
Grand Maester Benifer and Barth found her to be infested with "horrors" which burned her from the inside out and killed her, erupting from her body as "worms with faces", "snakes with hands" and other monstrosities. In 55AC, Princess Aerea Targaryen claimed Balerion as her mount, and disappeared for more than a year, before reappearing in King's Landing in 56AC. The dragonlord Aurion declared himself Emperor of Valyria, but he and his host disappeared while trying to reclaim the city. Seeking slaves for Valyrian mines, they then conquered and established colonies to the west and north after defeating the Andals and the Rhoynar in Essos.įour hundred years ago, however, Valyria and its peninsula were shattered by the Doom of Valyria. The Valyrians' empire, the Valyrian Freehold, first conquered the Old Empire of Ghis to the east across Slaver's Bay, and the Ghiscari colonies in the Basilisk Isles and Sothoryos. It is believed that for these sins the gods in their wroth struck Valyria down. They practiced blood magic and other dark arts, delving deep into the earth for secrets and twisting the flesh of beasts and men to fashion monstrous and unnatural chimeras. The Valyrians were more than dragonlords. At times the lords freeholder elected archons for temporary leadership. House Targaryen, however, was not considered a powerful house. Valyria was ruled by its dragonlords, led by two score rival houses that contested for power. It is said that the glass candles of Oldtown were brought there from Valyria a thousand years before the Doom. Valyria is said to still hold many treasures from before the Doom, such as Valyrian steel blades and items of magical power. CultureĪ common racial characteristic among Valyrians appears to have been purple eyes and hair of silver- gold or platinum white.

Valyria is said to have had topless towers and used sphinxes as decorations. Valyria was connected by dragon roads to surrounding cities, such as Tyria. The city of Valyria is at the center of the largest surviving island, surrounded by cliffs where the island has broken away from the mainland. The Doom of Valyria shattered the peninsula, separating the city of Valyria from the Lands of the Long Summer by the Smoking Sea. Valyria was on the Valyrian peninsula, which extended into the Summer Sea.
