https://awoiaf.westeros.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Anthony+Appleyard
A Wiki of Ice and Fire - User contributions [en]
2026-09-21T22:17:53Z
User contributions
MediaWiki 1.46.0
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragonflame&diff=275227
Dragonflame
2022-01-21T21:22:24Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Dragonflame''' or '''dragonfire''' is the fire produced by a [[dragon]]. The dragon expels its fire from its gullet and out of its mouth.{{fact}} The older and larger the dragon the more devastating its fire.{{fact}} The [[High Valyrian]] word for dragonfire is ''dracarys''.{{ref|asos|8}}<br />
[[File:Balerion by Earthenblood Iron Throne is forged II.png|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]]'s breath heats the [[Iron Throne]] during its forging. © Lindsey Burcar ]]<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
The flames of a [[dragon]] grow hotter and fiercer as the dragon ages. The flames of a hatchling can set straw aflame, whereas the flames of much older dragons are able to melt steel and stone. A dragon's scales, which thicken with age, protects the dragon from fire, although it is not entirely impervious to flame.{{Ref|tpatq}}<br />
<br />
Each dragon can breath flames in a distinct color, potentially somewhat associated with the coloring of its body:<br />
<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Color of body<br />
! Color of eyes<br />
! Flame<br />
|-<br />
| [[Balerion]]<br />
| Balerion's scales{{Ref|acok|12}} and wings{{Ref|FAB|Aegon's Conquest}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} were black.<br />
|<br />
| Black flames,{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} sometimes with swirls of red.{{Ref|FAB|Aegon's Conquest}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Drogon's scales are black, his horns and spinal plates are blood red/<br />
| His eyes are smoldering red pits.{{ref|adwd|52}} <br />
| Black flames shot with red.{{ref|adwd|52}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| Unknown<br />
|<br />
| Pale white fireballs.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| Rhaegal's scales{{Ref|ADWD|12}}{{Ref|ADWD|68}} and wings{{Ref|ACOK|40}} are jade-green.<br />
| His eyes are bronze.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<Ref group="N">''A Clash of Kings'' erroneously state Rhaegal's eyes to have the color of "molten gold" (''[[A Clash of Kings]]'', [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 27|Daenerys II]])</ref> <br />
| Either yellow flames,{{Ref|ADWD|12}} yellow and red flames{{Ref|ADWD|50}} or "orange-and-yellow fire shot through with veins of green".{{Ref|ADWD|86}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Sunfyre]]<br />
| Sunfyre had gleaming gold scales, which shone like beaten gold in the sunlight, and pale pink wing membranes.{{Ref|tpatq}}<br />
|<br />
| Golden flames.{{Ref|TPATQ}}{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Tessarion]] <br />
| Tessarion's wings were a dark cobalt, while the scales of her claws, crest, and belly were a bright beaten [[copper]].{{Ref|tpatq}}<br />
|<br />
| Cobalt blue flames.{{ref|tpatq}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Viserion]]<br />
| Viserion's scales are cream colored, while his horns, wing bones and spinal crest are gold.{{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aSoS|8}}<br />
| His eyes are the color of molten gold.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}{{Ref|aDwD|68}}<br />
| Pale gold flames shot through with red and orange.{{Ref|aDwD|68}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Furthermore, the fireballs spit by the dragons [[Silverwing]], [[Sheepstealer]], [[Seasmoke]], and [[Vermithor]] during the [[battle of the Gullet]] were described as "blue and orange, red and gold".{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Rain of FireIII.png|350px|thumb|right|Three dragons destroy a castle with dragonflame. by Tomasz Jedruszek. © FFG]]<br />
The [[Valyrian Freehold]] used dragonflame to make [[Valyrian steel]].{{Ref|aGoT|72}}{{Ref|ADWD|58}} It was also employed in construction to melt and fuse stone to form [[Dragonstone (material)|dragonstone]], as in the cases of the [[dragonroads]] and the [[Black Wall]] of [[Volantis]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Seven Kingdoms: The Reach: Oldtown}}<br />
<br />
During [[Aegon's Conquest]], [[Aegon I Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]]'s dragonflame against [[Harrenhal]] and at the [[Field of Fire]]. Afterwards, the flames of [[Balerion]] were used to forge the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|43}} Aegon and his sister-wife [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] used the flames of their dragons Balerion and [[Vhagar]] to burn every [[Dorne|Dornish]] stronghold at least once, with except [[Sunspear]] and its [[shadow city]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
<br />
King [[Maegor I Targaryen]] and his mother, Dowager Queen Visenya, used their dragons Balerion and Vhagar to burn several holdfasts in the [[Reach]] and [[westerlands]] in {{date|43}}.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the [[Dance of the Dragons]], King [[Aegon II Targaryen]] is severely injured during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]] when dragonflame melts his armor into the flesh of his left arm.{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} While attempting to claim the dragon [[Sheepstealer]] during the [[Red Sowing]], [[Alyn Velaryon]] was injured by burns that covered his back and legs.{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} <br />
<br />
[[Silverwing]], Sheepstealer, [[Seasmoke]], and [[Vermithor]] descended upon the fleet of the [[Triarchy]] in the early days of {{Date|130}}, and burned the ships by spitting balls of fire, "blue and orange, red and gold".{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]] brought Vhagar to the [[riverlands]], where he burned numerous villages and castles.{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
Aegon II Targaryen and [[Sunfyre]] fought Lady [[Baela Targaryen]] and her dragon [[Moondancer]] on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|130}}. During the battle, Moondancer was blinded by Sunfyre's flames, and shortly after succumbed to wounds received in battle. Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]] was later executed by her brother, Aegon II, by being engulfed in Sunfyre's flames.{{Ref|fab|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
<br />
The [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]] practise the custom of cremating their deceased family members. The funeral pyre of [[Aegon I Targaryen]] was lit by the dragon Vhagar,{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} and the funeral pyre of [[Aenys I Targaryen]] by the dragons [[Quicksilver]], [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]].{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
[[Wildfire]] is said to be a close cousin of dragonflame.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
In the [[House of the Undying]], [[Drogon]] destroys the indigo heart that stands at the center of the room, and the burns the Undying after they attempt to drain [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]]'s life.{{Ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
[[File:The Wild ChildJM.jpg|350px|thumb|right|[[Drogon]] lets loose his flame. © FFG]]<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] teaches her fledgling dragons to loose their flame upon her command of "dracarys", the [[High Valyrian]] word for "dragonfire".{{Ref|ASOS|8}}<br />
<br />
At the start of the [[fall of Astapor]] [[Daenerys Targaryen]] commands Drogon to burn [[Kraznys mo Nakloz]]. Her two other dragons [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are also unleashed. During the battle all three dragons are airborne, loosing their flames.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
Prince [[Quentyn Martell]] is mortally burned by [[Rhaegal]] while attempting to tame [[Viserion]].{{ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
{{Quote|Drogon! Dracarys!{{ref|ASOS|27}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Drogon]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|What feeds a dragon's fire?{{ref|AFFC|45}}|[[Marwyn]]'s rhetorical question, to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Then [[Rhaegal|the dragon]] opened its mouth, and light and heat washed over them. Behind a fence of sharp black teeth he glimpsed the furnace glow, the shimmer of a sleeping fire a hundred times brighter than his torch.{{ref|ADWD|68}}|thoughts of [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|[[Viserion|The dragon]] caught one burning body just as it began to fall, crunching it between his jaws as pale fires ran across his teeth.<ref>''[[The Winds of Winter]]'', Tyrion II</ref>|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|[[Longclaw]] had been forged in the fires of old Valyria, forged in dragonflame and set with spells.{{Ref|ADWD|58}}|thoughts of [[Jon Snow]]}}<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[es:Fuegodragón]]<br />
[[pt:Chama do dragão]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Battle_of_Six_Kings&diff=275211
Battle of Six Kings
2022-01-15T20:29:39Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Template:Battlebox<br />
| image = <br />
| caption = <br />
| battle_name = Battle of Six Kings<br />
| conflict = <br />
| date = ~{{Date|-400}}<br />
| place = The [[Teats|Mother's Teats]] in the [[riverlands]]<br />
| result = [[House Durrandon|Durrandon]] victory<br>Extinction of [[House Teague]]<br>Annexation of the Riverlands into the domain of the [[Storm Kings]]<br />
| colour_scheme = <br />
| combatant1 = [[House Durrandon]]<br>[[House Blackwood]]<br>[[House Vance of Atranta]]<br>[[House Tully]]<br />
| combatant2 = [[House Teague]]<br>[[Faith Militant]]<br><br />
*[[Warrior's Sons]]<br />
*[[Poor Fellows]]<br />
| commander1 = [[Arlan III Durrandon]]<br>[[Roderick Blackwood]]†<br>[[Elston Tully]]†<br />
| commander2 = [[Humfrey I Teague]]†<br />
| strength1 = a great host<br />
| strength2 = unknown<br />
| casualties1 = [[Roderick Blackwood]]†<br>[[Elston Tully]]†<br />
| casualties2 = [[Humfrey I Teague]]†<br>[[Humfrey II Teague]]†<br>[[Hollis Teague]]†<br>[[Tyler Teague]]†<br>[[Damon Teague]]†<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Battle of Six Kings''' was a battle fought near the [[Teats]] in the [[riverlands]] before the [[War of Conquest]]. It led to the riverlands being added to the domains of the [[Storm Kings]] from the [[stormlands]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Riverlands}}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
When [[Humfrey I Teague]], the pious [[King of the Rivers and the Hills]], began to repress worship of the [[old gods]], Lord [[Roderick Blackwood]] of [[Raventree Hall]] rose in rebellion, followed by [[House Vance of Atranta|House Vance]] of [[Atranta]] and [[House Tully]] of [[Riverrun]]. Supported by the [[Faith Militant]], Humfrey's loyalists were on the verge of defeating the rebels. Roderick sought help from the [[Storm King]] [[Arlan III Durrandon]], with whom he was related by marriage. Arlan desired to restore the riverlands to the Blackwoods, who had ruled as kings in the [[Age of Heroes]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Riverlands}}<br />
<br />
Leading a great host of [[stormlanders]] across the [[Blackwater Rush]], Arlan defeated the loyalists in several battles and was able to relieve the siege of Raventree. The bloody final battle took place in an afternoon between the [[Teats|Mother's Teats]], during which the stormlanders extinguished the line of [[House Teague]]. Humfrey died first, followed by his sons [[Humfrey II Teague|Humfrey II]], [[Hollis Teague|Hollis]], and [[Tyler Teague|Tyler]], and finally his brother, [[Damon Teague|Damon]], all of whom briefly ruled as a river king. Other casualties were Roderick Blackwood, [[Elston Tully]], and Lords [[House Bracken|Bracken]], [[House Darry|Darry]], [[House Smallwood|Smallwood]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], and [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], although it is unknown <br />
if they died in the final battle or earlier in the campaign.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Riverlands}}<br />
<br />
The battle became known as the Battle of Six Kings, for the five kings from House Teague and Arlan the Storm King. Roderick Blackwood's heir was a boy of only eight, and Arlan distrusted Roderick's brothers. He considered crowning Roderick's eldest child, [[Shiera Blackwood]], and having her rule with his own son from [[House Durrandon]], but the river lords refused to be ruled by a woman. Instead, Arlan chose to add the riverlands to the realm of the Storm Kings.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Riverlands}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Blackwood battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Bracken battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Darry battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Durrandon battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Smallwood battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Teague battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Tully battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Vance of Atranta battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:Faith Militant battles|Six Kings]]<br />
[[Category:Riverlands]]<br />
[[Category:Stormlands]]<br />
<br />
[[ru:Битва Шести королей]]<br />
[[fr:Bataille des Six Rois]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Shields&diff=273616
Shields
2021-09-19T16:11:54Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: Redirected page to Shield Islands</p>
<hr />
<div>#redirect [[Shield Islands]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Grey_plague&diff=273578
Grey plague
2021-09-15T20:50:53Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Merge|Greyscale}}<br />
<br />
The '''grey plague''', also known as the '''grey death''', is a virulent disease that fatally turns its victims' flesh to stone.{{ref|adwd|5}} It is a swift form of its cousin, [[greyscale]]. Those who have survived a bout of greyscale are immune to grey plague.{{ref|ADWD|18}}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
Grey plague hit the city of [[Oldtown]] when [[Grand Maester]] [[Pycelle]] was young. It wiped out half the city and three-quarters of the [[Citadel]] during its run. To prevent its spread, Lord [[Quenton Hightower]] ordered the gates barred, all the ships in harbor burned, and anyone trying to leave killed. These orders made him extremely unpopular, but the measures were successful. The day he rescinded the orders, after the plague had burnt itself out, the survivors pulled Quenton and his young son from their horses and slit their throats.{{ref|AFFC|8}}<br />
<br />
Some years before to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', grey plague came to the city of [[Pentos]] when the ''[[Treasure]]'', a [[Braavos]]i trading galley, landed there on her way back from the [[Jade Sea]]. The Pentoshi slew the ship's oarsmen as they came ashore and burned the ship at anchor, but the rats crept down the oars and paddled to the quay on cold stone feet. The plague killed over two thousand people in the city before it ran its course, including [[Serra]], the wife of [[Magister]] [[Illyrio Mopatis]].{{ref|adwd|5}} <br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
[[Yi Ti]] is reportedly suffering from a breakout of grey plague.{{ref|affc|21}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Diseases]]<br />
[[es:Peste gris]]<br />
[[fr:Peste grise]]<br />
[[zh:&#28784;&#30123;&#30149;]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Lydden&diff=273552
Lydden
2021-09-14T13:12:03Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: Redirected page to House Lydden</p>
<hr />
<div>#redirect [[House Lydden]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Drogo&diff=273446
Drogo
2021-08-30T12:30:52Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox character<br />
| Character_name = Drogo<br />
| image = [[File:MagaliVilleneuve khal drogoII.jpg|300px]]<br />
| image_caption = Artwork by Magali Villeneuve ©<br />
| Alias = Great Rider<br>Great Khal<br />
| Title = [[Khalakka]]{{Ref|AGOT|36}}<br>[[Khal]]{{Ref|AGOT|3}}<br />
| Allegiance =Khal [[Drogo]]'s ''khalasar''<br />
| Race = [[Dothraki]]<br />
| Culture = [[Dothraki]]<br />
| Father = [[Bharbo]]<br />
| Spouse = [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Issue = [[Rhaego]]<br />
| Place_of_Birth =<br />
| Date_of_Birth = or around {{Date|267}}<ref>''See the [[Years after Aegon's Conquest/Calculations Ages#Drogo|Drogo]] calculation.''</ref><br />
| Place_of_Death = [[Dothraki sea]]<br />
| Date_of_Death = ~{{Date|298/299}}<br />
| Books = ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]] (appendix)<br>''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (appears)<br>''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (appendix)<br>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[The Winds of Winter]]'' (mentioned)<br />
| coat-of-arms =<br />
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Jason Momoa,Khal Drogo|Jason Momoa]]<br />
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Drogo''' is a powerful ''[[khal]]'' or warlord of the fearsome [[Dothraki]] nomads. [[Daenerys Targaryen]] is promised to him at the beginning of ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. In the television adaptation ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' Drogo is played by [[List of actors of the televised series#Jason Momoa,Khal Drogo|Jason Momoa]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
:''See also: [[:Category:Images of Khal Drogo|Images of Khal Drogo]]''<br />
Like most Dothraki, Drogo has [[copper]]-colored skin, black hair, and black eyes. He is tall and muscular, and moves gracefully. He has a long, drooping moustache and a long braid hung with [[Bells (Dothraki)|tiny bells]] that hangs down to his thighs, symbolizing his status among the Dothraki as an undefeated warlord.<br />
<br />
Drogo's favorite horse is a [[Drogo's stallion|lean red stallion]], unnamed, as it is not a Dothraki custom to give individual names to animals.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
Drogo's father was [[Khal]] [[Bharbo]]. [[Cohollo]] was pledged to the ''[[khalakka]]'', or prince, while he was still a child, and saved young Drogo's life from [[Mercenary|sellswords]] on one occasion.{{ref|agot|36}}<br />
<br />
From an early age Drogo was an extraordinarily gifted warrior even among the fierce Dothraki; before the age of thirty he led a ''[[khalasar]]'' forty thousand strong, the largest on the [[Dothraki sea]]. He has never been defeated in battle. Cohollo, [[Qotho]] and [[Haggo]] serve him as [[bloodrider]]s.<br />
<br />
Drogo owns a palace in the sacred Dothraki city of [[Vaes Dothrak]]. He also possesses a [[Drogo's manse|nine-towered manse]] in [[Pentos]], given to him by the city's ruling [[magister]]s as part of their policy of bribing the Dothraki not to loot the city.{{ref|AGOT|3}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
[[File:Chris Dien drogo.jpg|350px|left|thumb|Khal Drogo - by Chris Dien ©]]<br />
Magister [[Illyrio Mopatis]], serving as patron to the exiled [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and [[Daenerys Targaryen]], arranges a marriage between Princess Daenerys and Khal Drogo during one of Drogo's visits to Pentos. In return for his bride, Drogo is to provide ten thousand Dothraki warriors for her brother's campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}<br />
<br />
The wedding takes place in the traditional Dothraki fashion, with Drogo's entire ''[[khalasar]]'' gathering in a field outside Pentos for a day-long feast, punctuated with several deadly fights and couples having intercourse in the open. In accordance with tradition, Drogo's bloodriders offer fine weapons - a whip, an ''[[arakh]]'', and a [[dragonbone]] bow - to the new ''[[khaleesi]]'', who then gives them to her husband. Drogo's own gift to his bride is a magnificent [[The Silver|silver mare]].<br />
[[File:Daenerys Drogo Illyrio Her Silver.jpg|Drogo presents his bride gift, [[the Silver]], to Daenerys - by Amok ©|350px|thumb]]<br />
Finally Drogo leads Daenerys off to consummate the marriage. A thirteen-year-old girl who had been abused by her brother for most of her life and had been given no say in the marriage, Daenerys is terrified of her bridegroom and expects to be raped. Despite his fierce reputation, however, Drogo proves to be a surprisingly considerate lover. Although he and Dany share no common language, he establishes that he understood the word "no," then begins touching her gently, trying to arouse her. He does not begin to have intercourse with her until Dany expresses her approval and initiates it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}} This tender wedding night sets the tone for their marriage, which becomes a remarkably happy one.<br />
As Daenerys' new role as ''khaleesi'' takes her out of her abusive brother's control, she begins to leave behind the timid, passive girl she had been, blossoming into a strong, confident young woman and a natural leader. As Dany learns to speak the Dothraki language, Drogo proves a quick study at picking up the [[Common Tongue]] of [[Westeros]], though he retains his accent. He addresses Dany affectionately as "moon of my life," while she calls him "my sun and stars." Drogo treats her with respect and values her opinions; although he does not understand or share her objections to the traditional Dothraki practices of raping and enslaving conquered peoples, Drogo supports Dany when she orders his warriors to cease, delighted by his wife's growing courage.{{Ref|aGoT|61}} The pair grow to love one another deeply.<br />
[[File:John Matson khal drogo.JPG|350px|left|thumb|Khal Drogo riding [[Drogo's stallion|his stallion]] - by John Matson ©]]<br />
Drogo's relationship with Viserys, however, is not nearly as felicitous. While Daenerys is respectful of Dothraki culture and eager to learn about and embrace it, her brother shows nothing but contempt for the Dothraki "savages" and is increasingly impatient for the aid Khal Drogo had promised him. The issue finally came to a head when Viserys breaks the ancient taboo against bloodshed in [[Vaes Dothrak]] by drawing his blade and threatening the life of Daenerys and her unborn child, demanding his crown. Drogo cunningly sidesteps the prohibition against spilling blood in the sacred city by announcing that Viserys will have the crown of gold he deserves, then upends a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him.<br />
<br />
In Vaes Dothrak the women of the ''[[dosh khaleen]]'' proclaim that Drogo and Daenerys's [[Rhaego|unborn child]] will be the [[stallion who mounts the world]], a prophesied leader in Dothraki legend.{{Ref|aGoT|46}} Drogo has little interest in invading Westeros, a land that holds nothing in particular that the Dothraki want and is located across the sea, which they have always feared. However, he reconsiders after an assassin tries to kill Dany and claim [[Robert Baratheon]]'s reward. Enraged by the attempt on his wife's life, Drogo reaffirms his commitment to conquer the [[Seven Kingdoms]] for her sake and seat their son on the throne of her ancestors.{{Ref|aGoT|54}} He pillages several towns in [[Lhazar]] to harvest slaves to exchange for warships that will take his horde across the sea. While in Lhazar, Drogo's ''khalasar'' defeats the rival ''khalasar'' of Khal [[Ogo]]. Drogo slays Ogo himself, but takes a wound to the chest.{{Ref|aGoT|61}}<br />
[[File:Khal Drogo funeral Pyre by Kim Pope.jpg|400px|thumb| Drogo funeral Pyre. Art By Kim Pope, for ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
Though Drogo is unconcerned with his minor wound, Daenerys convinces him to let [[Mirri Maz Duur]], a Lhazareen ''[[maegi]]'' she had rescued, make him a poultice. The poultice itches, and Drogo tears it off, causing the wound to fester. Drogo's condition deteriorates until he falls from his horse, a symbolic event in Dothraki culture that indicates he is no longer fit to lead. As he lingers near death, Daenerys convinces Mirri Maz Duur to use her [[Magic|blood magic]] to preserve his life by sacrificing [[Drogo's stallion|his stallion]].{{Ref|aGoT|64}} The ''maegi'' betrays her in revenge for the attack on her village, and the ritual only returns Drogo to a catatonic state, while causing their child to die in Daenerys' womb. Realizing that Drogo would never return to his former state, Dany smothers him with a pillow and builds him a funeral pyre as his ''khalasar'' breaks apart. She burns his body on the pyre along with Mirri Maz Duur and enters the flames with her petrified [[dragon]] eggs. The flames magically trade life for life, killing the ''maegi'' and hatching the three dragons while leaving Daenerys unharmed.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
Dany names her black hatchling dragon [[Drogon]] in honor of the memory of her husband.<br />
<br />
In [[Vaes Tolorro]], after talking with Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] about some of his past and his [[Lynesse Hightower| second wife]], Daenerys realizes that he desires her. She also realizes that she does not feel that way about him and her thoughts turn to Drogo. She thinks to herself,<br />
{{Quote|Khal Drogo had been her sun-and-stars, her first, and perhaps he must be her last. The [[maegi]] [[Mirri Maz Duur]] had sworn she would never bear a living child, and what man would want a barren wife? And what man could hope to rival Drogo, who had died with his hair uncut and rode now through the night lands, the stars as his [[khalasar]]?{{Ref|ACOK|12}}}}<br />
That night no ghosts trouble her sleep. She dreams of Drogo and the first ride they had taken together on the night they were wed. In the dream it is not horses they rode, but [[dragons]].{{Ref|ACOK|12}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
In [[Meereen]] Dany closes her eyes and prays to the gods,<br />
{{Quote|Gods, you took Khal Drogo, who was my sun-and-stars. You took our valiant son before he drew breath. You have had your blood of me. Help me now, I pray you. Give me the wisdom to see the path ahead and the strength to do what I must to keep my children safe.}}<br />
Before her wedding to [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] in [[Meereen]] [[Daenerys Targaryen]] thinks to herself that she should be eager with anticipation for her wedding and the night that is to follow. Dany remembers the night of her first wedding, when Khal Drogo had claimed her maidenhead beneath the stranger stars. She remembers how frightened she had been, and how excited. She asks herself will it be the same with Hizdahr? … but she knows in her heart that she is not the girl she was, and he is not her sun-and-stars.<br />
<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
==Quotes==<br />
<br />
{{Quote|This seller of poisons ran from the moon of my life. Better he should run after her. So he will. [[Jhogo]], [[Jorah Mormont|Jorah the Andal]], to each of you I say, choose any horse you wish from my herds, and it is yours. Any horse save my [[Drogo's stallion|red]] and [[the silver]] that was my bride gift to the [[Daenerys Targaryen|moon of my life]]. I make this gift to you for what you did. And to [[Rhaego]] son of Drogo, the [[Stallion who mounts the world|stallion who will mount the world]], to him I also pledge a gift. To him I will give this [[Iron Throne|iron chair]] his mother's [[Aerys II Targaryen|father]] sat in. I will give him [[Seven Kingdoms]]. I, Drogo, ''khal'', will do this thing. I will take my ''khalasar'' west to where the world ends, and ride the wooden horses across the black salt water as no ''khal'' has done before. I will kill the men in the iron suits and tear down their stone houses. I will rape their women, take their children as [[slavery|slaves]], and bring their broken gods back to [[Vaes Dothrak]] to bow down before the [[Mother of Mountains]], as the stars look down to witness.{{Ref|aGoT|54}}|[[Drogo]]}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes about Drogo==<br />
{{Quote|[...] my sun-and-stars made a queen of me, but if he had been a different man, it might have been much otherwise.{{Ref|aSoS|23}}|Daenerys, to [[Arstan Whitebeard]]}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{References|2}}<br />
<br />
{{Royal consorts of Westeros}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Characters from the Dothraki sea]]<br />
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
[[Category:Khals]]<br />
[[Category:Khalakkas]]<br />
[[Category:Members of Drogo's khalasar]]<br />
[[Category:Nobles]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Drogo]]<br />
[[fa:دروگو]]<br />
[[fr:Khal Drogo]]<br />
[[ru:Дрого]]<br />
[[zh:&#21331;&#25096;]]<br />
[[tr: Drogo]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Summer_Tongue&diff=269777
Summer Tongue
2021-07-13T09:12:05Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''Summer Tongue''' is the language used by the peoples of the [[Summer Islands]].{{ref|affc|45}} Some features of the language are: the lack of pronouns, the possibility of an imperfective aspectual marker, the probability of OSV sentence structure.<br />
<br />
The "xh" in the Summer Islander's name [[Jalabhar Xho]] may be a spelling for a [[wikipedia:click sound|click sound]], as in the real-world Zulu and Khoisan languages.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references}}<br />
<br />
{{Languages}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Terms]]<br />
[[Category:Languages]]<br />
<br />
[[es:Lengua del Verano]]<br />
[[fr:Langue d'Été]]<br />
[[zh:&#30427;&#22799;&#32676;&#23707;&#35821;]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Summer_Tongue&diff=269776
Summer Tongue
2021-07-13T09:11:12Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>The '''Summer Tongue''' is the language used by the peoples of the [[Summer Islands]].{{ref|affc|45}} Some features of the language are: the lack of pronouns, the possibility of an imperfective aspectual marker, the probability of OSV sentence structure.<br />
<br />
The "xh" in the name [[Jalabhar Xho]] may be a spelling for a [[wikipedia:click sound|click sound]], as in the real-world Zulu and Khoisan languages.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references}}<br />
<br />
{{Languages}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Terms]]<br />
[[Category:Languages]]<br />
<br />
[[es:Lengua del Verano]]<br />
[[fr:Langue d'Été]]<br />
[[zh:&#30427;&#22799;&#32676;&#23707;&#35821;]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Languages&diff=269650
Languages
2021-07-11T16:33:12Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: Proto-Plains</p>
<hr />
<div>Throughout ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', numerous cultural and regional dialects are discussed. These dialects form the world's spoken tongue, and help define its people.<br />
<br />
==Portrayal==<br />
Unlike [[w:J. R. R. Tolkien|J. R. R. Tolkien]], who created entire languages with grammar, syntax, and tenses, [[George R. R. Martin]] has created only a few words from each language in his world, and his languages are not conveyed in any great detail. Instead, the tongue in which they are speaking is noted but rendered in English, with added characteristics and flavor portrayed through out the text. As Martin explained,<br />
<br />
{{quote|Tolkien was a philologist, and an Oxford don, and could spend decades laboriously inventing [[w:Elvish languages (Middle-earth)|Elvish]] in all its detail. I, alas, am only a hardworking SF and fantasy novel, and I don't have his gift for languages. That is to say, I have not actually created a [[High Valyrian|Valyrian language]]. The best I could do was try to sketch in each of the chief tongues of my imaginary world in broad strokes, and give them each their characteristic sounds and spellings.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1250/ Yet More Questions (July 22, 2001)]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
[[w:David J. Peterson|David J. Peterson]] developed spoken [[Dothraki language|Dothraki]] and High Valyrian for HBO's television adaptation, ''[[Game of Thrones]]''. The languages expand greatly from Martin's few created words. A website, [http://www.dothraki.org/ dothraki.org], helps teach and spread the constructed tongues. The popularity of the Dothraki language has led it to be called "the new [[w:Klingon language|Klingon]]".<ref>[http://www.ew.com/article/2015/04/17/dothraki-new-klingon Entertainment Weekly: Is Dothraki the new Klingon? (April 17, 2015)]</ref><br />
<br />
==Languages of Westeros==<br />
The [[Old Tongue]] was the language of the [[First Men]], who dominated [[Westeros]] for thousands of years. Today, the Old Tongue is still remembered by [[giants]] and some [[free folk]] who live [[beyond the Wall]],{{ref|acok|51}}{{ref|asos|15}} but most people within the [[Seven Kingdoms]] know no other language than the [[Common Tongue]]. Although the Common Tongue has minor variations and regional accents,<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2802 Cyvasse, Accents, Historical Mysteries, and Dornish Nationalism (April 18, 2008)]</ref>{{ref|agot|26}} [[Dornishmen]] can communicate with [[northmen]] without difficulty. Foreign tongues are taught in the [[Citadel]] and by [[maesters]],{{ref|adwd|1}} or are brought from other lands by immigrants, merchants, sellswords, and the like.<br />
<br />
==Languages of Essos==<br />
Many languages exist in [[Essos]], the continent across the [[narrow sea]]. <br />
<br />
* [[High Valyrian]], the language of the old [[Valyrian Freehold]], is now spoken in bastardized dialects across its remnants, including the [[Free Cities]] and [[Slaver's Bay]]. Each Free City's dialect is on its way to be a separate language,{{ref|adwd|1}} but someone who is fluent in High Valyrian can communicate well enough.{{ref|adwd|6}}<br />
* The [[Dothraki language]] is the tongue of the [[Dothraki]], the indigenous inhabitants of the [[Dothraki sea]].<br />
* [[Old Ghiscari]] is a largely extinct tongue. It was spoken five thousand years ago by the [[Ghiscari]] people of the [[Old Empire of Ghis]], which was destroyed by the [[Valyrian Freehold]]. Ghiscari was supplanted by a "mongrel" blend with High Valyrian,{{ref|adwd|14}}{{ref|adwd|60}} though it is still spoken by some, and engraved Ghiscari glyphs can be found on various old objects.{{ref|asos|23}}<br />
* The people of [[Asshai]] have a language which is used in [[spells]].{{ref|acok|10}}<br />
* [[Lhazareen]] is described as singsong.{{Ref|AGOT|61}}<br />
* [[Proto-Plains]] is an ancestor of Dothraki and Lhazareen. It was invented by David J. Peterson. See https://wiki.languageinvention.com/index.php?title=Proto-Plains_language<br />
* The [[Summer Tongue]] is used in the [[Summer Isles]].<br />
* The [[trade talk]] is a coarse argot that has developed using words from a dozen languages (many of them insults) and hand gestures.{{Ref|AFFC|34}}{{Ref|ADWD|47}}<br />
* The unnamed [[Ibbenese language]] is a "guttural, grunting tongue"{{ref|TWOIAF| Ib}} spoken by the [[Ibbenese]] in [[Ibben]] and northern Essos and is possibly related to the tongue of the ancient [[Hairy Men]].<br />
* The unnamed [[Rhoynar]] language, the [[Red Princes]] attempted to outlaw the use of this language among the [[Orphans of the Greenblood]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: Queer Customs of the South}}<br />
<br />
==Non-Human Communication==<br />
* The [[children of the forest]] speak and sing in the [[True Tongue]], and have taught it to some [[raven]]s.{{ref|adwd|13}}{{ref|adwd|34}}<br />
* The [[Others]]' language is described as sounding like cracking of ice on a winter lake.{{ref|AGOT|Prologue}} In ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' it is named [[Skroth]].<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://wiki.dothraki.org/Other_languages Dothraki wiki, on languages]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{References|2}}<br />
<br />
{{Languages}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Languages| ]]<br />
<br />
[[fr:Langues (conception générale)]]<br />
[[ru:Языки]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265643
Dragon
2021-05-29T16:48:16Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after his/her first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]], probably aided by [[Mirri Mmaz Duur]], manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born there in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="1"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne died. {{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
| On Dragonstone she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']<br />
|(''died soon afterwards'')<br />
|<br />
|A broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''5 eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''7 eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|(''May be the 3 that were stolen from the Dragonstone hatcheries by Elissa Farman in 54 AC and sold in Essos'')<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Astronomy&diff=265403
Talk:Astronomy
2021-05-23T16:29:53Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>==Queries==<br />
* See [[Talk:Ice Dragon (constellation) ]].<br />
* Which are the "seven wanderers"? If the planets follow the real planets, there are 5 easily naked-eye visible planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. In the real world, in the old Ptolemaic astronomy, it seems that the sun and the moon were called planets and made 7, and the Earth was not a planet. But if the Westerosi maesters had Myrish tubes (= telescopes), did they believe in a heliocentric system and know already of Uranus and Neptune? Or did they know only of Uranus (makes 6) and say that the Stranger's planet was dark and invisible? [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:28, 23 May 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Astronomy&diff=265402
Talk:Astronomy
2021-05-23T16:28:49Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: Created page with "==Queries== * See Talk:Ice Dragon (constellation) . * Which are the "seven wanderers"? If the planets follow the real planets, there are 5 easily naked-eye visible planets..."</p>
<hr />
<div>==Queries==<br />
* See [[Talk:Ice Dragon (constellation) ]].<br />
* Which are the "seven wanderers"? If the planets follow the real planets, there are 5 easily naked-eye visible planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. In the real world, in the old Ptolemaic astronomy, it seems that the sun and the moon were called planets and made 7, and the Earth was not a planet. But if the Westerosi maesters had Myrish tubes (= telescopes), did they believe in a heliocentric system and know already of Uranus and Neptune? Or did they know only of Uranus and say that the Stranger's planet was dark and invisible? [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:28, 23 May 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Ice_Dragon_(constellation)&diff=265400
Talk:Ice Dragon (constellation)
2021-05-23T16:12:08Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Comments==<br />
-A Clash of Kings (Bran): “Osha,” Bran asked as they crossed the yard. “Do you know the way north? To the Wall and... and even past?” <br />
“The way’s easy. Look for the Ice dragon, and chase the blue star in the rider’s eye.”<br />
<br />
-A Storm of Swords (Bran): When they lost their way, as happened once or twice, they need only wait for a clear cold night when the clouds did not intrude, and look up in the sky for the Ice dragon. The blue star in the dragon’s eye pointed the way north, as Osha told him once.<br />
<br />
This makes me wonder whether the 'blue eye' is the rider's or the dragon's! What do you think of it? <br />
<br />
Additionally, in A Dance with Dragons (Jon) the Ice Dragon is mentioned as a subject of Old Nan's tales:<br />
<br />
-The wind was gusting, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan had told when Jon was a boy.<br />
<br />
-The road beneath the Wall was as dark and cold as the belly of an ice dragon and as twisty as a serpent.<br />
<br />
-The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. <br />
<br />
What exactly should be said on this page about the Ice Dragon in Old Nan's stories?<br />
*19:24, 1 October 2012 [[User:Mioranduh]]<br />
<br />
*The text "rider's eye" implies that there are stars that lay out the shape of someone [[dragonrider|riding the dragon]].<br />
** Do "chase" and "pointed" mean that the star is at celestial due north, like Polaris is in our sky? If so, what is known of the effect over time of [[wikipedia:Axial precession|precession]] in the sky of the world of these stories? [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:06, 23 May 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Ice_Dragon_(constellation)&diff=265399
Talk:Ice Dragon (constellation)
2021-05-23T16:08:26Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>==Comments==<br />
-A Clash of Kings (Bran): “Osha,” Bran asked as they crossed the yard. “Do you know the way north? To the Wall and... and even past?” <br />
“The way’s easy. Look for the Ice dragon, and chase the blue star in the rider’s eye.”<br />
<br />
-A Storm of Swords (Bran): When they lost their way, as happened once or twice, they need only wait for a clear cold night when the clouds did not intrude, and look up in the sky for the Ice dragon. The blue star in the dragon’s eye pointed the way north, as Osha told him once.<br />
<br />
This makes me wonder whether the 'blue eye' is the rider's or the dragon's! What do you think of it? <br />
<br />
Additionally, in A Dance with Dragons (Jon) the Ice Dragon is mentioned as a subject of Old Nan's tales:<br />
<br />
-The wind was gusting, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan had told when Jon was a boy.<br />
<br />
-The road beneath the Wall was as dark and cold as the belly of an ice dragon and as twisty as a serpent.<br />
<br />
-The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. <br />
<br />
What exactly should be said on this page about the Ice Dragon in Old Nan's stories?<br />
*19:24, 1 October 2012 [[User:Mioranduh]]<br />
<br />
*The text "rider's eye" implies that there are stars that lay out the shape of someone [[dragonrider|riding the dragon]].<br />
** Do "chase" and "pointed" mean that the star is at celestial due north, like Polaris is in our sky? If so, what is known the effect over time of [[wikipedia:Axial precession|precession]] in the sky of the world of these stories? [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:06, 23 May 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Ice_Dragon_(constellation)&diff=265398
Talk:Ice Dragon (constellation)
2021-05-23T16:06:32Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Comments==<br />
-A Clash of Kings (Bran): “Osha,” Bran asked as they crossed the yard. “Do you know the way north? To the Wall and... and even past?” <br />
“The way’s easy. Look for the Ice dragon, and chase the blue star in the rider’s eye.”<br />
<br />
-A Storm of Swords (Bran): When they lost their way, as happened once or twice, they need only wait for a clear cold night when the clouds did not intrude, and look up in the sky for the Ice dragon. The blue star in the dragon’s eye pointed the way north, as Osha told him once.<br />
<br />
This makes me wonder whether the 'blue eye' is the rider's or the dragon's! What do you think of it? <br />
<br />
Additionally, in A Dance with Dragons (Jon) the Ice Dragon is mentioned as a subject of Old Nan's tales:<br />
<br />
-The wind was gusting, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan had told when Jon was a boy.<br />
<br />
-The road beneath the Wall was as dark and cold as the belly of an ice dragon and as twisty as a serpent.<br />
<br />
-The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. <br />
<br />
What exactly should be said on this page about the Ice Dragon in Old Nan's stories?<br />
*19:24, 1 October 2012 [[User:Mioranduh]]<br />
<br />
*The text "rider's eye" implies that there are stars that lay out the shape of someone [[dragonrider|riding the dragon]].<br />
** Do "chase" and "pointed" mean that the star is at celestial due north, like Polaris is in our sky? If so, what is known the effect over time of [[wikipedia:precession|precession]] in the sky of [[Planetos]]? [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:06, 23 May 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Ice_Dragon_(constellation)&diff=265397
Talk:Ice Dragon (constellation)
2021-05-23T15:57:59Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: sign unsigned</p>
<hr />
<div>==Comments==<br />
-A Clash of Kings (Bran): “Osha,” Bran asked as they crossed the yard. “Do you know the way north? To the Wall and... and even past?” <br />
“The way’s easy. Look for the Ice dragon, and chase the blue star in the rider’s eye.”<br />
<br />
-A Storm of Swords (Bran): When they lost their way, as happened once or twice, they need only wait for a clear cold night when the clouds did not intrude, and look up in the sky for the Ice dragon. The blue star in the dragon’s eye pointed the way north, as Osha told him once.<br />
<br />
This makes me wonder whether the 'blue eye' is the rider's or the dragon's! What do you think of it? <br />
<br />
Additionally, in A Dance with Dragons (Jon) the Ice Dragon is mentioned as a subject of Old Nan's tales:<br />
<br />
-The wind was gusting, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan had told when Jon was a boy.<br />
<br />
-The road beneath the Wall was as dark and cold as the belly of an ice dragon and as twisty as a serpent.<br />
<br />
-The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. <br />
<br />
What exactly should be said on this page about the Ice Dragon in Old Nan's stories?<br />
*19:24, 1 October 2012 [[User:Mioranduh]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Astronomy&diff=265396
Astronomy
2021-05-23T15:46:39Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Astronomy''' is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena.<ref>Definition of "[[w:astronomy|astronomy]]" as retrieved from Wikipedia on May 17, 2018</ref> In the [[known world]], astronomy plays a role in keeping track of time as well as [[religion]].<br />
<br />
The [[bronze]] link of a [[maester]]'s chain{{Ref|AGOT|41}}{{Ref|AGOT|20}} likely symbolizes his expertise in either astronomy or astrology.<ref group="N">Based on Archmaester [[Vaellyn]]'s "subject to judge" being "the heavens" (''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', [[A Feast for Crows-Prologue|Prologue]]) and him being described as "the stargazer" (''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', [[A Feast for Crows-Appendix|Appendix]]).</ref> Maester [[Nicol]] has studied the movement of the stars,{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Long Night}} and Maester [[Luwin]], in service at [[Winterfell]] during the rule of Lord [[Eddard Stark]], has a [[Myrish lens tube]] through which he looks at stars in the sky.{{Ref|agot|66}} Maester Luwin taught the Stark children about the stars, including "the names of the twelve houses of heaven and the rulers of each", the seven wanderers, and the constellations.{{Ref|ASOS|26}}<br />
<br />
==The Moon and Sun==<br />
It is known that [[Measurement|daytime period]] is correlated with the seasons. Towards the end of summer, the days start to grow shorter,{{Ref|agot|21}} a trend which continues through autumn.{{Ref|affc|20}}{{Ref|adwd|21}} The end of a season is determined by the [[Conclave]] of the [[Citadel]], who base their conclusion on the measurements and reports of maesters all over the [[Seven Kingdoms]].{{Ref|Acok|prologue}}<br />
<br />
The known world is orbited by a [[moon]] in a similar fashion to Earth's. [[George R. R. Martin]] has specified that "''Twelve moon [turns] to a year, as on earth. Even on our earth, years have nothing to do with the seasons, or with the cycles of the moon.<ref name=Asshai/> In the world of Westeros, a year is a measure of a solar cycle, i.e., of how long it takes the earth to make one complete revolution around the [[sun]].<ref name=Asshai>[[So Spake Martin]], [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Asshai.com_Forum_Chat Asshai.com Forum Chat (July 27, 2008)]</ref><ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Measuring_Time/ Measuring Time (June 12, 1999)]</ref><br />
<br />
In his ''[[The Measure of the Days]]'', Maester [[Nicol]] argues, based upon his studies on the movement of stars, that the seasons possibly were once of a regular length, determined by the way in which the globe faces the sun. According to Maester [[Yandel]], however, although the notion appears to be true, Nicol has not been able to find any evidence that regular seasons were once the case, beyond the most ancient of tales.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Long Night}}<br />
<br />
In the faith of [[R'hllor]], the Lord of Light, the [[red priest]]s and other followers pray before a nightfire, thanking R'hllor for ending the day, while beseeching him to bring the dawn and banish the darkness.{{Ref|asos|63}} The nightfires are lit at sunset.{{Ref|asos|63}}{{Ref|agot|3}} Fires are also lit each morning at first light, where the red priests welcome the sun.{{Ref|affc|prologue}} Other red priests might attend to their fires during the entire night.{{Ref|adwd|33}} A common phrase of prayer is "the night is dark and full of terrors".{{Ref|ACOK|prologue}}{{Ref|affc|prologue}} A typical prayer sequence contains the phrase "''Yours is the sun that warms our days, yours the stars that guard us in the dark of night. (Lord of Light, defend us. The night is dark and full of terrors. Lord of Light, protect us.) R'hllor who gave us breath, we thank you. R'hllor who gave us day, we thank you. (We thank you for the sun that warms us. We thank you for the stars that watch us. We thank you for our hearths and for our torches, that keep the savage dark at bay.)''".{{Ref|asos|63}}<ref group="N">The sentences in parenthesis are responses from worshippers present at the nightfire.</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Qartheen]] believe that there were once two moons in the sky. This second moon supposedly came too close to the sun and cracked like an egg hatching, releasing a million [[dragon]]s.{{Ref|AGOT|23}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The [[Dothraki]] believe that the moon is a goddess, wife to the sun.{{Ref|AGOT|23}}<br />
<br />
==Planets and Other Moving Objects==<br />
There are [[seven wanderers]] in the sky over the known world, each of which are sacred to the [[Faith of the Seven]] and equated with one of the seven gods.{{Ref|ASOS|26}} This would imply that each wanderer is a planet, as the word planet is derived from the [[w:Greek|Greek]] word [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%80%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%AE%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82#Ancient_Greek πλανῆται] (''planētai'', which means "wanderers" or "wandering stars").<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planet Definition of planet by Merriam-Webster] (retrieved on May 19, 2018)</ref><ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/planet Define Planet at Dictionary.com] (retrieved on May 19, 2018)</ref><br />
<br />
Among the seven wanderers is the [[red wanderer]], equated by the Faith of the Seven to the Smith, and known as the Thief by the [[free folk]].{{Ref|ASOS|26}}{{Ref|AFFC|15}}{{Ref|ADWD|35}}<br />
<br />
Beyond these seven wanderers, other "wandering stars" have also been known to appear, for example the [[red comet]] from {{Date|299}}.{{Ref|acok|6}}<br />
<br />
==Stars and Constellations==<br />
[[Myrish eye]]s mounted on tripods can be used to observe the stars.{{ref|asos|69}} There are also dedicated observatories, including one kept at [[Winterfell]] by [[Luwin]].{{ref|agot|5}} The maesters of the Citadel compile maps of the starry sky for their research and studies and their knowledge is useful in navigation at the open sea, in particularly the Galley, the Crone's Lantern, and the eye of the Ice Dragon constellations.{{ref|agot|66}}{{Ref|ASOS|63}}<br />
<br />
Constellations are the names given to a group of stars linked close together. Often times, they represent some sort of picture. Their names usually vary between the various peoples. <br />
<br />
The [[free folk]] have many of the same names for constellations as the folk of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] do, although there are some differences. The King's Crown is the named the Cradle by them, as the Stallion is named the Horned Lord.{{Ref|ASOS|26}} The [[Dothraki]] for their part believe that the stars are the souls of the deceased, their brightness being a reflection of their exploits during their lives.{{Ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===Known constellations===<br />
* [[Crone's Lantern]]{{Ref|asos|63}}{{ref|tss}}<br />
* [[Galley (constellation)|Galley]]{{Ref|asos|63}}{{ref|tss}}<br />
* [[Ghost (constellation)|Ghost]]{{ref|tss}}<br />
* [[Ice Dragon (constellation)|Ice Dragon]]{{Ref|asos|63}}{{ref|tss}}<br />
* [[King's Crown]]{{ref|tss}} (also known as the Cradle among the [[free folk]]){{Ref|asos|26}}<br />
* [[Moonmaid]]{{ref|tss}}<br />
* [[Shadowcat (constellation)|Shadowcat]]{{Ref|asos|26}}<br />
* [[Sow]]{{ref|tss}}<br />
* [[Stallion (constellation)|Stallion]]{{Ref|tss}} (also known as the Horned Lord among the [[free folk]]){{Ref|asos|26}}<br />
* [[Sword of the Morning (constellation)|Sword of the Morning]]{{Ref|asos|26}}<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{References|2}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy| ]]<br />
[[Category:Science and technology]]<br />
<br />
[[es:Astronomía]]<br />
[[fr:Astronomie]]<br />
[[ru:Астрономия]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Poor_Fellows&diff=265395
Poor Fellows
2021-05-23T15:43:06Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: link</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|"Stars" redirects here. For the coin, see [[currency]]. Or see [[Astronomy]].}}<br />
{{Organization <br />
| Name = Poor Fellows<br />
| image = [[File:Poor Fellows.svg|250px|center]]<br />
| image_caption = A red seven-pointed star is the Poor Fellows's badge<br />
| Symbol = <br />
| Type = Military order<br />
| Seat = <br />
| Region = [[Seven Kingdoms]]<br />
| Allegiance = [[Faith of the Seven]]<br />
| Current_Leader =[[High Septon|High]] [[High Sparrow|Sparrow]]<br />
| Founder = <br />
| Founded = <br />
| Reorganized = {{Date|300}} (reformed Faith Militant)<br />
| Disbanded = {{Date|48}} (original Faith Militant)<br />
}}<br />
<br />
<!-- [[File:Poorfellows.png|thumb|450px|A red seven-pointed star as their sigil]] the simple version --><br />
[[File:Marc Simonetti March of nine thousand poor fellows.jpg|The poor fellows are suppressed - by Marc Simonetti © |thumb|500px|right]]<br />
The '''Poor Fellows''' was an order of [[Westeros]]i, mostly [[smallfolk]], sworn to the [[Faith of the Seven]]. They were part of the [[Faith Militant]], and were otherwise known as the '''Stars''', as they used a red seven-pointed star as their badge.{{ref|AFFC|28}} Their counterparts were the "Swords" or [[Warrior's Sons]]. The Poor Fellows obeyed and answered to the [[High Septon]], as they believed the High Septon spoke for the Seven.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
The red star of the Poor Fellows had its origins in the days of the [[Andal invasion]] of [[Westeros]], when zealous warriors carved the seven-pointed star into their chests.{{ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: The Arrival of the Andals}}<br />
<br />
Acting as a militant counterpart to [[begging brothers]], Poor Fellows became defenders of wayfarers on the road, escorting pilgrims between [[sept]]s. They greatly outnumbered their [[knight]]ly counterparts in the [[Faith Militant]], the [[Warrior's Sons]].{{ref|AFFC|28}}<br />
<br />
The Poor Fellows accepted members from all ranks of society, regardless of birth, sex or station, though they were led in battle by the Warrior's Sons.{{fact}} Women could rise to be leaders of the Poor Fellows: one of the most famous examples was [[Poxy Jeyne Poore]], who led the Poor Fellows in the [[stormlands]] during the Faith Militant uprising, and was considered one of their most savage captains.{{ref|tsotd}}<br />
<br />
Despite not being as trained, disciplined, or well-armed as the Warrior's Sons, the Poor Fellows formed the bulk of the Faith's army. They were lightly-armed footmen who carried whatever weapons they could make or find, often axes or cudgels, and they wore star badges, red on surcoats bleached white. Some even scourged or branded the seven-pointed star in their flesh.{{ref|AFFC|28}}{{ref|ADWD|65}} <br />
<br />
At the start of the [[Faith Militant uprising]] in {{Date|41}}, Poor Fellows slew Septon [[Murmison]] for performing the incestual marriage of Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] to Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]], both children of King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]. Poor Fellows also tried to assassinate the Targaryens at their manse in [[Visenya's Hill]],{{ref|TSOTD}} but were stopped by Ser [[Raymont Baratheon]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}}{{ref|TWOIAF| The Stormlands: House Baratheon}} They also surrounded [[Crakehall]] while Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena took refuge there.{{ref|TSOTD}}<br />
<br />
Members of the order were brutally suppressed by King [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor the Cruel]] because of their involvement in the rebellions. Maegor achieved a great victory over the Poor Fellows in the [[battle of Stonebridge]], and defeated thirteen hundred of them at the Great Fork of the [[Blackwater Rush|Blackwater]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} An unnamed [[septon]] wrote a discourse on Maegor the Cruel's war against the Poor Fellows.{{Ref|affc|11}}<br />
<br />
Maegor outlawed the militant orders, offering a [[coin|silver stag coin]] for an unrepentant Poor Fellow.{{ref|AFFC|33}} Support for Maegor declined in {{Date|48}}, however, when [[Riverrun]] supported Septon [[Moon (septon)|Moon]] and Ser [[Joffrey Doggett]] of the Poor Fellows. Lord [[Daemon Velaryon (son of Aethan)|Daemon Velaryon]] and many [[great houses]] instead supported Prince [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], and Maegor died on the [[Iron Throne]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
<br />
Although outlawed, the Poor Fellows existed until the reign of the Old King, Jaehaerys I. Jaehaerys the Conciliator and Septon [[Barth]] negotiated a peace with the High Septon, however, and the Swords and Stars peacefully disbanded.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Some discrete groups of Poor Fellows still existed decades later, however, and the [[Shepherd]] who led the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{Date|130}} is rumored to have been of the order.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In the aftermath of the [[War of the Five Kings]], the [[sparrows]] make their way to [[King's Landing]] to demand the [[Iron Throne]] protection for the Faith. A man, with a seven-pointed star carved on his chest, identifies the group as "poor fellows".{{ref|AFFC|4}}<br />
<br />
The new [[High Septon]], known as the [[High Sparrow]] after the movement he leads, is allowed to restore the Poor Fellows after negotiating with Queen [[Regent]] [[Cersei Lannister]]. She overturns the [[Maegor's laws|law]] forbidding holy men from being armed, and the order is reborn.{{ref|AFFC|28}} The bulk of the current Poor Fellows are members of the High Septon's movement, known as [[sparrows]].<br />
<br />
Poor Fellows protect [[Lancel Lannister]], Lord of [[Darry]], when Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] visits his cousin's castle.{{ref|AFFC|30}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
The [[Great Sept of Baelor]] is surrounded by a ragged horde of Poor Fellows.{{ref|ADWD|54}}<br />
<br />
Poor Fellows and [[Warrior's Sons]] escort Cersei during her [[walk of atonement]].{{ref|ADWD|65}} <br />
<br />
==Historical members==<br />
* [[Septon]] [[Moon (septon)|Moon]], a commander during the [[Faith Militant uprising]]{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Led the Poor Fellows in the southern riverlands/northern Reach around [[Stoney Sept]]. After Maegor forced the [[Most Devout]] to make a pliable puppet the new High Septon (the "[[High Lickspittle]]"), the Poor Fellows proclaimed Septon Moon as the new, true High Septon in opposition to him.{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
* [[Rob the Starvling]], would-be successor of Septon Moon.{{Ref|FAB|Prince into King - The Ascension of Jaehaerys I}}<br />
* [[Lorcas the Learned]], would-be successor of Septon Moon.{{Ref|FAB|Prince into King - The Ascension of Jaehaerys I}}<br />
* [[Jeyne Poore|Poxy Jeyne Poore]], felt to be the most savage captain of the Poor Fellows in the Faith Militant uprising, leading their forces in the [[Kingswood]] of the [[stormlands]].{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
* [[Dennis the Lame]], a commander during the Faith Militant uprising.{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
* [[Ragged Silas]], a commander during the Faith Militant uprising.{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
* Ser [[Horys Hill]], a commander during the Faith Militant uprising.{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
* [[Wat the Hewer]], a commander during the Faith Militant uprising.{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
* The [[Shepherd]], rumored to belong to a holdout group by the time of the Dance of the Dragons.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
{{quote|This debt shall be forgiven, and King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]] will have his blessing. The [[Warrior's Sons]] shall escort me to him, shining in the glory of their [[Faith of the Seven|Faith]], whilst my [[sparrows]] go forth to defend the meek and humble of the land, reborn as Poor Fellows as of old.{{ref|AFFC|28}}|[[High Sparrow]] to [[Cersei Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{References}}<br />
<br />
{{Faith of the Seven}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Faith Militant| ]]<br />
[[Category:Faith of the Seven]]<br />
[[Category:Organizations]]<br />
<br />
[[es:Clérigos Humildes]]<br />
[[fr:Pauvres Compagnons]]<br />
[[ru:Честные Бедняки]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Star&diff=265394
Star
2021-05-23T15:42:26Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: Redirected page to Stars</p>
<hr />
<div>#redirect [[stars]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265290
Dragon
2021-05-16T15:20:19Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]], probably aided by [[Mirri Mmaz Duur]], manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born there in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="1"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne died. {{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
| On Dragonstone she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']<br />
|(''died soon afterwards'')<br />
|<br />
|A broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''5 eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''7 eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|(''May be the 3 that were stolen from the Dragonstone hatcheries by Elissa Farman in 54 AC and sold in Essos'')<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265289
Dragon
2021-05-16T15:18:31Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]], probably aided by [[Mirri Mmaz Duur]], manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born there in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine Mysaria was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']<br />
|(''died soon afterwards'')<br />
|<br />
|A broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''5 eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''7 eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|(''May be the 3 that were stolen from the Dragonstone hatcheries by Elissa Farman in 54 AC and sold in Essos'')<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265288
Dragon
2021-05-16T14:49:36Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]], probably aided by [[Mirri Mmaz Duur]], manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born there in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']<br />
|(''died soon afterwards'')<br />
|<br />
|A broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''5 eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''7 eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|(''May be the 3 that were stolen from the Dragonstone hatcheries by Elissa Farman in 54 AC and sold in Essos'')<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265206
Dragon
2021-05-14T16:02:06Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']<br />
|(''died soon afterwards'')<br />
|<br />
|A broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''5 eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''7 eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="3"|(''May be the 3 that were stolen from the Dragonstone hatcheries by Elissa Farman in 54 AC and sold in Essos'')<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265205
Dragon
2021-05-14T15:56:34Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']<br />
|(''died soon afterwards'')<br />
|<br />
|A broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war, did not hatch<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''5 eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''7 eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265204
Dragon
2021-05-14T15:43:59Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''Five eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''seven eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265203
Dragon
2021-05-14T15:39:38Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
*"''wu''" means "whereabouts unknown, not known if hatched"<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
!Owner<br />
!Hatched into<br />
!Color<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[''three eggs'']<br />
|Were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Mysaria]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Vermax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Arrax]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
|[[Tyraxes]]<br />
|<br />
|placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
|-<br />
|[[Viserys II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
|rowspan="4"|[[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
[''4 eggs'']|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Morning]]<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.<br />
|-<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|Taken to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Maelor Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|purple and gold<br />
|seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
|[''Five eggs'']<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Elaena Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|[[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref><br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aerion Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|<br />
|known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed<br />
|-<br />
|[[Aegon V Targaryen]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[[Ambrose Butterwell]]<br />
|''wu''<br />
|red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|[''seven eggs'']<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
|-<br />
|[[Euron Greyjoy]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Drogon]]<br />
|black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Rhaegal]]<br />
|deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Viserion]]<br />
|colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265193
Dragon
2021-05-14T13:47:28Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: Terrax</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Terrax]]<br />
| [[Jaenara Belaerys]]<br />
| Lived in [[Valyria]] before the [[Doom of Valyria]]. Riding him, she spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known dragon eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265192
Dragon
2021-05-14T13:25:40Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: misc</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has enough food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Having Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, except when the person bonded to the dragon is on the dragon's back. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} A valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a golden dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265191
Dragon
2021-05-14T12:20:40Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years old when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=265190
Dragon
2021-05-14T12:14:18Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical flying reptilian [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but were considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons were skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. But during the events described in the main series of books, the species is brought back by magically hatching three old apparently-petrified dragon eggs.<br />
<br />
Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six-limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns on their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died younger, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence, or how closely related they are to dragons.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=House_Targaryen&diff=265171
House Targaryen
2021-05-12T15:57:51Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Noble House <br />
| House_name = House Targaryen of Dragonstone<br />
| image = [[File:House Targaryen.svg|250px]]<br />
| Coat_of_arms = A three-headed dragon breathing flames, red on black<br>''(Sable, a dragon thrice-headed gules)''<br />
| Words = ''Fire and Blood''<br />
| Seat = [[Dragonstone]] <small>(formerly)</small><br>[[Aegonfort]] <small>(formerly)</small><br>[[Red Keep]] <small>(formerly)</small><br>[[Summerhall]] <small>(summer castle, formerly)</small><br>[[Great Pyramid]]<br />
| Current_Lord = Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys I]]<br>King [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon VI]] <small>(disputed)</small><br />
| Region = [[Valyria]] <small>(formerly)</small><br>[[Crownlands]] <small>(formerly)</small><br>[[Slaver's Bay]]<br />
| Title = [[Dragonlord]] <small>(pre-[[Doom of Valyria|Doom]])</small><br>[[Lord of Dragonstone]] <small>(pre-[[Aegon's Conquest|Conquest]])</small><br>[[King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men]]<br>[[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]]<br>[[Prince of Dragonstone]] <small>(heir apparent)</small><br>[[Prince of Summerhall]]<br>[[King of Meereen|Queen of Meereen]]<br />
| Overlord = None<br />
| Ancestral_weapon= [[Blackfyre]]<br/>[[Dark Sister]]<br />
| Cadet_branch = [[House Blackfyre]]<br />
| Founded_in = Targaryen family: before [[Years before Aegon's Conquest|114 BC]]<br>House Targaryen of King's Landing: {{Date|1}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''House Targaryen of Dragonstone''' is a noble family of [[Valyria]]n descent who once ruled the [[Seven Kingdoms]] of [[Westeros]]. The Targaryen sigil is a three-headed [[dragon]] breathing flames, red on black.{{Ref|aGoT|4}}{{Ref|aGoT|18}}{{ref|aCoK|63}} The house words are ''"Fire and Blood"''.{{Ref|aSoS|23}} It eventually became the first royal house of the [[Seven Kingdoms]], as '''House Targaryen of King's Landing'''.<br />
<br />
The only family of [[dragonlords]] who survived the [[Doom of Valyria]], the Targaryens left the [[Valyrian Freehold]] twelve years before the Doom. They resided for more than a century at [[Dragonstone]] castle on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone island]], until [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] and his sister-wives, [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] and [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]], began the first of the [[Wars of Conquest]] in [[Years before Aegon's Conquest|2 BC]].<br />
<br />
During [[Aegon's Conquest]], the family built the [[Aegonfort]] in the new capital city of [[King's Landing]]. The Aegonfort was later torn down and replaced by the [[Red Keep]], which remained their main seat for the duration of their dynasty, and which housed the [[Iron Throne]]. Their original castle was almost always given to the heir to the throne, the [[Prince of Dragonstone]]. The Targaryens eventually built the summer residence [[Summerhall]], which has been given to several [[Prince of Summerhall|younger sons]] of the family over time.<br />
<br />
House Targaryen ruled as the [[Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men]], the [[Lords of the Seven Kingdoms]], and the [[Great House]] of the [[crownlands]] for nearly three hundred years. Seventeen male Targaryens ruled from the Iron Throne.<ref group="N">[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon I]], [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys I]], [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor I]], [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys I]], [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]], [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon III]], [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron I]], [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor I]], [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys II]], [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon IV]], [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron II]], [[Aerys I Targaryen|Aerys I]], [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar I]], [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]], [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys II]], [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]</ref> The dynasty ended with the death of [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys the Mad King]] during [[Robert's Rebellion]], in which the Targaryens were overthrown and replaced by [[House Baratheon of King's Landing|House Baratheon]]. The two surviving children of Aerys II, [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and [[Daenerys Targaryen]], fled into exile, and have resided in the [[Free Cities]] of [[Essos]] ever since.<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
===Traits===<br />
The phrase "blood of the dragon" refers to the Valyrian descent of the Targaryens, and more specifically to the fact that they were one of forty dragonlord families of [[Valyria]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} The typical Targaryen features remind strongly of the typical Valyrian features: pale skin, [[silver]], [[platinum]], or [[gold]] hair and eyes in a [[Purple eyes|variety of shades of purple]], or light blue.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh}}<br />
<br />
The Targaryens can tolerate a bit more heat than most ordinary people; However, they are not immune to fire.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref><ref name=egg>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Egg_and_the_Targaryens Egg and the Targaryens (November 05, 1998)]</ref><br />
<br />
Another trait typical to Targaryens is the ability to have [[dragon dreams|premonition-like dreams]].{{Ref|TMK}} The trait has been in the Targaryen family since before they relocated from [[Valyria]] to Dragonstone in {{date|-114}} (and in fact, is what caused them to relocate).{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} This trait was passed on to the cadet branch, [[House Blackfyre]], as well.{{Ref|TMK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens are seen as [[Targaryen madness|prone to madness]], presumably caused by their [[incest|inbreeding]].<ref name=egg/> According to King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys II]], ''"madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born [...] the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land"''.{{ref|ASOS|71}}<br />
<br />
===Customs===<br />
House Targaryen's words are "Fire and Blood."{{Ref|aSoS|23}} Their sigil is a three-headed [[dragon]] breathing flames, red on black.{{Ref|aGoT|4}}{{Ref|aGoT|18}}{{ref|aCoK|63}} The three-headed dragon represents [[Aegon I Targaryen|the Conqueror]] and his two sisters, [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]] and [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]].{{ref|aCoK|63}} Some younger sons of the house used variations of the standard sigil. Before his own reign, [[Maekar I Targaryen]] used the three-headed dragon, quartered,{{Ref|TSS}} while his son, Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]], changed the colors of the three heads - one orange, one yellow, one red - while the flames they breathed had a sheen of gold leaf.{{Ref|THK}} King [[Aegon II Targaryen]] used a golden dragon as his personal banner.{{Ref|tpatq}} In line with the sigil colors, most Targaryens used armor black of color (e.g., [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who had the three-headed dragon wrought in rubies on his breast plate,{{ref|agot|4}}{{Ref|agot|39}}{{Ref|agot|58}} [[Valarr Targaryen]],{{Ref|thk}} and [[Aemond Targaryen]], whose night-black armor was chased with gold{{Ref|tpatq}}).<br />
<br />
Although the Targaryen [[Iron Throne|kings]] took their seat at [[King's Landing]], the place where Aegon and his army [[Aegon's Landing|first landed]] in Westeros and made [[Aegonfort|their first fort]], replaced by the [[Red Keep]] later on, their earlier seat of [[Dragonstone]] remained in their possession as well.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} It eventually became the traditional seat of the heir-apparent to the throne, who was known as the [[Prince of Dragonstone]] (or Princess of Dragonstone, in a few occasions). The Targaryens eventually build a third seat, [[Summerhall]], in {{Date|188}}, which was granted to several younger sons of House Targaryen,{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}} who were granted the title "[[Prince of Summerhall]]".{{Ref|thk}}{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}} <br />
<br />
House Targaryen historically followed the gods of [[Valyrian Freehold|Valyria]]. Sometime before [[Aegon's Conquest]], the Targaryens abandoned the Valyrian gods and converted to the [[Faith of the Seven]], the predominant religion in Westeros.<ref>[http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/119534-twoiaf-spoilers-inconsistency-or-intentional/&do=findComment&comment=6539881 Clarification] of [[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Asshai.com_Forum_Chat Asshai.com Forum Chat (July 27, 2008)]</ref> However, they continued to follow the Valyrian practice of [[incest]]uous marriage, wedding brother to sister, cousin to cousin, uncle to niece and aunt to nephew, holding themselves apart from and above the noble Westerosi families.<br />
<br />
Deceased Targaryens are traditionally cremated.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Asshai.com_Forum_Chat Asshai.com Forum Chat (July 27, 2008)]</ref> The ashes of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]], were interred and placed beneath the [[Red Keep]].{{Ref|TRP}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
===Dragons===<br />
:{{See also|Dragons|Dragon egg}}<br />
<br />
As one of the forty [[dragonlord]] families of Valyria, the Targaryens were closer to [[dragon]]s than other men. [[Aenar Targaryen]] brought five dragons with him when he moved from Valyria to Dragonstone, and [[Aegon I Targaryen]] and his sister-wives, [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]] and [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] rode them to battle during the [[Aegon's Conquest|Conquest]] of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] in {{date|-2}} - {{date|-1}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} The Targaryens rode their dragons during the first century and a half following Aegon's Conquest. Deaths in battle, especially during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], and a growing infirmity in each following generation caused the family's stable to dwindle. The [[last dragon]] was a deformed and sterile creature, who died young in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon III]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}<br />
<br />
The Targaryens housed their dragons in an immense domed structure in [[King's Landing]], the [[Dragonpit]], which was constructed during the reign of [[Maegor I Targaryen]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Not all dragons which hatched were ridden, however. On the island of [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]], several dragons, both wild and previously ridden, resided at least during the reigns of [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen]].{{Ref|TPATQ}}<br />
<br />
At some point, it became tradition to gift a newborn child with a [[dragon's egg]] in the cradle.{{Ref|TRP}} This practice continued even after the death of the last dragon, with the last Targaryens confirmed to have been given an egg having been the sons of Prince [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar]] during the reign of [[Daeron II Targaryen]].{{Ref|TMK}} Whether the tradition was continued beyond this point is unknown; However, the Targaryens still possessed eggs as recent as the reign of [[Aerys II Targaryen]], the last king of the Targaryen Dynasty.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} Several attempts have been made, since the death of the last dragon, to hatch these eggs by members of House Targaryen. This list includes [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon III]] and his younger brother and [[Hand of the King]], [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys]],{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}{{ref|aSoS|54}} [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor I]],{{Ref|aFfC|5}} [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]],{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} and [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} <br />
<br />
==History==<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon the Conqueror]], the greatest of the Targaryens, upon Balerion, the Black Dread by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©.]]<br />
A complete history of House Targaryen is planned for ''[[Fire and Blood]]'',<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html The Rogues Are Coming...]</ref> to be published several years after the completion of ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''.<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/347757.html?thread=18471789#t18471789 The Dangerous Women Are Coming]</ref><br />
<br />
===Origins and relocation===<br />
House Targaryen was one of the forty ancient noble houses known as [[dragonlords]] who ruled the [[Valyrian Freehold]], a great empire spanning much of [[Essos]]. The Targaryens were not one of the most powerful houses, however. The family resided in Valyria until [[Daenys Targaryen]], also known as Daenys the Dreamer, the daughter of Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]], had visions of a cataclysm that would come over Valyria. Aenar sold his estates in Valyria and moved his wives, children, other relatives, slaves, wealth, and five dragons (including [[Balerion]]) to [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]], an island at the entrance of [[Blackwater Bay]] and the westernmost outpost of Valyrian influence, where he took possession of a [[Dragonstone|castle of the same name]], in {{date|-114}}. Twelve years later the [[Doom of Valyria|Doom]] descended on the city of [[Valyria]], leading to the collapse of the Freehold. The Targaryens were the only dragonriders of Valyria to survive. In the century that followed, four of the five dragons of House Targaryen died, with only Balerion surviving. Two more dragons, [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]], were hatched from eggs on Dragonstone, however.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
During the century after the Doom, which became known as the [[Century of Blood]] due to the violent struggles for power in Essos, [[Volantis]] attempted to seize power over Valyria's colonies. Most of the other [[Free Cities]] rebelled against Volantis, and towards the end of the Century of Blood, the young Lord [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], rider of the dragon Balerion, was approached by [[Pentos]] and [[Tyrosh]] to form an alliance. Aegon, mounted on his dragon Balerion, flew first to Pentos to meet its [[Prince of Pentos|prince]], and then to [[Lys]], where he set the Volantene fleet aflame. With Volantis's rule at an end, he returned to Dragonstone, and focused his attention to the lands west, which had always been of interest to him.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===Aegon I's Wars of Conquest===<br />
:{{Main|Aegon's Conquest|First Dornish War}}<br />
[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], Lord of Dragonstone, aspired to unite the [[Seven Kingdoms]] of [[Westeros]] under one ruler. Slightly more than a hundred years after the Doom of Valyria, in {{date|-2}}, he began his [[Aegon's Conquest|conquest]], in which he was aided by his two sister-wives, [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]] and [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]]. All three were dragonriders, and used their dragons, [[Balerion]], [[Meraxes]], and [[Vhagar]] in battle. [[Aegon's Conquest]] lasted for two years. It began with Aegon's landing at the mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]] with a small force, and ended when Aegon was anointed king by the [[High Septon (Aegon's Conquest)|High Septon]] in [[Oldtown]]. In total, he had managed to conquer six of the seven kingdoms, with only [[Dorne]] remaining defiant. During the war [[House Gardener]], which had ruled the [[Reach]], and [[House Hoare]], which had ruled the [[Iron Islands]] and the [[riverlands]], were extinguished, while [[House Durrandon]], which had reigned over the [[Stormlands]], was continued [[House Baratheon|through the female line]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} From the swords of his enemies, Aegon created the [[Iron Throne]], and the dynasty he began would rule for nearly three hundred years.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}{{Ref|AGOT|43}} Aegon had constructed a wooden castle, the [[Aegonfort]], at the place where he had first come to shore, and the town that grew around it became [[King's Landing]], the kingdom's new capital.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} Dragonstone remained in the possession of the Targaryens as well, and was one of Aegon's favorite places.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The region around King's Landing became known as the [[crownlands]].<br />
[[File:Death of Meraxes.jpg|thumb|350px|Death of [[Meraxes]] at [[Hellholt]].]]<br />
<br />
In {{date|4}}, Aegon's wars of conquest continued with the [[First Dornish War]], during which he and Rhaenys attempted to bring the Dornish under Targaryen rule as well.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} A bloody war, during which Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]] was killed with her dragon, [[Meraxes]], at [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} An assassination attempt on Aegon that same year led to the creation of the [[Kingsguard]], who would guard the kings of the realm for centuries to come.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The [[First Dornish War]] eventually ended in {{Date|13}}, after Prince [[Nymor Martell]], the [[Prince of Dorne]], had sent his daughter [[Deria Martell|Deria]] to King's Landing with a letter and the skull of Meraxes. Though the contents of the letter have never been revealed, Aegon agreed to an end of the war the next day.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
<br />
===The Sons and Grandsons of the Dragon===<br />
:{{Main|Faith Militant uprising}}<br />
[[Aegon I Targaryen]] died in {{Date|37}}, and was succeeded by his eldest son, [[Aenys I Targaryen]]. Almost immediately, Aenys faced four rebellions which had grown out of dissent, dreams of the old days or of vengeance, and of the fact that Aenys and his younger brother, [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor]], had both been born from incestuous marriages. A bandit named [[Harren the Red]], claiming to be a grandson of [[Harren Hoare|Harren the Black]], took [[Harrenhal]] and killed Lord [[Gargon Qoherys]]. In the Vale, Lord [[Ronnel Arryn (king)|Ronnel Arryn]] and his family were taken hostage by his younger brother, [[Jonos Arryn]]. On the [[Iron Islands]], a man claimed to be the priest-king [[Lodos (II)|Lodos]], finally returned from visiting [[Drowned God|his father]] after more than three centuries. And in Dorne, the [[Vulture King]] raised thirty thousand followers against the Targaryens.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} The rebels were swiftly defeated by the actions of Aenys's subjects and Maegor. Lord [[Goren Greyjoy]] killed the so-called priest-king, and sent his head to King Aenys. [[House Royce|Lord Royce]] of [[Runestone]] defeated the supporters of Jonos Arryn, though this caused the death of Lord Ronnel and his family when Jonos threw them out of the [[Moon Door]] in the [[Eyrie]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} Prince [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor]], who had claimed the dragon [[Balerion]] after his father's death, eventually flew up to the Eyrie and had Jonos and his followers executed.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}}<ref name=Sons>[http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/115696-spoilers-sons-of-the-dragon-reading-at-loncon-today/&do=findComment&comment=6134038 Sons of the Dragon (reading at LonCon 2014)]</ref> The Vulture King had made the mistake of splitting his large army, and was defeated during the [[Vulture Hunt]], in which Lord [[Orys Baratheon]] and several other [[Marcher lords]], including Lord [[House Dondarrion|Dondarrion]], Lady [[House Caron|Caron]], and Lord [[Samwell Tarly (Savage)|Sam Tarly]], marched against him.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}}<ref name=Sons/> And the last rebel, [[Harren the Red]], was eventually caught by Aenys's [[Hand of the King]], Lord [[Alyn Stokeworth]]. Though Stokeworth was killed by Harren in the fighting that ensued, Harren himself was slain shortly after. As Stokeworth's replacement, Aenys named Maegor as his Hand.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}}<br />
<br />
The next challenges Aenys faced came from the [[Faith of the Seven]]. Even though the Targaryens had been followers of the [[Faith of the Seven]] since before the [[Aegon's Conquest|Conquest]], the Targaryens held themselves apart from the laws of gods and men. By marrying both his sisters, Aegon I had continued both the Valyrian practice of incestuous [[marriage]], which was considered a sin in the eyes of the Seven, as well as the more rarely practiced custom of [[polygamy]], even though the Faith of the Seven considered marriage only possible between one man and one wife.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} Even though Aegon I had always been careful regarding the Faith, the High Septons had never declared his marriages lawful, though they had not spoken up against Aegon's polygamous and incestuous marriages either.<ref name=Sons/> However, when Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]] had suggested, in {{Date|23}}, that her son Maegor should be married to Aenys's infant daughter, Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena]], the High Septon had protested, and Maegor had been married to the High Septon's niece, [[Ceryse Hightower]], instead.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} After sixteen years of marriage, however, Maegor remained childless. Following the birth of Aenys I's sixth child in {{Date|39}},<ref name=Sons/> Maegor took a second wife, [[Alys Harroway]]. This greatly angered the Faith, and Aenys gave his brother the choice between abandoning Alys, or going in exile. Maegor chose the latter option, after which he left for [[Pentos]].{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Sept of Remembrance.jpg|thumb|400px|Maegor I Targaryen and Balerion burn down the [[Sept of Remembrance]].]]<br />
The Faith remained discontent. Though they had not objected to Aenys's own marriage in {{Date|22}}, to his cousin [[Alyssa Velaryon]], new troubles arose in {{Date|41}} when Aenys married his eldest daughter, Rhaena, to his eldest son and heir, Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon]]. The uproar this marriage caused led to the start of the [[Faith Militant uprising]].{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} Aenys fled to Dragonstone, but fell sick and died in {{Date|42}}. Dowager Queen [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] immediately called Maegor back from his exile, allowing him to claim the throne. Maegor took King's Landing back from the Faith Militant, though he would spent his entire reign fighting against them. In addition, he fought against Aenys's heir, Aegon, and killed both him and his dragon [[Quicksilver]] in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
<br />
Maegor's reign was a cruel one. He finished the construction of the [[Red Keep]], which had begun in {{Date|35}}, during his reign,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} though he honored his moniker "the Cruel" when he killed all the construction workers after work was completed. He had come back from his exile with a third wife, [[Tyanna]], but was still without an heir towards the end of his reign. Denouncing the claims of Aenys's only surviving son, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]], Maegor married his three [[Black Brides]], one of whom was Jaehaerys's sister, Rhaena, and named Rhaena's [[Aerea Targaryen|daughter]] as his heir until he had a child of his own. While support for Jaehaerys grew, support for Maegor dwindled. When Maegor died mysteriously in {{date|48}}, Jaehaerys succeeded him.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} A wise ruler known as [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys the Conciliator]], Jaehaerys ruled wisely for fifty-five years, during which time he made peace with the Faith. He faced a difficult decision in {{Date|92}} following the death of his heir, Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], when he had to name either Aemon's daughter, [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys]], or Aemon's brother, [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon]], as his heir. Jaehaerys chose Baelon, but Baelon died in {{Date|101}}, which caused Jaehaerys to become the first king to call a [[Great Council]], where Baelon's son was chosen as Jaehaerys's heir. Jaehaerys died two years later, in {{Date|103}}, and was succeeded by his grandson, [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
===Death of the Dragons===<br />
:{{See also|Dance of the Dragons}}<br />
<br />
King [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I's]] reign had troubles of its own. By his first wife, Lady [[Aemma Arryn]], to whom he had been married since {{Date|93}}, he had one surviving daughter, [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]]. Aemma died in {{Date|105}} in childbed, as did her son, [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Baelon]], after which Viserys officially declared Rhaenyra to be his heir, having the lords of the realm swear fealty to her. Though Viserys remarried in {{Date|106}}, and had three sons, [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon]], [[Aemond Targaryen|Aemond]], and [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron]], and one daughter, [[Helaena Targaryen|Helaena]], by his new wife, Queen [[Alicent Hightower]], he insisted that Rhaenyra remained his heir. Rivalry between Rhaenyra and Alicent resulted in two fractions being formed at court, called the [[blacks]] and the [[greens]]. Alicent's three sons loathed Rhaenyra's three eldest sons, [[Jacaerys Velaryon|Jacaerys]], [[Lucerys Velaryon|Lucerys]] and [[Joffrey Velaryon]], all three rumored to have been bastards fathered by Ser [[Harwin Strong]], as they considered themselves to have been robbed of their birthright: the Iron Throne.{{Ref|TRP}}<br />
<br />
Both Rhaenyra and her uncle, Prince [[Daemon Targaryen|Daemon]], the younger brother of Viserys I, had been married into [[House Velaryon]], and both had children by their respective spouses. When both Rhaenyra's husband [[Laenor Velaryon|Laenor]] and Daemon's wife [[Laena Velaryon|Laena]] died in {{Date|120}}, they married each other, and had three more children ([[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon the Younger]], [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys]], and the stillborn [[Visenya Targaryen (daughter of Rhaenyra)|Visenya]]). Meanwhile, King Viserys's son [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon]] and daughter [[Helaena Targaryen|Helaena]] had been married as well, with three children resulting from their marriage ([[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen|Jaehaera]], and [[Maelor Targaryen|Maelor]]).{{Ref|TRP}}<br />
<br />
When Viserys died in {{Date|129}}, his widow, Dowager Queen [[Alicent Hightower]], and the [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard|Lord Commander]] of [[Kingsguard#Kingsguard during the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen (103 AC-129 AC)|his Kingsguard]], Ser [[Criston Cole]], defied Viserys's last will, and crowned Viserys's son [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]] while Rhaenyra, unaware of her father's death, resided on [[Dragonstone]]. Unwilling to submit to her brother, Rhaenyra declared war, and the resulting conflict over the succession, called the [[Dance of the Dragons]] ({{date|129|131}}), divided the kingdom. During this bloody war, thousands died, as did most of the Targaryen [[dragon]]s. Rhaenyra herself was devoured by [[Sunfyre]], Aegon II's dragon, in late {{Date|130}} while her son [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon the Younger]] looked on.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}{{Ref|tpatq}} Despite her death and Aegon the Younger's capture, the war raged on for another half year.{{Ref|TPATQ}} Aegon II was forced into betrothing his daughter and only remaining child, [[Jaehaera Targaryen|Jaehaera]], to Rhaenyra's eldest surviving son, [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon the Younger]], and name them his heirs,<ref>asoiaf.westeros.org: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/139166-aegon-ii-and-aegon-iii/&do=findComment&comment=7552930 Aegon II and Aegon III (April 23) - post 1]</ref><ref>asoiaf.westeros.org [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/139166-aegon-ii-and-aegon-iii/&do=findComment&comment=7552965 Aegon II and Aegon III (April 23) - post 2]</ref> though he planned to remarry.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} The was lasted until mid-{{Date|131}}, when Aegon II was poisoned by his own councilors.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
With the war at an end, the eleven-year old Aegon the Younger ascended the throne as [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Until Aegon reached the [[age of majority|age of sixteen]], the realm was ruled by a [[regency of Aegon III|regency]]. Aegon's younger brother [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys]], formerly thought to have died during the Dance, returned to [[Westeros]], married to Lady [[Larra Rogare]]. Viserys served as his brother's [[Hand of the King]] towards the end of his reign. The Targaryen dragons had been greatly diminished in numbers because of the war, and when the [[last dragon]] died in {{Date|153}}, Viserys convinced Aegon to sent for nine mages from [[Essos]], to allow them to use their arts to hatch a clutch of [[dragon egg]]s. Sadly, their attempt failed.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}<br />
<br />
===War on Dorne===<br />
:{{Main|Conquest of Dorne}}<br />
When [[Aegon III Targaryen]] died in {{Date|157}} from consumption, he was succeeded by his eldest son, [[Daeron I Targaryen]], born to him by his second wife, Queen [[Daenaera Velaryon]] (his first marriage having ended both quickly and childless with the death of Queen [[Jaehaera Targaryen|Jaehaera]] in {{Date|133}}).{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} Though Daeron was only fourteen years of age, his uncle, Prince [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys]], decided not to insist on a regency, and continued to serve his new king as [[Hand of the King|Hand]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}} Daeron I had great ambition, and wished to "complete the conquest" which his ancestor [[Aegon I Targaryen]] had begun a century and a half before.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}} During Aegon's Conquest, [[Dorne]] had been the only kingdom to resist the Targaryen forces,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} and following the conclusion of the [[First Dornish War]] in {{Date|13}}, a peace had been agreed upon by the Targaryens and Martells which had long lasted.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} Daeron I managed to convince his councilors of his plans, and managed to [[Conquest of Dorne|conquer Dorne]] within a year. In {{Date|258}}, the [[Prince of Dorne]] and several other Dornish lords bent their knees at the [[Submission of Sunspear]]. The hinterlands were pacified by {{Date|159}}, and Daeron returned to King's Landing with fourteen highborn Dornish hostages, leaving Lord [[Harlan Tyrell]] behind to keep the peace.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}}<br />
<br />
However, Daeron's conquest did not last. The [[smallfolk]] rebelled, and though Lord Tyrell attempted to fight back, traveling from holdfast to holdfast, the rebels always struck back.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}} After he was murdered in his bed at [[Sandstone]], all of [[Dorne]] rose in open rebellion, and they managed to liberate themselves within a fortnight.{{ref|asos|66}} Daeron returned to Dorne in {{Date|160}}, and when the Dornish requested to discuss peace terms the next year, they betrayed Daeron by attacking him and his retinue beneath the peace banner. One of Daeron's [[Kingsguard]] knights surrendered, while another, his cousin [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Aemon the Dragonknight]], was captured. Three other Kingsguard knights were slain, as was Daeron I himself.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}} Though his reign had lasted only four years, it had been a bloody one. It is said that ten thousand men died conquering Dorne, and another forty or fifty thousand died trying to keep it.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}}{{Ref|AGOT|5}} Only eighteen years old at the time of his death, Daeron I had never been married<ref group="N">Though Martin has stated in 2008 that Daeron I had been married at the time of his death ([[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Targaryen_History Targaryen History (April 20, 2008)], ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'' states that Daeron had never been married during his lifetime (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I).</ref> and left no issue. He was succeeded by his younger brother, [[Baelor I Targaryen]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I}}<br />
<br />
Though in [[King's Landing]] Prince Viserys argued for the execution of the Dornish hostages, the new King Baelor I decided to free them instead. He walked barefoot from King's Landing to Sunspear, escorting the hostages home, and met with the [[Prince of Dorne]]. They forged a peace, and Baelor agreed to betroth his cousin, Prince [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron]] (his uncle Viserys's grandson), to the eldest child of the Prince of Dorne, Princess [[Myriah Martell]]. During his journey back home, Baelor passed by [[Wyl (castle)|Wyl]], where he freed his cousin [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Aemon]], though he was bitten by venomous snakes in the process. When he finally returned to King's Landing, Baelor convinced the High Septon to dissolve his marriage to his sister, [[Daena Targaryen|Daena]], whom he had wed in {{Date|160}}, as it had never been consummated. He then locked Daena and her sisters [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aegon III)|Rhaena]] and [[Elaena Targaryen|Elaena]] in the [[Maidenvault]], to "preserve their innocence". Baelor I was focused mostly on the [[Faith of the Seven]], and even took a [[septon]]'s vows, ensuring he would never father heirs. His edicts became more focussed on spiritual matters as his reign continued, causing unease among the highborn. Baelor began the construction of [[Great Sept of Baelor|a new sept]], though it would not be completed until after his death. Baelor also began to fast more frequently and for longer periods of time towards the end of his reign. And when his sister and former wife [[Daena Targaryen|Daena]], who had escaped the Maidenvault on several occasions during Baelor's reign, gave birth to a bastard son she named [[Daemon I Blackfyre|Daemon Waters]] in late {{Date|170}}, Baelor began a forty-day fast (even though another lengthy fast several years before had nearly killed him). Baelor was found collapsed on the forty-first day, and died soon after, in {{Date|171}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}<br />
<br />
As the next male in line, Prince Viserys, who had served as Hand of the King for [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon III]], [[Daeron I Targaryen|Daeron I]], and [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor I]], ascended the throne after Baelor's sisters were passed over.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}} Though he ruled for only a year, [[Viserys II Targaryen]] made several reforms in the royal household, established a new royal mint, attempted to increase trade across the [[narrow sea]], and revised the code of laws established by Jaehaerys I years before.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}}<br />
<br />
===The Blackfyre Pretenders===<br />
:{{See also|Blackfyre Pretenders}}<br />
[[File:Redgrass Field.png|thumb|350px|Daemon I Blackfyre fighting in the Battle of the Redgrass Field]]<br />
Viserys II was succeeded by his eldest son, [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon IV]], who was rumored to have had a hand in his father's death.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} Aegon's reign was filled with corruption, and he gave and took from noble houses as he wished, whenever he wanted to.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} He had been married to his sister [[Naerys Targaryen|Naerys]] in {{Date|153}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}} They differed greatly in personalities,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}} and childbirth was hard on her. When their son [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron]] was born in {{Date|153}}, the [[Grand Maester]] warned that another childbirth could kill Naerys. However, Aegon took no heed, and impregnated Naerys three more times. Only one child, however, survived: Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen (daughter of Aegon IV)|Daenerys]], born in {{Date|172}}. Naerys died in childbirth several years later.{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}}<br />
<br />
Aegon was very promiscuous, both before and during his reign. He had [[bastard]] children by several women, though he only acknowledged those fathered upon his nine official mistresses, with one exception: his cousin Daena's son, [[Daemon I Blackfyre|Daemon Waters]]. In {{Date|182}}, Aegon openly recognized the boy as his own son<ref name=greatbastards>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/The_Great_Bastards/ The Great Bastards (December 26, 2005)]</ref> and gifted him the [[Valyrian steel]] sword [[Blackfyre]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} There were some who felt that the sword symbolized the monarchy,<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/SF_Targaryens_Valyria_Sansa_Martells_and_More SF, Targaryens, Valyria, Sansa, Martells, and More (June 26, 2001)]</ref> as the sword had been passed on from king to king since Aegon the Conqueror (with one exception<ref name=Aenys group="N">Aenys I Targaryen gifted the sword to his brother, Prince Maegor, after their father's cremation</ref>). Aegon's public gift of the sword to his bastard son was one of the seeds from which the [[First Blackfyre Rebellion]] would eventually grow. Following the acquisition of the sword, Daemon took the surname "Blackfyre" for himself.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}}<br />
<br />
Aegon IV's relationship with his trueborn heir was more troublesome. Once he was old enough to voice his own opinions, Prince [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron]] and Aegon IV quarreled more often, and towards the end of Aegon's reign, Daeron became his chief obstacle. When Aegon attempted to invade [[Dorne]] with wooden dragons and a fleet in {{Date|174}}, the homeland of Daeron's wife, [[Myriah Martell]], rumors were heard for the first time that Daeron had been fathered by Aegon's brother [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Aemon]] instead of Aegon. Though Aemon defeated Ser [[Morgil Hastwyck]] in a trial by combat when he accused Naerys of adultery, the rumors remained, and it was believed that they had originated with King Aegon himself, though he denied it. Following the death of both Aemon and Naerys, Aegon began more openly to refer to Daeron's illegitimacy, though he never disowned him. Finally, on his death bed in {{Date|184}}, Aegon IV legitimized all of his [[bastards]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} Though his successor, his son [[Daeron II Targaryen]], could not undo this, he made attempts to keep his half-siblings close.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}<br />
<br />
Daeron II began his reign by negotiating with his brother-in-law, [[Maron Martell]], who had [[Prince of Dorne|inherited the rule]] of Dorne. He arranged a marriage between Maron and his sister, [[Daenerys Targaryen (daughter of Aegon IV)|Daenerys]], which occurred in {{Date|187}}. Following the wedding, Dorne officially joined the realm, and did fealty to the [[Iron Throne]]. However, while the Seven Kingdoms were now finally united, dissatisfaction grew with the concessions that Dorne had won, as well as the growing Dornish influence at Daeron's court. Daeron II's heir, Prince [[Baelor Targaryen (son of Daeron II)|Baelor]], favored his dornish mother in his physical appearance, and more and more lords began to wish for "the old days", when the Dornish had been the enemy in battle, and not rivals for power at court.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}<br />
<br />
These lords looked at Daemon Blackfyre, and saw in him a warrior, tall and powerful, with the hallmarks of Old [[Valyria]] (deep purple eyes, silver-gold hair down to his shoulders), who was described as having had an "almost inhumane beauty", being "half a god among mortal men".{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}<ref name=greatbastards/> Though it took many years, talk eventually turned into treason when Daemon planned to make his claim for the [[Iron Throne]]. The [[First Blackfyre Rebellion]] began in early {{Date|196}} and lasted nigh on a year, ending late in the year with the [[Battle of the Redgrass Field]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}} Daemon and his two eldest sons, [[Aegon Blackfyre|Aegon]] and [[Aemon Blackfyre]], were killed,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}{{Ref|TSS}} whereas [[Aegor Rivers]], another one of Daeron II's half-brothers, fled into exile with Daemon's remaining children and the sword Blackfyre. For a while, Rivers resided in [[Tyrosh]] with Daemon's family,{{Ref|TMK}} until he formed the [[Golden Company]] in {{Date|212}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}}<br />
<br />
===The Great Spring Sickness===<br />
The remainder of Daeron II's reign was peaceful. However, in its final year, {{Date|209}}, problems began when Daeron's heir and [[Hand of the King]], Prince [[Baelor Targaryen (son of Daeron II)|Baelor]], died when defending a hedge knight called [[Duncan the Tall|Duncan]] in a [[trial of seven]] at the [[tourney at Ashford Meadow]].{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}{{Ref|THK}} It is believed that Baelor's youngest brother [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar]], who had fought on the side of the two accusers, his own eldest two sons [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron]] and [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion]], had been the one to fatally his Baelor's head.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}{{Ref|THK}} Following Baelor's cremation, Maekar sent Aerion into exile, while he allowed his youngest son, nicknamed "[[Aegon V Targaryen|Egg]]", to squire for Duncan, so he could be taught humility and honor.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Not long after the death of Baelor, the [[Great Spring Sickness]] began. Thousands died as a result, and among the victims were Daeron II and his two most immediate heirs, Baelor's two sons [[Valarr Targaryen|Valarr]] and [[Matarys Targaryen|Matarys]].{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II}}{{Ref|TSS}} As such, Daeron II was succeeded by his second son, [[Aerys I Targaryen]], in {{Date|209}}, whose reign began with a two-year drought.{{Ref|TSS}} The Spring Sickness had hit the cities of the Seven Kingdoms most, especially King's Landing, and most of the hostages King Daeron II had once taken after the First Blackfyre Rebellion had died, leaving their relatives feeling secure enough about attempting a new rebellion.{{ref|TMK}} Lord [[Gormon Peake]] convinced [[Daemon II Blackfyre]] to cross the [[narrow sea]] to claim the throne.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}} However, the [[Second Blackfyre Rebellion]] was far less successful than the first, as Daemon II was arrested at [[Whitewalls]] before he could even gather an army.{{Ref|TMK}} He was kept alive as a hostage at King's Landing, but died within years, allowing [[Aegor Rivers]] to crown [[Haegon I Blackfyre]] the new [[Blackfyre Pretenders|Blackfyre pretender]]. Haegon attempted [[Third Blackfyre Rebellion|his invasion]] in {{Date|219}}, when he crossed the [[narrow sea]] with the [[Golden Company]], led by Aegor Rivers. Haegon was slain after he had surrendered his sword, while Aegor was arrested, and sentenced to join the [[Night's Watch]]. He managed to escape, and returned to [[Tyrosh]], where he crowned Haegon's son, [[Daemon III Blackfyre]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}}<br />
<br />
===Succession problems===<br />
In addition to the two Blackfyre Rebellions, Aerys's reign knew multiple other troubles, including the [[Great Spring Sickness|plague]] and drought, dwindling trade, rising banditry, and the reaving of [[Dagon Greyjoy]].{{Ref|TSS}}{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}} Additionally, Aerys had difficulties with his heirs. Though he had been married to Lady [[Aelinor Penrose]] before his reign began, his marriage remained unconsummated. He additionally refused to take another to wife. As he had no issue of his own, he firstly acknowledged his younger brother [[Rhaegel Targaryen|Rhaegel]] as his heir. Following Rhaegel's death in {{Date|215}}, Rhaegel's son [[Aelor Targaryen|Aelor]] was named [[Prince of Dragonstone]]. Aelor died in {{Date|217}}, after which Aerys I's youngest brother, [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar]] was named heir.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I}}<br />
<br />
Maekar succeeded Aerys I in {{Date|221}}, and reigned for twelve years.{{Ref|AGOT|Appendix}} However, when Maekar himself died while leading an attack on [[Starpike]] in the [[Peake Uprising]]<ref>[http://www.georgerrmartin.com/world-of-ice-and-fire-sample/ The World of Ice and Fire sample]</ref> in {{Date|233}}, the succession once more became a problem. Maekar I's eldest son, Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron]], had predeceased his father, and left behind only one child: a single-minded daughter, [[Vaella Targaryen (daughter of Daeron)|Vaella]]. Maekar's second son, [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion]], had died in {{Date|232}} when drinking a cup of wildfire. Aerion's only issue was an infant son named [[Maegor Targaryen (son of Aerion)|Maegor]], born the same year Aerion had died. Maekar's third son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], had been sent to the [[Citadel]] at [[Oldtown]] by King Daeron II at a young age,{{Ref|ACOK|6}} where he had completed his [[maester]]'s chain at the age of nineteen,{{Ref|AWOIAF| Aemon}} and his youngest son, [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon]] (also known as "Egg"), was disliked by several lords, as he had often meddled in their affairs.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}}{{Ref|ACOK|6}}<br />
<br />
A [[Great Council]] was called by [[Brynden Rivers]], who had served as Maekar's Hand of the King. The council passed over [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron's]] daughter and [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion's]] infant son, and because of the dislike some had for Maekar's youngest son, the crown was quietly offered to Aemon first. Following Aemon's refusal, they crowned Maekar I's youngest son as [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]]. Aegon V became known as "The Unlikely", as he had been the fourth son of a fourth son.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}}{{Ref|ACOK|6}}<br />
<br />
===The Unlikely Reign===<br />
The reign of Aegon V began troubled. He felt forced to arrest [[Brynden Rivers]], who had served both Maekar I and Aerys I as Hand, after Brynden, who had offered safe passage to [[Aenys Blackfyre]], the fifth son of the late [[Daemon I Blackfyre]], from Tyrosh to King's Landing, so Aenys could present his own claim during the Great Council, betrayed Aenys by arresting and executing him upon arrival. Rivers was sent to the [[Wall]] and joined the [[Night's Watch]]. Aegon V's brother Aemon accompanied Rivers, intent on joining the [[Night's Watch]] as well so his claim to the throne could not be used against the king.{{Ref|affc|15}}<br />
<br />
Aegon spend much of his reign in battle. When winter ended in {{Date|236}}, [[Daemon III Blackfyre]] and [[Aegor Rivers]] crossed the narrow sea to begin the [[Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion]]. They were supported by few, however, and Daemon III was eventually slain by a knight of Aegon V's [[Kingsguard]], Ser [[Duncan the Tall]].{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
Further opposition came from the lords of Aegon V's realm, as many disagreed with his policies, or distrusted and hated him, as they felt that his wanderings with the [[hedge knight]] [[Duncan the Tall|Duncan]] had left him "half a peasant".{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Maekar I}} Aegon's reign had begun in the middle of a cruel six-year long winter, which had led to starvation and suffering in the north. Concerned for the welfare of the poor and weak, Aegon V made attempts to increase the flow of food to the north. However, some disagreed, as they felt Aegon did too much in this regard.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Aegon further wanted to diminish the powers of the lords, and enacted numerous reforms while giving new rights and protections to the [[smallfolk]]. For this, he faced fierce opposition and at times even open defiance. One lord even went as far as to denounce Aegon V as a "bloody-handed tyrant intent on depriving us of our gods-given rights and liberties."{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
A major rebellion in {{Date|239}} was caused by Aegon's eldest son. Aegon V had five children, [[Duncan Targaryen|Duncan]], [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys]], [[Shaera Targaryen|Shaera]], [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Aegon V)|Daeron]], and [[Rhaelle Targaryen|Rhaelle]], and for the eldest four betrothals had been arranged to several great Houses ([[House Baratheon]], [[House Tully|Tully]], [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] and [[House Redwyne|Redwyne]] respectively). When Duncan, in {{Date|239}}, broke his betrothal to a daughter of Lord [[Lyonel Baratheon]] to marry [[Jenny of Oldstones]], going as far as to renounce his rights to the throne for her, Lord Lyonel declared the independence of the [[Stormlands]] in response. Only after his defeat in a [[trial by combat]] against the [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard|Lord Commander]] of Aegon's [[Kingsguard]], Ser [[Duncan the Tall]], and the promise of the hand of Aegon V's daughter Rhaelle in marriage to Lyonel's heir, [[Ormund Baratheon]], did Lyonel join the King's peace again.{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Aegon's other children (except Rhaelle) all broke their own betrothals as well. While Jaehaerys and Shaera secretly married each other in {{Date|240}}, Daeron chose to remain unwed.{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
Towards the end of his reign, Aegon V began to dream of dragons with whom he could bend the lords of Westeros to his will. As several Targaryen kings had tried before him, seems to have attempted to hatch dragon eggs at [[Summerhall]], where he had gathered those closest to him to celebrate the upcoming birth of his first great-grandchild in {{Date|259}}. However, in a [[Tragedy of Summerhall|great tragedy]] occurred, causing the death of Aegon V, Prince Duncan, and many more. Though the survivors would not speak of what had happened, the histories of [[Archmaester]] [[Gyldayn]], the last maester to serve as the castle, speaks of seven eggs and [[pyromancers]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} As Summerhall was burning down, Princess [[Rhaella Targaryen]], the only daughter of Prince Jaehaerys and Princess Shaera, gave birth to a healthy son named [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]].{{Ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===War of the Ninepenny Kings===<br />
Aegon V's second son [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] ascended the throne in {{Date|259}} following the [[Tragedy of Summerhall]], and was immediately faced with a threat from the east when the [[Band of Nine]] conquered first [[Tyrosh]] and then the [[Stepstones]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}} The Band of Nine had formed in the [[Disputed Lands]] in {{Date|258}} from nine outlaws, exiles, pirates, and sellsword captains. They swore to aid one another in conquering a kingdom for each member. One of these members was [[Maelys I Blackfyre]], known as "the Monstrous", who held command over the Golden Company.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
To face the "Ninepenny Kings", as Prince [[Duncan Targaryen]] had named them before his death,{{Ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} King Jaehaerys II sent an army, including his own heir Prince [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys]] and his Hand, Lord [[Ormund Baratheon]], which landed on the shores of the Stepstones in {{Date|260}}. For most of the year, the war continued, but ended when a young knight called [[Barristan Selmy]] killed Maelys, thereby ending the male line of the Blackfyres after five generations.{{ref|ASOS|67}}{{Ref|ADWD|5}}{{Ref|ADWD|67}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}} As the remainders of the Band of Nine had little interest in Westeros, this victory ended the war.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}<br />
<br />
In total, Jaehaerys II only reigned for three years, and died after a short sickbed in {{Date|262}}. He was succeeded by his only son, [[Aerys II Targaryen]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Fall of the Dragons===<br />
:{{See also|Defiance of Duskendale|Tourney at Harrenhal|Robert's Rebellion}}<br />
<br />
While the reign of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] began with much promise, his would become the reign which ended the Targaryen Dynasty. Upon ascending the throne, he replaced all of his father's elderly councilors with younger men, and appointed a friend from his youth, the twenty-year old [[Tywin Lannister]], as his [[Hand of the King]]. While Aerys had great plans for his realm, his attention span was short and most plans were quickly forgotten. While Tywin would be Aerys II's Hand for nineteen years, tensions between the two friends began early in Aerys's reign. Aerys grew increasingly jealous of Tywin and over time began to insult him, while the deaths of several of his children contributed further to his madness. When in {{Date|276}}, after three miscarriages, two stillbirths, and three deaths in the cradle, Prince [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] was born, Tywin hosted a [[tournament in honor of Viserys's birth]] at [[Lannisport]], which Aerys II and Rhaegar attended.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} There, Tywin suggested his ten-year-old daughter [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] as a bride for Rhaegar, and her twin [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] as Rhaegar's [[squire]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}{{Ref|AFFC|24}} Aerys refused him, stating he would not wed his son to the daughter of his servant.{{Ref|AFFC|24}}<br />
<br />
Aerys's jealousy for Tywin increased further when he learned of the saying that Tywin was the true ruler of the kingdom, making his suspicious of his subjects at court. His jealousy and desire to show himself as a leader led to his rash action of accepting the invitation of Lord [[House Darklyn|Darklyn]] to travel to [[Duskendale]], as to discuss Darklyn's petition. Aerys went to Duskendale with only a small escort, and was captured upon arrival. This revolt, known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]], lasted for half a year, during which time Aerys II was kept in the dungeons, while Lord Tywin besieged the city. Though he was eventually freed, the last of Aerys's sanity had died during his captivity. He became increasingly suspicious everyone, including his own heir, [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], and refused to leave the [[Red Keep]] for four years. Tensions between Aerys and Rhaegar grew, moreso after Rhaegar and his new bride [[Elia Martell]] moved to his seat of [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|280}}. In {{Date|281}}, Aerys appointed Tywin's heir, Ser Jaime Lannister, to his Kingsguard, leaving Tywin with a [[Tyrion Lannister|dwarf]] for an heir. Tywin resigned as Hand and left King's Landing. Convinced that his son Rhaegar planned to gather as much lords as possible to dispose Aerys at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]] held later that same year, Aerys personally attended the tourney. When the victorious Prince Rhaegar passed by his own wife, Elia, and named [[Lyanna Stark]], the betrothed of his cousin [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]], as his [[queen of love and beauty]], it caused fury and tensions among those present, and inflamed Aerys's council against Rhaegar further.{{Ref|twoiaf| The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring}}<br />
<br />
The next year, Rhaegar left his wife and newborn son [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon]] on [[Dragonstone]] and went on a journey. Ultimately, he ended up in the [[riverlands]] where he disappeared with Lyanna Stark. Lyanna's brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] went to [[King's Landing]], threatening Prince Rhaegar's life. Though Rhaegar was not present, King Aerys had Brandon arrested, and summoned his father, Lord [[Rickard Stark|Rickard]], for a trial. At the "trial", Aerys had both men killed, after which he demanded the heads of Lord [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]], Lyanna's betrothed, and [[Eddard Stark]], Lyanna's younger brother. Their foster father, Lord [[Jon Arryn]], refused Aerys's commands and raised his banners, thereby starting a [[Robert's Rebellion|civil war]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Fall of the Dragons: Robert's Rebellion}}<br />
<br />
Towards the end of the war, Lord [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]] proclaimed his intend to claim the [[Iron Throne]].<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/US_Signing_Tour_Huntington_Beach_CA US Signing Tour (Huntington Beach, CA) (November 19, 2005)]</ref> Out of the three leaders of the rebellion, Robert had the better claim,{{ref|agot|30}} due to the fact that his grandmother had been Princess [[Rhaelle Targaryen]], the youngest daughter of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]].{{ref|affc|35}} Prince Rhaegar eventually returned from the south and took command of the royal troops, leading them during the [[Battle of the Trident]], where he was killed by Robert.{{Ref|ASOS|37}} Aerys sent his new heir, Prince [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], and the pregnant Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]] to Dragonstone, while keeping Rhaegar's wife and two children as hostages at King's Landing.{{ref|asos|37}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Fall of the Dragons: The End}} Though he had ignored calls to arms from both the loyalists and the rebels, Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] appeared with an army at the gates of King's Landing hours before the arrival of a rebel army. Feigning loyalty to House Targaryen, the Lannister forces [[Sack of King's Landing|sacked King's Landing]] once allowed into the city,{{ref|AGOT|12}}{{Ref|ASOS|37}} slaying Princess [[Elia Martell|Elia]], [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Rhaegar)|Rhaenys]], and the infant Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon]],{{Ref|ASOS|70}}{{Ref|ASOS|53}} while Aerys's only Kingsguard knight in the city, [[Jaime Lannister]], killed the king in the throne room.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Fall of the Dragons: The End}}{{Ref|ASOS|37}}<br />
<br />
The war was at an end, and on the mainland the final opposition to the reign of Robert I Baratheon was resolved. On Dragonstone, however, the last Targaryens held their last stronghold. Dowager Queen Rhaella crowned her son Viserys,{{Ref|awoiaf| Rhaella Targaryen}} but died some nine months after her flight from King's Landing when she gave birth to Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] in {{Date|284}} during a great storm that destroyed the Targaryen fleet which had been protecting the island. With the enemy approaching the island and the garrison willing to surrender, Ser [[Willem Darry]] spirited young Viserys and Daenerys to the [[Free City]] of [[Braavos]], where they remained until his death near {{Date|289}}.{{Ref|AGOT|3}} Afterwards, Viserys and Daenerys traveled from city to city for years,{{Ref|AGOT|3}}{{Ref|ASOS|8}} forced to sell the last of their belongings, until they were taken in by [[Magister]] [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in {{Date|297}}.{{Ref|AGOT|3}}<br />
<br />
And so, following two hundred and eighty-three years of rule, the Targaryen Dynasty ended in {{Date|283}} with the death of Aerys II and the exile of his young son Viserys.<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
[[File:John Picacio Daenerys Targaryen.jpg|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and her three fledgling [[dragons]] - © 2012 John Picacio|thumb|300px|right]]<br />
<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
Across the [[narrow sea]], the [[Aerys II Targaryen]]'s surviving son is claiming legitimacy as "[[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys III]]". He and his sister, [[Daenerys Targaryen]], having wandered the [[Free Cities]] for years seeking aid from various merchant princes to restore House Targaryen to the throne, have been taken in by [[Illyrio Mopatis]], a [[magister]] of [[Pentos]].{{Ref|AGOT|3}} With Illyrio's help, Viserys betroths his thirteen-year-old sister Daenerys to [[Drogo]],a ''[[khal]]'' of the [[Dothraki]], in exchange for the promise of warriors to reclaim his throne.{{Ref|AGOT|11}} Daenerys marries Drogo,{{ref|agot|11}} and the two accompany the ''[[khalasar]]'' in the journey to [[Vaes Dothrak]].{{Ref|AGOT|36}} During this time, Daenerys begins to learn to stand up to her brother, while Viserys's behavior leads to him being mocked by the other Dothraki.{{Ref|AGOT|23}} Viserys is killed by Drogo after threatening the lives of Daenerys and her unborn child with a sword, despite weapons being forbidden in the sacred city.{{Ref|AGOT|46}}<br />
<br />
King [[Robert I Baratheon]] promises a lordship to whoever manages to kill Daenerys, her unborn child, or Viserys.{{Ref|AGOT|33}} After Daenerys escapes an assassination attempt by poison, Drogo vows to invade the [[Seven Kingdoms]].{{Ref|agot|54}} When Drogo is injured in battle against another ''khalasar'', Daenerys has one of her newly acquired slaves, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], see to his wounds,{{Ref|agot|61}} but Drogo's wound infects nonetheless.{{Ref|AGOT|64}} Daenerys attempts to save his life by having Mirri perform [[blood magic]], but this causes disagreement among the warriors in Drogo's ''khalasar'', and ensues in fighting. Daenerys goes into labor{{Ref|agot|64}} and eventually wakes to find her child was stillborn and deformed, Drogo's ''khalasar'' broken up, and Drogo himself an empty shell of the man he once was.{{Ref|AGOT|64}} Daenerys has Mirri arrested and smothers Drogo with a pillow to end his suffering.{{Ref|AGOT|64}} She places her three [[dragon egg]]s on Drogo's funeral pyre, as well as Mirri. When the fire is burning, Daenerys enters the pyre herself, and when the flames have died out the next morning is found unharmed, with three newly-hatched [[dragons]] in her arms. They are the first dragons in the [[known world]] in a century and a half.{{Ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
At the [[Wall]] in [[Westeros]], the hundred-year-old Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], brother to the late King [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]], still resides at [[Castle Black]]. Aemon intervenes when a new recruit, [[Jon Snow]], asks for his help with a fellow recruit, [[Samwell Tarly]], naming Sam his personal servant to prevent him from remaining in training, which would have meant his death.{{ref|aGoT|41}}{{ref|aGoT|48}} Aemon later advises Jon regarding the conflict of loyalty between family and duty to the [[Night's Watch]], revealing he had felt such conflicting feelings himself trice, most recently when he was informed of the [[Robert's Rebellion|deaths of the last of his house]].{{Ref|AGOT|60}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
Daenerys has named her three dragons [[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]], after her late husband and brothers.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} She leads the few remaining people of her ''khalasar'' through the [[red waste]],{{Ref|ACOK|12}} and is given entrance to [[Qarth]].{{Ref|ACOK|27}} There, she resides with merchant prince [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]].{{Ref|ACOK|27}} Once in Qarth, Daenerys learns of the death of King Robert I Baratheon in Westeros and the [[War of the Five Kings|war]] that erupted as a result.{{Ref|ACOK|27}}<br />
<br />
After having been denied help by the [[Pureborn]] of Qarth, Daenerys decides to request aid from the [[warlocks]].{{Ref|ACOK|40}} She drinks [[shade-of-the-evening]] and enters the [[House of the Undying]], where she meets the [[Undying Ones]] after seeing many visions. The Undying Ones give her cryptic information before attempting to consume her. Drogon rescues her, setting the House of the Undying on fire.{{Ref|ACOK|48}} Unwelcome in Qarth following the destruction of the home of the warlocks, Daenerys begins to seek passage on a ship. She is rescued from an assassination attempt by a [[Sorrowful Man]] by [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and [[Belwas]], who inform her that they have been sent by Magister Illyrio with three ships to escort Daenerys and her people to Pentos.{{Ref|ACOK|63}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
On route to Pentos, Daenerys is convinced by [[Jorah Mormont]] to change course towards [[Astapor]], one of the three [[Slaver Cities]] in [[Slaver's Bay]].{{Ref|ASOS|8}} There, she acquires eight thousand six hundred [[Unsullied]] and five thousand boys in training.{{Ref|ACOK|27}} She uses her new army to conquer and sack [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]],{{Ref|ASOS|27}} beginning her [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|campaign to abolish slavery in Slaver's Bay]], after which she frees the slaves, inviting them to join her.{{Ref|ASOS|42}} <br />
<br />
Daenerys marches on [[Yunkai]], where she faces the slave soldiers of Yunkai, and two sellsword companies, the [[Second Sons]] and the [[Stormcrows]]. Daenerys [[battle near Yunkai|defeats]] the Yunkish soldiers, while the Stormcrows join her cause.{{Ref|ASOS|42}} With their leader gone, the Second Sons also join Daenerys and elect a new commander.{{Ref|ASOS|57}} Daenerys frees the slaves of Yunkai and marches on [[Meereen]], the last of the slaver cities.<br />
<br />
Daenerys [[siege of Meereen|conquers]] Meereen with the help of the city's slaves, whom she frees. After she learns how the council she had created to rule Astapor had been replaced by the butcher [[Cleon]], who now rules Astapor as its king and has enslaved all the nobility in the city, Daenerys decides to prevent Meereen from the same fate. Believing she needs to learn how to rule before conquering Westeros, Daenerys decides to remain in Meereen and rule as its queen.{{Ref|ASOS|71}} Having discovered that Jorah Mormont had been spying on her for months for the Iron Throne and that his information had led to the poisoning attempt, and that Arstan is actually Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], a former [[Kingsguard]] knight who had accepted pardons from Robert Baratheon, Daenerys furiously gives them one chance to redeem themselves.{{Ref|ASOS|57}} While she is later able to forgive Barristan, and takes him into her service, she finds herself unable to forgive Jorah, and sends him into exile.{{Ref|ASOS|71}}<br />
<br />
[[Ben Plumm]], who is chosen as the leader of the [[Second Sons]] following the disappearance of [[Mero]] at the battle near Yunkai, claims to have Targaryen ancestry, as his ancestor [[Ossifer Plumm]] was married to [[Elaena Targaryen]].{{Ref|ASOS|57}}<br />
<br />
At [[Castle Black]], Maester Aemon believes [[Jon Snow]] when he claims he was ordered to join the [[free folk|wildlings]] by [[Qhorin Halfhand]].{{Ref|ASOS|48}} Following the death of [[Donal Noye]], Aemon tells Jon to take command of Castle Black during the [[battle beneath the Wall|attack by wildlings]].{{Ref|ASOS|64}} When Jon is arrested on suspicious of treason, only Aemon's intervention prevents Jon from being executed.{{Ref|ASOS|73}} When ordered before King [[Stannis Baratheon]], Aemon requests to see Stannis's sword [[Lightbringer]], and orders [[Samwell Tarly]] to describe the sword to him, as he cannot see for himself.{{Ref|ASOS|78}} Aemon is in charge of the [[choosing]] of a new Lord Commander, but as a maester is not allowed to influence the choosing. Instead, he subtly suggests that Samwell could,{{Ref|ASOS|78}} leading to the election of Jon Snow as [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]].{{Ref|ASOS|79}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
Lord Commander Jon Snow, fearing that the priestess [[Melisandre]] will wish to sacrifice Aemon to [[R'hllor]] for his king's blood, orders Aemon to travel to [[Oldtown]], accompanied by [[Samwell Tarly]], singer [[Dareon]], wildling [[Gilly]], and [[Mance Rayder]]'s [[Aemon Battleborn|son]].{{Ref|AFFC|5}} Aemon's health deteriorates during the first part of the journey,{{Ref|AFFC|15}} and becomes worse once they are in [[Braavos]].{{Ref|AFFC|26}} After Dareon abandons them, Samwell manages to arrange passage to Oldtown on the ''[[Cinnamon Wind]]''.{{Ref|AFFC|26}} Though talk of dragons and Daenerys Targaryen temporarily increases Aemon's health, it worsens again during the journey, and he eventually dies at the age of a hundred and two off the coast of [[Dorne]].{{Ref|AFFC|35}} His body is preserved in a cask of rum, so he can be cremated once the ship makes port.{{Ref|AFFC|35}} Upon arrival in Oldtown, Samwell informs [[Archmaester]] [[Marwyn]] of Aemon's passing, and his desire to join Daenerys, causing Marwyn to travel to Slaver's Bay in Aemon's stead.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
Daenerys rules Meereen, but meets with resistance from several parties. A resistance group of [[Ghiscar]]i noblemen, the [[Sons of the Harpy]], engage in a shadow war against her,{{Ref|ADWD|2}} while Yunkai resumes its slavery and starts to make alliances against her. Daenerys forms a city watch,{{Ref|ADWD|11}} the [[Brazen Beasts]],{{Ref|ADWD|16}} to combat the Harpy's Sons, killings continue. Daenerys promises to web [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] if he can stop the murders for ninety days.{{Ref|ADWD|23}} Meanwhile, the Yunkai'i defeat the [[Astapor]]i in [[Battle at the Horns of Hazzat|battle]]{{Ref|ADWD|16}} and [[Siege of Astapor|besiege and later sack]] the city,{{Ref|ADWD|23}}{{Ref|ADWD|25}} leaving them free to march against Daenerys. The Yunkai'i besiege Meereen,{{Ref|ADWD|43}} and the Second Sons desert Daenerys{{Ref|ADWD|43}} after she is unwilling to use her dragons in battle following the death of the young girl [[Hazzea]],{{Ref|ADWD|30}} who was killed by Drogon.{{Ref|ADWD|2}} Daenerys had [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] locked up after learning about Hazzea, though [[Drogon]] escaped capture and left Meereen.{{Ref|ADWD|11}}<br />
<br />
Hizdahr aids Daenerys by negotiating a peace with Yunkai, in which their marriage plays a large role.{{Ref|ADWD|36}} Seven leaders of Yunkai come to Meereen to sign the peace and celebrate the opening of [[Daznak's Pit]], the largest of the fighting pits in Meereen.{{ref|adwd|50}} Daenerys is sickened by the battles, and after [[Barsena|a female warrior]] is slain by a [[boar]] decides to leave. At the same time, [[Belwas]] falls ill due to eating poisoned locusts which had been meant for Daenerys. Just as Belwas falls to his feat, Drogon returns to the city and lands in the Pit. While the public panics and attempts to flee, Daenerys rushes to Drogon's side and flies away from Meereen on his back.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Drogon flies her to the [[Dothraki sea]], where the dragon makes a lair at "[[Dragonstone (hill)|Dragonstone]]". Daenerys eventually encounters the ''khalasar'' of Khal [[Jhaqo]].{{Ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, [[Doran Martell]], [[Prince of Dorne]], has sent his son [[Quentyn Martell|Quentyn]] to [[Essos]] to find Daenerys.{{Ref|ADWD|6}} Having secretly made a wedding pact years before, promising the hand of his daughter [[Arianne Martell|Arianne]] in marriage to [[Viserys Targaryen]] in exchange for supporting Viserys's claim, Doran now wishes for Daenerys to fulfill the pact by marrying Quentyn.{{Ref|ADWD|43}} Quentyn eventually reaches Meereen, but is introduced to Daenerys only a day before her wedding to Hizdahr.{{Ref|ADWD|43}} After Daenerys has left Meereen on Drogon's back, Quentyn plans to steal one or two of Daenerys's dragons to proof himself and enlists the help of the [[Tattered Prince]] and his [[Windblown]] to accomplish his goal.{{Ref|ADWD|60}} Though her dragons are freed,{{Ref|ADWD|67}}{{Ref|ADWD|68}} Quentyn dies from his attempt.{{Ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
On the [[Rhoyne]], [[Jon Connington]], a friend of Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] who had faked his death in exile, has secretly been raising Rhaegar's son [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon]], who is believed to have died during the [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Instead, it is revealed that [[Varys]] had switched Aegon with another child, who had died in his place.{{Ref|ADWD|22}} Connington and Aegon plan to meet Daenerys in [[Volantis]],{{Ref|ADWD|5}} but in [[Selhorys]] learn that Daenerys has remained in [[Meereen]], and that several cities, including Volantis, are either already at war against her, or are about to join the war on the side of Yunkai.{{Ref|ADWD|22}} Connington presents Aegon to the [[Golden Company]], who had been enlisted by Magister Illyrio to aid them in conquering Westeros. As Daenerys is still in the east, Prince Aegon proposes traveling west to start conquering Westeros without her,{{Ref|ADWD|24}} a plan previously suggested to him by the exiled [[Tyrion Lannister]].{{Ref|ADWD|22}} reasoning that Daenerys will come west once she learns about his purpose.{{Ref|ADWD|24}} The Golden Company agrees, and they travel to Westeros, where Aegon, after [[Landing of the Golden Company|the first few victories in the stormlands]], decides to personally lead an attack on [[Storm's End]].{{Ref|ADWD|61}}<br />
<br />
[[Beyond the Wall]], the [[three-eyed crow]] who has been appearing to [[Bran Stark]] in his dreams is revealed to be none other than Bloodraven, [[Brynden Rivers]], kept alive by sorcery and living in a [[cave of the three-eyed crow|cave]].{{ref|ADWD|34}}{{ref|AWOIAF| Brynden Rivers}}<br />
<br />
==House Targaryen at the end of the third century==<br />
<br />
The known Targaryens during the timespan of the events described in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' are:<br />
*King {[[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys III]]}, called "the Beggar King", ''Khal Rhae Mhar'' (Sorefoot King), and ''Khal Rhaggat'' (Cart King). Self-proclaimed [[King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men]], and [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], in exile. Fatally "crowned" in [[Vaes Dothrak]].<br />
*Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys I]], called Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, sister of Viserys and last known Targaryen heir. Self-proclaimed Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, [[Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea|''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea]], Breaker of Shackles/Chains, Queen of Meereen.<br />
**her dragons, [[Drogon]], [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], <br />
**Khal {[[Drogo]]}, her first husband. Euthanized after disabling wounds.<br />
***{[[Rhaego]]}, her son by Drogo. Died at birth.<br />
**King [[Hizdahr zo Loraq|Hizdahr zo Loraq XIV]], her second husband, King of Meereen, Scion of Ghis, Octarch of the Old Empire, Master of the Skahazadhan, Consort to Dragons, Blood of the Harpy. A Ghiscari noble of Meereen.<br />
*Maester {[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]]}, sworn to the Night's Watch. Great-granduncle to the Mad King. Died of a chill at sea, at the age of one hundred and two.<br />
<br />
*Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon]], Rhaegar's son. Believed to have died at Gregor Clegane's hand in the Sack of King's Landing, but is purported by some to be alive under the identity of Young Griff and with the [[Golden Company]].<br />
<br />
===Daenerys's Household===<br />
<br />
====The Queen's protectors====<br />
*Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], called Barristan the Bold. Lord Commander of the [[Queensguard]] and [[Hand of the Queen]]. <br />
**his two known knights:<br />
***Ser [[Tumco Lho]], of the [[Basilisk Isles]], a newly-made knight. <br />
***"The [[Red Lamb]]", a [[Lhazar]]een freedman and newly-made knight. <br />
**his lads, squires training for knighthood:<br />
***[[Larraq]], called 'The Lash', of Meereen.<br />
***the Boys, three Ghiscari brothers and freedmen.<br />
*[[Belwas]], called Strong Belwas, eunuch and former pit fighter. <br />
*her [[Dothraki]] bloodriders: <br />
**[[Jhogo]], the whip, blood of her blood and ''ko''. Currently a hostage of the Yunkish<br />
**[[Aggo]], the bow, blood of her blood and ''ko''. Away from Meereen seeking Daenerys.<br />
**[[Rakharo]], the ''arakh'', blood of her blood and ''ko''. Away from Meereen seeking Daenerys.<br />
* Ser [[Jorah Mormont]], called 'Jorah the Andal', former Lord Commander. Banished. Currently with the [[Second Sons]].<br />
<br />
====The Queen's captains and commanders====<br />
*[[Grey Worm]], a eunuch, commander of the [[Unsullied]], a company of eunuch infantry. <br />
**[[Hero]], an Unsullied captain, second-in-command. <br />
**{[[Stalwart Shield]]}, an Unsullied spearman, murdered by the [[Sons of the Harpy]].<br />
*{[[Mollono Yos Dob]]}, commander of the [[Stalwart Shields]], a company of freedmen named for the martyred Unsullied. Died of the [[pale mare]].<br />
**[[Tal Toraq]], new commander of the Stalwart Shields.<br />
*[[Symon Stripeback]], commander of [[Free Brothers]], a company of freedmen. <br />
*[[Marselen]], commander of the [[Mother's Men]], a company of freedman, a eunuch, brother to Missandei.<br />
*{[[Groleo]]} of Pentos, formerly captain of the great cog ''[[Saduleon]]'', made an admiral without a fleet. Executed by the Yunkai'i. <br />
*[[Rommo]], a ''jaqqa rhan'' of the Dothraki. He represents Daenerys's ''khalasar'' at council.<br />
*[[Daario Naharis]], a [[Tyrosh]]i sellsword, captain of the [[Stormcrows]], a free company.<br />
**The [[Widower]], second in command and acting joint-commander of the Stormcrows.<br />
**[[Jokin]], commander of the archers and acting joint-commander of the Stormcrows.<br />
*[[Ben Plumm]], called Brown Ben, a mongrel sellsword, captain of the [[Second Sons]], a free company. Defected to Yunkai.<br />
<br />
====The Queen's Meereenese court====<br />
*[[Reznak mo Reznak]], her seneschal, bald and unctuous. <br />
*[[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], called 'The Shavepate', shaven-headed commander of the [[Brazen Beasts]], Meereen's city watch.<br />
<br />
====The Queen's handmaids and servants====<br />
*[[Irri]] and [[Jhiqui]], young women of the Dothraki, handmaidens. <br />
*[[Missandei]], a [[Naath]]i scribe and translator. <br />
*[[Grazdar]], [[Qezza]], [[Mezzara]], [[Kezmya]], [[Azzak]], [[Bhakaz]], [[Miklaz]], [[Dhazzar]], [[Draqaz]], and [[Jhezane]], children of the pyramids of Meereen, her cupbearers and pages.<br />
*{[[Doreah]]}, a Lysene handmaiden and former bedslave. Perished to sickness in the [[red waste]].<br />
<br />
===Young Griff's/Aegon's supporters===<br />
* Lord [[Jon Connington]], a sellsword late of the [[Golden Company]], exiled Lord of [[Griffin's Roost]] and former [[Hand of the King]] to [[Aerys II Targaryen]]. Masqueraded as a man called "Griff" and raised the boy purported to be Aegon.<br />
* Ser [[Rolly Duckfield]], called Duck, a [[knight]]. Pronounced the first of Aegon's [[Kingsguard]].<br />
* Septa [[Lemore]], called Lady Lemore, a woman of the [[Faith of the Seven]].<br />
* [[Haldon]], called the Halfmaester, Aegon's tutor.<br />
* [[Yandry]], master and captain of the ''[[Shy Maid]]''<br />
** [[Ysilla]], his wife.<br />
* The [[Golden Company]], a famous sellsword company founded by the [[Blackfyre Pretenders]] to the [[Iron Throne]].<br />
* [[Varys]], formerly of [[Lys]], the previous [[master of whisperers]] in [[King's Landing]] under Aerys II Targaryen and [[Robert I Baratheon]]. Alleges to have switched Aegon with another babe prior to the Sack of King's Landing, and smuggled Aegon to Essos afterwards.<br />
* Magister [[Illyrio Mopatis]], of the [[Free City]] of [[Pentos]]<br />
<br />
==Historical Members==<br />
===On [[Dragonstone]]===<br />
* [[Aenar Targaryen]], known as Aenar the Exile. First Lord of Dragonstone.<br />
** [[Gaemon Targaryen (son of Aenar)|Gaemon Targaryen]], Aenar's son. Known as Gaemon the Glorious. Second Lord of Dragonstone.<br />
** [[Daenys Targaryen]], Aenar's daughter. Known as Daenys the Dreamer. Sister-wife to Gaemon.<br />
*** [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Gaemon)|Aegon Targaryen]], Gaemon's son by Daenys. Third Lord of Dragonstone.<br />
*** [[Elaena Targaryen (daughter of Gaemon)|Elaena Targaryen]], Gaemon's daughter by Daenys. Sister-wife to Aegon.<br />
*** Gaemon's younger daughter.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon—A Question of Succession}}<br />
**** [[Maegon Targaryen]], Aegon's son by Elaena.<br />
**** [[Aerys Targaryen (son of Aegon)|Aerys Targaryen]], Aegon's son by Elaena.<br />
***** [[Aelyx Targaryen]], Aerys's son.<br />
***** [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Aerys)|Baelon Targaryen]], Aerys's son.<br />
***** [[Daemion Targaryen]], Aerys's son. Fifth Lord of Dragonstone.<br />
****** [[Aerion Targaryen (son of Daemion)|Aerion Targaryen]], Daemion's son. Married to Lady [[Valaena Velaryon]].<br />
******* [[Visenya Targaryen]], sister-wife to Aegon.<br />
******* [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], who would become known as King Aegon I Targaryen, Aegon the Conqueror, and Aegon the Dragon. Last Lord of Dragonstone.<br />
******* [[Rhaenys Targaryen]], sister-wife to Aegon.<br />
<br />
===Targaryen Dynasty===<br />
'''The Sons of the Dragon'''<br />
* King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], known as Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon the Dragon. First [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]].<br />
* Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]], sister-wife to Aegon.<br />
** Prince [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor Targaryen]], also known as Maegor the Cruel. The younger son of Aegon I by his elder sister-wife Visenya. Third [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]. Married to [[Ceryse Hightower]], [[Alys Harroway]], [[Tyanna]] of the Tower, and the "Black Brides", [[Elinor Costayne]], [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]], and [[Jeyne Westerling (wife of Maegor I)|Jeyne Westerling]]<br />
* Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]], sister-wife to Aegon.<br />
** [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys Targaryen]], the elder son of Aegon I by his younger sister-wife Rhaenys. Married to Lady [[Alyssa Velaryon]]. Second [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Aenys I Targaryen]].<br />
*** Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]], sister-wife to Aegon and later niece-wife to Maegor.<br />
*** Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]], brother-husband to Rhaena.<br />
****Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]], Aegon and Rhaena's daughter twin to Rhaella.<br />
****Princess [[Rhaella Targaryen (daughter of Aegon)|Rhaella Targaryen]], twin to Aerea.<br />
*** Prince [[Viserys Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Viserys Targaryen]].<br />
*** Prince [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], also known as Jaehaerys the Conciliator, the Old King, and Jaehaerys the Wise. Fourth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]].<br />
*** Princess [[Alysanne Targaryen]], sister-wife of Jaehaerys I. Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].<br />
*** Princess [[Vaella Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Vaella Targaryen]].<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Era of the Old King'''<br />
* King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], also known as Jaehaerys the Conciliator, the Old King, and Jaehaerys the Wise. Fourth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]]. Married to his sister-wife, Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]], known as Good Queen Alysanne.<br />
** Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aegon Targaryen]], died young.<br />
** Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen (daughter of Jaehaerys I)|Daenerys Targaryen]], died young.<br />
** Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]. Married to Lady [[Jocelyn Baratheon]].<br />
*** Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]], also known as the Queen who Never Was. Married to Lord [[Corlys Velaryon]], the Sea Snake. Rhaenys and Corlys had two children: [[Laena Velaryon|Laena]] and [[Laenor Velaryon]].<br />
** Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon Targaryen]].<br />
*** Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]. Fifth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Viserys I Targaryen]]. Viserys was married twice: his first marriage was to his cousin, Lady [[Aemma Arryn]] (the daughter of Princess Daella), his second marriage to Lady [[Alicent Hightower]].<br />
*** Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]], known as the Prince of the City and Lord Flea Bottom, briefly [[King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea]]. Married trice: first to Lady [[Rhea Royce]], second to his cousin, Lady [[Laena Velaryon]], third to his niece, Princess [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]].<br />
**** Lady [[Baela Targaryen]], Daemon's daughter by [[Laena Velaryon]]. Twin to Rhaena. Formerly betrothed to Prince Jacaerys Velaryon. Married to Lord [[Alyn Velaryon]].<br />
***** Unknown offspring, [[House Velaryon]].<br />
**** Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]], Daemon's daughter by [[Laena Velaryon]]. Twin to Baela. Once betrothed to Prince Lucerys Velaryon. Married to Ser [[Corwyn Corbray]] (no issue) until his death, married next to [[Garmund Hightower]].<br />
***** Six unknown daughters by Garmund Hightower.<br />
**** Unnamed son, died shortly after birth.<br />
*** Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Baelon)|Aegon Targaryen]].<br />
** Princess [[Daella Targaryen (daughter of Jaehaerys I)|Daella Targaryen]]. Married to Lord [[Rodrik Arryn]].<br />
***Lady [[Aemma Arryn]], their daughter, married to her cousin, Prince Viserys, who later became King Viserys I.<br />
** Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]], sister-wife to her brother Baelon, and the mother of his children.<br />
** Prince [[Vaegon Targaryen]], later Archmaester Vaegon, called the Dragonless.<br />
** Princess [[Maegelle Targaryen]], later Septa Maegelle.<br />
** Prince [[Valerion Targaryen]], died young.<br />
** Princess [[Viserra Targaryen]]<br />
** Prince [[Gaemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Gaemon Targaryen]], died young.<br />
** Princess [[Saera Targaryen]].<br />
** Princess [[Gael Targaryen]], called the Winter Child.<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Descendants of King Viserys I Targaryen'''<br />
* Viserys's children by his first wife, Lady [[Aemma Arryn]];<br />
** An unknown son, died in infancy.<br />
** Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Baelon Targaryen]], also known as the heir for a day. Died a day after birth.<br />
** Princess [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], also known as the Realm's Delight, Maegor with Teats, Maegor's Teats, the Whore of Dragonstone, and the Half-Year Queen.<br />
*** Rhaenyra's children by her first husband, Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]; rumored to have been fathered by Ser [[Harwin Strong]]:<br />
**** Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], also known as Jace, Rhaenyra's eldest son by Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]. Betrothed to his cousin, Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
**** Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]], also known as Luke, Rhaenyra's second son by Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]. Betrothed to his cousin, Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
**** Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]], Rhaenyra's youngest son by Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]].<br />
*** Rhaenyra's children by her second husband, her uncle Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]];<br />
**** Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], known as Aegon the Younger. Later ruled as King [[Aegon III Targaryen]].<br />
**** Prince [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]. Later ruled as King [[Viserys II Targaryen]].<br />
**** Princess [[Visenya Targaryen (daughter of Rhaenyra)|Visenya Targaryen]]. Stillborn.<br />
* Viserys's children by his second wife, Lady [[Alicent Hightower]];<br />
** Prince [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], also known as Aegon the Elder, and later as Aegon the Usurper. Sixth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]. Betrothed to Lady [[Cassandra Baratheon]] shortly before his death.<br />
** Princess [[Helaena Targaryen]], sister-wife to Aegon II. Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].<br />
*** Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], twin to Jaehaera.<br />
*** Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], twin to Jaehaerys. Later Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]], as the wife to King [[Aegon III Targaryen]].<br />
*** Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]].<br />
*** Unknown bastard, a son, by a whore on the [[Street of Silk]].<br />
*** Unknown bastard, a girl, by a maidservant of [[Alicent Hightower]]<br />
** Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]], also known as Aemond One-Eye and Aemond the Kinslayer.<br />
*** An unknown bastard by [[Alys Rivers]].<br />
** Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]], also known as Daeron the Daring. <br />
<br />
<br />
'''After the Dragons Danced'''<br />
* King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], also known as Aegon the Younger, Aegon the Dragonbane, and the Broken King, seventh [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]]. First married to his cousin, Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]. That marriage ended childless. Married to Lady [[Daenaera Velaryon]] after Jaehaera's death.<br />
** Prince [[Daeron I Targaryen|Daeron Targaryen]], also known as the Young Dragon. Aegon III's son by Daenaera Velaryon. Eighth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Daeron I Targaryen]].<br />
** Prince [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor Targaryen]], also known as Baelor the Blessed and Baelor the Beloved. Aegon III's son by Daenaera Velaryon. Ninth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Baelor I Targaryen]].<br />
** Princess [[Daena Targaryen]], also known as Daena the Defiant. Aegon III's daughter by Daenaera Velaryon. Sister-wife to King Baelor I.<br />
** Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aegon III)|Rhaena Targaryen]]. Aegon III's daughter by Daenaera Velaryon. <br />
** Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]. Aegon III's daughter by Daenaera Velaryon. <br />
*** [[Jon Waters]], Elaena's bastard by Lord [[Alyn Velaryon]].<br />
*** [[Jeyne Waters]], Elaena's bastard by Lord [[Alyn Velaryon]].<br />
*** [[Viserys Plumm]], Elaena's son by her first husband, [[Ossifer Plumm]]<br />
*** [[Robin Penrose]], Elaena's son by her second husband, [[Ronnel Penrose]]<br />
*** [[Laena Penrose]], Elaena's daughter by her second husband, Ronnel Penrose<br />
*** [[Jocelyn Penrose]], Elaena's daughter by her second husband, Ronnel Penrose<br />
*** [[Joy Penrose]], Elaena's daughter by her second husband, Ronnel Penrose<br />
* King [[Viserys II Targaryen]], tenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]].<br />
** Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], also known as Aegon the Unworthy, eleventh [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Aegon IV Targaryen]].<br />
*** Prince [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron Targaryen]], also known as Daeron the Good. Twelfth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Daeron II Targaryen]]. Aegon's son by his sister-wife, Princess [[Naerys Targaryen]].<br />
*** Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen (daughter of Aegon IV)|Daenerys Targaryen]]. Aegon's daughter by his sister-wife, Princess [[Naerys Targaryen]]. The current ruling line of [[House Martell]] descents from Daenerys, through her son by her husband, Prince [[Maron Martell]].<br />
*** Aegon's numerous bastards by multiple women:<br />
**** [[Alysanne (daughter of Aegon IV)|Alysanne]], [[Lily]], [[Willow (daughter of Aegon IV)|Willow]] and [[Rosey (daughter of Aegon IV)|Rosey]], Aegon's bastard daughters by his second official mistress, [[Megette]].<br />
**** [[Bellenora Otherys|Bellenora]], [[Narha Otherys|Narha]] and [[Balerion Otherys]], Aegon's bastards by his fourth official mistress, [[Bellegere Otherys]]<br />
**** [[Daemon I Blackfyre|Daemon Waters]], later legitimized as Daemon Blackfyre, also known as Daemon I Blackfyre, the Black Dragon, and the Pretender, Aegon's bastard son by his cousin, Princess [[Daena Targaryen]]; founder of [[House Blackfyre]]<br />
**** [[Aegor Rivers]], also known as Bittersteel, Aegon's bastard son by his fifth official mistress, [[Barba Bracken]].<br />
**** [[Mya Rivers|Mya]] and [[Gwenys Rivers]], Aegon's bastard daughters, and [[Brynden Rivers]], also known as Bloodraven, Aegon's bastard son, by his sixth official mistress, [[Melissa Blackwood]].<br />
**** [[Shiera Seastar]], Aegon's bastard daughter by his ninth official mistress, [[Serenei of Lys]].<br />
** Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Aemon Targaryen]], also known as Aemon the Dragonknight, joined the Kingsguard.<br />
** Princess [[Naerys Targaryen]]. Sister-wife to King Aegon IV. Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].<br />
<br />
<br />
'''The Good'''<br />
* King [[Daeron II Targaryen]], also known as Daeron the Good and Daeron the Falseborn. Twelfth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]]. Married to Princess [[Myriah Martell]].<br />
** Prince [[Baelor Targaryen (son of Daeron II)|Baelor Targaryen]], also known as Baelor Breakspear.<br />
*** Prince [[Valarr Targaryen]], also known as the Young Prince. Married to [[Kiera of Tyrosh]].<br />
**** Stillborn son.<br />
**** Stillborn son.<br />
*** Prince [[Matarys Targaryen]], also known as The Even Younger Prince.<br />
** Prince [[Aerys I Targaryen|Aerys Targaryen]]. Thirteenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Aerys I Targaryen]]. Married to a cousin, [[Aelinor Penrose]].<br />
** Prince [[Rhaegel Targaryen]]<br />
*** Prince [[Aelor Targaryen]], twin and brother-husband to Princess Aelora.<br />
*** Princess [[Aelora Targaryen]], twin and sister-wife to Prince Aelor.<br />
*** Princess [[Daenora Targaryen]], married to her cousin, Prince Aerion. Mother to Prince [[Maegor Targaryen (son of Aerion)|Maegor Targaryen]].<br />
** Prince [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar Targaryen]]. Fourteenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Maekar I Targaryen]]. Married to Lady [[Dyanna Dayne]]. <br />
*** Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]], also known as Daeron the Drunken.<br />
**** Princess [[Vaella Targaryen (daughter of Daeron)|Vaella Targaryen]]<br />
*** Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]], also known as Aerion Brightflame, the Bright Prince, and Aerion the Monstrous. Married to his cousin, Princess Daenora.<br />
**** Prince [[Maegor Targaryen (son of Aerion)|Maegor Targaryen]], their son.<br />
*** Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]], known as Maester Aemon. A maester of the Citadel.<br />
*** Princess [[Daella Targaryen (daughter of Maekar I)|Daella Targaryen]].<br />
*** Prince [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], also known as Aegon the Unlikely, Aegon the Fortunate, and Egg. Fifteenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Aegon V Targaryen]].<br />
*** Princess [[Rhae Targaryen]].<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Descendants of King Aegon V Targaryen'''<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]], also known as Aegon the Unlikely, Aegon the Fortunate, and Egg. Fifteenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]]. Married to [[Betha Blackwood]], also known as Black Betha.<br />
** Prince [[Duncan Targaryen]], also known as Duncan the Small and the Prince of Dragonflies. Married to [[Jenny of Oldstones]].<br />
** Prince [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]. Sixteenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]].<br />
** Princess [[Shaera Targaryen]], sister-wife, to Jaehaerys.<br />
*** Prince [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys Targaryen]], also known as the Mad King. Seventeenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]], as King [[Aerys II Targaryen]].<br />
*** Princess [[Rhaella Targaryen]], sister-wife to Prince Aerys. Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].<br />
** Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Aegon V)|Daeron Targaryen]].<br />
** Princess [[Rhaelle Targaryen]]. Married to Lord Baratheon. Mother of [[Steffon Baratheon]], grandmother of [[Robert Baratheon]], [[Stannis Baratheon]], and [[Renly Baratheon]].<br />
<br />
<br />
'''The Last Dragons'''<br />
* King [[Aerys II Targaryen]], also known as the Mad King, Mad King Aerys, Aerys the Mad, and King Scab. Seventeenth [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]].<br />
** Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen]], sister-wife to King Aerys II.<br />
*** Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], also known as the Last Dragon. Married to Princess [[Elia Martell]]. Eldest son of Aerys II by Rhaella.<br />
**** Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Rhaegar)|Rhaenys Targaryen]], Rhaegar's daughter by [[Elia Martell]].<br />
**** Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon Targaryen]], Rhaegar's son by [[Elia Martell]].<br />
*** Princess [[Shaena Targaryen]], stillborn<br />
*** Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Aerys II)|Daeron Targaryen]], died in infancy<br />
*** Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aerys II)|Aegon Targaryen]], premature, died in infancy<br />
*** Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aerys II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], died in infancy<br />
*** Prince [[Viserys Targaryen]], mocked as the Beggar King, Khal Rhae Mhar ("the Sorefoot King"), and Khal Rhaggat ("the Cart King"). Crowned as King [[Viserys III Targaryen]] by his mother, Dowager Queen Rhaella, on [[Dragonstone]]. Youngest son of Aerys II by Rhaella.<br />
*** Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen]], also known as Daenerys Stormborn. Daughter of Aerys II by Rhaella.<br />
<br />
===Targaryen Family Tree===<br />
{{Targaryen tree|state=hidden|title=Complete Targaryen Family Tree (click show to Expand)}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
{{Quote|Treachery was a coin the Targaryens knew well.{{Ref|aGoT|12}}|[[Robert I Baratheon]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|I will kill every [[Targaryen]] I can get my hands on, until they are as dead as their dragons, and then I will piss on their graves.{{Ref|aGoT|12}}|[[Robert I Baratheon]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|What did any Targaryen ever know of honor? Go down into your crypt and ask [[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]] about the dragon's honor!{{Ref|AGOT|12}}|[[Robert Baratheon]] to [[Eddard Stark]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Like their [[dragon]]s the Targaryens answered to neither gods nor men.{{Ref|aCoK|33}}|[[Catelyn Stark]]'s thoughts}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Every child knows that the Targaryens have always danced too close to madness.{{Ref|ASOS|71}}|[[Barristan Selmy]]}} <br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
{{HousesCrownlands}}<br />
{{Houses of Slaver's Bay}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:House Targaryen| ]]<br />
[[Category:Houses from the Crownlands|Targaryen]]<br />
[[Category:Houses from Meereen|Targaryen]]<br />
[[Category:Houses from Valyria|Targaryen]]<br />
[[Category:Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men| ]]<br />
[[Category:Kings of Meereen| ]]<br />
[[Category:Lords of Dragonstone| ]]<br />
[[Category:Noble houses|Targaryen]]<br />
[[Category:Valyrians|Targaryen]]<br />
<br />
[[es:Casa Targaryen]]<br />
[[fa:خاندان تارگرین]]<br />
[[tr:Targaryen Hanesi]]<br />
[[fr:Maison Targaryen]]<br />
[[pt:Casa Targaryen]]<br />
[[ru:Таргариены]]<br />
[[zh:&#22374;&#26684;&#21033;&#23433;&#23478;&#26063;]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264997
Dragon
2021-05-06T22:26:22Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (fish, etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264996
Dragon
2021-05-06T22:23:24Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (seals etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Dragon and rider were killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264946
Dragon
2021-05-05T17:11:21Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power and as a means of transport. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (seals etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264945
Dragon
2021-05-05T17:02:34Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Lived by catching and eating other dragons' young. {{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food (seals etc) at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264944
Dragon
2021-05-05T16:58:46Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|<br />
| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Caught his own food at sea.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years.<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
| In {{Date|73}} Baelon Targaryen claimed and rode her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
| Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
| [''Alive at end of book story as published by start of May 2021'']<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a human, a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264940
Dragon
2021-05-05T15:55:27Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! Dragon<br />
! Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
! Died<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| rowspan="4"| Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| <br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden.<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}, claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Dragon and rider died in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
| Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
|<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
| rowspan="2"|<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
| Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
|<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}.<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years until {{Date|73}} with Baelon Targaryen claiming and riding her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}} Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him.<br />
| rowspan="4"| Rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| colspan="2"| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Sept&diff=264813
Talk:Sept
2021-04-26T16:57:32Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>==Layout of a sept?==<br />
I have had ideas about how a sept's main room is arranged inside.<br />
* With the seven images around the outside facing inwards. That causes a problem: where does the door go? I thought of the sept room being 8-eided, and the 8th position is for the door. But GRRM says that removing the sept on the Iron Islands left a 7-sided foundation. With 7 corners, and an image at each corner, and the door in the middle of a side, that may crowd matters for the two images and their altars that the door is between.<br />
** Weddings: tend to attract big congregations, so the Father and the Mother would have to be together opposite the door, so that the door is behind the congregation as the sept fills. <br />
* With the seven images and their altars all together in the middle facing outwards. The Father and the Mother would likely face the entrance, for convenience during weddings. If so, use the central space between the Seven as a security lock-up for sacred valuables?, at least in a small sept that does not have plenty of side-rooms.<br />
* The Stranger: Well away from the Father and the Mother, to avoid it being disquietingly prominent during weddings. Next to the Warrior?, to remind people that war causes deaths. But by the rules of geometry, some or other two of the images must be next to the Stranger.<br />
** [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:33, 25 April 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Sept&diff=264812
Talk:Sept
2021-04-26T16:56:35Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Layout of a sept?==<br />
I have had ideas about how a sept's main room is arranged inside.<br />
* With the seven images around the outside facing inwards. That causes a problem: where does the door go? I thought of the sept room being 8-eided, and the 8th position is for the door. But GRRM says that removing the sept on the Iron Islands left a 7-sided foundation. With 7 corners, and an image at each corner, and the door in the middle of a side, that may crowd matters for the two images and their altars that the door is between.<br />
** Weddings: tend to attract big congregations, so the Father and the Mother would have to be together opposite the door, so that the door is behind the congregation as the sept fills. <br />
* With the seven images and their altars all together in the middle facing outwards. The Father and the Mother would likely face the entrance, for convenience during weddings. If so, use the central space between the Seven as a security lock-up for sacred valuables?, at least in a small sept that does not have plenty of side-rooms.<br />
* The Stranger: Well away from the Father and the Mother, to avoid it being disquietingly prominent during weddings. Next to the Warrior?, to remind people that war causes deaths. But by the rules of geometry, two images must be next to the Stranger.<br />
** [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:33, 25 April 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Sept&diff=264808
Talk:Sept
2021-04-25T16:44:48Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>==Layout of a sept?==<br />
I have had ideas about how a sept's main room is arranged inside.<br />
* With the seven images around the outside facing inwards. That causes a problem: where does the door go? I thought of the sept room being 8-eided, and the 8th position is for the door. But GRRM says that removing the sept on the Iron Islands left a 7-sided foundation. With 7 corners, and an image at each corner, and the door in the middle of a side, that may crowd matters for the two images and their altars that the door is between.<br />
** Weddings: tend to attract big congregations, so the Father and the Mother would have to be together opposite the door, so that the door is behind the congregation as the sept fills. <br />
* With the seven images and their alters all together in the middle facing outwards. The Father and the Mother would likely face the entrance, for convenience during weddings. If so, use the central space between the Seven as a security lock-up for sacred valuables?, at least in a small sept that does not have plenty of side-rooms.<br />
* The Stranger: Well away from the Father and the Mother, to avoid disquieting reflections during weddings. Next to the Warrior?, to remind people that war causes deaths. But by the rules of geometry, two images must be next to the Stranger.<br />
** [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:33, 25 April 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Sept&diff=264807
Talk:Sept
2021-04-25T16:37:33Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Layout of a sept?==<br />
I have had ideas about how a sept's main room is arranged inside.<br />
* With the seven images around the outside facing inwards. That causes a problem: where does the door go? I thought of the sept room being 8-eided, and the 8th position is for the door. But GRRM says that removing the sept on the Iron Islands left a 7-sided foundation. With 7 corners, and an image at each corner, and the door in the middle of a side, that may crowd matters for the two images and their altars that the door is between.<br />
** Weddings: tend to attract big congregations, so the Father and the Mother would have to be together opposite the door, so that the door is behind the congregation as the sept fills. <br />
* With the seven images all together in the middle facing outwards. The Father and the Mother would likely face the entrance.<br />
* The Stranger: Well away from the Father and the Mother, to avoid disquieting reflections during weddings. Next to the Warrior?, to remind people that war causes deaths.<br />
** [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:33, 25 April 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Sept&diff=264806
Talk:Sept
2021-04-25T16:33:57Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ideas</p>
<hr />
<div>==Layout of a sept?==<br />
I have had ideas about how a sept's main room is arranged inaide.<br />
* With the seven images around the outside facing inwards. That causes a problem: where does the door go? I thought of the sept room being 8-eided, and the 8th position is for the door. But GRRM says 7-sided. With 7 corners, and an image at each corner, and the door in the middle of a side, that may crowd matters for the two images and their altars that the door is between.<br />
** Weddings: tend to attract big congregations, so the Father and the Mother would have to be together opposite the door, so that the door is behind the congregation as the sept fills. <br />
* With the seven images all together in the middle facing outwards. The Father and the Mother would likely face the entrance.<br />
* The Stranger: Well away from the Father and the Mother, to avoid disquieting reflections during weddings. Next to the Warrior?, to remind people that war causes deaths.<br />
** [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 16:33, 25 April 2021 (UTC)</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Beric&diff=264802
Beric
2021-04-25T16:04:36Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>#redirect [[Beric Dondarrion]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Sept&diff=264800
Sept
2021-04-25T15:59:36Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File: Gabrielle Portal Supporting the Faith.png|thumb|450px|Supporting the [[Faith of the Seven|Faith]] by Gabrielle Portal © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
<br />
A '''sept''' is a building where followers of the [[Faith of the Seven]] worship.{{ref|AGOT|2}} They can be in villages and urban settlements, castles, [[septry|septries]] and [[motherhouse]]s.<br />
<br />
==Layout==<br />
:''See also: [[:Category:Septs|List of septs]]''<br />
[[File: Franz Miklis septa.jpg|thumb|A sept by Franz Miklis © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
A sept is a single building with seven walls. Some septs are small and humble; others are large and magnificent, such as the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. Some septs have crystal{{ref|ACOK|57}} or leaded windows.{{ref|ASOS|21}}<br />
<br />
Every sept houses representational art portraying each of the seven aspects of the Faith. In rural septs, they may merely be carved masks or simple charcoal drawings on a wall,{{ref|ACOK|33}}; in wealthy septs they may be statues inlaid with precious metals and stones. <br />
<br />
Worshipers light candles before the different altars symbolizing each of the seven aspects. Crystals spread seven-colored rainbows onto altars.{{ref|AGOT|48}}<br />
<br />
Ceremonies are led by the highest ranking male member of the clergy, and hymns are often sung. In the naming of a child, seven oils are used to anoint the infant. Weddings are conducted standing between the altars of the [[Father (the Seven)|Father]] and the [[Mother (the Seven)|Mother]]. <br />
<br />
Rites of worship held in wealthy areas and during special occasions can feature embellishments such as choirs of seventy-seven septas.{{ref|AFFC|7}}<br />
<br />
[[Knight]]s traditionally stand vigil and are consecrated with seven oils in septs.{{ref|AGOT|53}} Brothers of the [[Night's Watch]] who worship the Seven can make their vows at the small sept at [[Castle Black]].{{ref|AGOT|48}} The [[Sept-Beyond-the-Sea]] is a sept in [[Braavos]] for [[Westeros]]i.{{ref|AFFC|3}}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
In the aftermath of the [[coming of the Andals]], kings such as [[Merle I Gardener]],{{ref|TWOIAF| The Reach: Andals in the Reach}} [[Humfrey I Teague]],{{ref|TWOIAF| The Riverlands}} and the [[House Arryn|Arryns]]{{ref|TWOIAF| The Vale: House Arryn}} founded septs, [[septry|septries]] and [[motherhouse]]s throughout southern [[Westeros]]. King [[Theon Stark]], a follower of the [[old gods]], repelled an attack of [[Andals]] on the [[north]] and retaliated by raiding [[Andalos]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The North: The Kings of Winter}} Septs in the [[Iron Islands]] have periodically been destroyed by worshippers of the [[Drowned God]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Iron Islands: The Black Blood}}<br />
<br />
[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] is said to have prayed at the sept of [[Dragonstone]] before beginning [[Aegon's Conquest|the Conquest]].{{ref|ACOK|10}} A sept was destroyed during Aegon's [[burning of Harrenhal]].{{ref|ACOK|64}}<br />
<br />
The [[Starry Sept]] in [[Oldtown]] was the seat of the [[High Septon]] for a thousand years.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}} The [[Sept of Remembrance]] was built in [[King's Landing]] after Aegon's Conquest, but it was destroyed by King [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor the Cruel]].{{ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Eventually the High Septon moved from the Starry Sept to the [[Great Sept of Baelor]] in the capital.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
Lord [[Eddard Stark]] constructed a small sept at [[Winterfell]] for his [[southron]] wife, [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn Tully]].{{ref|AGOT|2}} The sept at [[Lordsport]] was not rebuilt after its destruction during [[Greyjoy's Rebellion]].{{ref|ACOK|11}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey I Baratheon]] orders the execution of Lord [[Eddard Stark]] outside the [[Great Sept of Baelor]].{{ref|AGOT|65}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
Some of the [[Night's Watch]] pray in [[Castle Black]]'s sept before embarking on the [[great ranging]].{{ref|ACOK|6}}<br />
<br />
The [[queen's men]] destroy the sept at [[Dragonstone]], and [[Stannis Baratheon]] allows [[Melisandre]] to burn its statues.{{ref|ACOK|10}}<br />
<br />
Many septs in the [[riverlands]] are destroyed during the [[War of the Five Kings]].{{ref|ACOK|19}} [[Catelyn Stark]] prays at a small village during the [[siege of Storm's End (299)|siege of Storm's End]].{{ref|ACOK|33}}<br />
<br />
The royal sept at the [[Red Keep]] and Baelor's Sept are crowded during the [[Battle of the Blackwater]].{{ref|ACOK|57}}<br />
<br />
Catelyn's sept is burned during the [[sack of Winterfell]].{{ref|ACOK|69}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
[[Arya Stark]] visits [[Stoney Sept]] with the [[brotherhood without banners]].{{ref|ASOS|29}} [[Vargo Hoat]] leads a group of [[Brave Companions]] in sacking a sept in the riverlands.{{ref|ASOS|21}} [[Northmen]] seeking Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] burned the sept at [[Sallydance]].{{ref|ASOS|22}} The sept at [[Lord Harroway's Town]] is flooded by the [[Trident]].{{ref|ASOS|47}}<br />
<br />
Joffrey weds [[Margaery Tyrell]] in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]].{{ref|ASOS|60}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
The town's sept is destroyed during the [[raid on Saltpans]].{{ref|AFFC|31}}<br />
<br />
[[Obara Sand]] claims the septs of [[Dorne]] are full in the aftermath of Prince [[Oberyn Martell]]'s death.{{ref|AFFC|2}}<br />
<br />
Loyalists slain in the [[battle at Duskendale]] are buried in the septs of [[Duskendale]], while northern rebels are buried in a mass grave by [[Blackwater Bay]].{{ref|AFFC|9}}<br />
<br />
Disinterested in his marriage to [[Amerei Frey]] or being the [[lord]] of [[Darry]], Ser [[Lancel Lannister]] sleeps in the castle's sept.{{ref|AFFC|30}}<br />
<br />
With Joffrey having died at [[Purple Wedding|his wedding feast]], King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen I Baratheon]] marries Margaery in the Red Keep's royal sept.{{ref|AFFC|12}} [[Taena Merryweather]] tells Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] that one of her maids, [[Senelle]], is a spy who relays information to Margaery's cousins in the royal sept.{{ref|AFFC|12}} The [[High Sparrow]] has Cersei taken into custody at Baelor's Sept.{{ref|AFFC|43}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
The bones of Ser [[Wendel Manderly]] are interred in the [[Sept of the Snows]].{{ref|AFFC|15}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
{{quote|Worship was a [[septon]] with a censer, the smell of incense, a seven-sided crystal alive with light, voices raised in song. The [[House Tully|Tullys]] kept a [[godswood]], as all the [[great houses]] did, but it was only a place to walk or read or lie in the sun. Worship was for the sept.{{ref|AGOT|2}}|thoughts of [[Catelyn Stark]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|When the first shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds to the east, morning bells began to peal from the [[Sailor's Sept]] down by the harbor. The [[Lord's Sept]] joined in a moment later, then the [[Seven Shrines]] from their gardens across the [[Honeywine]], and finally the [[Starry Sept]] that had been the seat of the [[High Septon]] for a thousand years before [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon]] landed at [[King's Landing]]. They made a mighty music.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|thoughts of [[Pate (novice)|Pate]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|It is customary to take a finger from a thief, but a man who steals from a sept is stealing from the gods.{{ref|AFFC|14}}|[[Randyll Tarly]] to a criminal}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{References}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Septs| ]]<br />
[[Category:Faith of the Seven]]<br />
[[Category:Religious buildings]]<br />
[[Category:Westeros]]<br />
<br />
[[fr:Septuaire]]<br />
[[pt:Septo]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264664
Dragon
2021-04-15T13:38:08Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: misc</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} If it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size does not always show a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older when she died than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of 181, had been when she died. Although Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! width=15%|Dragon<br />
! width=25%|Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] relocated from Valyria to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}, claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}} until the deaths of both dragon and rider in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}. Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}. Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years until {{Date|73}} with Baelon Targaryen claiming and riding her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}} Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him until both rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Dragon&diff=264663
Dragon
2021-04-15T13:27:23Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Hatnote|This article is about the creature. For the unit of money, see [[Currency]].}}<br />
[[File:Aegon on Balerion.jpg|450px|right|thumb|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] upon [[Balerion]], the Black Dread, by [http://jordigart.blogspot.com/ Jordi Gonzalez] ©]]<br />
'''Dragons''' are magical [[Bestiary|creatures]], which existed on the continents of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], but are considered to have been extinct for almost one hundred and fifty years. The only remaining traces of the dragons are skeletal remains and [[dragon egg]]s which are thought to have turned to stone. Newborn dragons are known as '''hatchlings'''; dragons that are older but not full-grown are known as '''drakes'''.{{Ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are depicted in the sigils of Houses [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]], [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]], [[House Toland|Toland]], [[House Vance of Atranta|Vance of Atranta]], [[House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest|Vance of Wayfarer's Rest]], and [[House Willum|Willum]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
{{See also|:Category:Images of Dragons|l1=Images of Dragons}}<br />
[[File:Red Keep Dragon Cellar by Kim Pope.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Skulls of the Targaryen dragons|Dragon skulls]] in the [[Red Keep]] cellars by Kim Pope]]<br />
Dragons are scaled,{{Ref|agot|23}}{{Ref|acok|12}} reptilian creatures. They have four limbs: two wings, which are used as forelegs like [[w:bats|bats]] and [[w:pterosaur|pterosaurs]],<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/493818.html?thread=24775162#t24775162 Awards, Awards (July 15th, 2016) Comment July 15, 2016]</ref> and two rear legs.<ref name=COMICCON07>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2267/ Comic-Con (NEW YORK CITY, NY) (February 25, 2007)]</ref><ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/327410.html?thread=17902322#t17902322 Dany and the Dragons (July 9, 2013)]</ref> [[George R. R. Martin]]'s dragons thereby differ from the traditional depiction of dragons as six limbed creatures. Martin came to his decision as he was bothered by the fact that no [[animal]] in nature has ever evolved in such a way (i.e. four legs and two wings).<ref name=COMICCON07/> Nonetheless, some ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' artwork shows them with four legs and a detached pair of wings.<br />
<br />
Dragons have strong jaws,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} sharp teeth{{Ref|ACOK|48}} and claws,{{Ref|ACOK|12}} leathery wings{{Ref|adwd|68}}{{Ref|adwd|5}} and long necks{{Ref|ADWD|52}} and tails,{{Ref|ADWD|68}} with horns upon their heads.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} As young hatchlings, they are around the size of a cat.{{Ref|acok|12}} Provided it has food and freedom, a dragon never stops growing.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} A dragon given such freedom can reach a span width of twenty feet within a year and a half.{{Ref|ADWD|52}} Dragons which are locked up, e.g., the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons housed in the [[Dragonpit]] in [[King's Landing]], do not grow as large as dragons left free to fly as they wish.{{Ref|asos|8}}{{Ref|adwd|68}} Although increasing age means increasing size, a larger size is not always an indication of a higher age (e.g., the younger [[Meraxes]] was larger than the older [[Vhagar]]).{{Ref|Agot|13}}<ref group="N">Although the year of birth of [[Meraxes]] is not known, she is known to have hatched some point after Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] arrived with his household on [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}} (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest). That means she might have been born as early as the year of [[House Targaryen]]'s arrival. Meraxes's death in {{Date|10}}, however, makes it impossible for her to have been older at the time of her death than [[Vhagar]], who died at the age of a hundred and eighty-one, had been when she died. Regardless of the fact that Meraxes died at a younger age, her skull was larger than Vhagar's (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 13|Tyrion II]]).</ref> [[Balerion]], the largest Targaryen dragon, was large enough to swallow an aurochs or a mammoth from [[Ibben]] whole.{{Ref|agot|13}}<br />
<br />
The [[skulls of the Targaryen dragons|polished skulls]] of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dragons look like glittering [[onyx]], and their teeth like curved daggers of black [[diamond]]. [[Dragonbone]]s are black due to their high [[iron]] content.{{Ref|AGOT|13}}<br />
<br />
Dragons, [[demons]], and other creatures are said to inhabit the cliff caves above the [[Ash (river)|Ash]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Bones and Beyond: Asshai-by-the-Shadow}} [[Sea dragon]]s in the [[Sunset Sea]] and [[ice dragon]]s in the [[Shivering Sea]] are recalled in legends and folklore, but scholars have no proof of their existence.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}<br />
<br />
==Characteristics==<br />
[[File:T Jedruszek BathedinFlames.jpg|thumb|The [[Field of Fire]], by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons' bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot [[dragonflame]] which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it.{{Ref|aCoK|12}} <br />
<br />
A dragon's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to flame as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection,{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} leaving dragons nearly immune to fire,<ref name=COMICCON07/><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref> although they can still be wounded by [[dragonflame]] (e.g., [[Moondancer]]'s eyes being blinded by [[Sunfyre]]'s fire during the [[Dance of the Dragons]]). Similarly, as dragons age, the fires they breath become hotter and fiercer. Where a hatchling's flame can set straw aflame, the flames of older dragons, like Balerion and [[Vhagar]] in the fullness of their power, could melt [[steel]] and stone.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} The lifespan of dragons is many times that of a human, though their maximum natural lifespan is difficult to determine: as beasts of war, most of the known examples died in battle.{{Ref|asos|8}} Balerion, the largest and oldest Targaryen dragon, already alive when House Targaryen moved from [[Valyria]] to [[Dragonstone]] in {{date|-114}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} died of old age<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues are Coming (March 12, 2014), Reply to question (March 12, 2014)]</ref> in {{Date|94}}{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]. Balerion was near two hundred years of age when he died, but as the only known example of a dragon who died of old age, it is unclear if this should be considered typical.{{Ref|aSoS|8}} Dragons are not invulnerable; a [[w:Scorpio (weapon)|scorpion]] bolt through the eye killed Meraxes.{{ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}} When Balerion returned with Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]] before Aerea's death, the dragon had large new and bloody wounds from an unknown cause.{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}<br />
<br />
Dragons are believed to be intrinsically tied to [[magic]] in the world. Since the death of the last dragon in {{Date|153}}, summers grew shorter and the winters colder and crueler,{{Ref|thk}} while magical spells became less powerful.{{Ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
[[Dragonbone]] is as strong as [[steel]], but lighter and far more flexible, and impervious to fire.{{Ref|AGOT|13}} It has been used to make brooches,{{ref|AGOT|3}} bows,{{ref|AGOT|11}}{{ref|AGOT|13}} hilts of [[Valyrian steel dagger]]s,{{ref|AGOT|14}} and whip handles.{{ref|ASOS|27}}<br />
<br />
===Reproduction===<br />
Historians, like Septon [[Barth]], Grand Maester [[Munkun]], and Maester [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|aFfC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taking as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are “now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”.{{ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}}<br />
<br />
Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|adwd|8}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and [[Meleys]],{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
<br />
Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing them to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|fab|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|fab|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} <br />
<br />
During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|fab|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|fab|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}<br />
<br />
Un-hatched eggs can become fossilized at an old age.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}<br />
<br />
===Dragonriders===<br />
:{{See also|Dragonrider}}<br />
Dragons are intelligent creatures<ref name=COMICCON07/> which can be trained to serve as battle mounts and understand vocal commands. They are said to be capricious in nature,{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and have to be trained to keep them from laying waste to everything around them.{{Ref|ACOK|40}} However, dragons will not allow everyone to mount them. In [[Valyria]], the noble-born dragonriding families, the [[dragonlord]] families, frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I}} and it is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part; During the civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] called upon Targaryen [[bastard]]s and their descendants, the so-called [[dragonseeds]], to try and mount a dragon. Regardless, men without Valyrian descent made their attempts as well.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Nor is the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how directly) a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.{{Ref|ADWD|68}}<br />
<br />
Once a dragon has bonded with a rider, that dragon will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the dragon, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a dragon dies, that dragon can bond with a new rider.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny,and Pain}} No rider has ever ridden a different dragon while their current dragon was alive.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} However, when Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]'s dragon [[Balerion]] died, according to Martin, "[Viserys] did not take a second dragon",<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18786792#/t18786792 The Rogues are Coming... (March 12, 2014), Comment (March 12, 2014)]</ref> leaving the possibility that a rider might bond with a new dragon after their first dragon has died. Indeed, Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]], following the death of her dragon [[Syrax]], insisted on finding more dragon eggs, as she "must have another dragon". Dragons who have had a rider once before are easier to bond with than wild dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
A dragon might to be able to sense when its current rider is in distress or has died. This is implied in the case of the dragon [[Dreamfyre]], who, despite being locked and chained in the [[Dragonpit]], is said to have sensed when her rider [[Helaena Targaryen]] committed suicide in [[Maegor's Holdfast]], at the other side of [[King's Landing]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} A dragonrider has also screamed out when his/her dragon was hit by a spear.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
<br />
Dismounting from a dragon is often referred to as "sliding off".<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Ancient Dragons===<br />
[[File:Magali Villeneuve Dragonlords.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Dragonlord]]s from the [[Valyrian Freehold]] by Magali Villeneuve in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
In [[Barth]]'s ''[[Unnatural History]]'', the [[septon]] considered several legends regarding the origins of dragons. The [[Valyrians]] claimed that dragons sprang forth from the [[Fourteen Flames]], a ring of volcanoes on the [[Valyrian peninsula]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} In [[Qarth]], tales state dragons came from a second moon in the sky, which was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth.{{ref|AGOT|23}} Dragons are also said to have originated from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aGoT|23}} Ancient tales from Asshai claim that an unnamed people first tamed these dragons, brought them to [[Valyria]], and taught the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals of history.{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} Barth put forth the theory that dragons were created by Valyrian [[bloodmages]] using [[wyvern]] stock.{{Ref|twoiaf|Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos}} Dragons may also be related to [[firewyrm]]s.{{ref|AFFC|22}}<br />
<br />
Dragons populated most of the [[known world]] in ages past,<ref name=Dragons>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Dragons_in_Westeros/ Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)]</ref> and ancient dragon bones have been found as far north as [[Ib]] and as south as the jungles of [[Sothoryos]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The yellow emperor [[Chai Duq]] of [[Yi Ti]] is said to have kept a dragon at his court.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti}}<br />
<br />
In [[Westeros]], Ser [[Galladon of Morne]] is said to have slain a dragon with the [[Just Maid]],{{ref|AFFC|20}} [[Crackbones]] allegedly twisted a dragon's neck into a knot,{{ref|AFFC|20}} and [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]] slew the dragon [[Urrax]].{{ref|ADWD|8}} [[Davos the Dragonslayer]] is a hero beloved in the [[Reach]],{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}} and dragons are also said to have once roosted on [[Battle Isle]] until the first [[House Hightower|Hightower]] put an end to them.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reach: Oldtown}} [[Smallfolk]] claim that the hot springs below [[Winterfell]] are warmed by the breath of a subterranean dragon.{{Ref|twoiaf|The North: Winterfell}} [[Nagga]] is said to have been the first [[sea dragon]].{{ref|AFFC|19}}<br />
<br />
===Valyrian Freehold===<br />
The [[Valyria]]ns mastered the art of raising dragons and used them as weapons of war to carve out a massive empire, the [[Valyrian Freehold]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} The Valyrians are said to have used [[dragon horn]]s to tame dragons.{{Ref|aFfC|19}}<br />
<br />
The Valyrians used dragons to conquer the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] in the [[Ghiscari wars]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria}} and hundreds of dragons were employed by Valyria during the [[Rhoynish Wars]].{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Doom of Valyria]], however, the only dragons known to have survived were five dragons on [[Dragonstone]]. They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought them from Valyria when they went into exile. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}}<br />
<br />
===The Targaryen Dragons===<br />
[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] makes short work of [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], as depicted by Michael Komarck in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]<br />
[[House Targaryen]] used [[Balerion]], [[Vhagar]], and [[Meraxes]] in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} The valuable golden coin of the [[Iron Throne]] became known as a dragon.{{ref|AGOT|16}}<br />
<br />
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign in {{date|38}}.{{ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}}<br />
<br />
Over the course of one hundred and fifty years the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]] to visit the [[Warden of the North]]. These included Jaehaerys on [[Vermithor]], Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] on [[Silverwing]], and four other currently-unknown dragons.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}<br />
<br />
Balerion finally died of old age{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [http://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
<br />
By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were hatchlings not yet big enough to ride.<br />
<br />
There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast. Not every hatchling lived to maturity, however, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose hatchling only lived a matter of hours.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
<br />
===Extinction and Revival===<br />
[[File:Tomasz Jedruszek Dragon sight.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Dragons in flight by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
By the end of the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], twenty dragons were alive. The majority of these died during the civil war called the [[Dance of the Dragons]], which began in {{Date|129}} and lasted until mid {{Date|131}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Archmaester [[Marwyn]], however, holds that the order of [[maesters]], with their secret goal to suppress [[magic]], was responsible for the extinction of dragons.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}<br />
<br />
By the end of the Dance in {{Date|131}}, only four dragons remained alive: [[Sheepstealer]], the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]], and [[Silverwing]], who had been born years before the war, and the dragon [[Morning]], which had hatched during the war.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} In {{date|132}}, a messenger from [[Alys Rivers]], witch queen of [[Harrenhal]], claimed to have seen a dragon within the castle, though the truth of the matter is uncertain.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}<br />
<br />
There were still many dragon eggs left after the war, and at least one of those hatched. The [[last dragon]] was a stunted, sick and misshapen thing, and she died young, in {{Date|153}}, during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], the Dragonbane.{{Ref|aGoT|22}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} She had been a green female, small with withered wings. She laid a clutch of five eggs,{{Ref|TMK}} which never hatched.{{Ref|THK}} <br />
<br />
The Targaryens also had a collection of [[Dragon skulls (Targaryen)|nineteen dragons skulls]] of various sizes and ages that they displayed on the walls of the throne room in the [[Red Keep]]. Some of these were thousands of years old.{{Ref|aGoT|13}}<br />
<br />
After their extinction, the only remnants of dragons were their skulls{{Ref|AGOT|13}} and the eggs, some of which were petrified.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The eggs were highly valued for their beauty and exotic nature.{{Ref|AGOT|46}} According to Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]], the summers became shorter after the last dragon died, and the winters longer and crueler.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
<br />
Many futile attempts were made to revive dragons. [[Aegon III Targaryen]], known as the Dragonbane, had nine mages cross the narrow sea to use their magics in attempt to hatch remaining dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}} The pious King [[Baelor I Targaryen]] attempted to hatch his egg by praying over it.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] ordered pyromancers to build seven [[dragons (mechanical)|mechanical "dragons"]] that shot jets of [[wildfire]]. Hundreds of men died in a failed attempt to use them to invade [[Dorne]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} The [[tragedy of Summerhall]] resulted from the attempt of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] to hatch dragon eggs.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
During a dream while comatose, [[Bran Stark]] sees dragons stirring beneath the sunrise in [[Asshai]] by the [[Shadow Lands|Shadow]].{{ref|AGOT|17}}<br />
<br />
[[Daenerys Targaryen]] manages to hatch three dragons—[[Drogon]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Viserion]]—in her husband [[Drogo]]'s funeral pyre when she steps into the fire while they lay inside it. With Daenerys's exchange of life for life, the first three dragons in over a hundred years are born in the [[Dothraki sea]].{{ref|AGOT|72}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
[[File:Raya Golden The Hatchlings' Feast.JPG|thumb|[[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]], and [[Drogon]] as hatchlings feeding upon a carcass, by Raya Golden © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
In [[King's Landing]], Wisdom [[Hallyne]], a [[pyromancer]] of the [[Alchemists' Guild]], tells [[Tyrion Lannister]] that their spells are more effective than usual, and wonders if there are any dragons around, as Wisdom [[Pollitor]] had once told him that [[magic]] had begun to go out of the world the day the [[last dragon]] died.{{ref|acok|49}}<br />
<br />
The [[warlocks]] of [[Qarth]] attempt to kill Daenerys and claim her dragons, but she survives and the [[House of the Undying]] is destroyed.{{ref|ACOK|48}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
Daenerys uses her dragons to conquer [[fall of Astapor|Astapor]].{{ref|ASOS|27}} <br />
<br />
During a [[small council]] meeting [[Varys]] reports that sailors back from the [[Jade Sea]] report that a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of that city. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] dismisses the report.{{ref|ASOS|19}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
In [[Oldtown]], [[Armen]] says he has heard rumors of dragons in Asshai, Qarth, and [[siege of Meereen|Meereen]], as well as of dragons [[Targaryen campaign in Slaver's Bay|freeing slaves]].{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}<br />
<br />
The [[small council]] of Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] discounts rumors of dragons from [[Essos]].{{ref|AFFC|17}}<br />
<br />
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] discusses dragons with [[Samwell Tarly]].{{ref|AFFC|35}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
[[File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in [[Daznak's Pit]] by Marc Simonetti ©]]<br />
Daenerys encloses Rhaegal and Viserion within the [[Dragon pit (Great Pyramid)|dragon pit]] of Meereen's [[Great Pyramid]] after the death of [[Hazzea]], although [[Drogon]] remains free.{{ref|ADWD|11}} Drogon later causes chaos at [[Daznak's Pit]],{{ref|ADWD|52}} and Daenerys flies on his back to the Dothraki sea.{{ref|ADWD|71}}<br />
<br />
Rhaegal and Viserion are freed from the Great Pyramid during [[Quentyn Martell]]'s ill-fated attempt to tame a dragon.{{ref|ADWD|68}}{{ref|ADWD|70}}<br />
<br />
==Known Dragons==<br />
{| class=wikitable width=100%<br />
! width=15%|Dragon<br />
! width=25%|Riders<br />
! Notes<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Arrax]]<br />
| Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], between {{Date|115}} and {{Date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Killed with its rider in {{Date|129}} above [[Shipbreaker Bay]] by [[Vhagar]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Balerion]] (''The Black Dread'')<br />
| King [[Aegon I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"|Born before [[House Targaryen]] relocated from Valyria to [[Dragonstone]] in {{Date|-114}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Died in {{Date|94}}, of old age.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys I}}{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}<br />
|-<br />
| King [[Maegor I Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Aerea Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Caraxes]] (''The Blood Wyrm'')<br />
| Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed with its rider [[Battle Above the Gods Eye|in battle]] by [[Vhagar]] above the [[Gods Eye]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] <br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Dreamfyre]]<br />
| Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died in {{Date|130}} in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Drogon]]<br />
| Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Drogon's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]],{{Ref|AGOT|72}} whom Drogon is named after.{{Ref|acok|12}} Mounted by Daenerys for the first time in {{Date|300}}.{{Ref|adwd|52}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Grey Ghost]]<br />
| None<br />
| A wild dragon, never ridden. Died in {{Date|130}} when attacked by [[Sunfyre]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Meleys]] (''The Red Queen'')<br />
| Princess [[Alyssa Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Claimed by Alyssa from {{date|75}} until {{date|84}}, claimed by Rhaenys from {{date|87}} until the deaths of both dragon and rider in {{Date|129}}, during the [[battle at Rook's Rest]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| Princess [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Meraxes]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born on [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]] between {{Date|-114}} and [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} Died at the [[Hellholt]] in [[Dorne]] in {{Date|10}} during the [[First Dornish War]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}}{{Ref|twoiaf|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Moondancer]]<br />
| Lady [[Baela Targaryen]].<br />
| Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morghul]]<br />
| Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen]]<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], after an egg was placed in the cradle of Princess Jaehaera.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Morning]]<br />
| Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]].<br />
| Born during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|- <br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Quicksilver]]<br />
| King [[Aenys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Killed in {{Date|43}} by [[Balerion]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Rhaegal]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Rhaegal's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Rhaegal after her oldest brother, [[Rhaegar Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Seasmoke]]<br />
| Ser [[Laenor Velaryon]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Died during the [[Second Battle of Tumbleton]] in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Addam Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sheepstealer]]<br />
| Nettles<br />
| A wild dragon, claimed during the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Shrykos]]<br />
| Prince [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen during the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} Died during the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]] in {{date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Silverwing]]<br />
| Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Alysanne Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Resided on Dragonstone after Alysanne's death, where she was eventually claimed by Ulf the White. Became wild after the death of her rider, and made her lair in an island on [[Red Lake]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Ulf the White]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Stormcloud]]<br />
| Prince [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon "the Younger" Targaryen]]<br />
| Ridden only once, in {{Date|129}}. Died a few hours later after the [[Battle of the Gullet]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Sunfyre]] (''The Golden'')<br />
| King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]<br />
| Said to have been young between {{Date|120}} and {{date|129}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]] in late {{Date|130}} at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Syrax]]<br />
| Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]{{Ref|aDwD|8}}<br />
| Born during the reign of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], and named by Rhaenyra after a Valyrian goddess.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Died during riots in King's Landing in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tessarion]] (''The Blue Queen'')<br />
| Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Viserys I)|Daeron Targaryen]]<br />
| Died during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Tyraxes]]<br />
| Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Joffrey Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Died in {{Date|130}}, during riots in King’s Landing.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Vermax]]<br />
| Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]<br />
| Born from an egg placed in the cradle of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2"| [[Vermithor]] (''The Bronze Fury'')<br />
| King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="2"| Hatched from an egg placed in the cradle of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.{{Ref|fab|The Sons of the Dragon}} Unclaimed since Jaehaerys's death in {{Date|103}}, until he bonded with Hugh Hammer in {{Date|129}}. Died in {{Date|130}}, during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], at [[Second Tumbleton]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}<br />
|-<br />
| [[Hugh Hammer]]<br />
|- style="height:24px;"<br />
| rowspan="4"| [[Vhagar]]<br />
| Queen [[Visenya Targaryen]]<br />
| rowspan="4"| Born in {{Date|-52}}. Ridden by Visenya Targaryen until her death in {{Date|44}}.{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I}} Remained unridden for twenty-nine years until {{Date|73}} with Baelon Targaryen claiming and riding her until his death in {{Date|101}}.{{ref|fab|The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, & Pain}} Vhagar was eventually claimed by Laena Velaryon, who rode the dragon until her own death in {{Date|120}}.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Shortly afterwards, Vhagar was claimed by Prince Aemond Targaryen,{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} and ridden by him until both rider and dragon died in {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Baelon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Baelon the Brave]]<br />
|-<br />
| Lady [[Laena Velaryon]]<br />
|-<br />
| Prince [[Aemond Targaryen]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| [[Viserion]]<br />
| None<br />
| Hatched from an egg by [[Daenerys Targaryen]], who placed Viserion's egg on the funeral pyre of her husband, Khal [[Drogo]].{{Ref|AGOT|72}} Daenerys named Viserion after her brother [[Viserys Targaryen]].{{Ref|acok|12}}<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="1"| The [[last dragon]]<br />
| None<br />
| Born and died during the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]]. Was once seen by Ser [[Arlan of Pennytree]] when he was still a boy; it was not really combat-worthy.{{Ref|THK}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Of unknown or uncertain chronology===<br />
*[[Terrax]], the dragon of [[Jaenara Belaerys]], who at some point spent three years exploring [[Sothoryos]].<br />
*[[Urrax]], according to legend slain by [[Serwyn of the Mirror Shield]], is a legendary figure from the [[Age of Heroes]],{{Ref|twoiaf|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} although singers now claim he was a [[knight]] of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}} The Kingsguard was founded in {{Date|10}},{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I}} thousands of years after the Age of Heroes and the arrival of the first knights in [[Westeros]].<br />
<br />
==Known Dragon Eggs==<br />
[[File:Dragon Eggs HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|Dragon eggs in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
:{{main|Dragon egg}}<br />
* Three dragon eggs were stolen from the [[Dragonstone]] hatcheries by [[Elissa Farman]] in {{Date|54}}, and sold to the [[Sealord of Braavos]].{{ref|FAB|Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I}} Current whereabouts unknown.<br />
* [[Mysaria]]'s egg - When Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] learned his concubine was pregnant, he presented her with a dragon egg, but King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] commanded him to return the egg and send Mysaria away.{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} Whereabouts unknown.<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Vermax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Lucerys Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Arrax]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
* {hatched} Prince [[Joffrey Velaryon]]'s egg - placed in his cradle at his birth by royal decree, hatched into the dragon [[Tyraxes]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}}<br />
*King [[Viserys II Targaryen]]'s egg - he possessed an egg during the [[Dance of the Dragons]], so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}<br />
*Lady [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena Targaryen]]'s eggs - her first egg hatched into a broken thing that died within hours. She possessed another egg at the start of the civil war, and took three eggs to the [[Vale]] with her during the war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Only [[Morning|one egg]] is known to have hatched,{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} the whereabouts of the others are unknown.<br />
*Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]]'s egg - he was given an egg at birth,{{ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} which had not yet hatched by the start of the civil war.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}} It is unknown what happened to the egg after Maelor was killed at [[Bitterbridge]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} <br />
*King [[Aegon II Targaryen]]'s egg - purple and gold - seeking a replacement for the dead [[Sunfyre]], Aegon choose a new egg in the hopes of hatching a new dragon for himself.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}<br />
* Five eggs - from the [[last dragon]]'s clutch,{{Ref|TMK}} so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Princess [[Elaena Targaryen]]'s egg - [[platinum]] white and bright golden<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1605 Three Maidens in the Tower (June 27, 2006)]</ref> – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Daeron Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aerion Targaryen]]'s egg - gold and silver, with veins of fiery colors{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]]'s egg - known to exist,{{Ref|TMK}} but so far undescribed – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* King [[Aegon V Targaryen]]'s egg - white and green swirls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Lord [[Ambrose Butterwell]]'s egg - red, with golden flecks and black whorls{{Ref|TMK}} – whereabouts unknown.<br />
* Seven eggs - used by King [[Aegon V Targaryen]] in the ceremony that caused the [[tragedy at Summerhall]].{{Ref|twoiaf|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Some of these may have been the unhatched eggs mentioned above. Whereabouts unknown, but possibly destroyed by the fire.<br />
* King [[Euron Greyjoy]]'s egg - Euron claims he had a dragon egg, but threw it into the sea.{{Ref|AFFC|29}} <br />
* {hatched} [[Drogon]]'s egg - black as the midnight sea, alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Rhaegal]]'s egg - deep green, with burnished bronze flecks.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
* {hatched} [[Viserion]]'s egg - colored pale cream, streaked with gold.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}<br />
<br />
==Books and scrolls about dragons==<br />
[[File:Daenerys and dragon HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Drogon]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
*''[[Blood and Fire]]'' by an anonymous author<br />
*''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History ]]'' by Septon [[Barth]]<br />
*''[[The Death of Dragons]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' by Maester [[Anson]] <br />
*''[[Against the Unnatural]]'' by Maester [[Vanyon]]<br />
*''[[The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling]]'' by Grand Maester [[Munkun]] <br />
*''[[Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons|Dragonkin]]'' by Maester [[Thomax]]<br />
*[[Tyrion Lannister's dragonlore|unnamed dragonlore]] by [[Tyrion Lannister]]<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
[[File:MKomarck DaenerysTheUnburnt.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]], the Unburnt, by Michael Komarck ©]]<br />
{{Quote|We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and [[dragonrider]]; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not [[horse]]s, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Who can know the heart of a dragon?{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}|writings of [[Gyldayn]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|For the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.{{ref|AGOT|72}}|thoughts of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.{{Ref|aCoK|27}}|[[Quaithe]] to [[Daenerys Targaryen]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|The [[last dragon]] in [[Westeros]] was the last dragon. That is well known.{{ref|AFFC|Prologue}}|[[Armen]] to [[Alleras]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|The grief and glory of [[House Targaryen|my house]].{{ref|affc|26}}|[[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon Targaryen]] to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay at home and tend his garden in content, someone had written once, for [[known world|this wide world]] has no greater wonder.{{Ref|aDwD|14}}|thoughts of [[Tyrion Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|All I know of dragons is what [[Viserys Targaryen|my brother]] told me when I was a girl, and some I read in books, but it is said that even [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conquerer]] never dared mount [[Vhagar]] or [[Meraxes]], nor did his sisters mount [[Balerion|Balerion the Black Dread]]. Dragons live longer than men, some for hundreds of years, so Balerion had other riders after Aegon died ... but no rider ever flew two dragons.{{Ref|aDwD|50}}|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Quentyn Martell]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Death comes out of a dragon's mouth, but death does not go in that way.{{ref|adwd|66}}|writings of [[Barth]]}}<br />
<br />
{{quote|There are no more dragons known to exist... but this is a medieval period, and large parts of [[known world|the world]] are still ''terra incognita'', so there are always tales of dragon sightings in far off mysterious places. The [[maesters]] tend to discount those.<ref name=Dragons/>|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}<br />
<br />
==Behind the Scenes==<br />
The writer [[:w:Phyllis Eisenstein|Phyllis Eisenstein]] convinced [[George R. R. Martin]] to add dragons to ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'': [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-242487/ George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview], April 23, 2014</ref> Martin dedicated ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' to Eisenstein.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{references|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon Dragon] - Wikipedia article on the real-world mythological creature.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Dragons}}<br />
{{Creatures}}<br />
<br />
<!-- Categories --><br />
[[Category:Dragons| ]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Magic]]<br />
[[Category:Transport]]<br />
[[Category:Valyria]]<br />
<br />
<!-- language interwikis --><br />
[[es:Dragón]]<br />
[[fa:اژدها]]<br />
[[fr:Dragon]]<br />
[[ru:Драконы]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Coldhands&diff=263849
Coldhands
2021-03-01T14:28:59Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Character <br />
| Character_name = [[file:Night's Watch.svg|50px|left]] Coldhands [[file:Night's Watch.svg|50px|right]]<br />
| image = [[File:Zippo514 Coldhands.jpg|300px|]]<br />
| image_caption = Coldhands astride his great elk - Art by Zippo514 ©<br />
| Alias =<br />
| Title =<br />
| Allegiance = [[Night's Watch]] <small>(formerly)</small><br>[[Three-eyed crow]]<br />
| Race =<br />
| Culture =<br />
| Spouse =<br />
| Place_of_Birth =<br />
| Date_of_Birth =<br />
| Place_of_Death = [[Beyond the Wall]]{{Ref|ADWD|13}}<br />
| Date_of_Death = "long ago"{{Ref|ADWD|13}}<br />
| Books = ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (appears)<br>''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (appears)<br />
| coat-of-arms =<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Coldhands''' is a mysterious figure from [[beyond the Wall]]. "Coldhands" is a name given to him by [[Samwell Tarly]]; his actual name is unknown.{{Ref|ADWD|4}}<br />
<br />
==Appearance==<br />
:''See also: [[:Category:Images of Coldhands|Images of Coldhands]]''<br />
<br />
Coldhands is dressed in the mottled blacks and greys{{Ref|ASOS|46}} of the [[Night's Watch]] with a black wool scarf concealing his pale face.{{ref|ADWD|4}} He is armored in boiled leather and ringmail,{{Ref|ADWD|4}} and he wields a sword.{{Ref|ADWD|13}} His ungloved hands are black and cold as ice, and he rides a great elk.{{Ref|ASOS|46}} A flock of [[raven]]s flies under his command{{ref|ASOS|46}} and brings him information.{{Ref|ADWD|4}} Thin and gaunt, he speaks with a rattling voice and does not breathe.{{Ref|ADWD|4}}<br />
<br />
[[Summer]] does not like the way Coldhands smells.{{Ref|ADWD|4}} Though Coldhands is often described as dead, his eyes are described as black,{{Ref|ADWD|4}} in contrast to the light blue of [[wights]]' eyes.{{ref|ASOS|56}}{{ref|ADWD|13}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
[[File:Marc Fishman Coldhands.jpg|thumb|Coldhands by Marc Fishman ©]]<br />
Coldhands saves [[Samwell Tarly]], [[Gilly]], and [[Monster|her son]] when they are beset by [[wights]] at [[Whitetree]], lost in the [[haunted forest]] after fleeing [[Craster's Keep]], addressing Sam as "Brother!"{{Ref|ASOS|46}} He takes the two under his protection and brings them to the Black Gate of the [[Nightfort]] located underneath the [[Wall]]. Coldhands cannot pass through himself, due to the Wall's [[magic]], but he charges Sam and Gilly with bringing [[Bran Stark]] and his companions to the Black Gate.{{Ref|ASOS|56}} Sam continues on to [[Castle Black]], entrusted to secrecy by Coldhands.{{Ref|ASOS|75}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
Coldhands guides Bran, [[Hodor]], and [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Jojen Reed]] to the last [[greenseer]] north of the Wall. Along the way he departs to deal with "foes" behind them, sending his charges on to a lakeside village. Bran, having slipped into his [[direwolf]], [[Summer]], as a [[warg]], discovers Coldhands and his ravens had killed five men of the [[Night's Watch]].{{Ref|ADWD|4}} Unknown to Bran is that they were the surviving traitors responsible for the [[mutiny at Craster's Keep]], such as [[Ollo Lophand]].{{ref|ADWD|4}} When Bran wakes, Meera tells him that Coldhands has arrived with a sow, which the girl roasts. Bran and his friends discover that Coldhands is indeed dead, but he continues to refuse to show his face.{{ref|ADWD|4}}<br />
<br />
When his great elk collapses along their journey, Coldhands whispers a blessing in an [[True Tongue|unknown language]] and slits the [[animal]]'s throat; he and Meera butcher the carcass for food.{{Ref|ADWD|13}}<br />
<br />
Coldhands leads Bran and his companions to the [[cave of the three-eyed crow]], his flock of ravens dwindling during the journey.{{Ref|ADWD|13}} Coldhands cannot enter the cave, but he fights off wights as Bran and his friends climb to the cave entrance.{{Ref|ADWD|13}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes by Coldhands==<br />
[[File:GOT99 5772 Coldhands DiegoGisbertLlorens-Final.jpg|thumb|Coldhands by Diego Gisbert Llorens © Fantasy Flight Games]]<br />
{{Quote|The world believes [[Bran Stark|the boy]] is dead ... Let his bones lie undisturbed. We want no seekers coming after us. Swear it, Samwell of the [[Night's Watch]]. Swear it for the life you owe me.{{Ref|ASOS|75}}|Coldhands to [[Samwell Tarly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|'''Bran''': What happened to the men? The foes behind us?<br><br />
'''Coldhands''': They will not trouble you.<br><br />
'''Bran''': Who were they? [[Wildlings]]?<br><br />
'''Coldhands''': They were [[mutiny at Castle Black|foes]].<br><br />
'''Bran''': You killed them. You and the [[raven]]s. Their faces were all torn, and their eyes were gone. They were your brothers. I saw. The wolves had ripped their clothes up, but I could still tell. Their cloaks were black. Like your hands. Who are you? Why are your hands black?<br><br />
'''Coldhands''': Once the heart has ceased to beat, a man's blood runs down into his extremities, where it thickens and congeals ... His hands and feet swell up and turn as black as pudding. The rest of him becomes as white as milk.{{Ref|ADWD|4}}|[[Bran Stark]] and Coldhands}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes about Coldhands==<br />
{{Quote|'''Jojen''': This ... Coldhands?<br><br />
'''Gilly''': That wasn't his true name. We only called him that, [[Samwell Tarly|Sam]] and me. His hands were cold as ice, but he saved us from the [[wights|dead men]], him and his [[raven]]s, and he brought us here on his elk.{{Ref|ASOS|56}}|[[Jojen Reed]] and [[Gilly]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|[[Summer|The direwolf]] did not like the way that Coldhands smelled. Dead meat, dry blood, a faint whiff of rot. And cold. Cold over all.{{Ref|ADWD|4}}|thoughts of [[Bran Stark]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|I don't like him. And I don't trust him. Those hands of his are bad enough. He hides his face, and will not speak a name. Who is he? What is he? Anyone can put on a [[Night's Watch|black cloak]]. Anyone, or any thing. He does not eat, he never drinks, he does not seem to feel the cold.{{Ref|ADWD|4}}|[[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|'''Bran''': The [[ranger]] ...<br><br />
'''Leaf''': He cannot come.<br><br />
'''Bran''': [[wights|They'll]] kill him.<br><br />
'''Leaf''': No. They killed him long ago.{{Ref|ADWD|13}}|[[Bran Stark]] and [[Leaf]]}}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Coldhands/Theories]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{References}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Characters from Beyond the Wall]]<br />
[[Category:Members of the Night's Watch]]<br />
[[Category:Rangers of the Night's Watch]]<br />
[[Category:Undead]]<br />
[[Category:Unnamed characters]]<br />
<br />
[[es:Manosfrías]]<br />
[[fa:دست سرد]]<br />
[[fr:Mains-froides]]<br />
[[ru:Холодные Руки]]<br />
[[zh:&#20919;&#25163;]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Coldhands&diff=263848
Talk:Coldhands
2021-03-01T11:15:29Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: ed</p>
<hr />
<div>== Elk ==<br />
<br />
Could it be that Coldhands rides on a Megaloceros [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaloceros] ? This is, technically, a great elk, but bigger than every living one and extinct in our time like the mammoth which was also described as alive in Westeros. --[[User:Exodianecross|Exodianecross]] ([[User talk:Exodianecross|talk]]) 19:00, 18 July 2015 (CDT)<br />
*"Elk" here may mean any of :-<br />
**Its American meaning, ''Cervus canadensis'', [[wikipedia:Elk]] <br />
**Its British meaning, ''Alces alces'', [[wikipedia:Moose]]<br />
**A giant extinct species, ''Megaloceros giganteus'', [[wikipedia:Irish elk]]<br />
**** [[User:Anthony Appleyard|Anthony Appleyard]] ([[User talk:Anthony Appleyard|talk]]) 11:15, 1 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===BlueTiger===<br />
It's possible and very likely, but unless it's stated in the books or SSM or interview,we can't write about it on the Wiki as there is no proof...</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Talk:Coldhands&diff=263847
Talk:Coldhands
2021-03-01T11:14:45Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: /* Elk */ ed#</p>
<hr />
<div>== Elk ==<br />
<br />
Could it be that Coldhands rides on a Megaloceros [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaloceros] ? This is, technically, a great elk, but bigger than every living one and extinct in our time like the mammoth which was also described as alive in Westeros. --[[User:Exodianecross|Exodianecross]] ([[User talk:Exodianecross|talk]]) 19:00, 18 July 2015 (CDT)<br />
*"Elk" here may mean any of :-<br />
**Its American meaning, ''Cervus canadensis'', [[wikipedia:Elk]] <br />
**Its British meaning, ''Alces alces'', [[wikipedia:Moose]]<br />
**A giant extinct species, ''Megaloceros giganteus'', [[wikipedia:Irish elk]]<br />
**** 11:14, 1 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===BlueTiger===<br />
It's possible and very likely, but unless it's stated in the books or SSM or interview,we can't write about it on the Wiki as there is no proof...</div>
Anthony Appleyard
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=Beric_Dondarrion&diff=263762
Beric Dondarrion
2021-02-22T15:40:10Z
<p>Anthony Appleyard: avoid confusing elegant variation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox character<br />
| Character_name = [[File:House Dondarrion.svg|55px|left]] Beric Dondarrion [[File:House Dondarrion.svg|55px|right]]<br />
| image = [[File:Tiziano Baracchi BericD.jpg|300px]]<br />
| image_caption = Beric Dondarrion. Illustrated by Tiziano Baracchi. Copyrighted work by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG)<br />
| Alias = Lord Derik{{Ref|AGOT|55}}<br>Wisp o' the wood{{Ref|ASOS|1}}<br>The lightning lord{{Ref|ASOS|11}}<br>The scarecrow knight{{Ref|ASOS|34}}<br>The Lord of Corpses{{Ref|ASOS|43}}<br />
| Title = [[Knight|Ser]]{{Ref|ASOS|39}}<br>[[Lord of Blackhaven]]{{Ref|ASOS|Appendix}}<br />
| Allegiance = [[House Dondarrion]]<br>[[Brotherhood without banners]]<br />
| Predecessor = <br />
| Successor = [[Catelyn Stark|Lady Stoneheart]] <small>(leader of the brotherhood)</small><br />
| Race =<br />
| Culture = [[Dornish Marches|Marcher]]<br />
| Spouse =<br />
| Place_of_Birth = [[Blackhaven]]{{Ref|awoiaf| Beric Dondarrion}}<br />
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|276}} or {{Date|277}}<ref name=Cal>''See the [[Years after Aegon's Conquest/Calculations Ages#Beric Dondarrion|Beric Dondarrion]] calculation.''</ref><br />
| Place_of_Death = the [[riverlands]]<br />
| Date_of_Death = {{Date|299}} (his seventh and final death)<ref name=Cal></ref><br />
| Books = ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (appears)<br>''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (appears)<br>''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (mentioned)<br />
| Coat-of-arms =<br />
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#David Michael Scott,Beric Dondarrion|David Michael Scott]] (extra) ~ [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]<br> [[w:Richard Dormer|Richard Dormer]] ~ [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|Season 3]] - [[Game of Thrones - Season 8|Season 8]]<br />
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|Season 3]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 6|Season 6]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 7|Season 7]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 8|Season 8]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Beric Dondarrion''', also known as '''the lightning lord''' because of his sigil,{{Ref|ASOS|22}} is the Lord of [[Blackhaven]] and head of [[House Dondarrion]]. He is a [[marcher lord]]{{Ref|ASOS|39}}. He is betrothed to Lady [[Allyria Dayne]] of [[Starfall]]. His squire is the young [[Edric Dayne]], [[Lord of Starfall]], Allyria's nephew.{{Ref|ASOS|43}} In the television adaptation ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' Beric is portrayed by David Michael Scott in [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|season 1]] and by [[w:Richard Dormer|Richard Dormer]] in [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|season 3]] - [[Game of Thrones - Season 7|season 7]].<br />
<br />
==Appearance and Character==<br />
:''See also: [[:Category:Images of Beric Dondarrion|Images of Beric Dondarrion]]''<br />
<br />
Beric is a slight man,{{Ref|AFFC|30}} handsome with red-gold hair.{{Ref|ASOS|34}} He rides a [[Horse|black courser]] and wears a black satin cloak decorated with stars.{{Ref|AGOT|27}} In battle Beric wears a breastplate displaying a forked purple lightning bolt{{Ref|ASOS|34}} and carries a black shield slashed by lightning.{{Ref|AGOT|29}} Beric is a dashing{{Ref|AGOT|27}} but inexperienced young man.{{Ref|AFFC|30}}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
In either {{Date|294}} or {{Date|295}},<ref group="N">[[Edric Dayne|Edric]], who was born in {{Date|287}}, was seven years old at the time of the [[betrothal]], placing the betrothal in either {{Date|294}} or {{Date|295}}.</ref> Beric was betrothed to Lady [[Allyria Dayne]]. Following their betrothal, Beric took Allyria's nephew [[Edric Dayne]], the seven-year-old [[Lord of Starfall]], back with him to [[Blackhaven]] to serve as his [[page]]. He later makes Edric his squire.{{Ref|ASOS|43}}<br />
<br />
==Recent Events==<br />
===''A Game of Thrones''===<br />
Beric comes to [[King's Landing]] to fight in the [[Hand's tourney]] celebrating [[Eddard Stark]]'s appointment as [[Hand of the King]].{{Ref|aGoT|27}} [[Jeyne Poole]] wishes to marry him as soon as she sees him.{{ref|AGOT|29}} During the tournament, Beric loses a horse in a tilt with a [[hedge knight]] and is unhorsed by [[Thoros of Myr]] shortly thereafter.{{Ref|aGoT|29}} After the conclusion of the tournament, Beric remains in King's Landing. This leads to Eddard appointing him leader of an expedition to arrest Ser [[Gregor Clegane]], who has been raiding the [[riverlands]] after the capture of [[Tyrion Lannister]].{{Ref|aGoT|43}}<br />
<br />
Beric's party is ambushed in the [[battle at the Mummer's Ford]], however, with many killed. By the time that [[Robb Stark]] and his allies are fighting the [[House Lannister|Lannister]] armies near the [[Trident]], Beric's survivors continually raid the Lannisters' foraging parties.{{Ref|aGoT|55}}{{Ref|aGoT|56}}{{Ref|aGoT|69}} Lord Dondarrion is named among the nobles King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey I Baratheon]] insists must do homage to him or be named traitors.{{Ref|aGoT|57}}<br />
<br />
===''A Clash of Kings''===<br />
Rumors have Beric as missing or perhaps dead.{{Ref|aGoT|55}}{{ref|ACOK|Prologue}} Ser [[Burton Crakehall]],{{ref|ACOK|7}} Ser [[Amory Lorch]],{{ref|ACOK|30}} and Ser [[Gregor Clegane]]{{ref|ACOK|30}} all claim to have killed him. Yet, he is still raiding the Lannister foraging parties{{Ref|aCoK|7}} and the [[Mountain's men]] are actively seeking him,{{Ref|aCoK|19}} as are Lord [[Tywin Lannister]]'s forces stationed at [[Harrenhal]].{{Ref|aCoK|26}}<br />
<br />
Beric's group meets [[smallfolk]] plagued by the ravage of Lannister forces but does not trouble them, and he attempts to pay for the food they take.{{Ref|aCoK|26}} Beric's group slays Burton's [[column]] of [[westerlands|westermen]] in a trap.{{ref|ACOK|7}}<br />
<br />
===''A Storm of Swords''===<br />
[[File:Sandor Clegane vs Beric Dondarrion.jpg|Beric Dondarrion vs [[Sandor Clegane]] - by Amok ©|thumb|400px|right]]<br />
[[Arya Stark]], [[Gendry]], and [[Sandor Clegane]] are captured by members of the [[brotherhood without banners]], who plan to bring them to Beric.{{ref|ASOS|13}}{{ref|ASOS|29}} Meanwhile, Beric travels throughout the riverlands, including a visit to [[Acorn Hall]].{{ref|ASOS|22}} Some of his men disguise themselves as the lightning lord to suggest he can be everywhere.{{ref|ASOS|22}}<br />
<br />
The captives are brought to Beric within the [[hollow hill]], where he sits on [[weirwood]] roots and is revealed as a follower of the [[Lord of Light]]. They watch as [[Sandor Clegane]] duels Beric in a [[trial by battle]]. While [[Thoros of Myr]] always lit his blades with [[wildfire]], Beric uses his own blood to make his sword magically aflame. Despite Sandor's fear of fire, he is able to slay Beric, cleaving him from shoulder to breastbone. However, Beric is revived by Thoros, much to the surprise of the captives.{{Ref|aSoS|34}}<br />
<br />
It is revealed that Beric had been mortally wounded by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]]'s lance at the [[battle at the Mummer's Ford|Mummer's Ford]], but his squire [[Edric Dayne]] and [[Green Gergen]] protected him and helped him to escape. Despite the efforts of Thoros, Beric died in an ash grove that night. However, Beric was unexpectedly resurrected when Thoros performed the [[last kiss]] of the [[Lord of Light]] at his funeral.{{Ref|aSoS|39}} He became the leader of an outlaw band protecting smallfolk in the name of the late King [[Robert I Baratheon]]. Beric was killed several more times, but was repeatedly brought back to life by Thoros.{{ref|ASOS|34}}{{ref|ASOS|39}}<br />
<br />
The weary Beric has become a scarecrow of a man, his battered body bearing all the wounds of his previous deaths.{{ref|ASOS|34}} He is missing an eye, in its place a raw red pit. His head is broken, caved in at the temple. There is a dark ring around his throat from being hanged, and there is a terrible gash in his chest from where the Hound killed him. Arya has never seen Beric eat or sleep, though he occasionally drinks wine. Beric's memory is impaired, having forgotten details about [[Blackhaven|his castle]] and [[Allyria Dayne|the woman]] he was pledged to marry.{{ref|ASOS|39}} The lord still wears his ragged black cloak and dented breastplate, and a scarf around his throat to hide the marks there.{{ref|ASOS|39}} <br />
<br />
Beric is aided by Edric during the [[battle at the burning septry]] against the [[Bloody Mummers]], after which he [[knight]]s Gendry.{{ref|ASOS|39}} Beric later visits the [[ghost of High Heart]] to hear her wisdom. Because Beric wants to ransom Arya to her family, the girl runs away from the brotherhood.{{ref|ASOS|43}}<br />
<br />
[[Merrett Frey]] goes to [[Oldstones]] to ransom [[Petyr Frey]] from the brotherhood, but [[Tom Sevenstrings]] tells him that Beric is elsewhere. [[Lady Stoneheart|A woman]] grants approval for the outlaws to hang Merrett.{{ref|ASOS|Epilogue}}<br />
<br />
===''A Feast for Crows''===<br />
[[File:Christopher Ocampo Lord Beric.jpg|350px|thumb|Lord Beric - by Christopher Ocampo ©]]<br />
Ser [[Kevan Lannister]] informs Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] that Beric has been hanging [[House Frey|Freys]].{{ref|AFFC|12}} [[Mariya Darry]], [[Amerei Frey]], and Ser [[Daven Lannister]] believe the river lords and smallfolk are helping Beric.{{ref|AFFC|30}}{{ref|AFFC|33}} In order to turn the smallfolk against the brotherhood, Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] spreads rumors that the [[Hound]] joined Beric's outlaws.{{ref|AFFC|25}} Ser [[Harwyn Plumm]] promises Amerei that he will kill Beric.{{ref|AFFC|30}} The mysterious [[Stoneheart]] is rumored to be Beric's lover.{{ref|AFFC|25}}<br />
<br />
Thoros reveals to Brienne that Beric truly died when he gave his life to bring back Catelyn Stark, whose body had been found by the outlaws after the [[Red Wedding]]. Thoros refused to revive Catelyn, so Beric passed the flame of life from him to her. The brotherhood has fractured with Catelyn, now called Lady Stoneheart, as their leader, with some leaving the outlaw band.{{Ref|aFfC|42}}{{ref|AFFC|Appendix}}<br />
<br />
===''A Dance with Dragons''===<br />
Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] is prepared to fight Beric and his outlaws, not realizing the lightning lord has died for the final time.{{ref|ADWD|48}}<br />
<br />
==The Seven Deaths of Dondarrion==<br />
# Impaled on a lance by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]].{{Ref|aGoT|55}}{{Ref|aCoK|30}}{{Ref|aSoS|43}}<br />
# Smashed with a mace on the side of the head by Ser [[Burton Crakehall]].{{Ref|aCoK|7}}{{Ref|aSoS|39}}<br />
# Hanged at [[Rushing Falls]] by Ser [[Amory Lorch]].{{Ref|aCoK|30}}{{Ref|aSoS|39}}<br />
# Stabbed in the eye with a dirk by Ser Gregor Clegane.{{Ref|aCoK|30}}{{Ref|aSoS|39}}<br />
# Killed by [[Vargo Hoat]]{{ref|ASOS|17}} of the [[Brave Companions]].{{Ref|aCoK|30}}<br />
# Killed by [[Sandor Clegane]] in a trial by combat.{{Ref|aSoS|34}}<br />
# Passed the flame of life to resurrect Lady [[Catelyn Stark]].{{Ref|aFfC|42}}<br />
According to [[George R. R. Martin]], Beric is never "alive" again after his first death; his heart isn't beating and blood is not flowing through his veins. In Martin's own words, Beric is a [[wight]] [[Fire wight|reanimated]] by fire rather than ice.<ref>[https://time.com/4791258/game-of-thrones-george-r-r-martin-interview/ Time, George R. R. Martin on the One Game of Thrones He 'Argued Against']</ref><br />
<br />
==Quotes by Beric==<br />
[[File:Lord Beric Dondarrion.jpg|thumb|[[w:Richard Dormer|Richard Dormer]] as Beric in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]<br />
<br />
{{Quote|'''Guardsman''': Here to fight in the [[Hand's tourney]], my lord?<br>'''Beric''': Here to '''win''' the Hand's tourney.{{Ref|AGOT|27}}|Beric arriving in [[King's Landing]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Six score of us set out to bring the king's justice to [[Gregor Clegane|your brother]]. Six score brave men and true, led by a fool in a starry cloak.{{Ref|ASOS|34}}|Beric to [[Sandor Clegane]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Even [[Lem|brave men]] blind themselves sometimes, when they are afraid to see.{{Ref|ASOS|39}}|Beric to [[Arya Stark]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Can I dwell on what I scarce remember? I held [[Blackhaven|a castle]] on [[Dornish Marches|the Marches]] once, and there was [[Allyria Dayne|a woman]] I was pledged to marry, but I could not find that castle today, nor tell you the color of that woman's hair. Who [[knight]]ed me, old friend? What were my favorite foods? It all fades. Sometimes I think I was born on the bloody grass in that [[Battle at the Mummer's Ford|grove of ash]], with the [[Last kiss|taste of fire]] in my mouth and a hole in my chest. Are you my mother, Thoros?{{Ref|ASOS|39}}|Beric to [[Thoros of Myr]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|'''Beric''': Gendry, do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord, and your king, to fight bravely when needed and to such other tasks as are laid upon you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?<br><br />
'''Gendry''': I do, m'lord.<br><br />
'''Beric''': Arise Ser Gendry, knight of the [[hollow hill]], and be welcome to our [[brotherhood without banners|brotherhood]].{{Ref|ASOS|39}}|Beric and [[Gendry]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|'''Beric''': Fire consumes. It '''consumes''', and when it is done there is nothing left. '''Nothing'''.<br>'''Thoros''': Beric. Sweet friend. What are you saying?<br>'''Beric''': Nothing I have not said before. [[last kiss|Six times]], Thoros? Six times is too many.{{Ref|ASOS|43}}|Beric and [[Thoros of Myr]]}}<br />
<br />
==Quotes about Beric==<br />
{{Quote|The lightning lord is everywhere and nowhere, skinny squirrel.{{Ref|ASOS|22}}|[[Greenbeard]] to [[Arya Stark]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|They say Lord Beric always gives a man a trial, that he won't kill a man unless something's proved against him.{{Ref|ASOS|Epilogue}}|[[Merrett Frey]] to [[Lem]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|'''Lyle''': Once we're done at [[siege of Riverrun|Riverrun]], I'll be itching for another fight. Not that Beric Dondarrion is like to give me one. I recall the man from tourneys past. A comely lad in a pretty cloak, he was. Slight and callow.<br>'''Arwood''': That was before he died. Death changed him, the [[smallfolk]] say. You can kill him, but he won't stay dead. How do you fight a man like that?{{Ref|AFFC|30}}|[[Lyle Crakehall]] and [[Arwood Frey]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|Don't get me started on Lord Beric. He's here, he's there, he's everywhere, but when you send men after him, he melts away like dew.{{Ref|AFFC|33}}|[[Daven Lannister]] to [[Jaime Lannister]]}}<br />
<br />
{{Quote|'''Brienne''': You ride with the Dondarrion. The lightning lord.<br>'''Thoros''': Lightning comes and goes and then is seen no more. So too with men. Lord Beric's fire has gone out of this world, I fear. [[Lady Stoneheart|A grimmer shadow]] leads us in his place.{{Ref|AFFC|42}}|[[Brienne of Tarth]] and [[Thoros of Myr]]}}<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{References|2}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:House Dondarrion]]<br />
[[Category:Casualties of the War of the Five Kings|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Characters from the Stormlands|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Characters killed by Amory Lorch|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Characters killed by Gregor Clegane|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Characters killed by Sandor Clegane|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Deaths by impalement|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Deaths by hanging|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Deaths by stabbing|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Executions for treason|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Knights|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Lords of Blackhaven]]<br />
[[Category:Members of Robert I Baratheon's court|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Members of the Brotherhood Without Banners|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Nobles|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:One-eyed characters|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Outlaws|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Rebels|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
[[Category:Undead|Dondarrion, Beric]]<br />
<br />
[[es:Beric Dondarrion]]<br />
[[fr:Béric Dondarrion]]<br />
[[ru:Берик Дондаррион]]<br />
[[zh:贝里·唐德利恩]]</div>
Anthony Appleyard