Difference between revisions of "Dragonstone"

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'''Dragonstone''' is a castle located on [[Dragonstone (island)|the island of the same name]] at the entrance to [[Blackwater Bay]]. Located below the [[Dragonmont]] and shaped from stone to look like [[dragon]]s, Dragonstone was the original seat of [[House Targaryen]] in [[Westeros]], and had been colonized and fortified as the westernmost outpost of the [[Valyrian Freehold]]. The castle has a dark reputation,{{ref|aGoT|47}}
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'''Dragonstone''' is a castle located on [[Dragonstone (island)|the island of the same name]] at the entrance to [[Blackwater Bay]]. Located below the [[Dragonmont]] and shaped from stone to look like [[dragon]]s, Dragonstone was the original seat of [[House Targaryen]] in [[Westeros]], and had been colonized and fortified as the westernmost outpost of the [[Valyrian Freehold]]. The castle has a dark reputation.{{ref|aGoT|47}}
  
 
After [[Aegon's Conquest]] of the [[Seven Kingdoms]], Dragonstone in the newly-created [[crownlands]] served as the seat of their heir apparent, known as the [[Prince of Dragonstone]]. After [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] overthrew the Targaryens in [[Robert's Rebellion]], he gave the castle to his brother [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]], creating [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]].
 
After [[Aegon's Conquest]] of the [[Seven Kingdoms]], Dragonstone in the newly-created [[crownlands]] served as the seat of their heir apparent, known as the [[Prince of Dragonstone]]. After [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] overthrew the Targaryens in [[Robert's Rebellion]], he gave the castle to his brother [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]], creating [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]].
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[[File:Dragonstone Watchtower.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Dragonstone watchtower<br>© Fantasy Flight Games]]
 
[[File:Dragonstone Watchtower.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Dragonstone watchtower<br>© Fantasy Flight Games]]
  
The ancient fortress was built using advanced [[Valyria]]n techniques of masonry that were lost in the [[Doom of Valyria|Doom]], causing it to look unique among all the castles in Westeros. The citadel of Dragonstone is wrought all of [[dragonstone (material) | black stone]] (the "stones of hell", if old tales are true){{Ref|aSoS|10}} its towers carved into the shapes of [[dragon]]s. Instead of merlons, grotesques and gargoyles serve as brooding [[W:crenellation|crenellations]] along the three curtain walls.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}{{Ref|aSoS|10}} Designs include [[basilisk]]s, [[cockatrice]]s, [[demon]]s, [[griffin]]s, [[hellhound]]s, [[manticore]]s, [[minotaur]]s, [[wyvern]]s, and other creatures.{{ref|ASOS|54}} When Maester [[Cressen]] first came to Dragonstone the army of grotesques had made him uneasy, but as the years passed he grew used to them, and in his old age he came to think of the 12-foot-tall hellhound and wyvern on his windswept balcony as old friends.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}
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Dragonstone is a grim place.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}} the castle was built using by the [[Valyria]]ns, using arcane arts,{{Ref|twoiaf| Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria}} fire, and sorcery.{{Ref|ASOS|54}}{{Ref|adwd|72}} With the use of magic, the Valyrians were capable of liquefying stone.<ref name=dragonstone/> The dragonlords loved little more than twisting stone into strange, fanciful, and ornate shapes,{{Ref|twoiaf| The Reach: Oldtown}} and as such used their magic to shape the castle to look like multiple dragons.<ref name=dragonstone>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/5683 Worldcon Report: Dragonstone's Appearance (August 19, 2011)]</ref>{{Ref|asos|54}} Smaller dragons can be found throughout the castle; Small dragons frame gates and dragon claws hold torches.{{ref|asos|54}} A pair of great wings cover the armory and smithy, and dragon tails form archways and staircases.{{Ref|aSoS|54}} The citadel of Dragonstone is wrought all of [[dragonstone (material)|black stone]]{{Ref|acok|Prologue}} (the "stones of hell", if old tales are true).{{Ref|aSoS|10}} Instead of merlons, grotesques and gargoyles serve as brooding [[W:crenellation|crenellations]] along the three curtain walls.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}{{Ref|aSoS|10}} Designs include [[basilisk]]s, [[cockatrice]]s, demons, [[griffin]]s, hellhounds, [[manticore]]s, minotaurs, [[wyvern]]s, and other creatures.{{ref|ASOS|54}} Further, statues in the shape of dragons can be found all over the castle.{{ref|acok|10}}
  
The design of the castle is very dragon-oriented. Small dragons frame gates and dragon claws hold torches. A pair of great wings cover the armory and smithy, and tails form archways and staircases.{{Ref|aSoS|54}}
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Notable locations at Dragonstone include:
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* The '''Stone Drum''': A massive tower{{Ref|asos|36}} which serves as the central keep of Dragonstone, named for the booming and rumbling sounds that can be heard during storms.{{Ref|acok|prologue}} To reach the Stone Drum from the Sea Dragon Tower, one must cross the gallery and pass through the middle and inner walls.{{Ref|acok|prologue}} A high stone roofed bridge arching over emptiness leads from the Stone Drum to the entrance towards the dungeons.{{Ref|asos|36}}
  
* The '''Stone Drum''' is the central keep of Dragonstone, named as such because of the booming sound made by the powerful winds during storms. Cells in the dungeons beneath the citadel are warmer than they ought to be, but as dank as one might expect for an isle such as Dragonstone. It is said that there are shafts and secret stairs leading further below into the heart of the Dragonmont. The Stone Drum is connected to the dungeon tower by a high stone bridge that arches over emptiness.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}
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* The '''Chamber of the Painted Table''': Located on the top floor of the Stone Drum, the Chamber of the Painted Table is a round room with four tall windows, overlooking the north, south, east and west, and bare black walls. It holds a large table, the [[Painted Table]], carved and painted in the form of a detailed map of [[Westeros]]. Here, [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] planned for the [[Aegon's Conquest|invasion of Westeros]]. The Painted Table is more than fifty feet long: roughly twenty-five feet wide at its widest point and four feet at its thinnest. At the precise location of Dragonstone is a raised seat that allows the occupant to view the entire map.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}
  
* The '''Chamber of the Painted Table''', located on the top floor of the Stone Drum, is a round room, with four tall windows, overlooking the north, south, east and west. It holds a large table, carved and painted in the form of a detailed map of [[Westeros]]. Here, [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] planned for the [[Aegon's Conquest|invasion of Westeros]].{{Ref|aSoS|36}} The [[Painted Table]] is more than fifty feet long: roughly twenty-five feet wide at its widest point and four feet at its thinnest. At the precise location of Dragonstone is a raised seat that allows the occupant to view the entire map.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}
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* The '''Great Hall''': The Great Hall is carved in the shape of a huge dragon lying on its belly; its doors are set in the mouth and those entering pass through its mouth.{{Ref|asos|54}}{{Ref|acok|prologue}} The kitchens resemble a curled up dragon where the smoke and heat vented through its nostrils.{{Ref|aSoS|54}}
  
* The '''Great Hall''' is carved in the shape of a huge dragon lying on its belly; its doors are set in the mouth and those entering pass through its mouth. The kitchens resemble a curled up dragon where the smoke and heat vented through its nostrils.{{Ref|aSoS|54}}
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* The '''Windwyrm''': One of Dragonstone's towers, shaped like a dragon which seems to scream defiance.{{Ref|aSoS|54}}
  
* '''Aegon's Garden''' is a garden near the arch of the Dragon's Tail. Within its confines grow tall trees on every side, as well as wild roses. Cranberries grow in a boggy spot.{{Ref|aSoS|10}} Aegon's Garden has a pleasant pine scent.
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* The '''Sea Dragon Tower''': One of Dragonstone's towers, shaped like a dragon gazing serenely out across the sea.{{Ref|asos|54}} The [[maester]]'s chambers are located in this tower, below the rookery.{{Ref|asos|54}} The turnpike stairs of the tower are narrow and twisting.{{Ref|acok|prologue}}{{Ref|aSoS|54}}
  
* '''Windwyrm''' is one of the towers of Dragonstone. It is shaped like a dragon and arches into the sky, screaming defiantly.{{Ref|aSoS|54}}
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* '''Aegon's Garden''': A garden which can be reached when going down after the arch of the Dragon's Tail.{{Ref|asos|10}} Within grow tall dark trees, wild roses, towering thorny hedges, and cranberries. The garden has a pleasant piney scent.{{Ref|asos|10}}
 
 
* '''Sea Dragon Tower''' is shaped like a dragon at peace, facing the sea. The maester's chambers lie in this tower, below the rookery. The stairs of the tower are narrow and twisting.{{Ref|aSoS|54}} Going down the stairs of the Sea Dragon Tower, one must then cross the gallery, pass through both the middle and inner walls with their gargoyles and black iron gates, and climb even more steps to reach the Chamber of the Painted Table.
 
 
   
 
   
* The '''sept''' contains carved statues of the seven aspects of the [[Faith of the Seven]]'s god. [[Crone (the Seven)|The Crone]] has pearl eyes, [[Father (the Seven)|the Father]] a gilded beard, and [[Stranger (the Seven)|the Stranger]] looks more animal than human. They had been carved from the masts of the ships that carried the first Targaryens to Dragonstone, and many layers of paint and varnish had been applied to them over the centuries. The sept has several altars and stained glass as well.{{Ref|aCoK|10}} It is said that Aegon the Conqueror knelt to pray in Dragonstone's sept the night before he sailed to conquer the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. This may be apocryphal, as Aegon only publicly converted when he reached [[Oldtown]] during his invasion - the sept could have been constructed after that fact.
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* The '''sept''': The sept of Dragonstone, dedicated to the [[Faith of the Seven]], contains statues representing the seven aspects of the [[Faith of the Seven|Seven gods]], carved from the masts of the ships that had carried the first Targaryens from Valyria, but have frequently been repainted since then.{{Ref|acok|10}} The statue of [[Crone (the Seven)|the Crone]] has pearl eyes, [[Father (the Seven)|the Father]] a gilded beard, and [[Stranger (the Seven)|the Stranger]] looks more animal than human. {{Ref|aCoK|10}}
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
===House Targaryen colonization===
 
===House Targaryen colonization===
[[File:Dragonstone Chamber of the Painted Table by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|right|thumb|400px|Aegon's [[Painted Table]] by Kim Pope]]
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[[File:Dragonstone (day).jpg|thumb|right|350px|Dragonstone castle in ''[[Game of Thrones]]''<br>]]
Two centuries before the [[Doom of Valyria|Doom]], [[Valyria]]ns took possession of [[Dragonstone (island)|the island]] and built a castle upon it, which became the westernmost outpost of the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria}} The castle towers were shaped by [[magic|Valyrian magic]] to look like [[dragon]]s, giving it the name Dragonstone.
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Two centuries before the [[Doom of Valyria|Doom]], [[Valyria]]ns took possession of [[Dragonstone (island)|the island]] and built a castle upon it, which became the westernmost outpost of the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} The castle towers were shaped by [[magic|Valyrian magic]] to look like [[dragon]]s to make the castle look fearsome, and placed a thousand gargoyles upon the walls.{{Ref|ACOK|Prologue}}
  
Twelve years prior to the Doom, [[Aenar Targaryen]], the head of [[House Targaryen]], relocated his family, their five dragons, and all their wealth to Dragonstone, because of the visions of his maiden daughter [[Daenys Targaryen|Daenys]].{{ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria}} In Valyria their rivals saw the Targaryen flight to bleak Dragonstone as an act of cowardly surrender.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Four of the dragons brought from Valyria eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]].  However, two [[dragon egg|‎eggs]] hatched and [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]] were born.
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Twelve years prior to the [[Doom of Valyria]], [[Aenar Targaryen]], the head of [[House Targaryen]], relocated his family, their five dragons, and all their wealth to Dragonstone, after his maiden daughter [[Daenys Targaryen|Daenys]] predicted the destruction of the [[Valyrian Freehold]]. In Valyria their rivals saw this as an act of cowardly surrender.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Four of the dragons brought from Valyria eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]].  However, two [[dragon egg|‎eggs]] hatched and [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]] were born.
  
The Targaryen Lords of Dragonstone were:{{Ref|TWOIAF}}
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Aenar ruled as the first [[Lord of Dragonstone]], and was succeeded by his son, [[Gaemon Targaryen (son of Aenar)|‎Gaemon "the Glorious"]]. Gaemon's children, [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Gaemon)|‎Aegon]] and [[Elaena Targaryen (daughter of Gaemon)|Elaena]], ruled together as kin and a couple, and were succeeded by their own son, [[Maegon Targaryen|Maegon]], and later Maegon's younger brother, [[Aerys Targaryen (son of Aegon)|Aerys]]. Aerys' three sons, [[Aelyx Targaryen|Aelyx]], [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Aerys)|Baelon]], and [[Daemion Targaryen|Daemion]] ruled Dragonstone in turn, after which Daemion's son [[Aerion Targaryen (son of Daemion)|Aerion]] inherited the seat. His only son by Lady [[Valaena Velaryon]], [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], was the last Lord of Dragonstone before [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
*'''[[Aenar Targaryen|‎Aenar "the Exile"]]''', who led the Targaryen exodus to Dragonstone.
 
*'''[[Gaemon Targaryen (son of Aenar)|‎Gaemon "the Glorious"]]''', son of Aenar, brother-husband to [[Daenys Targaryen|Daenys "the Dreamer"]].
 
*'''[[Aegon Targaryen (son of Gaemon)|‎Aegon Targaryen]]''' and '''[[Elaena Targaryen (daughter of Gaemon)|Elaena Targaryen]]''', the children of Gaemon and Daenys, who ruled together as kin and a couple.
 
*'''[[Maegon Targaryen]]''', the son of Aegon and Elaena.
 
*'''[[Aerys Targaryen (son of Aegon)|Aerys Targaryen]]''', Maegon's brother, another son of Aegon and Elaena.
 
*'''[[Aelyx Targaryen]]''', '''[[Baelon Targaryen (son of Aerys)|Baelon Targaryen]]''' and '''[[Daemion Targaryen]]''', the sons of [[Aerys Targaryen (son of Aegon)|Aerys Targaryen]].
 
*'''[[Aerion Targaryen (son of Daemion)|Aerion Targaryen]]''', the son of Daemion; married to Lady [[Valaena Velaryon]]
 
*'''[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]]''', the son of Aerion and Valaena, who would later become known as ''King Aegon I Targaryen'', ''Aegon the Dragon'', and ''Aegon the Conquerer''. Aegon was the last Lord of Dragonstone, and the first King of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Married to both of his sisters, [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] and [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]].
 
  
===Wars of Conquest===
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===Targaryen Dynasty===
:{{main|Aegon's Conquest}}
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In [[Years before Aegon's Conquest|2 BC]], Lord [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]] launched his invasion of [[Westeros]], conquering six of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] ([[Dorne]] alone managed to defy them). The Targaryens were supported by the houses sworn to Dragonstone, including the [[House Velaryon|Velaryons]] of [[Driftmark]] and the [[House Celtigar|Celtigars]] of [[Claw Isle]], both of whom were also of Valyrian origin.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}
  
In [[Years before Aegon's Conquest|2 BC]], Lord [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]] launched his invasion of [[Westeros]], conquering six of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] ([[Dorne]] alone resisted in the [[First Dornish War]]). The Targaryens of Dragonstone were supported by the nearby [[House Velaryon|Velaryons]] of [[Driftmark]] and [[House Celtigar|Celtigars]] of [[Claw Isle]], both of whom were also of Valyrian origin.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Conquest}}
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Aegon established his new seat, the [[Aegonfort]], where he first made landfall at the mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]]. The city of [[King's Landing]], the new capital, eventually formed around it.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} In {{Date|35}}, the Aegonfort was torn down in preparation for the construction of the [[Red Keep]]. The seat of Dragonstone remained in possession of [[House Targaryen]], and continued to be Aegon I's favorite place. Despite this, Aegon raised his eldest son and heir, Prince [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]] at King's Landing, while Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]] raised Aegon I's younger son, [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor]] at Dragonstone. In time, Maegor became known as the "[[Prince of Dragonstone]]".<ref>[[The Sons of the Dragon]]: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/115696-spoilers-sons-of-the-dragon-reading-at-loncon-today/&do=findComment&comment=6134038 reading LonCon 2014]</ref> Maegor remained the Prince of Dragonstone during the earlier years of Aenys's own reign, but after Maegor was exiled in {{Date|41}} for taking a [[Alys Harroway|second wife]], Aenys established "Prince of Dragonstone" as a formal title by appointing it to his own heir, Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] later continued the use of this title for the [[w:heir apparent|heir apparent]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}
 
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[[File:Dragonstone Chamber of the Painted Table by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|right|thumb|400px|Aegon's [[Painted Table]] by Kim Pope]]
Aegon established his new seat, the [[Aegonfort]], where he first made landfall at the mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]]. The city of [[King's Landing]] eventually formed around it. In time, the Aegonfort was torn down and replaced by the [[Red Keep]]. King's Landing became the capital of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] and Dragonstone became the seat of the [[w:heir apparent|heir apparent]] to the [[Iron Throne]], who was styled as the "[[Prince of Dragonstone]]" (or, in the cases of a female heir, the "Princess of Dragonstone"). Aegon the Conqueror died from a stroke while at the Chamber of the [[Painted Table]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}}
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Aegon the Conqueror died from a stroke while in the Chamber of the [[Painted Table]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} At the start of the [[Faith Militant uprising]], King [[Aenys I Targaryen]] fled to the safety of Dragonstone. There, he too died.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} Aenys' brother, Maegor, was crowned at Dragonstone, and claimed the [[Iron Throne]] as King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]. Dowager Queen [[Alyssa Velaryon]], Aenys' widow, and her two younger children, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]], were kept prisoner at Dragonstone during Maegor's reign. Following the death of Dowager Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]] in {{Date|44}}, Alyssa and her children managed to escape.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}
 
 
===Dance of the Dragons===
 
:{{Main|Dance of the Dragons}}
 
 
 
[[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], Princess of Dragonstone and daughter of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], secretly wed her uncle, Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]], at her castle of Dragonstone in {{Date|120}}.{{ref|TRP}} When Viserys died in {{Date|129}}, Rhaenyra, his proclaimed heir, was eight months pregnant and confined on Dragonstone, awaiting the birth of her sixth child. Rhaenyra's half-brother claimed the throne and, with the help of the so-called "[[greens]]", was crowned King [[Aegon II Targaryen]], with his sister-wife [[Helaena Targaryen]] as his queen. Princess Rhaenyra, upon learning of her father's death and her half-brother's coronation, went into a black fury, which caused a premature labor. Rhaenyra, after three days of labor, delivered a stillborn daughter, [[Visenya Targaryen (daughter of Rhaenyra)|Visenya]].{{Ref|tpatq}}
 
  
Rhaenyra, once recovered, was crowned queen by her husband and uncle, Daemon. She declared war on her brother, beginning the [[Dance of the Dragons]]. The war lasted about two and a half years, and saw the deaths of many members of [[House Targaryen]], including the deaths of both claimants, Rhaenyra and Aegon II, as well as most of the dragons who had lived during the Targaryen dynasty. The war saw many major battles, and saw [[King's Landing]] change hands on several occasions, as well as multiple claimants arising, some for a fortnight, some for a moon's turn. Rhaenyra was fed to Aegon II's dragon, [[Sunfyre]], after the [[fall of Dragonstone]].{{Ref|tpatq}}
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Princess [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]] became the first [[Princess of Dragonstone]] in {{Date|105}}, when she was officially declared to be [[Viserys I Targaryen|her father's]] heir.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|TRP}} She was on Dragonstone when her brother, [[Aegon II Targaryen]], claimed the Iron Throne in {{Date|129}}; Rhaenyra was crowned at Dragonstone, and from her own seat, she led the [[blacks]] against Aegon II's [[greens]].{{Ref|tpatq}} Rhaenyra died in the yard of Dragonstone in late {{Date|130}}, where she was devoured by her brother's dragon, [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|tpatq}} Aegon II continued to hold Dragonstone until his own death, half a year later.{{Ref|tpatq}}
  
The Dance ended in {{Date|131}}, after the death of King Aegon II, with the marriage of Rhaenyra's eldest surviving son, a prince also named Aegon, to Aegon II's only surviving child, Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]. Rhaenyra's son Aegon was crowned as King [[Aegon III Targaryen]].
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King [[Maekar I Targaryen]]'s eldest son, Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron]], became [[Prince of Dragonstone]] upon his father ascension. However, he found Dragonstone such a gloomy abode, that he preferred to be styled "Prince of Summerhall" instead.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}} Decades later, King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] attempted to bring forth [[dragon]]s from [[dragon eggs]] found in the depths of Dragonstone.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The relationship between Aerys and his heir, Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], soured, and when Rhaegar married Princess [[Elia Martell]] in {{Date|280}}, he moved permanently to Dragonstone, where his daughter [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Rhaegar)|Rhaenys]] was born later that same year.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}
  
===War of the Usurper===
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===Robert's Rebellion===
[[File:Dragonstone (day).jpg|thumb|right|350px|Dragonstone castle in ''[[Game of Thrones]]''<br>]]
 
 
:{{Main|Robert's Rebellion}}
 
:{{Main|Robert's Rebellion}}
Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], the heir of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]], decided to live at Dragonstone instead of the [[Red Keep]] of [[King's Landing]] after he wed [[Elia Martell]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The War of the Usurper, also known at [[Robert's Rebellion]], broke out after Rhaegar kidnapped [[Lyanna Stark]] and Aerys executed Lord [[Rickard Stark]] and [[Brandon Stark]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring}}
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When the news of Prince Rhaegar's death during the [[battle of the Trident]] reached King's Landing, King Aerys II decided to sent his pregnant sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]], and his only surviving child, Prince [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], now the Prince of Dragonstone, to Dragonstone, to keep them safe from the approaching rebel army.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Fall of the Dragons: The End}} On Dragonstone, Queen Rhaella crowned Viserys.{{Ref|awoiaf| Rhaella Targaryen}} Nine months after leaving King's Landing, Rhaella gave birth to Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]], who was granted the title "Princess of Dragonstone".{{Ref|agot|3}} However, Rhaella died in labor, and the Targaryen fleet, which had been protecting the island, was mostly destroyed during a fierce storm.{{Ref|AGOT|3}} During this storm, huge stone blocks were ripped from the parapets and sent hurtling into the wild waters of the [[narrow sea]].{{ref|AGOT|3}}
 
 
The most decisive battle of the War of the Usurper was the [[Battle of the Trident]], where the royalist army met with the rebel army. Rhaegar was killed in the battle by [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]], Lord of [[Storm's End]]. News of Rhaegar's death reached King's Landing before any army could, and Aerys II sent his pregnant sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]], and his only surviving child, Prince [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], to the ancient Targaryen stronghold, Dragonstone. Aerys kept his daughter-in-law, Princess [[Elia Martell]], and Rhaegar's two children by her, Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Rhaegar)|Rhaenys]] and Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon]], with him in King's Landing. The army of [[House Lannister]] later attacked the capital, leading to the deaths of the Mad King and Rhaegar's family in the [[Sack of King's Landing]].
 
 
 
Nine moons after the flight from King's Landing, Rhaella died giving birth to Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen]], while a summer storm was raging. The Targaryen fleet, which had been anchored before Dragonstone, was smashed, and huge stone blocks were ripped from the parapets and sent hurtling into the wild waters of the [[narrow sea]].{{ref|AGOT|3}}
 
  
The new king, [[Robert I Baratheon]], tasked his younger brother, [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]], with building a new fleet to take Dragonstone. With the Targaryen fleet destroyed and Rhaella dead, Dragonstone's garrison was prepared to sell Viserys and Daenerys to Robert. Just before Stannis prepared to sail to Dragonstone, however, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and four loyal men broke into the nursery one night and stole the two children, the last scions of House Targaryen, and fled with a wet nurse, setting sail under cover of darkness for the safety of the [[Braavosian coast]]. Stannis commanded the successful Baratheon [[assault on Dragonstone]].{{ref|AGOT|3}}{{ref|AGOT|27}}{{ref|ACOK|58}}
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King [[Robert I Baratheon]], who had claimed the throne after the death of Aerys II, had ordered his younger brother, [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]], to built a new fleet for the Baratheon's. With the Targaryen fleet destroyed, the garrison at Dragonstone was prepared to sell the Targaryen children to Robert. However, before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Free City]] of [[Braavos]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}} Stannis [[assault on Dragonstone|assaulted Dragonstone]], and successfully took the castle.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}{{Ref|AGOT|3}}{{ref|ACOK|25}}
  
 
===Baratheon Dynasty===
 
===Baratheon Dynasty===
[[File:HBO Stannis broods on Dragonstone.png|thumb|350px|[[Stannis Baratheon]] brooding on Dragonstone. Screencap from ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' Blu-ray.]]
+
King [[Robert I Baratheon]] named his younger brother Stannis the [[Lord of Dragonstone]], instead of [[Lord of Storm's End|Lord]] to the wealthier [[Storm's End]], which was given to their younger brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]], who was only a young child at the time. Stannis resented this and believed it to be an intentional slight,{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}} which Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] agrees with.{{ref|ACOK|25}} According to [[George R. R. Martin]], however, Robert had not necessarily meant it as such.<ref name=Baratheonbrothers>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/The_Baratheon_Brothers/ The Baratheon Brothers (September 11, 1999)]</ref> The castle had traditionally been the seat of the heir to the Iron Throne, the [[Prince of Dragonstone]], during most of the Targaryen Dynasty, so the then-childless Robert was granting it to his heir at that time, Stannis.<ref name=Baratheonbrothers></ref> Now the [[Lord of Dragonstone]], Stannis became the head of [[House Baratheon of Dragonstone]]. When Stannis left for [[King's Landing]] to serve on the [[small council]], Ser [[Axell Florent]] was named castellan.{{Ref|acok|10}}
After [[Robert's Rebellion]] ended, the castle passed to [[Stannis Baratheon]], who became Lord of Dragonstone. Stannis resented the castle because its lands were far poorer than those of [[Storm's End]], which he felt was his due as heir of House Baratheon, but King Robert I had granted that castle to their younger brother, [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]]. Robert felt a strong leader should be placed in the old Targaryen seat, and its occupant was traditionally the heir to the [[Iron Throne]]. However, Robert was also angered that the Targaryen children had escaped to [[Essos]], and Stannis considered Dragonstone to be an insult.{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}}
 
 
 
Years later Stannis is still brooding and has not forgotten or forgiven Robert for not giving him his due, and says so to old Maester [[Cressen]]:
 
{{Quote|I never asked for Dragonstone. I never wanted it. I took it because [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert's]] enemies were here and he commanded me to root them out. I built his fleet and [[assault on Dragonstone|did his work]], dutifully as a younger brother should be to an elder, as [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] should be to me. And what was Robert's thanks?  He names me Lord of Dragonstone, and gives [[Storm's End]] and its incomes to '''Renly'''. Storm’s End belonged to [[House Baratheon]] for three hundred years; by rights it should have passed to me when Robert took the [[Iron Throne]].{{ref|acok|0}}}}
 
  
 
==Recent Events==
 
==Recent Events==
 
===''A Game of Thrones''===
 
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[Stannis Baratheon]], Lord of Dragonstone, returns to his seat from [[King's Landing]] shortly after King [[Robert I Baratheon]] travels north to offer the [[Hand of the King]] to Lord [[Eddard Stark]].{{ref|AGOT|20}} According to [[Varys]], Stannis is being aided by a [[shadowbinder]] from [[Asshai]].{{ref|AGOT|69}}
+
[[Stannis Baratheon]], Lord of Dragonstone, returns to his seat from [[King's Landing]] shortly after King [[Robert I Baratheon]] travels north to offer the [[Hand of the King]] to Lord [[Eddard Stark]].{{ref|AGOT|20}} He closes off the island,{{Ref|acok|prologue}} making it difficult for [[Varys]] to know for certain what Stannis has been doing,{{Ref|agot|58}} though he hears rumors that he is gathering swords.{{Ref|agot|22}} Varys later reports to Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] that he has heard rumors that Stannis is building ships, hiring sellswords, and is bringing a [[shadowbinder]] from [[Asshai]].{{ref|AGOT|69}}
  
 
===''A Clash of Kings''===
 
===''A Clash of Kings''===
During the [[War of the Five Kings]], the poor lands of Dragonstone give King Stannis few supporters for his claim to the [[Iron Throne]]. The castle's maester, [[Cressen]], is killed during his attempt to poison [[Melisandre]].{{ref|ACOK|0}} [[Queen's men]] sack the sept and Melisandre burns the statues of [[Faith of the Seven|the Seven]] outside of the castle's gates.{{ref|ACOK|10}}
+
During the [[War of the Five Kings]], the poor lands of Dragonstone give King Stannis too few supporters to engage the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] in battle.{{ref|ACOK|0}} The [[queen's men]] sack the sept of Dragonstone so the [[red priest]]ess [[Melisandre]] can burn the statues of [[Faith of the Seven|the Seven]] outside of the castle's gates.{{ref|ACOK|10}}
  
After his defeat at the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], Stannis retreats to Dragonstone with less than 1,300 swords and a token fleet in order to plot his next move.
+
After his defeat at the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], Stannis retreats to Dragonstone with some fifteen hundred men and the ships of [[Salladhor Saan]].{{Ref|asos|36}}
  
 
===''A Storm of Swords''===
 
===''A Storm of Swords''===
Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] is imprisoned for plotting to kill Melisandre,{{ref|ASOS|10}} but is eventually freed by Stannis.{{ref|ASOS|36}}  
+
Stannis broods in the [[Stone Drum]], refusing to see anyone but Melisandre.{{Ref|ASOS|10}} [[Davos Seaworth]] is arrested for his plan to kill Melisandre,{{Ref|ASOS|10}} and locked up in the cells of Dragonstone, where he is later joined by Stannis' [[Hand of the King]], Lord [[Alester Florent]].{{Ref|ASOS|25}} Davos is brought before Stannis in the [[Chamber of the Painted Table]], and eventually pardoned and named Hand in Alester's stead.{{Ref|ASOS|36}} Melisandre wishes to "wake a dragon from stone", insisting she needs to sacrifice Robert I's [[bastard]] son [[Edric Storm]] to do so.{{Ref|asos|54}} Davos wonders whether the stone dragons which can be found all over the castle could be real dragons turned to stone.{{Ref|asos|54}} He later prays that they will never come to life.{{Ref|asos|63}}
  
Davos secretly smuggles [[Edric Storm]] from the castle against the wishes of Stannis. In his defence Davos tells Stannis that a king has a duty to his people, and reads a recent letter from the [[Night's Watch]] explaining the desperate situation the men of the Night's Watch are in.{{ref|ASOS|63}}  
+
After Davos tells Stannis that "a king protects his people, or he is no king at all" and urges him to sail for the [[Wall]], presenting him with [[Maester]] [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]]'s letter asking for aid,{{Ref|ASOS|63}} Stannis sets sail for the north.{{Ref|asos|73}}  Ser [[Rolland Storm]], the Bastard of Nightsong, is made castellan for the duration of Stannis' absence.{{Ref|ASOS|78}}
  
Stannis Baratheon and his forces leave Dragonstone to [[Battle of Castle Black|defend Castle Black]] and the [[Wall]].{{ref|ASOS|73}} Ser [[Rolland Storm]], the Bastard of Nightsong, is made castellan of the castle in the absence of Stannis.{{Ref|ASOS|78}}
+
===''A Feast for Crows''===
 +
Upon learning that Stannis has abandoned Dragonstone, Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] is "giddy as a maiden", as she believes that Stannis has given up and gone into exile.{{Ref|affc|12}} However, Stannis has not given up his battle, and continues to hold Dragonstone.{{Ref|AFFC|12}} Cersei judges that two thousand [[House Lannister|Lannister soldiers]] should be enough to battle the small garrison which Stannis had left behind on Dragonstone, and so keeps them in [[King's Landing]] to await the arrival of Lord [[Paxter Redwyne]]'s fleet which will carry them from [[Blackwater Bay]] to Dragonstone.{{ref|affc|16}} Only a few fishing boats remain to defy the Redwyne fleet,{{Ref|affc|17}} and Lord Paxter encamps his men before the walls of the castle and begins the [[siege of Dragonstone]], intending to starve the defenders out.{{Ref|AFFC|32}}
  
===''A Feast for Crows''===
+
After the [[ironborn]] [[taking of the Shields|attack]] the [[Reach]], Loras begas Cersei to send word to Dragonstone, commanding Paxter to raise his sails for the Reach immediately, as his fleet is the only one large enough to protect the Reach from the ironborn. Cersei refuses, insisting that Stannis' hold over Dragonstone is a knife at King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen I Baratheon]]'s throat, and that the Redwyne fleet will only be released once Dragonstone has fallen. Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] asks Cersei permission to take Dragonstone by storming the walls of the castle, so the Redwyne fleet is no longer needed at the island and can return to the Reach.{{Ref|AFFC|32}} Half a day after his arrival, after Stannis' castellan refuses to settle the matter by single combat, Loras orders the assault. The castle gates are broken by a ram, and the defenders fall back to an inner keep after the curtain wall falls. Loras leads the attack there as well. Although Loras is successful in taking Dragonstone, he is severely injured in the battle, and remains on Dragonstone, cared for by the maesters.{{Ref|affc|36}} When [[Aurane Waters]] keeps hinting to Cersei that he needs a seat of his own, Cersei becomes convinced that Aurane wants Dragonstone, but she considers that seat to be too much above Aurane's birth and station.{{ref|ASOS|39}}
Forces loyal to King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen I Baratheon]] commanded by Lord [[Paxter Redwyne]] [[Siege of Dragonstone|lay siege]] to the island.{{ref|AFFC|32}}  
+
 
 +
===''A Dance with Dragons''===
 +
Loras remains at Dragonstone, still dying of his wounds.{{Ref|ADWD|54}} His men search every inch of the castle, but according to Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] cannot find any wealth that might have been left behind. Lord Regent [[Kevan Lannister]] doubts that Loras' men have been able to search every inch of the ancient castle, raised by the Valyrians with their sorcery, but concludes that, if there had been wealth in the castle, Stannis would have taken it before he left.{{Ref|adwd|Epilogue}}
  
Lord [[Aurane Waters]] reports to Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] that Ser [[Loras Tyrell]] of the [[Kingsguard]] took command and stormed the castle, taking it at a heavy cost to himself and his forces. Cersei believes Aurane wants Dragonstone for himself, but she considers [[Rosby]] to be more suitable for Lord Waters.{{ref|ASOS|36}}
+
In the [[Dothraki sea]], [[Daenerys Targaryen]] names [[Dragonstone (hill)|a hill]] "Dragonstone", after the citadel she had been born in.{{Ref|ADWD|71}}
  
 
==Chapters that take place at Dragonstone==
 
==Chapters that take place at Dragonstone==
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==References and Notes==
 
==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}
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{{references|2}}
  
 
{{Region Crownlands}}
 
{{Region Crownlands}}
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Revision as of 06:12, 9 July 2017

Dragonstone
Castle
A clash of kings by grr martin by marcsimonetti-d84tkck.jpg
Dragonstone © Marc Simonetti
Location island of Dragonstone, crownlands
Government House Baratheon of Dragonstone, Feudal lord
Religion Faith of the Seven (former), R'hllor
Founded ~ 326 BC[1]
The crownlands and the location of Dragonstone
The crownlands and the location of Dragonstone
Dragonstone
The crownlands and the location of Dragonstone

Dragonstone is a castle located on the island of the same name at the entrance to Blackwater Bay. Located below the Dragonmont and shaped from stone to look like dragons, Dragonstone was the original seat of House Targaryen in Westeros, and had been colonized and fortified as the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold. The castle has a dark reputation.[2]

After Aegon's Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, Dragonstone in the newly-created crownlands served as the seat of their heir apparent, known as the Prince of Dragonstone. After Robert Baratheon overthrew the Targaryens in Robert's Rebellion, he gave the castle to his brother Stannis, creating House Baratheon of Dragonstone.

Dragonstone, though old and strong, commands the allegiance of only a few lesser lords whose islands are too thinly populated to provide any great numbers of troops, although they have some naval strength. A short distance west of Dragonstone is the island of Driftmark, which is the seat of House Velaryon, a Valyrian house and historically a naval power. Other houses sworn to Dragonstone include Celtigar of Claw Isle, who are also of Valyrian descent, Seaworth of Cape Wrath, Bar Emmon of Sharp Point, and Sunglass of Sweetport Sound.[3]

The maesters at Dragonstone are Cressen and Pylos,[4] and the castle's sept is maintained by Septon Barre.[5] At least two members of House Blackberry serve at Dragonstone.[6][7]

Layout

See also: Images of Dragonstone
Maester Cressen on his balcony. © Fantasy Flight Games
Dragonstone watchtower
© Fantasy Flight Games

Dragonstone is a grim place.[8] the castle was built using by the Valyrians, using arcane arts,[9] fire, and sorcery.[10][11] With the use of magic, the Valyrians were capable of liquefying stone.[12] The dragonlords loved little more than twisting stone into strange, fanciful, and ornate shapes,[13] and as such used their magic to shape the castle to look like multiple dragons.[12][10] Smaller dragons can be found throughout the castle; Small dragons frame gates and dragon claws hold torches.[10] A pair of great wings cover the armory and smithy, and dragon tails form archways and staircases.[10] The citadel of Dragonstone is wrought all of black stone[8] (the "stones of hell", if old tales are true).[6] Instead of merlons, grotesques and gargoyles serve as brooding crenellations along the three curtain walls.[8][6] Designs include basilisks, cockatrices, demons, griffins, hellhounds, manticores, minotaurs, wyverns, and other creatures.[10] Further, statues in the shape of dragons can be found all over the castle.[5]

Notable locations at Dragonstone include:

  • The Stone Drum: A massive tower[14] which serves as the central keep of Dragonstone, named for the booming and rumbling sounds that can be heard during storms.[8] To reach the Stone Drum from the Sea Dragon Tower, one must cross the gallery and pass through the middle and inner walls.[8] A high stone roofed bridge arching over emptiness leads from the Stone Drum to the entrance towards the dungeons.[14]
  • The Chamber of the Painted Table: Located on the top floor of the Stone Drum, the Chamber of the Painted Table is a round room with four tall windows, overlooking the north, south, east and west, and bare black walls. It holds a large table, the Painted Table, carved and painted in the form of a detailed map of Westeros. Here, Aegon the Conqueror planned for the invasion of Westeros. The Painted Table is more than fifty feet long: roughly twenty-five feet wide at its widest point and four feet at its thinnest. At the precise location of Dragonstone is a raised seat that allows the occupant to view the entire map.[8]
  • The Great Hall: The Great Hall is carved in the shape of a huge dragon lying on its belly; its doors are set in the mouth and those entering pass through its mouth.[10][8] The kitchens resemble a curled up dragon where the smoke and heat vented through its nostrils.[10]
  • The Windwyrm: One of Dragonstone's towers, shaped like a dragon which seems to scream defiance.[10]
  • The Sea Dragon Tower: One of Dragonstone's towers, shaped like a dragon gazing serenely out across the sea.[10] The maester's chambers are located in this tower, below the rookery.[10] The turnpike stairs of the tower are narrow and twisting.[8][10]
  • Aegon's Garden: A garden which can be reached when going down after the arch of the Dragon's Tail.[6] Within grow tall dark trees, wild roses, towering thorny hedges, and cranberries. The garden has a pleasant piney scent.[6]
  • The sept: The sept of Dragonstone, dedicated to the Faith of the Seven, contains statues representing the seven aspects of the Seven gods, carved from the masts of the ships that had carried the first Targaryens from Valyria, but have frequently been repainted since then.[5] The statue of the Crone has pearl eyes, the Father a gilded beard, and the Stranger looks more animal than human. [5]

History

House Targaryen colonization

Dragonstone castle in Game of Thrones

Two centuries before the Doom, Valyrians took possession of the island and built a castle upon it, which became the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold.[1] The castle towers were shaped by Valyrian magic to look like dragons to make the castle look fearsome, and placed a thousand gargoyles upon the walls.[8]

Twelve years prior to the Doom of Valyria, Aenar Targaryen, the head of House Targaryen, relocated his family, their five dragons, and all their wealth to Dragonstone, after his maiden daughter Daenys predicted the destruction of the Valyrian Freehold. In Valyria their rivals saw this as an act of cowardly surrender.[1] Four of the dragons brought from Valyria eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only Balerion. However, two ‎eggs hatched and Vhagar and Meraxes were born.

Aenar ruled as the first Lord of Dragonstone, and was succeeded by his son, ‎Gaemon "the Glorious". Gaemon's children, ‎Aegon and Elaena, ruled together as kin and a couple, and were succeeded by their own son, Maegon, and later Maegon's younger brother, Aerys. Aerys' three sons, Aelyx, Baelon, and Daemion ruled Dragonstone in turn, after which Daemion's son Aerion inherited the seat. His only son by Lady Valaena Velaryon, Aegon Targaryen, was the last Lord of Dragonstone before Aegon's Conquest.[1]

Targaryen Dynasty

In 2 BC, Lord Aegon Targaryen launched his invasion of Westeros, conquering six of the Seven Kingdoms (Dorne alone managed to defy them). The Targaryens were supported by the houses sworn to Dragonstone, including the Velaryons of Driftmark and the Celtigars of Claw Isle, both of whom were also of Valyrian origin.[1]

Aegon established his new seat, the Aegonfort, where he first made landfall at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. The city of King's Landing, the new capital, eventually formed around it.[15] In 35 AC, the Aegonfort was torn down in preparation for the construction of the Red Keep. The seat of Dragonstone remained in possession of House Targaryen, and continued to be Aegon I's favorite place. Despite this, Aegon raised his eldest son and heir, Prince Aenys at King's Landing, while Queen Visenya Targaryen raised Aegon I's younger son, Maegor at Dragonstone. In time, Maegor became known as the "Prince of Dragonstone".[16] Maegor remained the Prince of Dragonstone during the earlier years of Aenys's own reign, but after Maegor was exiled in 41 AC for taking a second wife, Aenys established "Prince of Dragonstone" as a formal title by appointing it to his own heir, Prince Aegon.[17] King Jaehaerys I Targaryen later continued the use of this title for the heir apparent.[18]

Aegon's Painted Table by Kim Pope

Aegon the Conqueror died from a stroke while in the Chamber of the Painted Table.[15] At the start of the Faith Militant uprising, King Aenys I Targaryen fled to the safety of Dragonstone. There, he too died.[17] Aenys' brother, Maegor, was crowned at Dragonstone, and claimed the Iron Throne as King Maegor I Targaryen. Dowager Queen Alyssa Velaryon, Aenys' widow, and her two younger children, Jaehaerys and Alysanne, were kept prisoner at Dragonstone during Maegor's reign. Following the death of Dowager Queen Visenya Targaryen in 44 AC, Alyssa and her children managed to escape.[19]

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen became the first Princess of Dragonstone in 105 AC, when she was officially declared to be her father's heir.[20][21] She was on Dragonstone when her brother, Aegon II Targaryen, claimed the Iron Throne in 129 AC; Rhaenyra was crowned at Dragonstone, and from her own seat, she led the blacks against Aegon II's greens.[22] Rhaenyra died in the yard of Dragonstone in late 130 AC, where she was devoured by her brother's dragon, Sunfyre.[22] Aegon II continued to hold Dragonstone until his own death, half a year later.[22]

King Maekar I Targaryen's eldest son, Prince Daeron, became Prince of Dragonstone upon his father ascension. However, he found Dragonstone such a gloomy abode, that he preferred to be styled "Prince of Summerhall" instead.[23] Decades later, King Aerys II Targaryen attempted to bring forth dragons from dragon eggs found in the depths of Dragonstone.[24] The relationship between Aerys and his heir, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, soured, and when Rhaegar married Princess Elia Martell in 280 AC, he moved permanently to Dragonstone, where his daughter Rhaenys was born later that same year.[24]

Robert's Rebellion

When the news of Prince Rhaegar's death during the battle of the Trident reached King's Landing, King Aerys II decided to sent his pregnant sister-wife, Queen Rhaella, and his only surviving child, Prince Viserys, now the Prince of Dragonstone, to Dragonstone, to keep them safe from the approaching rebel army.[25] On Dragonstone, Queen Rhaella crowned Viserys.[26] Nine months after leaving King's Landing, Rhaella gave birth to Princess Daenerys, who was granted the title "Princess of Dragonstone".[27] However, Rhaella died in labor, and the Targaryen fleet, which had been protecting the island, was mostly destroyed during a fierce storm.[27] During this storm, huge stone blocks were ripped from the parapets and sent hurtling into the wild waters of the narrow sea.[27]

King Robert I Baratheon, who had claimed the throne after the death of Aerys II, had ordered his younger brother, Stannis, to built a new fleet for the Baratheon's. With the Targaryen fleet destroyed, the garrison at Dragonstone was prepared to sell the Targaryen children to Robert. However, before they could act on this plan, Ser Willem Darry and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the Free City of Braavos.[27] Stannis assaulted Dragonstone, and successfully took the castle.[8][27][28]

Baratheon Dynasty

King Robert I Baratheon named his younger brother Stannis the Lord of Dragonstone, instead of Lord to the wealthier Storm's End, which was given to their younger brother Renly, who was only a young child at the time. Stannis resented this and believed it to be an intentional slight,[8] which Queen Cersei Lannister agrees with.[28] According to George R. R. Martin, however, Robert had not necessarily meant it as such.[29] The castle had traditionally been the seat of the heir to the Iron Throne, the Prince of Dragonstone, during most of the Targaryen Dynasty, so the then-childless Robert was granting it to his heir at that time, Stannis.[29] Now the Lord of Dragonstone, Stannis became the head of House Baratheon of Dragonstone. When Stannis left for King's Landing to serve on the small council, Ser Axell Florent was named castellan.[5]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone, returns to his seat from King's Landing shortly after King Robert I Baratheon travels north to offer the Hand of the King to Lord Eddard Stark.[30] He closes off the island,[8] making it difficult for Varys to know for certain what Stannis has been doing,[31] though he hears rumors that he is gathering swords.[32] Varys later reports to Lord Tywin Lannister that he has heard rumors that Stannis is building ships, hiring sellswords, and is bringing a shadowbinder from Asshai.[33]

A Clash of Kings

During the War of the Five Kings, the poor lands of Dragonstone give King Stannis too few supporters to engage the Lannisters in battle.[34] The queen's men sack the sept of Dragonstone so the red priestess Melisandre can burn the statues of the Seven outside of the castle's gates.[5]

After his defeat at the Battle of the Blackwater, Stannis retreats to Dragonstone with some fifteen hundred men and the ships of Salladhor Saan.[14]

A Storm of Swords

Stannis broods in the Stone Drum, refusing to see anyone but Melisandre.[6] Davos Seaworth is arrested for his plan to kill Melisandre,[6] and locked up in the cells of Dragonstone, where he is later joined by Stannis' Hand of the King, Lord Alester Florent.[35] Davos is brought before Stannis in the Chamber of the Painted Table, and eventually pardoned and named Hand in Alester's stead.[14] Melisandre wishes to "wake a dragon from stone", insisting she needs to sacrifice Robert I's bastard son Edric Storm to do so.[10] Davos wonders whether the stone dragons which can be found all over the castle could be real dragons turned to stone.[10] He later prays that they will never come to life.[7]

After Davos tells Stannis that "a king protects his people, or he is no king at all" and urges him to sail for the Wall, presenting him with Maester Aemon's letter asking for aid,[7] Stannis sets sail for the north.[36] Ser Rolland Storm, the Bastard of Nightsong, is made castellan for the duration of Stannis' absence.[37]

A Feast for Crows

Upon learning that Stannis has abandoned Dragonstone, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister is "giddy as a maiden", as she believes that Stannis has given up and gone into exile.[38] However, Stannis has not given up his battle, and continues to hold Dragonstone.[38] Cersei judges that two thousand Lannister soldiers should be enough to battle the small garrison which Stannis had left behind on Dragonstone, and so keeps them in King's Landing to await the arrival of Lord Paxter Redwyne's fleet which will carry them from Blackwater Bay to Dragonstone.[39] Only a few fishing boats remain to defy the Redwyne fleet,[40] and Lord Paxter encamps his men before the walls of the castle and begins the siege of Dragonstone, intending to starve the defenders out.[41]

After the ironborn attack the Reach, Loras begas Cersei to send word to Dragonstone, commanding Paxter to raise his sails for the Reach immediately, as his fleet is the only one large enough to protect the Reach from the ironborn. Cersei refuses, insisting that Stannis' hold over Dragonstone is a knife at King Tommen I Baratheon's throat, and that the Redwyne fleet will only be released once Dragonstone has fallen. Ser Loras Tyrell asks Cersei permission to take Dragonstone by storming the walls of the castle, so the Redwyne fleet is no longer needed at the island and can return to the Reach.[41] Half a day after his arrival, after Stannis' castellan refuses to settle the matter by single combat, Loras orders the assault. The castle gates are broken by a ram, and the defenders fall back to an inner keep after the curtain wall falls. Loras leads the attack there as well. Although Loras is successful in taking Dragonstone, he is severely injured in the battle, and remains on Dragonstone, cared for by the maesters.[42] When Aurane Waters keeps hinting to Cersei that he needs a seat of his own, Cersei becomes convinced that Aurane wants Dragonstone, but she considers that seat to be too much above Aurane's birth and station.[43]

A Dance with Dragons

Loras remains at Dragonstone, still dying of his wounds.[44] His men search every inch of the castle, but according to Lord Mace Tyrell cannot find any wealth that might have been left behind. Lord Regent Kevan Lannister doubts that Loras' men have been able to search every inch of the ancient castle, raised by the Valyrians with their sorcery, but concludes that, if there had been wealth in the castle, Stannis would have taken it before he left.[45]

In the Dothraki sea, Daenerys Targaryen names a hill "Dragonstone", after the citadel she had been born in.[46]

Chapters that take place at Dragonstone

Quotes

Dragonstone was grim beyond a doubt, a lonely citadel in the wet waste surrounded by storm and salt, with the smoking shadow of the mountain at its back.[34]

- thoughts of Cressen


I never asked for Dragonstone. I never wanted it.[34]

- Stannis Baratheon to Cressen


A place of dragons and dragonlords, the seat of House Targaryen.[10]

- thoughts of Davos Seaworth


The Valyrians had raised it, after all, and all their works stank of sorcery.[45]

- thoughts of Kevan Lannister


If you look at how the citadel of Dragonstone was built and how in some of its structures the stone was shaped in some fashion with magic... yes, it's safe to say that there's something of Valyrian magic still present.[47]

- George R. R. Martin

References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  2. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 47, Eddard XIII.
  3. A Game of Thrones, Appendix.
  4. A Clash of Kings, Appendix.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 10, Davos I.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 10, Davos II.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 63, Davos VI.
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 A Clash of Kings, Prologue.
  9. The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria.
  10. 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
  11. A Dance with Dragons, Epilogue.
  12. 12.0 12.1 So Spake Martin: Worldcon Report: Dragonstone's Appearance (August 19, 2011)
  13. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Oldtown.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 36, Davos IV.
  15. 15.0 15.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I.
  16. The Sons of the Dragon: reading LonCon 2014
  17. 17.0 17.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I.
  18. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I.
  19. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I.
  20. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I.
  21. The Rogue Prince.
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 The Princess and the Queen.
  23. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I.
  24. 24.0 24.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II.
  25. The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons: The End.
  26. George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Rhaella Targaryen.
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 3, Daenerys I.
  28. 28.0 28.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 25, Tyrion VI.
  29. 29.0 29.1 So Spake Martin: The Baratheon Brothers (September 11, 1999)
  30. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
  31. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 58, Eddard XV.
  32. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 22, Arya II.
  33. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 69, Tyrion IX.
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 A Clash of Kings, Prologue.
  35. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 25, Davos III.
  36. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 73, Jon X.
  37. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 78, Samwell V.
  38. 38.0 38.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 12, Cersei III.
  39. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.
  40. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 17, Cersei IV.
  41. 41.0 41.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 32, Cersei VII.
  42. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 36, Cersei VIII.
  43. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 39, Arya VII.
  44. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 54, Cersei I.
  45. 45.0 45.1 A Dance with Dragons, Epilogue.
  46. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 71, Daenerys X.
  47. So Spake Martin: Asshai.com Interview in Barcelona, July 28, 2012.