhaenyra urged him to name [[Lucerys Velaryon]] as his heir. The Sea Snake also had six nephews and the eldest, Ser [[Vaemond Velaryon]], protested that the lordship should pass to him on the grounds that Rhaenyra's sons were [[bastards]] sired by Ser [[Harwin Strong]]. The Velaryon protesters were dealt with by the Targaryens and Lord Corlys presumably recovered.{{ref|trp}}
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When Corlys fell ill with a sudden fever in {{Date|126}}, the issue of the succession of [[Driftmark]] arose. As both of his children were dead, according to law Laenor's eldest son Jacaerys stood to inherit. However, Jacaerys, as the eldest son to the [[Princess of Dragonstone]], already stood to inherit the [[Iron Throne]] after his mother, and as such, Corlys was being urged by Rhaenyra to name her second son by Laenor, Lucerys, as his heir. However, the eldest of Corlys's six nephews, Ser [[Vaemond Velaryon]], insisted that he should be proclaimed heir, insisting that Rhaenyra's three sons by Laenor had in truth been fathered by the late Ser Harwin Strong. When Prince Daemon seized and executed Vaemond, Vaemond's wife, children, and siblings fled to King's Landing, were they were punished by King Viserys I for repeating the rumors regarding the paternity of Rhaenyra's eldest children.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} By {{Date|129}}, Corlys had recovered from his illness.
  
===Rhaenyra===
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===Dance of the Dragons===
Lord Corlys Velaryon sat on the [[black council]] during the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]]; he was the greatest lord to pledge his strength to the cause of Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], who was opposed by her half-brother, King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]. More than half of Rhaenyra's army was made up of men sworn to [[House Velaryon]]. Corlys's fleets also gave [[the blacks]] superiority at sea.{{ref|tpatq}}
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When King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] died in early {{Date|129}}, and the king's eldest son [[Aegon II Targaryen]] ascended the throne, passing over Viserys's appointed heir [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]], Corlys traveled to [[Dragonstone]] to lend his support in the struggle to his former daughter-in-law. He sat on [[black council|Rhaenyra's council]] and was the greatest lord to pledge his strength to her cause. More than half of Rhaenyra's army was made up of men sworn to [[House Velaryon]]. Corlys's fleets also gave the [[blacks]] superiority at sea.{{Ref|tpatq}}
  
When Lord [[Bartimos Celtigar]] urged the princess to fly from [[Dragonstone]] to [[King’s Landing]] at once and reduce the city to ash and bone, Corlys demanded to know how that would serve them, telling him "we want to rule the city, not burn it to the ground".{{ref|tpatq}}
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When Lord [[Bartimos Celtigar]] urged Rhaenyra to reduce King's Landing to ash and bone, Corlys strongly opposed the idea, telling him "we want to rule the city, not burn it to the ground".{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}{{Ref|tpatq}} Corlys's fleet closed off the [[Gullet]] and sailed back and forth from Dragonstone and [[Driftmark]], blocking all ships from entering or leaving [[Blackwater Bay]] and thereby choking off trade to and from King's Landing. Corlys was on Dragonstone when the black council learned of the death of [[Lucerys Velaryon]], and together with his wife was able to prevent Lucerys's younger brother [[Joffrey Velaryon|Joffrey]] from mounting his own [[dragon]] to extract vengeance for his brother's death.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}} According to [[Mushroom]], while Rhaenyra was so griefsick over Lucerys's death, command of the war council was given to Corlys and his wife [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys]]. When Rhaenys flew to [[Rook's Rest]] to give aid to Lord [[House Staunton|Staunton]], who was besieged by the forces of Aegon II, she fell in [[Battle at Rook's Rest|battle]] against King Aegon II and [[Sunfyre]], and Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]] and [[Vhagar]]. When news of Rhaenys's death reached Dragonstone, Corlys blamed Rhaenyra for Rhaenys's death, as she had forbidden her sons from accompanying Rhaenys. Corlys was brought back into the fold when Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] named him [[Hand of the Queen]]. Together, they planned an assault on [[King's Landing]]. For his plan, Jacaerys offered lands, riches and knighthood to anyone who could mount one of the riderless dragons. The fifteen-year-old [[Addam Velaryon|Addam of Hull]] managed to claim [[Seasmoke]], formerly ridden by Corlys's late son Laenor. Addam's mother [[Marilda of Hull|Marilda]] proclaimed that Addam and his younger brother [[Alyn Velaryon|Alyn]] had both been fathered by Laenor, and, apparently accepting this fact, Corlys petitioned Rhaenyra to legitimize them both, naming Addam his new heir.{{Ref|TPATQ}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} Marilda's claim regarding the parentage of her sons was considered remarkable by many, due to the rumors concerning Laenor's sexuality. The court fool [[Mushroom]], however, suggests in his ''[[The Testimony of Mushroom|Testimony]]'' that Addam and Alyn had both been fathered by Corlys himself, and that he had kept them far from court whilst his wife was still alive, but took the opportunity, after her death, to acknowledge them after a fashion.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}
  
The Sea Snake commanded the Velaryon fleet when it closed off the [[Gullet]] and sailed back and forth from Dragonstone and [[Driftmark]], blocking all shipping entering or leaving [[Blackwater Bay]] and thereby choking off trade to and from King's Landing. Eventually, the Velaryon blockade was broken by the [[Battle in the Gullet]] and [[High Tide]] was sacked.{{ref|tpatq}}
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Late in {{Date|129}}, the Velaryon blockade in the [[Gullet]] was eventually broken by the [[Triarchy]] in the [[battle of the Gullet]]. During the battle, the Velaryon fleet lost one third of its strength, while sixty-two out of the ninety ships of the Triarchy were destroyed. The survivors of the Triarchy sacked [[High Tide]] and put it to the torch, destroying all of the treasures Corlys had gathered in the east. [[Spicetown]] was destroyed as well.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}
  
On Dragonstone, after receiving the news that his wife, Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys]], had [[Battle of Rook's Rest|fallen at Rook's Rest]] trying to come to the aid of Lord [[House Staunton|Staunton]], angry words were exchanged between the queen and Lord Velaryon.  Corlys blamed Rhaenyra for his wife Rhaenys's death. He told Rhaenyra that it should have been her who died, that "Staunton sent to you, yet you left it to my wife to answer, and forbade your sons to join her!" All the castle knew that Princes [[Jacaerys Velaryon|Jacaerys]] and [[Joffrey Velaryon]] had been eager to fly with her to [[Rook's Rest]] with their own dragons.{{ref|tpatq}}
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In {{Date|130}}, Corlys's shpis closed off [[Blackwater Bay]] when Rhaenyra [[fall of King's Landing|took King's Landing]]. Though Rhaenyra's forces were victorious in the [[Butcher's Ball]], the [[First Battle of Tumbleton]] resulted in a loss for the blacks. King Aegon II and his two younger children were missing, Prince Aemond was terrorizing the [[riverlands]] with [[Vhagar]], and Lord [[Ormund Hightower]]'s host, with Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron]] and his dragon [[Tessarion]], was slowly advancing on the city. With these threats in mind, Lord Corlys suggested to Rhaenyra that she should offer pardons to Lord [[Borros Baratheon]], [[Ormund Hightower]] and [[House Lannister]], send Queen [[Alicent Hightower]] and Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]] to the [[Faith of the Seven|Faith]], make Aegon II's daughter [[Jaehaera Targaryen|Jaehaera]] Corlys's ward, and to marry her to [[Aegon III Targaryen|her own son Aegon]] in due time, while allowing her half-brothers to [[Night's Watch|take the black]]. Rhaenyra, however, insisted that her half-brothers had broken their vows before, and that the vows of the Night's Watch would mean little to them. Prince Daemon proposed to destroy both [[House Lannister]] and [[House Baratheon]], and granting their seats to [[Ulf White]] and [[Hugh Hammer]], two of the four [[dragonseeds]], but Corlys, horrified by this suggestion, insisted that half of the Westerosi lords would turn against them if they were to destroy two ancient and noble houses.{{Ref|tpatq}}{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}
  
In late {{date|129}}, Prince Jacaerys brought the Lord of the Tides back into the fold by naming him [[Hand of the Queen]].  Together the Hand and Jacaerys planned an assault upon King’s Landing. Not long after, one of the riderless dragons, [[Seasmoke]], took onto his back a fifteen-year-old boy known as Addam of [[Hull]]. Lord Corlys went so far as to petition Queen Rhaenyra to remove the taint of [[bastardy]] from Addam and his brother, [[Alyn Velaryon|Alyn]]. The queen complied and [[Addam Velaryon]] became Corlys's heir to [[Driftmark]].{{ref|tpatq}}
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After the [[Two Betrayers]] went over to Aegon II's side during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]], Lord Corlys spoke in defense of the two remaining dragonseeds, [[Nettles]] and [[Addam Velaryon]]. He remarked that Addam and Alyn were "true heirs" and worthy of Driftmark, and that [[Nettles]] had fought valiantly in the [[Battle in the Gullet]]. His protests were in vain, however, and Rhaenyra commanded Ser [[Luthor Largent]] to arrest Addam in the [[Dragonpit]]. Corlys warned Addam, who made his escape on Seasmoke's back. Confronted by an angry Ser Luthor, Corlys did not deny the accusations of treachery. Corlys was bound and beaten before he was taken down into the [[Red Keep]]'s dungeons and thrown into a [[black cell]] to await trial and execution.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}{{Ref|TPATQ}}
  
After the queen took King's Landing, as Lord [[Ormund Hightower]]'s host advanced slowly on King's Landing, with Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron]] scouting ahead on the [[Tessarion|Blue Queen]], Lord Corlys suggested to Rhaenyra that the time had come to talk. He urged the queen to offer pardons. He proposed to let the [[Faith of the Seven]] take charge of Queen [[Alicent Hightower]] and Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]], so that they might spend the rest of their lives in prayer and contemplation.  Corlys suggested that Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], the daughter of Rhaenyra's rival, King Aegon II, be made his own ward, and in due time married to Rhaenyra's son, Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon the Younger]], binding the two halves of [[House Targaryen]] together once again.{{ref|tpatq}}
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When it became known that Corlys had been arrested, his men, who made up half of Rhaenyra's forces at King's Landing, began to abandon Rhaenyra by the hundreds. Those who remained could not be trusted. Some of Corlys's men joined the mob in [[Cobbler's Square]] that had gathered for the [[Riot of King's Landing (Dance of the Dragons)|riot of King's Landing]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}{{Ref|TPATQ}} Others attempted to scale the walls and free him,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} and yet others fled the city.{{Ref|TPATQ}} Two of lord Corlys' sworn swords, Ser [[Denys Woodwright]] and Ser [[Thoron True]], attempted to cut their way to the dungeons to release their liege but their plan was betrayed to Lady [[Mysaria]] by a whore Thoron had been bedding. Both men were hanged and Lord Corlys remained imprisoned.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}
  
Rhaenyra demanded to know what of her half brothers, [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], [[Aemond Targaryen|Aemond]], and [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron]].  Lord Corlys suggested they be spared and sent to the [[Wall]]. When Corlys mentioned the sacred vows of the [[Night's Watch]], Rhaenyra questioned the vows of oathbreakers, stating that "Their vows did not trouble them when they took my throne." Her husband, Prince [[Daemon Targaryen|Daemon]], echoed the queen's misgiving and suggested a hard line, but the queen decided to steer a middle course.{{ref|tpatq}}  
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Rhaenyra was eventually forced to flee the city. According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], Corlys was released from the dungeons together with the other prisoners by the men of Ser [[Perkin the Flea]], when they took the Red Keep to install [[Trystane Truefyre]] on the Iron Throne.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} However, according to Maester [[Yandel]], Corlys was only released when King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s men took the city back.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}
  
After the [[Two Betrayers]] switched sides, Lord Corlys was the only person on the black council to speak in defense of the [[dragonseed]]. He remarked that Ser Addam and his brother Alyn were "true heirs" and worthy of Driftmark and that [[Nettles|Netty]] had fought valiantly in the Battle in the Gullet. The Hand's impassioned protests were in vain as by this time the queen had been betrayed so often, by so many, that she was quick to believe the worst of any man.  Queen Rhaenyra commanded Ser [[Luthor Largent]] to arrest Addam in the [[Dragonpit]]. Addam, who had been forewarned, managed to make his escape by flying away with Seasmoke. When the balked and angry Luthor returned from the Dragonpit he accused Corlys of treachery. Corlys did not deny it. Bound and beaten, but still silent, he was taken down into the [[Red Keep]]'s dungeons and thrown into a black cell to await trial and execution. This action lost Rhaenyra her fleet. When it became known that Lord Corlys was languishing in a dungeon under the Red Keep, the army that had sailed from Dragonstone to seize the [[Iron Throne]] began to abandon Rhaenyra's cause by the hundreds. The ones that remained could not be trusted.{{ref|tpatq}}
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Queen [[Alicent Hightower]] and Lord [[Larys Strong]] offered Corlys a full pardon, in exchange for his support of King Aegon II. Corlys, however, made demands of his own, insisting that all who had fought for Rhaenyra should be pardoned, that his granddaughter [[Baela Targaryen|Baela]] should be released immediately, and that [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon the Younger]] and Princess Jaehaera should be wed and be proclaimed Aegon II's joint heirs. Although Queen Alicent was outraged by the proposals, Lord Larys Strong convinced her to accept the terms, and Corlys swore his loyalty to Aegon II. King Aegon II, however, was less willing to heed Corlys's counsel, and when the king insisted on ending Rhaenyra's line, either by making Aegon the Younger a [[eunuch]] or by having him [[Night's Watch|take the black]], and Ser [[Tyland Lannister]] argued for Aegon the Younger's immediate execution a horrified Corlys accused them of being "fools, liars, and oathbreakers" and stormed out. Lord Larys Strong afterwards went to Corlys to bring him back on the council, and together they secretly plotted to end the war. Following the defeat of Lord [[Borros Baratheon]] at the [[Battle of the Kingsroad]], with an army of [[riverlands|rivermen]] near the city, and a second host, led by Lord [[Cregan Stark]], coming down the [[kingsroad]], Corlys advised Aegon II to join the [[Night's Watch]]. The king refused, but was poisoned soon after, thereby ending the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}
  
===Aegon II===
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===Reign of Aegon III===
Once [[Aegon II Targaryen]] returned to King's Landing after the death of Rhaenyra, Lord Corlys was released and pardoned, allowing him to serve Aegon on his [[small council]]. When the approach of Lord [[Cregan Stark]]'s army towards the capital became known, Corlys advised Aegon to [[Night's Watch|take the black]]. The king refused, however, and was mysteriously poisoned soon after.{{ref|twoiaf| Aegon II}}
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Following the death of [[Aegon II Targaryen]], Corlys sent envoys to [[Casterly Rock]], [[Storm's End]] and [[Oldtown]], who had been Aegon II's main supporters, suing for peace. When Lord [[Cregan Stark]] arrived in [[King's Landing]], he took power over the court and, insisting that the poisoners of Aegon II were punished, had twenty-two men arrested, including Corlys. This time became known as the [[Hour of the Wolf]]. Corlys was spared a trial. Instead, he was freed thanks to an edict of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]] that [[Baela Targaryen|Baela]] and [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]] had persuaded him to issue. [[Alysanne Blackwood]] promised Lord Cregan her hand in marriage if he would honor the edict, which he did.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}
  
===Aegon III===
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Corlys served as one of the [[regent]]s for [[Aegon III Targaryen]] during from {{Date|131}} until his death in {{Date|132}}. Corlys was regarded as the most powerful of the regents. When he died of old age, at the age of seventy-nine, his body was placed beneath the [[Iron Throne]] for a week.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} [[Marilda of Hull]] and her son, [[Alyn Velaryon]], sailed Corlys's remains to [[Driftmark]] on ''[[Mermaid's Kiss]]''. Corlys was then buried at sea east of Dragonstone on his ancient ''[[Sea Snake]]''. When the ship sank, the [[Cannibal]] allegedly flew overheard in salute.{{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}
Lord Corlys was arrested by Lord Stark in what became known as the [[Hour of the Wolf]]. He was later freed thanks to an edict of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]] that [[Baela Targaryen|Baela]] and [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]] persuaded him to issue. [[Alysanne Blackwood|Black Aly Blackwood]] agreed to marry Lord Stark if he honored the edict, which he did. Thus Corlys was freed and served as one of [[regent|regents]] of young Aegon III.
 
  
Corlys was regarded as the most powerful of the regents of the young king until his death of old age in {{Date|132}}, at the age of seventy-nine. His body lay in state beneath the [[Iron Throne]] for a week.{{ref|twoiaf| Aegon III}}
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==Quotes by Corlys==
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{{Quote|Mayhaps [[Faith of the Seven|the Seven]] have preserved me for this fight.{{Ref|tpatq}}|Corlys at the start of the [[Dance of the Dragons]]}}
  
==Quotes==
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{{Quote|My knees are old and stiff and do not bend easy.{{Ref|FAB| Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}|Corlys setting his terms to the [[green council]] at the end of [[Dance of the Dragons]]}}
{{Quote|Mayhaps [[Faith of the Seven|the Seven]] have preserved me for this fight.{{ref|tpatq}}}} - Corlys at the start of the [[Dance of the Dragons]]
 
  
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==Quotes about Corlys==
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{{Quote|Seventy-nine years of age, he had served four kings and a [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|queen]], sailed to the ends of the earth, raised [[House Velaryon]] to unprecedented levels of wealth and power, married a [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|princess]] who might have been a queen, fathered [[dragonrider|dragonriders]], built towns and fleets, proved his valor in times of [[Dance of the Dragons|war]] and his wisdom in times of peace. The [[Seven Kingdoms]] would never see his like again.|The writings of Maester [[Gyldayn]] {{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}}}
 
==Family==
 
==Family==
 
{{Velaryon tree Dance}}
 
{{Velaryon tree Dance}}
  
==References and Notes==
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==References==
 
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Revision as of 01:20, 12 September 2019

House Velaryon.svg
Corlys Velaryon
House Velaryon.svg
Sea Snake.jpeg
Art by Enife.

Alias The Sea Snake
Titles
Allegiances
Race Valyrian
Culture Crownlands
Born 53 AC[1]
Driftmark[1]
Died 132 AC[2]
Red Keep, King's Landing[3]
Spouse Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
Issue
Books

Corlys Velaryon, known as the Sea Snake, was a fabled Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark, and head of House Velaryon.[4] He was the husband of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. During the Dance of the Dragons, he became Hand to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.[5]

Appearance and Character

By the of age seven-and-thirty, Corlys was hailed as the greatest seafarer the Seven Kingdoms had ever known.[6] Corlys was said to be as brilliant as he was restless, and as adventurous as he was ambitious. Though he accomplished much and more in life, he was seldom satisfied.[6] Corlys was known to be intractable, even in old age.[7] He was remembered as wise in peace and valiant in war.[8] He was a proud man.[9] Queen Alicent Hightower thought him arrogant.[8]

During his elder years, Corlys liked to say that he was clinging to life "like a drowning sailor clinging to the wreckage of a sunken ship".

History

Early life

Corlys was born in 53 AC to the eldest son of Lord Daemon Velaryon.[10] He was named after Ser Corlys Velaryon, who served King Aegon I Targaryen as the first Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.[11]

Corlys took the sea at a young age, first crossing the narrow sea to Pentos with an uncle when he was only six. Corlys would make such voyages every year that followed, working on the ships as a member of the crew. According to the captains he served under, they had never seen such a natural sailor as Corlys. He became a captain himself at the age of sixteen, when he sailed the Cod Queen from Driftmark to Dragonstone and back.[6] By the age of twenty-three, Corlys was already a celebrated mariner.[1] Corlys sailed to Oldtown, Lannisport, Lordsport, Lys, Tyrosh, Pentos, and Myr. He sailed the Summer Maid to Volantis and the Summer Isles, and he took Ice Wolf to Braavos, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, Hardhome, Lorath, and the Port of Ibben. He also took Ice Wolf beyond the Wall, but was unsuccessful in find a northerly route in the Shivering Sea around Westeros.[6]

Ser Corlys sailed aboard his Sea Snake, a ship he designed and built, on nine great voyages to Essos. During his first voyage, he sailed beyond the Jade Gates at Qarth to Yi Ti and Leng. Corlys returned with treasures like silk and spice, allowing to double the wealth of House Velaryon.[6] His second voyage took him to Asshai, where he "lost his love and half his crew", according to the stories. At Asshai, Corlys also saw a ship docked in the harbor that he believed to have been the Sun Chaser of Elissa Farman.[1] Corlys's third voyage led to him becoming the first Westerosi to navigate the Thousand Islands in the Shivering Sea and visit Nefer[12] in N'ghai and Mossovy.[6]

During his ninth voyage on Sea Snake, Corlys filled the ship's hold with gold and bought twenty more ships at Qarth, loading them with spices, elephants, and silk. Only fourteen ships reached Driftmark and all the elephants died, but Corlys became vastly wealthy from the venture.[6] He took his nickname "Sea Snake" from his famous ship. Corlys's expeditions on the Sea Snake have been described by Maester Mathis in his book The Nine Voyages.[11]

Lord of the Tides

Ser Corlys became head of House Velaryon and Lord of the Tides after the death of his grandsire. Richer than Lords Lannister or Hightower through his expeditions, Lord Corlys used his great wealth to construct a new seat, High Tide,[11] where he stored his eastern treasures. The towns of Hull and Spicetown sprang up and drew trade away from King's Landing.[6]

In 90 AC, Corlys married the sixteen-year old Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the only child of Prince Aemon Targaryen, who in turn was the eldest son of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Two years later, Corlys sailed his fleet to Tarth, to aid Prince Aemon in fighting the Myrish exiles who had invaded the island. Shortly before they left, Corlys's wife announced she was pregnant. During the campaign, Prince Aemon died, leading King Jaehaerys I Targaryen to appoint a new heir to the throne. He chose his second son Baelon over Aemon's only heir, Rhaenys, thereby also passing over Corlys and Rhaenys's unborn child. Furious over this decision, Corlys gave up his admiralty and his place on the king's small council and returned to Driftmark with his wife.[1][6][11]

In 93 AC, Rhaenys gave birth to a daughter, Laena. The next year, their son, Laenor, was born.[6] When Prince Baelon died in 101 AC, King Jaehaerys I's succession became unclear again, and reports reached the court that Corlys was gathering ships and men to defend the rights of his son.[6][13] When the king declared a Great Council would be held at Harrenhal to settle the succession, Corlys and his wife traveled there, using their wealth and influence to try and persuade the lords present to vote for Laenor, after Rhaenys and Laena had been passed over once again on account of their sex. Corlys's fame, reputation, and wealth did much to support Laenor's claim, but in the end, Baelon's son Viserys received the majority of the votes, and was named Prince of Dragonstone.[6][11]

Following the death of Queen Aemma Arryn, in 105 AC, Grand Maester Runciter suggested to King Viserys I Targaryen that he take Corlys's twelve-year-old daughter, Laena, to wife. King Viserys, however, chose Alicent Hightower. Angered by the third time his wife and children had been scorned by House Targaryen, Corlys and his family did not attend the wedding in 106 AC.[14] Instead, he made an alliance with Prince Daemon Targaryen, King Viserys's younger brother, equally angered by the king's marriage. Corlys had suffered from the Triarchy's rule over the Stepstones, and together with Daemon was determined to conquer the Stepstones for themselves. The fighting began in 106 AC, with Daemon leading their army and Corlys leading their fleet. They won many victories in the first few years, and by 109 AC all but two of the islands and the waters in between were firmly under their control. When Daemon declared himself King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea, Corlys placed the crown upon his.[14] No further involvement of Corlys in the conflicts have been reported after 109 AC.

In 113 AC, King Viserys I and his small council began discussions concerning a betrothal for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Viserys's heir. They eventually agreed on Corlys's son, Laenor. Laenor and Rhaenyra were married in 114 AC. When Rhaenyra gave birth late that same year, Corlys overruled his son's wish and insisted that the child would be given a traditional Velaryon name. The boy was named Jacaerys.[14] Two more sons, Lucerys, in 115 AC, and Joffrey, in 117 AC, would follow.[14]

By 115 AC, Corlys's daughter Laena had been betrothed for nearly a decade to the son of a former Sealord of Braavos. After the Sealord had died, the son had proven to be a wastrel and a fool, who lost all of his family's wealth and power, after which he turned up on Driftmark. Corlys lacked a graceful way to break the betrothal, but was unwilling to let the marriage occur, and had thus repeatedly postponed the wedding over the years. When Prince Daemon Targaryen arrived on Driftmark and asked for Laena's hand in marriage, Corlys thus agreed. Daemon mocked the late Sealord's son until the latter demanded a trial by combat, in which he was slain by Daemon. A fortnight later, Corlys saw Laena and Daemon wed.[14] Through this marriage, Corlys would have two more grandchildren: the twin girls Baela and Rhaena Targaryen, born in 116 AC.[14][6]

In the first few days of 120 AC, Corlys's daughter Laena died several days after giving birth to her third child, who had died within an hour after birth. His son, Laenor, died not long after, stabbed to death by Ser Qarl Correy while attending a fair in Spicetown. That same year, Lord Lyonel Strong and his son, Ser Harwin, died during a fire at Harrenhal. While there are many stories concerning this fire, the court fool Mushroom claims Corlys had been involved in the fire, as revenge on Harwin cuckolding his son.[14][6]

When Corlys fell ill with a sudden fever in 126 AC, the issue of the succession of Driftmark arose. As both of his children were dead, according to law Laenor's eldest son Jacaerys stood to inherit. However, Jacaerys, as the eldest son to the Princess of Dragonstone, already stood to inherit the Iron Throne after his mother, and as such, Corlys was being urged by Rhaenyra to name her second son by Laenor, Lucerys, as his heir. However, the eldest of Corlys's six nephews, Ser Vaemond Velaryon, insisted that he should be proclaimed heir, insisting that Rhaenyra's three sons by Laenor had in truth been fathered by the late Ser Harwin Strong. When Prince Daemon seized and executed Vaemond, Vaemond's wife, children, and siblings fled to King's Landing, were they were punished by King Viserys I for repeating the rumors regarding the paternity of Rhaenyra's eldest children.[6] By 129 AC, Corlys had recovered from his illness.

Dance of the Dragons

When King Viserys I Targaryen died in early 129 AC, and the king's eldest son Aegon II Targaryen ascended the throne, passing over Viserys's appointed heir Rhaenyra, Corlys traveled to Dragonstone to lend his support in the struggle to his former daughter-in-law. He sat on Rhaenyra's council and was the greatest lord to pledge his strength to her cause. More than half of Rhaenyra's army was made up of men sworn to House Velaryon. Corlys's fleets also gave the blacks superiority at sea.[5]

When Lord Bartimos Celtigar urged Rhaenyra to reduce King's Landing to ash and bone, Corlys strongly opposed the idea, telling him "we want to rule the city, not burn it to the ground".[15][5] Corlys's fleet closed off the Gullet and sailed back and forth from Dragonstone and Driftmark, blocking all ships from entering or leaving Blackwater Bay and thereby choking off trade to and from King's Landing. Corlys was on Dragonstone when the black council learned of the death of Lucerys Velaryon, and together with his wife was able to prevent Lucerys's younger brother Joffrey from mounting his own dragon to extract vengeance for his brother's death.[16] According to Mushroom, while Rhaenyra was so griefsick over Lucerys's death, command of the war council was given to Corlys and his wife Rhaenys. When Rhaenys flew to Rook's Rest to give aid to Lord Staunton, who was besieged by the forces of Aegon II, she fell in battle against King Aegon II and Sunfyre, and Prince Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. When news of Rhaenys's death reached Dragonstone, Corlys blamed Rhaenyra for Rhaenys's death, as she had forbidden her sons from accompanying Rhaenys. Corlys was brought back into the fold when Prince Jacaerys Velaryon named him Hand of the Queen. Together, they planned an assault on King's Landing. For his plan, Jacaerys offered lands, riches and knighthood to anyone who could mount one of the riderless dragons. The fifteen-year-old Addam of Hull managed to claim Seasmoke, formerly ridden by Corlys's late son Laenor. Addam's mother Marilda proclaimed that Addam and his younger brother Alyn had both been fathered by Laenor, and, apparently accepting this fact, Corlys petitioned Rhaenyra to legitimize them both, naming Addam his new heir.[5][17] Marilda's claim regarding the parentage of her sons was considered remarkable by many, due to the rumors concerning Laenor's sexuality. The court fool Mushroom, however, suggests in his Testimony that Addam and Alyn had both been fathered by Corlys himself, and that he had kept them far from court whilst his wife was still alive, but took the opportunity, after her death, to acknowledge them after a fashion.[17][18]

Late in 129 AC, the Velaryon blockade in the Gullet was eventually broken by the Triarchy in the battle of the Gullet. During the battle, the Velaryon fleet lost one third of its strength, while sixty-two out of the ninety ships of the Triarchy were destroyed. The survivors of the Triarchy sacked High Tide and put it to the torch, destroying all of the treasures Corlys had gathered in the east. Spicetown was destroyed as well.[18]

In 130 AC, Corlys's shpis closed off Blackwater Bay when Rhaenyra took King's Landing. Though Rhaenyra's forces were victorious in the Butcher's Ball, the First Battle of Tumbleton resulted in a loss for the blacks. King Aegon II and his two younger children were missing, Prince Aemond was terrorizing the riverlands with Vhagar, and Lord Ormund Hightower's host, with Prince Daeron and his dragon Tessarion, was slowly advancing on the city. With these threats in mind, Lord Corlys suggested to Rhaenyra that she should offer pardons to Lord Borros Baratheon, Ormund Hightower and House Lannister, send Queen Alicent Hightower and Queen Helaena Targaryen to the Faith, make Aegon II's daughter Jaehaera Corlys's ward, and to marry her to her own son Aegon in due time, while allowing her half-brothers to take the black. Rhaenyra, however, insisted that her half-brothers had broken their vows before, and that the vows of the Night's Watch would mean little to them. Prince Daemon proposed to destroy both House Lannister and House Baratheon, and granting their seats to Ulf White and Hugh Hammer, two of the four dragonseeds, but Corlys, horrified by this suggestion, insisted that half of the Westerosi lords would turn against them if they were to destroy two ancient and noble houses.[5][19]

After the Two Betrayers went over to Aegon II's side during the Second Battle of Tumbleton, Lord Corlys spoke in defense of the two remaining dragonseeds, Nettles and Addam Velaryon. He remarked that Addam and Alyn were "true heirs" and worthy of Driftmark, and that Nettles had fought valiantly in the Battle in the Gullet. His protests were in vain, however, and Rhaenyra commanded Ser Luthor Largent to arrest Addam in the Dragonpit. Corlys warned Addam, who made his escape on Seasmoke's back. Confronted by an angry Ser Luthor, Corlys did not deny the accusations of treachery. Corlys was bound and beaten before he was taken down into the Red Keep's dungeons and thrown into a black cell to await trial and execution.[19][5]

When it became known that Corlys had been arrested, his men, who made up half of Rhaenyra's forces at King's Landing, began to abandon Rhaenyra by the hundreds. Those who remained could not be trusted. Some of Corlys's men joined the mob in Cobbler's Square that had gathered for the riot of King's Landing.[17][5] Others attempted to scale the walls and free him,[17] and yet others fled the city.[5] Two of lord Corlys' sworn swords, Ser Denys Woodwright and Ser Thoron True, attempted to cut their way to the dungeons to release their liege but their plan was betrayed to Lady Mysaria by a whore Thoron had been bedding. Both men were hanged and Lord Corlys remained imprisoned.[20]

Rhaenyra was eventually forced to flee the city. According to Archmaester Gyldayn, Corlys was released from the dungeons together with the other prisoners by the men of Ser Perkin the Flea, when they took the Red Keep to install Trystane Truefyre on the Iron Throne.[20] However, according to Maester Yandel, Corlys was only released when King Aegon II Targaryen's men took the city back.[17]

Queen Alicent Hightower and Lord Larys Strong offered Corlys a full pardon, in exchange for his support of King Aegon II. Corlys, however, made demands of his own, insisting that all who had fought for Rhaenyra should be pardoned, that his granddaughter Baela should be released immediately, and that Aegon the Younger and Princess Jaehaera should be wed and be proclaimed Aegon II's joint heirs. Although Queen Alicent was outraged by the proposals, Lord Larys Strong convinced her to accept the terms, and Corlys swore his loyalty to Aegon II. King Aegon II, however, was less willing to heed Corlys's counsel, and when the king insisted on ending Rhaenyra's line, either by making Aegon the Younger a eunuch or by having him take the black, and Ser Tyland Lannister argued for Aegon the Younger's immediate execution a horrified Corlys accused them of being "fools, liars, and oathbreakers" and stormed out. Lord Larys Strong afterwards went to Corlys to bring him back on the council, and together they secretly plotted to end the war. Following the defeat of Lord Borros Baratheon at the Battle of the Kingsroad, with an army of rivermen near the city, and a second host, led by Lord Cregan Stark, coming down the kingsroad, Corlys advised Aegon II to join the Night's Watch. The king refused, but was poisoned soon after, thereby ending the war.[21][17]

Reign of Aegon III

Following the death of Aegon II Targaryen, Corlys sent envoys to Casterly Rock, Storm's End and Oldtown, who had been Aegon II's main supporters, suing for peace. When Lord Cregan Stark arrived in King's Landing, he took power over the court and, insisting that the poisoners of Aegon II were punished, had twenty-two men arrested, including Corlys. This time became known as the Hour of the Wolf. Corlys was spared a trial. Instead, he was freed thanks to an edict of King Aegon III Targaryen that Baela and Rhaena Targaryen had persuaded him to issue. Alysanne Blackwood promised Lord Cregan her hand in marriage if he would honor the edict, which he did.[2]

Corlys served as one of the regents for Aegon III Targaryen during from 131 AC until his death in 132 AC. Corlys was regarded as the most powerful of the regents. When he died of old age, at the age of seventy-nine, his body was placed beneath the Iron Throne for a week.[2] Marilda of Hull and her son, Alyn Velaryon, sailed Corlys's remains to Driftmark on Mermaid's Kiss. Corlys was then buried at sea east of Dragonstone on his ancient Sea Snake. When the ship sank, the Cannibal allegedly flew overheard in salute.[3]

Quotes by Corlys

Mayhaps the Seven have preserved me for this fight.[5]

—Corlys at the start of the Dance of the Dragons

My knees are old and stiff and do not bend easy.[8]

—Corlys setting his terms to the green council at the end of Dance of the Dragons

Quotes about Corlys

Seventy-nine years of age, he had served four kings and a queen, sailed to the ends of the earth, raised House Velaryon to unprecedented levels of wealth and power, married a princess who might have been a queen, fathered dragonriders, built towns and fleets, proved his valor in times of war and his wisdom in times of peace. The Seven Kingdoms would never see his like again.

—The writings of Maester Gyldayn [3]

Family

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corwyn
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corlys
 
Rhaenys
Targaryen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Son
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
Son
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Laena
 
Daemon
Targaryen
 
Rhaenyra
Targaryen
 
Laenor
 
Marilda
of Hull
 
Vaemond
 
Unknown
wife
 
Malentine
 
Rhogar
 
Three sons
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jacaerys
 
Lucerys
 
Joffrey
 
 
Hazel
Harte
 
Daeron
 
Daemion
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Addam
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daenaera
 
Aegon III
Targaryen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rhaena
Targaryen
 
Baela
Targaryen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alyn
 
 
Elaena
Targaryen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Laena
 
Child
 
Jon
Waters
 
Jeyne
Waters
 


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
  4. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Red Kraken.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 The Princess and the Queen.
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
  7. Fire & Blood, The Dying of Dragons – The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
  9. Fire & Blood, The Dying of Dragons – The Blacks and the Greens.
  10. Fire & Blood, Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under Jaehaerys I.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I.
  12. George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Nefer.
  13. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 The Rogue Prince.
  15. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens.
  16. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II.
  18. 18.0 18.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
  21. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II.