Valyrian steel swords have always been a source of fascination for the fans of Game of Thrones. Made of a fictional metal in the ancient land of Valyria, not many such weapons survive since its doom. They are very rare, priceless, magic-infused and are often passed down as family heirlooms. We have seen a few of them in HBO’s TV adaptation of Game of Thrones. But there will be a lot more in the prequel show House of The Dragon. There have been about 227 Valyrian steel swords that have been recorded in the history of Westeros, most of them have been lost or destroyed. Let’s have a look at a few of them that might make an appearance in House of The Dragon.
Vigilance
Vigilance is a Valyrian steel longsword belonging to House Hightower. It was last wielded by Ormund Hightower during the Dance of the Dragons and he fought for King Aegon II Targaryen. Ormund was slain by Roderick Dustin during the first battle of Tumbleton, after which the sword was lost forever.
Ice
Ned Stark wielding Ice, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Ice is the ancestral greatsword of House Stark made of Valyrian steel. It is the sword that was wielded by Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. The sword was wielded by Lord Cregan Stark during the Dance of the Dragons, who was the Warden of the North during the period. He supported Rhaenyra Targaryen due to his pledge known as the Pact of Ice and Fire.
Truth
Truth was a Valyrian steel longsword carried by Moredo Rogare, a Lysene noble from the wealthy banking Rogare family. During the Dance of the Dragons, the Rogare Bank rivalled the Iron Bank of Braavos in size. We might get a glimpse of the sword in House of The Dragon.
Orphan-Maker
Orphan-Maker is a Valyrian steel longsword belonging to House Roxton with a black blade. Ser Jon Roxton wielded the blade during the Dance of the Dragons. He sided with King Aegon II Targaryen and the sword was used in the Battle of Honeywine and the second battle of Tumbleton. The sword later came into the possession of Lord Unwin Peake, after which its whereabouts are unknown.
Blackfyre
Blackfyre is the fabled hand-and-a-half longsword of Valyrian steel once wielded by Aegon the Conqueror. It is perhaps the most famous sword in all of Westeros. Aegon II Targaryen’s possession of Blackfyre enhanced his legitimacy against his rival, Rhaenyra Targaryen, during the Dance of the Dragons. It was lost after the Blackfyre rebellion.
Is there any Valyrian steel sword you wish to own? Tell us in the comments below!
Source: A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Art Citations:
Aegon I Targaryen by Clark Ocleasa
About a decade ago, HBO introduced the world to Westeros and its intriguing political drama. Fans of George R. R. Martin’s books were delighted as they witnessed their fantasy come to life. Even though the novel series isn’t complete, the show somehow managed to reach a conclusion, and there were many who were quite dissatisfied with it. However, HBO seems to be quite focused on exploring the Game of Thrones universe even more. Recently, three spinoff animated shows were rumoured to be in talks at their headquarters. One of them seems to be taking place in one of the most intriguing of places in Essos, known as Yi Ti.
Yi Ti was not explored in the Game of Thrones TV series. However, Martin and Elio Garcia’s wonderful Game of Thrones-world encyclopedia, The World of Ice & Fire, devotes a full chapter to it. Yi Ti, which resides close to the Eastern edge of Essos is roughly analogous to China and its sprawling history.
The region was formerly home to a dynasty known as The Great Empire of the Dawn. According to legend, the Empire’s first ruler was a being known as the Gon-on-Earth, the only son of Lion of Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light. The God-on-Earth ruled for 10,000 years before passing the keys to the kingdom off to his son, the Pearl Emperor. After that, subsequent dynasties were named after precious jewels like The Jade Emperor and the Opal Emperor.
The Great Empire of the Dawn ended when darkness fell in the Long Night and an unnamed hero wielded the sword Lightbringer to bring back the light. Now the governing body of Yi Ti is the Golden Empire. It is ruled by a series of God-Emperors whose dynasties take their names from various colours.
Did you find the above tidbit fascinating? Talk to us in the comments below!
Ever since its announcement back in 2019, Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon has got the fans really hyped up. HBO Chief Casey Bloys has confirmed time over time that it is the only prequel project they have greenlit so far, which is due for release in 2022. The production has been moving very swiftly, as evident from the various set pictures leaking every now and then on the internet. George R. R. Martin has even theorized the highly awaited prequel will be on the screens by springtime in 2022. That leaves less than a year’s time of waiting, and HBO’s making sure the show is worth the wait by using the latest tech available for shoots.
While we’re waiting, let’s have a quick revision of the cast that has been confirmed so far.
1. Paddy Considine
Character – King Viserys I Targaryen
Mount – Balerion, the Black Dread
Description – King Viserys – The peace-loving king. Known far and wide for his amicable and firm nature. The ruler whose death sparked the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons. Loves his wife, his daughter and the kingdom deeply. An efficient ruler.
2. Matt Smith
Character – Daemon Targaryen
Mount – Caraxes, the Blood Wyrm
Description – Daemon is the most feared man in all of Westeros at the time of Dance of the Dragons. He shares a respectful relationship with his older brother, King Viserys Targaryen, and openly supports him. He is known to have engaged in a number of amorous relationships, outside of his marriage with Rhaenyra. However, he supports his wife and niece Rhaenyra during the civil war.
3. Olivia Cooke
Character – Alicent Hightower
Mount – N/A
Description – Alicent is the second wife of King Viserys I Targaryen. She’s mature and ambitious, and wants to claim the Iron Throne for her family by any means necessary. She is the main adversary of Rhaenyra Targaryen, and pushes her eldest son, Aegon II Targaryen, to be the next king. She plays a key role in causing the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragon.
4. Emma D’Arcy
Character – Rhaenyra Targaryen
Mount – Syrax
Description – Rhaenyra Targaryen is the eldest child of King Viserys I and only one surviving from his first marriage. Viserys names her as his successor and molds her to be a ruler right from her childhood. Her claims are challenged after her father’s death, when Alicent pushes her son Aegon II Targaryen for the Iron Throne. She is one of the main characters and will play a major role in House of the Dragon.
5. Eve Best
Character – Rhaenys Velaryon
Mount – Meleys, the Red Queen
Description – Princess Rhaenys Velaryon – The Queen that never was. Eldest daughter of Prince Aemon Targaryen, the eldest son of King Jaehaerys. Cousin to King Viserys I, she was denied the Iron Throne upon her father’s death simply for being a woman. Rhaenys is powerful, smart, loyal and a skilled dragonrider. She will be taking Queen Rhaenyra’s side in House of The Dragon.
6. Steve Toussaint
Character – Corlys Velaryon
Mount – Sea Snake, the ship
Description – Corlys Velaryon – the Sea Snake, a nickname taken from his famous ship. The Lord of the Tides is the head of House Velaryon. Coryls is the greatest sailor that the Seven Kingdoms have ever known, for his sailing adventures to the known world and beyond. He is Rhaenyra Targaryen’s chief advisor and will play an important role in the series.
7. Fabien Frankel
Character – Criston Cole
Mount – A white horse of unknown name
Description – Criston Cole is the greatest knight in Westeros at the time of Dance of the Dragons. Unlike most knights, who prefer using a blade, Cole’s favourite weapon of choice is a morningstar. He splits from Rhaenyra after an alleged love affair, and sides with Alicent, becoming the Lord commander of the Kingsguard.
8. Rhys Ifans
Character – Otto Hightower
Mount – N/A
Description – Otto Hightower, originally the Hand of King Viserys I. Hightower is a learned scholar, skilled in the matters of politics, power, chivalry, war, and possesses high ambitions for his house. During the Dance, Hightower is an ardent supporter of his daughter Alicent. He absolutely hates the late king’s younger brother Daemon Targaryen.
9. Sonoya Mizuno
Character – Mysaria
Mount – N/A
Description – Mysaria of Lys, also known as Lady Misery. She first appears as a lowlife dancer in King’s Landing, eventually becoming Daemon Targaryen’s love interest. She becomes the unofficial “mistress of whispers”, and keeps tabs on all the ongoing chit-chat between members of both the opposing parties. Though she doesn’t directly participate in the civil war, she operates from behind the curtains and will be important to the story of House of The Dragon.
10. John Macmillan
Character – Laenor Velaryon (rumoured)
Mount – Seasmoke
Description – Laenor Velaryon is the husband to Rhaenyra Targaryen and son of Corlys Velaryon. He is known to be gay and his marriage with Rhaenyra is completely political. It was rumoured that his children with Rhaenyra were not really his, but were bastards, which was spread by Alicent to strengthen her claim to the Iron Throne. He is one of the supporting characters important to the story of the civil war.
11. John and Michael Cooke
Character – The Cargyll brothers (rumoured)
Mount – N/A
Description – The legendary Kingsguard duo, twin brothers – Arryk and Erryk Cargyll. Both of them play a moving role in the House of The Dragon. Their story shows how the loving brothers are torn apart by the war, and end up fighting each other on opposite sides. Think of it as an older version of the Clegane Bowl, only more brutal, emotionally.
12. Graham McTavish
Character – To be announced
Do you have any actors in mind for other characters in House of The Dragon? Tell us in the comments below!
Ever since HBO announced the beginning of production of House of The Dragon, fans all over the world have been on their toes. And they should be, it is the first prequel series to have received the green light after all. With just a year left in the official release of the upcoming show, it’s time we get on the hype train. House of The Dragon shows potential, and there’s one factor it will greatly improve on Game of Thrones, that is the number of dragons. Over the last few weeks, here at Wiki of Thrones, we provided you with information about various dragons, that might appear in the prequel series. This is the concluding piece of the article series. If you feel like we missed out on any of these fantastic beasts, please mention them in the comments, we might bring them up in future posts.
Today’s article covers the wild dragons that were present at the time of Dance of the Dragons – Cannibal, Sheepstealer and Grey Ghost. They might make an appearance on House of The Dragon.
Cannibal:
Cannibal’s exact age is unknown, but it is said to be the oldest and largest of all the wild dragons. He was black as coal, with menacing green eyes. He was known to be very hostile, even towards fellow dragons. It may be because of the fact Cannibal descended from a different line of dragons, and lived at Dragonstone way before the arrival of Targaryens. He was known to attack smaller dragons, devour dragon cadavers and dragon eggs. No one dared to tame him due to his fearsome reputation. Cannibal was one of the four dragons that survived the Dance of the Dragons, but was never seen after the war.
Sheepstealer:
Sheepstealer was a wild male dragon during the Dance of the Dragons with a taste for mutton. It lived at the back of Dragonmont and would hunt between Driftmark and Wendwater. The smallfolk of Dragonstone named it for a self-evident reason. At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, he was one of three wild dragons living on Dragonstone.
Sheepstealer’s colouring was an ugly mud brown. He was not aggressive towards humans unless provoked, but could be vicious and ill-tempered. Sheepstealer was not a young dragon by the time Nettles bonded with him, well over fifty years old.
Sheepstealer had never been tamed before the arrival of a bastard girl named Nettles. She eventually managed to tame the dragon, through a cunning method. She left out a freshly killed sheep for the dragon every morning, causing the dragon to grow accustomed to her presence until he allowed her to mount him. Along with Rhaenyra Targaryen’s other dragonriders, Nettles and Sheepstealer took part in the Battle of the Gullet.
Nettles fled along with Sheepstealer from Westeros when Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen labelled her a traitor. The dragon and its rider were last seen flying over the Bay of Crabs. They were never found again.
Grey Ghost:
Grey Ghost was a wild male dragon that dwelt in a smoking vent high on the desolate eastern side of the volcano called Dragonmont. He was named by Dragonstone’s smallfolk who could rarely find him. He was never claimed nor ridden by anyone. Grey Ghost was a pale grey-white, the colour of morning mist.
He was a notably shy dragon who avoided men and their works for years at a time. He preferred to feed on fish and was often glimpsed flying low over the narrow sea, snatching prey from the waters.
Grey Ghost was never captured or tamed as he was ever an elusive creature. He was killed and partially devoured by Sunfyre upon the latter’s return to Dragonstone.
Honourable Mention
Morning:
Morning was a she-dragon that hatched during the Dance of the Dragons. It belonged to Lady Rhaena Targaryen, the daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon. Morning’s scales were pale pink, but with black horns and crest. During the third month of 135 AC, Morning was big enough for Rhaena to ride.
Morning was one of four dragons to survive the Dance of the Dragons – and the only one still controlled by the Targaryens. By the start of 134 AC, Morning had grown much and had made her lair in the Dragonpit. On the third day of the third month of 135 AC, Rhaena rode upon the back of Morning for the first time. Morning died around 153 AC of unknown causes.
What are excited to see in House of The Dragons besides the dragons? Tell us in the comments below!
