Thread by @ItsNotTVpod

Can't stop thinking about #HouseVelaryon and the #Houseofthedragon battle in Stepstones? Us too. Let's unpack what we know from Fire & Blood and the lore in a (spoiler free) deep dive into the second most powerful House in Westeros during #HOTD 🧵

In Episode 2 Corlys tells Daemon that #HouseVelaryon is just as old (or older) then the Targs, but unlike other lords *he* built his house's power on his own back. Exaggerating to impress Daemon? Nope. Corlys' journey to power is one of the most interesting in Westeros history.

#HouseVelaryon rules Driftmark, the largest island in Blackwater Bay, near Dragonstone (where we spent time in Ep 2). It hosts two castles (📌 for later), a fishing town & the popular trading port Spicetown. By the time of #HOTD the island is a mix of the ancient and the new

#HouseVelaryon is truly ancient, dating back to old Valyrian before the Doom. Settling in Westeros *before* the Targs, legends say their ships crossed the Narrow Sea and sailed passed Dragonstone, a smoking uninhibited rock, for the low-lying fertile Driftmark island.

Named for driftwood that washed onto its shores, Castle Driftmark is described as being grim, its stone stained dark by rising high tide salt waters. The Driftwood Throne was said to be a gift from the Merling King (a god of the Narrow Sea) as a part of a pact with #HouseVelaryon

And though the House had Valyria in their veins (white haired purple eyed bois), they had never been dragonriders. As Corlys says in Ep 2, they were seafarers who commanded several of the most impressive fleets Westeros had ever seen... before and after The Conquest.

In their move to Westeros #HouseTargaryen would occupy Dragonstone. The Velaryons ruled the seas & trade routes between the Blackwater & the Free Cities of Essos, while the Targs commanded the skies. Through proximity and shared blood, marriages between houses were frequent...

And while Targaryen and Velaryon marriages were a staple in Westeros (as noted by Corlys in his Ep 2 pitch to King Viserys), no marriage between them was more important than Aerion Targaryen's marriage to Valaena Velaryon — who's son would become known as Aegon the Conquerer.

We'll save Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys' conquest of Westeros for a future thread, but the simple truth that the three dragonriders (who united the Seven Kingdoms through fire and blood) were half Velaryon forever cemented the bond between the houses.

#HouseVelaryon allied with the Targaryens at the start of Aegon's Conquest, and used their massive fleet to secure the Blackwater. Lord Daemon Velaryon commanded the fleet, and after the victory was named the first Master of Ships (the same position Corlys occupies in #HOTD)

So how did #HouseVelaryon do after the Iron Throne was forged? Pretty, pretty good. Leading up to #HOTD Velaryons became Lord Commanders of the King's Guard, Masters of Ships, and Queens to multiple Targaryen rulers. But soon they'd have more than alliances... they'd have gold.

F&B tells us that sons of #HouseVelaryon are given "a taste of the seafarers life" when young. So when a young Corlys Velaryon took to the sea, he became regarded as a prodigious sailor before he was even a teenager. At 6 he traveled with his uncle to the Free City of Pentos...

...and worked as a crew member of ships every year after. At only 16 he led a ship between Dragonstone and back, earning himself the title of Captain. By his mid-20s, Corlys was known as a famed mariner, sailing The Cod Queen to every major port in Westeros and the Free Cities.

But #CorlysVelaryon had even greater ambitions than trade ports. Next he sailed to Volantis and the Summer Isles south of Essos, and then captained (the incredibly named) ship Ice Wolf to the icy waters of the North — sailing to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and Hardhome.

Corlys joined rare company when he sailed beyond The Wall — into the Lands of Always Winter — to find the rumored northern pass around Westeros. Many sailors had gone north to find the *end* of Westeros... And many died. He wouldn't find the end of Westeros, but he did survive.

#CorlysVelaryon returned home and built his own ship, The Sea Snake. He prepared for multiple voyages into the deepest regions of Essos: expeditions sailors of Westeros would never dream of. His travels would be canonized in the book The Nine Voyages, and transform his House.

Whew, still here? Let's hydrate and have a glass of Dornish wine. It's a lot, but this is where Corlys' life and the fortunes of #HouseVelaryon become even wilder. Okay, let's get into a few of Corlys most important of The Nine Voyages...

In his 1st voyage, Corlys became the first Westerosi to pass the Jade Gates, a narrow strait separating west and east Essos, visiting Yi Ti (a rich empire with massive cities) and Yeng (a strange island full of gems and ruins). The trip alone doubled his House's wealth.

In his 2nd voyage he reached Asshai, a mysterious and massive port city, all its roads and walls made from strange Lovecraftian black stone. Despite its size few live there, but it is known for its amber and dragonglass... and scary ass shadowbinders. Melisandre was from there.

It is arguable if any Westerosi had visited Asshai before Corlys. He lost half his crew and his lover, but he also found something: he glimpsed the wrecked Sunchaser, a lost ship of Elissa Farman: the very dope & very gay 🏳️‍🌈 adventurer that you'll absolutely see a thread on soon.

On Corlys 9th and final voyage he brought 20 ships to Qarth (where Dany once spent time in GOT) and loaded his ships with spices, silks, and elephants. Only 14 ships returned (no elephants survived 😭) but it made Corlys and #HouseVelaryon immensely wealthy.

When Corlys began his voyages, #HouseVelaryon were ancient and well connected seafarers. When he finished, his House was richer than even the gold-mining Lannisters. At the time of #HOTD Corlys has half the realm's fleet, and a massive hand in its economy.

When #CorlysVelaryon ascended the Driftwood throne after his grandfather, he used his wealth to construct High Tide📌 a new beautiful castle to rule from. Beneath it rose the lavish port of Spicetown, where many traders went *instead* of King's Landing to avoid royal taxes.

Many lords in Westeros have gold, or power, or important political marriages. But #CorlysVelaryon perhaps more than anyone else in the realm, knows how to create wealth, forge power, and seize things said to be impossible to find. Which brings us to #HOTD...

Early in #HouseoftheDragon Corlys and his House have been spurned, his family denied the Iron Throne by multiple Targs. But he has gold, a fleet, and ambition. No spoilers for what happens next, but where ever he aligns, he may be the most dangerous man without a dragon in #HOTD

Credit for some of the great art work to awoiaf.westeros.org, the World of Ice and Fire book, and the @HBO Official Guide ✨✨

To hear more about what's going on #HouseOfTheDragonHBO check out our podcast! We drop new episodes every Wednesday after #HOTD itsnottv.captivate.fm/listen

After #HOTD's Ep 3, adding some more #HouseVelaryon context and love. So lots of people were confused about Laenor riding a damn dragon out of no where. The show hasn't explained this well yet, but we've got you covered...

The only dragonriders since The Doom have been Targs and as Corlys said last episode, Velaryons dominated the seas. *But* according to the lore, anyone with Targaryen blood can become a dragonrider (magical blood? maybe). So when Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys get married...

Their children will be of #HouseVelaryon but also have the "blood of the dragon." Rhaenys is a dragonrider, who we *should* see riding her dragon Meleys in the future. Not all Targs ride dragons, but many Targ babies have a dragon egg placed in their crib to bond with...

Being the son of a dragonrider, Laenor had a dragon egg placed his in crib. Once hatched the two bonded very young. That smol dragon is #Seasmoke . The books say Laenor has been flying him since both were bb's, and considering its age #Seasmoke is a bit smaller than other dragons

We'll be working on a thread this week covering the history of dragonriding, which non-Targs have ridden dragons before, and some dragon magic fan conspiracies.

If you want all the details, join us Wednesday on the podcast for a dragonrider deep dive.

itsnottv.captivate.fm/listen