House Targaryen and the Crownlands

*this is a continuation of my Month of Thrones series. Note that there are no spoilers past season three for my non-book readers*

House Targaryen

Source







Current Leader: Daenerys Targaryen (lone member of her House)
Their Title: Claimant to the Iron Throne, Mother of Dragons

House Seat: In exile, currently in Slaver's Bay

Current Family Members: the Baratheon's are second and third cousins, and Maester Aemon (Night's Watch)
Family Traits: Silver hair and purple eyes

House Words: Fire and Blood
Region: The Crownlands (formerly)
Bastard Surname: Waters
Geography: In the middle of Westeros, mainly flat and has temperate weather. Also has a peninsula and and island, Dragonstone.
History/Notable Events:
-Dragonstone was settled by the Targaryens 100 years before the war with Westeros
-where Aegon first landed as he began his War of Conquest
-Dragonstone was also the preferred location for the dragons to grow and prosper
-Key location in the Dance of the Dragons (civil war with the Targaryens) also with the Blackfyre Rebellion (a war over succession between the king's legitmate and illegitmate children)
-Defiance of Duskendale: a rebellion against Targaryen rule and most likely contributed to the madness of Aerys II (as he was kidnapped/imprisoned)
-The Sack of King's Landing-the end of the Targaryen line (although Daenerys and Viserys escaped via allies in Dragonstone) during Robert's Rebellion

Notable People from Region:
Aenar "the Exile" Targaryen- took his family and left Valyria 12 years before the Doom (volcanic explosion that destroyed Valyria), becoming the only dragonriders/owners in the world.
Aegon "the Conqueror" Targaryen- united Westeros/the Seven Kingdoms (Dorne came later) under his rule using the force of his dragons and sister-wives (also commanders)
Aegon "the Unworthy" Targaryen IV- had many illegitmate children and then legitimized them on his death bed, leading to the Blackfyre Rebellion
Aerys "the Mad" Targaryen II- his paranoia escaladed to the point of him executing Ned Stark's father and brother, leading to the war. Also was slain by Jaime to prevent him from burning the city with wildfyre.

My Thoughts: This would be one of my favorite house if the family wasn't so self-destructive. I feel that their practice of incest (brother-sister) contributed to madness and many poor decisions throughout their 300-year reign of Westeros. There were some great rulers mixed in but things like the death of the dragons, contributed heavily to their loss in power and prestige and allowed for things like the Blackfyre and Robert's Rebellion to occur. Also the marriage traditions made for a small family to begin with, so combine that with a civil war and you can understand how Daenaerys ends up being the last in the direct line. If Dany can properly utilize her dragons, she can bring back the prestige that hasn't been seen in over 150 years.

What's Next: We will get to see Dany continue her anti-slavery campaign along the aptly named Slaver's Bay. It should be interesting to see how these cultures feel about Dany coming in and also how they feel about her dragons/army, as they are a huge show of force. I'm hopeful, but I'm not sure when or if Dany will ever make it to Westeros, since she is firmly entrenched in Essos politics. I do figure that her name will spread over the continent and perhaps will get to the ears of the leaders of Westeros.