Aegon I Targaryen

In 33 AC, Aegon made his last journey through Westeros, where he visited Winterfell. In the following years, Prince Aenys and his wife made the official visits throughout the kingdom in place of the weary king. In 37 AC, at Dragonstone, while recounting stories of his conquest to his grandsons Aegon and Viserys, King Aegon I died of a stroke at the age of 64. Aegon was cremated at Dragonstone, and his funeral pyre was lit by Vhagar. The sword Blackfyre remained beside him in the flames until it was removed from the pyre by Aenys. Although his reign was peaceful and King Aegon himself was very popular among nobles and commoners, many of his subjects longed to return to the old ways, when the Seven Kingdoms were separate entities. Others sought revenge for the deaths of relatives in the wars, and still others viewed the Targaryens as abominations. Thus, after more than two decades of peace at the end of Aegon's reign, his sons, Kings Aenys I and Maegor I, would usher in tumultuous and conflict-ridden times.

In 7 AC, Aegon became a father for the first time when his younger sister-wife, Rhaenys, gave birth to a son: Aenys. However, Prince Aenys was a frail and sickly boy, and the death of his mother in 10 AC deeply affected him. Aegon was desperate, fearing for his son's life. Because the prince was so weak, rumors circulated that the Conqueror was not Aenys's real father, but a court singer. However, when Aenys bonded with his dragon, Quicksilver, his health improved considerably. As Visenya had not yet conceived, some believed she was barren, and with Aenys's health still somewhat compromised, rumors began to circulate that perhaps Aegon might seek another wife. The king, however, refused to listen to these suggestions, rejecting many nobles who brought their daughters to meet him. In 11 AC, Queen Visenya announced she was pregnant, and nine months later she gave birth to Maegor, Aegon's second son. Aegon raised Aenys in King's Landing and soon began taking him on his travels throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Occasionally, he allowed Aenys to train with his Valyrian steel sword, Blackfyre. Having no daughters, Aegon married his son Aenys to his cousin, Lady Alyssa Velaryon, in 22 AC. Aenys would have six children with Alyssa, five of whom were born during Aegon's reign.

The last twenty-four years of Aegon's reign were peaceful. He spent much time consolidating his power, traveling throughout the Seven Kingdoms and overseeing the construction of King's Landing. Aegon often devoted half the year to visiting his vassals across the realm. During his rule, he maintained a careful relationship with the Faith of the Seven, ensuring their continued support. Aegon built a sept on Visenya's Hill and agreed to build another, much larger one, called the Sept of Remembrance, on Rhaenys' Hill. The king also proclaimed that the holy men and women of the Faith, and all their lands and property, would be exempt from taxation, and ratified the right of the Faith's courts to judge and sentence any septon, sworn brother, or holy sister accused of wrongdoing. Internally, he announced decrees to regulate customs, duties, and taxes throughout the kingdom, since in the past each port and each minor lord had the freedom to extract as much as possible from tenants, commoners, and merchants. Aegon proclaimed that "the first law of the land shall be the King's Peace," and that no lord could wage war without the Crown's permission, at the risk of being proclaimed traitors. From 20 AC onwards, Aegon began building walls around King's Landing, figuring that although his dragons might discourage any direct attack on the city, the king and his dragons would not always be in the capital. Within six years, a large part of the city walls were completed. In 33 AC, at the age of 60, Aegon remained in King's Landing while his son Aenys and his wife, Alyssa, traveled through the kingdom on an official visit. In the final years of his reign, the now elderly king decided that Aegon's Fort was no longer suitable for the royalty of the Seven Kingdoms and began construction of a new castle in its place in 35 AC. Aegon moved with his family to Dragonstone while the Red Keep was being built. Visenya oversaw the construction, with many believing...

In 4 AC, Aegon launched his invasion of Dorne, aiming to complete his conquest. Initially successful, the war dragged on for nine years, causing many deaths and tragedies. His bastard brother and Hand, Orys Baratheon, was captured by the Dornish and mutilated, his sword hand severed. Aegon retaliated by unleashing his dragons against the castles and fortifications of the Dornish nobles. However, the greatest loss for the king was the death of his sister, Queen Rhaenys Targaryen, during an attack on Hellholt in 10 AC. Rhaenys died when her dragon Meraxes was struck in the eye by a large dart from a scorpion, causing the dragon and its rider to fall from the sky. The following two years became known as "the Dragon's Wrath," during which Aegon burned every Dornish castle at least once. Aegon and Visenya placed bounties on the heads of the Dornish lords after Rhaenys' death, and in return, the Dornish also placed a price on the heads of the Targaryen leaders. Aegon and Visenya were attacked in the streets of King's Landing, and if it weren't for Visenya and her sword, the Dark Sister, the king would have been killed. This assassination attempt led to the creation of the Kingsguard in 10 AC, an order formed by elite knights whose sole purpose in life is to protect the king. Visenya personally chose each man of this Guard. The First Dornish War officially ended in 13 AC, with King Aegon abandoning his attempt to annex Dorne to the domains of the Iron Throne. The negotiation process was led by Deria Martell, daughter of Prince Nymor Martell, the ruler of Dorne. Deria brought Meraxes' skull and a letter from her father to Aegon's eyes to King's Landing. After reading the contents of this letter, Aegon flew with Balerion to Dragonstone. He returned the next day and agreed to broker a peace treaty between Dorne and his kingdom. Aegon would cultivate a good relationship with Princess Deria and even visit Sunspear.

Instead, Aegon allowed the nobles of the Iron Islands to choose their new liege lord, and the Ironborn chose Vickon Greyjoy. In 3 AC, Aegon I turned his attention to Dorne, the only part of Westeros below the Wall not under the direct control of the Iron Throne. Initially, he resorted to diplomacy, but after a year of negotiations, no progress was made. Aegon then decided to subdue the Dornish by force of arms.

The first official day of Aegon's rule over Westeros was the day the High Septon anointed him with his seven eyes. Instead of ruling from Oldtown or Dragonstone, Aegon chose to make his landing site, known as King's Landing, his new seat of power, in the city that was springing up around Aegon's makeshift fortress. He took the swords of his defeated enemies, melting them with dragonfire and forging the Iron Throne. Aegon also created the offices of the Small Council to help him govern, officially establishing the position of Hand of the King, with Orys Baratheon becoming the first Hand. Aegon established his first laws, enshrining the King's Peace, which prohibited internal conflicts within the kingdom. Aegon treated the defeated lords who surrendered with respect, allowing them to retain their positions and preserve their laws and customs within their territories, as well as their right to administer justice in their domains and the power of life and death over their commoners. Aegon typically traveled the kingdom accompanied by six maesters who educated him about each region, informing him of its customs and history. In 2 AC, Aegon turned his attention to the Iron Islands, where the ironborn were fighting amongst themselves for leadership of their islands. Aegon landed on Great Wyk with Balerion, accompanied by a fleet of warships. The king personally killed Qhorin Volmark, while the priest-king Lodos drowned himself in an attempt to communicate with the Drowned God underwater. The other contenders for the crown soon decided to give up and bent the knee. Aegon ignored suggestions to make the Ironborn vassals of House Tully of Riverrun or House Lannister of Casterly Rock. The king also ignored some requests to exterminate the Ironborn with dragonfire.

Before the defeated lords gathered at the new Aegon's Fort, Aegon was crowned with a Valyrian steel crown by Visenya and acclaimed King of All Westeros by Rhaenys. He also displayed for the first time the three-headed dragon sigil of House Targaryen. The three Targaryens departed from Aegon's Fort, with the new king marching northwest into the riverlands to confront Harren Hoare. Edmyn Tully, Lord of Riverrun, declared his support for Aegon and led the river lords in a revolt against the ironborn rulers. When Harren refused to yield Harrenhal, Aegon attacked the gigantic castle with Balerion, and House Hoare was extinguished with the burning of Harrenhal. The following day, Aegon named Edmyn Lord Paramount of the Trident. Meanwhile, Rhaenys and Orys defeated the Durrandons in the Last Storm, while Visenya fought the Arryns and then secured control of Crackclaw Point. Visenya returned to the Vale, where she obtained the surrender of the Arryns, while Rhaenys flew to Dorne on an unsuccessful mission to the Martells. Meanwhile, Aegon marched to Oldtown, which was given to him by Lord Manfred Hightower on the advice of the High Septon. Within the Starry Sept, the High Septon declared Aegon I King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm.

As the Century of Blood drew to a close, Aegon's interest in Westeros grew. He had already visited the Citadel in Oldtown and the Isle of the Arbor in the Kingdom of the Reach with his older sister, Visenya, and perhaps also Lannisport in the Kingdom of the Rock. He commissioned a huge wooden table, carved in the shape of Westeros, with a map of the Seven Kingdoms painted on its surface. However, no borders were drawn on the Painted Table, as Aegon believed there should be one kingdom, not seven. One king, one kingdom. The Storm King, Argilac Durrandon, contacted Aegon, proposing a marriage between Aegon and his only daughter, Princess Argella. All the lands east of the God's Eye, from the Trident to the Blackwater Rush, were offered as dowry, even though the lands did not belong to Argilac. His offer was an attempt to create a barrier between his own kingdom and that of Harren Hoare, the King of the Isles and Rivers. Aegon rejected the offer, saying he did not need a third wife, and instead offered his close friend and supposed bastard half-brother, Orys Baratheon, as Argella's husband in exchange for all the lands around Blackwater Bay, including those held by Argilac. Insulted, Argilac cut off the hands of Aegon's emissary and sent them back to Dragonstone. In response, Aegon summoned his closest advisors. After six days of consultations, Aegon sent ravens to all the lords of Westeros, declaring his claim to sovereignty over the entire continent. Aegon landed with a small army on the east coast of Westeros, at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, where he built Aegon's Fort. Houses Rosby and Stokeworth quickly surrendered to their sisters, and Houses Darklyn and Mooton were defeated in Aegon's first battle.

Aegon was born on Dragonstone in 27 BC, the son of Lord Aerion Targaryen and Lady Valaena Velaryon. He had an older sister, Visenya, and a younger sister, Rhaenys. According to Valyrian and Targaryen traditions, Aegon took both his sisters as wives to keep the bloodline pure; however, instead of taking only one sister as a wife, as was expected, Aegon married both. It is said that he married Visenya out of duty and Rhaenys out of desire. The fact that he took a second wife was unusual, but not unprecedented among dragonlords.

Aegon claimed the dragon Balerion before his marriage. When Pentos and Tyrosh asked Aegon for help in their fight against Volantis, Aegon, Lord of Dragonstone, flew on Balerion to Pentos to meet with the Prince of Pentos and the city's magisters. Aegon then flew to Lys, where he burned the Volantis fleet before it could attempt to invade the city. Shortly afterward, Aegon returned to Dragonstone.

Aegon was clearly ambitious. He was described as tall, broad-shouldered, and powerful in appearance with his purple eyes and short silver and gold hair. He was very charismatic and authoritative. During the Conquest, he typically wore a black scale shirt for battle and wielded his Valyrian steel sword, Blackfyre. His crown was a simple Valyrian steel hoop, set with large square-cut rubies. Aegon was seen as an enigma. He was a solitary person, and his only friend was Orys. He was an excellent warrior who possessed a sword called Blackfyre but flew on his dragon only for battle or travel, and never entered tournaments. He remained loyal to his sisters and left the government in their hands, taking command only when necessary. While he was harsh with those who defied him, he was generous to those who bent the knee. Aegon was not considered a particularly religious man. According to semi-canonical sources, after deciding to become the ruler of Westeros, he converted to the Faith of the Seven for political reasons. Aegon had dreams of dragons, according to other semi-canonical sources.

Royal House: House Targaryen Predecessor: None Heir(s): Aenys Targaryen Successor: Aenys I Targaryen Queen: Visenya Targaryen Rhaenys Targaryen Children: Aenys Targaryen Maegor Targaryen Father: Aerion Targaryen Mother: Valaena Velaryon

Reign: 1 AD to 37 AD Coronation: 1 AD Full name: Aegon Targaryen, the First of His Name Pseudonym(s): Aegon the Conqueror Aegon the Dragon Aegon, the Lord of Dragons Titles: King of All Westeros King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men Lord of the Seven Kingdoms Protector of the Territory Lord of Dragonstone Birth: 27 BC, at Dragonstone Death: 37 AD, at Dragonstone