Lord Brynden Rivers, called “Bloodraven”, was a legitimized Great Bastard of Aegon IV and Mylessa Blackwood, his sixth mistress. His personal arms were a white dragon with red eyes breathing red flame on a black field. During his life, he was a Targaryen loyalist during the Blackfyre Rebellion, the Hand of Aerys I, and Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Shiera Seastar, another bastard of Aegon IV, was his mistress. His half-brother Bittersteel desired Shiera also, which served in increasing the enmity between the two.As “Lord Bloodraven,” Brynden was rumored to be a sinister sorceror, effectively ruling the kingdom with “spies and spells.”
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Ser Aegor Rivers, often called Bittersteel, was a renowned warrior and one of the Great Bastards fathered by Aegon IV. His mother was Barba of House Bracken, and for his personal arms he combined the coat-of-arms of his parents: a red stallion for House Bracken with black dragon wings for House Blackfyre, on a golden field.
Aegor was angry his whole life, but reserved particular loathing for his half-brother Brynden Rivers, whose mother, Mylessa Blackwood,had replaced his own as their father’s favorite. Aegor loathed Bloodraven even further when Shiera Seastar, the half-sister of both Bloodraven and himself, chose Bloodraven over him.
In the Blackfyre Rebellion, he sided with his other half-brother Daemon Blackfyre. During the Battle of the Redgrass Field, Bittersteel commanded the right of Daemon’s host. Upon Daemon’s death, Bittersteel rallied his troops and charged Bloodraven’s archers, taking out his half-brother’s eye in the process.
Managing to recover Blackfyre, the Targaryen family sword, Bittersteel fled Westeros at the end of the rebellion to the free city of Tyrosh, with Daemon’s remaining sons. He served a year with the Second Sons before leaving to create the famous mercenary organization the Golden Company to stop the loss of support for the Blackfyres as the other exile lords began to join other mercenary companies. Despite the notorious unreliability of sellswords, the Golden Company is reputed to have never broken a contract, and reference to the founder can be seen in their words; “Beneath the gold, the bitter steel.”
On his deathbed, Bittersteel commanded the men of the Golden Company to boil the flesh from his skull, dip it in gold and carry it before then when they cross the sea to retake Westeros.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Daemon Blackfyre was the bastard son of Daena Targaryen and Aegon IV. He swayed half the kingdom to support his claim to the Iron Throne against King Daeron II in a war called the Blackfyre Rebellion, but was killed in the fighting.
Daemon’s mother was the infamous Daena the Defiant, daughter of Aegon III. He was conceived during Daena’s imprisonment in the Maidenvault and the identity of his father kept secret until his twelfth birthday, where Daemon distinguished himself during a tourney melee by besting a score of other squires. Afterwards his father Aegon IV, who was already king at the time, acknowledged Daemon as his bastard son and presented him with Blackfyre, the Valyrian steel sword of Targaryen kings. Some felt that the sword symbolized the monarchy, so the gift was the seed from which the Blackfyre Rebellion grew.
On his deathbed, Aegon the Unworthy legitimized all of his bastards. Leading to Daemon’s revolt were his growing resentment at being a bastard and surrounding himself with councilors who urged him to make his claim. They fed rumors that his half-brother Daeron II was not the son of Aegon IV, but of Aegon the Dragonknight; Daemon, as a Targaryen on both sides and legitimized heir to the throne, was a logical choice to replace the academic king. Daemon, they said, was a better man and a better king.
In the end, it was the wedding of Princess Daenerys to the Dornish Prince Maron Martell that led to the Blackfyre Rebellion. It was said Daemon loved her and she him, but she was denied to him by Daeron. Daemon thus claimed the Iron Throne as Aegon IV’s true heir, and led a revolt against King Daeron. Daemon attracted many followers with his martial skill and his possession of Blackfyre, being called the King Who Bore the Sword. Many who disliked the Dornish influence and academic nature of Daeron’s court preffered Daemon’s rugged charisma and apathy toward learning and religion. He took the name of Blackfyre for his house and dsiplayed the inverted Targaryen arms, a black dragon on red.
The decisive battle of the war was fought on the Redgrass field. Daemon defeated Ser Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsguard in single combat. Then, instead of attacking Prince Maekar’s forces, he defended the wounded Corbray and had him carried off the field.
In the mean time, Brynden Rivers and his personal guard had found a spot from which they could rain their arrows down upon Daemon’s position. Daemon and his twin sons, Aemon and Aegon, were killed personally by Bloodraven thus ending any chance of victory.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Aegon IV, known as Aegon the Unworthy, was the eleventh Targaryen to sit the Iron Throne and is considered one of the worst Targaryen kings. He sired numerous bastards, legitimizing them on his deathbed; an act that started the Blackfyre Rebellion and almost ripped hte Seven Kingdoms apart.
Aegon was the eldest son of the King’s Hand, VIserys, and grew up whilst his cousin Daeron I ruled . He married his sister Naeyrs, though their marriage was an unhappy one and once his son Daeron was born she asked Aegon to release her from her vows so she could join the Faith, but he refused her.
When Baelor I, became king, he dissolved his marriage to his sister-wife Daena and imprisoned her in the Maidenvault so that the sight of her would not tempt him to carnal thoughts. Aegon was not under any such prohibition and developed a fondness for his cousin Daena. On occasion he helped Daena escape from the Maidenvault and they conceived a child. Daena refused to say who the father was, and was dubbed ‘Daena the Defiant’ for her willfulness. In time she gave birth to a son, Daemon Blackfyre.
Eventually Baelor starved himself to death in one of his pious fasting, and Viserys only ruled for a single year before passing himself. Thus the throne passed to Aegon, Fourth of His Name.
Aegon IV is generally considered to be one of the worst kings in the history of Westeros, and is dubbed ‘Aegon the Unworthy’ in history texts. He was a decadent, corrupt ruler who indulged his passions and whims at ever opportunity. Being attractive, he was popular with women both highborn and lowborn, and had as many as nine highborn mistresses, and several bastards. Supposedly, he had any woman he wanted whether they were married or not. People often joked that the Targaryen words might be “Fire and Blood” but Aegon IV’s motto was “Wash her and bring her to my bed.”
He quite openly flaunted his mistresses at court, to the distress of his wife. On one occasion he caught his Kingsguard knight, Terrace Toyne, sleeping with one of his mistresses and had both of them executed. This led to the death of his brother Aemon, who sacrificed his life to protect Aegon from the Terrence brothers assassination attempt.
Aegon gave his Valyrian steel sword, Blackfyre, which had been carried by Aegon the Conqueror and all the Targaryen kings after him, to his bastard Daemon when he acknowledged and knighted him at the age of 12, instead of to his hier, Daeron; talk of Daemon becoming Aegon’s hier began after this point.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Viserys II was the tenth Targaryen to sit on the Iron Throne. He was the brother of Aegon III and son of Rhaenyra Targaryen. He ascended the throne after the death of his nephew, Baelor I.
Viserys is not remembered fondly in Westeros, as some accuse him of poisoning his nephew Baelor the Blessed to gain the throne and doing nothing once he gained it. In truth, Viserys as Hand to his nephews was instrumental in keeping the realm intact while Daeron warred and Baelor prayed. Viserys reigned for only a year, but he truly ruled and preserved the land for much longer.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Baelor I, also known as Baelor the Blessed, was the ninth Targaryen king to reign on the Iron Throne. Known for his piety, Baelor was a septon as well as a king. He was the second son of Aegon III and ruled after the death of his brother Daeron I.
Some remember Baelor as a great and holy man, given to deep prayer and fasting to experience religious visions, and honor him for his contributions to the Faith, including the construction of the Great Sept in King’s Landing. Others regard him as a weak, simpering fool, prone to hallucinations and bad decisions brought about by excessive zealotry.
Upon his brother Daeron’s death, Baelor is said to have walked the Boneway barefoot to make peace with Dorne. It is also said that he saved his cousin Prince Aemon the Dragonknight from a snake pit, where he was bitten many times by the vipers whose venom could not kill him because of his faith in the Seven; this tale may simply be a metaphorical version of his visit to Dorne, referring to Dorne itslef as a “snake pit,” and the Dornish, “vipers.” While he prayed, his uncle, Viserys II, ruled as his Hand of the King.
Baelor earned the contempt of his nobles by forcing Lord Belgrave to wash the feet of a leper. Other acts that lead to some referring to him as Baelor the Befuddled, include trying to replace all the ravens that delivered messages with doves, and confing his sisters, Daena (to whom he was married), Rhaena, and Elaena in the Maidenvault so they did not tempt him with carnal thoughts. He attempted to birth new dragons by praying over the dragon eggs but his prayers went unanswered. Baelor also once banished all the whores and sex workers from King’s Landing. He prayed for them but did not look at them. Baelor then decided not to rearm the faith, as he was a man of peace who believed the only weapon the faithful should have is prayer.
During his reign he had a stonemason named as the High Septon, a man that could carve stonework so beautifully that Baelor believed him to be the Smith in human form. While a fantastic stonecarver, the new High Septon could not read, write, or recite any prayers. Rumor spread that Baelor’s Hand had the stonemason poisoned to end the embarrassment to the realm. Baelor then raised a boy of eight years to High Septon, who Baelor claimed worked miracles, although the boy could not save the king’s life on his deathbed. History says Baelor starved himself to death by prolonged fasting to cleanse himself of lust, but some believe his was poisoned by his Hand and uncle, VIserys.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Daeron I, known as the Young Dragon, was the eldest son of Aegon III and the eighth king to sit the Iron Throne. He ascended the throne at the age of fourteen and is famous for conquering Dorne.
Aegon III died when his son was only fourteen, making Daeron the youngest king to sit the Iron Throne, for which he was called by some the “Boy King.” Daeron long felt the continued independence of Dorne represented unfinished business for the Targaryens, and upon his ascension he vowed to rectify his ancestors’ mistake. Upon taking the throne he set to conquer Dorne, which he succeeded in, becoming the first Targaryen King to conquer Dorne and unite all the seven kingdoms for the first time.
Unfortunately Daeron’s conquest didn’t last. It was undone in a fortnight when a clever trap killed Lord Tyrell, the steward that Daeron had left to rule Dorne. His death sparked a great uprising that overthrew most of the conquest. Daeron lost forty thousand men trying to hold Dorne, culminating in his own death during the uprising. At that time he was only eighteen.
Although married, Daeron died without issue and was succeeded by his brother, Baelor the Blessed.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Aegon III Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Dragonbane was the seventh king of the Targaryen line. He succeeded his uncle, Aegon II, at the conclusion of the Dance of the Dragons. With Aegon II leaving no male heirs, the ascension of Aegon III is a possible dynastic vindication of his mother’s claim to the throne.
As king, Aegon III ruled long and well in the Seven Kingdoms, though he is often blamed for the death of the last dragon, having had a great distaste for the creatures since he witnessed his mother be devoured by his uncle’s beast. Although the maesters may have played a part in the death of the last dragons, Aegon III became known as “Aegon the Dragonbane,” despite his later efforts to obtain dragon eggs. He had nine mages cross the sea to attempt to hatch his remaining eggs. Aegon was said to have always walked with a great grief, and the folly of his sons nearly tore the realm apart. Two of his sons reign as kings: Dareon I, called the Young Dragon, and Baelor I, called Baelor the blessed. Among his daughters were the three “Maidens in the Tower,” Daena the Defiant, Rhaena, and Elaena.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
Aegon II was the sixth Targaryen monarch to sit the Iron Throne, succeeding his father, Viserys I.
His father had intended Aegon’s older sister Rhaenyra to sit the Iron Throne, but Criston Cole, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, chose Aegon to take the throne instead. Rhaenyra disputed his ascension, which lead to the war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Aegon managed to defeat his sister, and fed her to his dragon. Shortly thereafter he died himself, leaving no heirs, which lead to Rhaenyra’s son Aegon III taking the throne.
Rhaenyra Targaryen was the first-born child of King Viserys I. Her claim to the Iron Throne was challenged by her younger half-brother Aegon II, sparking the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Rhaenyra was King Viserys I’s only living child by his first wife, a Lady of House Arryn. She grew up expecting to become the first ruling queen of Westeros. When the second of her brothers died soon after being born, Viserys himself began to treat Rhaenyra as his heir, keeping her by his side in court and at council meetings.
Her mother’s death and her father’s second marriage did little to disturb her expectations, but when his new Hightower queen gave the king three healthy sons and a daughter in rapid succession, the seeds of the Dance of the Dragons were sown.
After the death of her father King Viserys I, his will stated that Princess Rhaenyra would succeed him. However, Ser Criston Cole, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, defied the King’s will and instead crowned Rhaenyra’s half-brother Aegon II. This brought about a Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons, where dragon riders fought each other.
Rhaenyra’s bid failed and her half-brother Aegon had her fed to his own dragon. Aegon died shortly after his victory with no male issue and was succeeded by Rhaenyra’s son, Aegon III.
(Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)
