Centuries before the Targaryen Conquest of westeros, the ancient dragonlords of the Valyrian
freehold, annexed a small island in the narrow sea to act as their westernmost territory.
Although some local lrods resisted, the Valyrians were too powerful and quickly defeated any
opposition.
Using their magic they twisted black stone to form the fortress of Dragonstone beneath
the active volcano they called Dragonmount.
In 126 BC, a young woman named Daenys the Dreamers, a daughter of House Targaryen, foresaw
a great tragedy that would befall the Valyrian Penninsula, and convinced her family to move
to the far away island permanently.
As a result, they were one of the few families to survive the Doom of Valyria which destroyed
their homeland 12 years later in 114BC.
Over the next century, the Targaryens became a major power in the narrow sea, controlling
trade and deterring trouble through their dragons who could sometimes be seen flying
in the skies above.
Aiding them in this venture, were their allies in House Velaryon of Driftmark and House Celtigar
of Claw Isle, who were both of Valyrian ancestry.
Within the great fortress of Dragonstone itself, one of the most interesting rooms that was
constructed, was the Chamber of the Painted Table, located in the top floor of the central
keep called the Stone Drum.
In the Chamber they constructed a table more than 50 feet long and 25 feet wide, carved
to form a detailed map of westeros.
There is also a Great Hall carved into the shape of a dragon lying on its belly, while
the kitchens appears to be a curled up dragon with smoke venting through its nostrils.[10]
The Windwyrm tower is home to the rookery and maester’s chambers, and is shaped like
a screaming dragon.
The Sea Dragon Tower meanwhile is shaped like a dragon looking out to sea.
A garden, later known as Aegon’s Garden is found under the arch of the dragon’s
tail, where they grow tall dark trees, wild roses, towering thorny hedges, and cranberries.
There is also a sept with statues representing the Seven gods of westeros, carved from the
ships that carried the Targaryens from Valyria.
In addition to the many dragon designs throughout the fortress, there are also many other beasts
represented in carved statues, like basilisks, cockatrices, demons, griffins, hellhounds,
manticores, minotaurs, and wyverns.
Although the small island did not have many luxuries or useful resources, obsidian could
be mined in its caverns while the small villages that formed along the shore, survived off
sea trade.
Aenar Targaryen, who originally moved their House to the island, was succeeded as Lord
of Dragonstone by his son Gaemon the Glorious who, in keeping with the Valyrian tradition
of incest, married his sister Daenys the Dreamer.
Gaemon was succeeded by his son Aegon who married his sister Elaena and produced two
sons.
The elder brother Maegon inherited the Lordship of Dragonstone for a time, before it was passed
to his younger brother Aerys and then his 3 sons, Aelyx, Baelon and Daemion.
Daemion was then succeeded by his son Aerion, who married Valaena Velaryon and had three
children, naming them Visenya, Aegon and Rhaenys.
Aerion was succeeded his son Aegon, who married both of his sisters, and together they led
their forces west and conquered 6 of the seven kingdoms of Westeros.
The Targaryens brought 5 living dragons with them from Valyria, of which only Belarion
the Black Dread survived.
But during their years of Dragonstone, two more of the creatures hatached, named Vhagar
and Meraxes.
With three dragons and 1600 soldiers Aegon, later known as the Conquerer, landed at the
mouth of Blackwater Rush, establishing the Aegonfort, around which King’s Landing formed.
After the surrender of most of the continent, Dragonstone became a secondary home for House
Targaryen, as the family now resided in the capital of King’s Landing.
And so King Aegon gave the Lordship of the Island to his youngest son Maegor who became
known as the Prince of Dragonstone.
Aegon was succeeded by his eldest son Aenys who faced religious upheaval during his reign
made worse when his brother Maegor took a second wife, deeply angering the followers
of the faith of the seven.
Aenys then exiled his brother to essos and gave the Lordship of Dragonstone to his son
and heir Aegon.
However, Aenys died in 42AC at which point Maegor returned, violating the laws of inheritance
to be crowned King of Westeros on Dragonstone.
His short but brutal reign was inherited by his nephew Jaehaerys the Conciliator, who
brought peace to westeros and followed in the tradition of his father Aenys, naming
his heir as Prince of Dragonstone, thereby establishing the Targaryen tradition of placing
the next in line for the throne as Lord of the small island.
Leading up to the Dance of the Dragons, for the first time, the heir to the Iron was a
woman, and so Rhaenyra Targaryen was named Princess of Dragonstone.
It was there that she was crowned queen of westeros in 129AC, after her younger brother
Aegon attempted to usurp the throne, crowned King in the capital of King’s Landing.
The continent then erupted in civil war, which saw Rhaenyra take the Iron throne for a time,
before losing the city and fleeing back to Dragonstone.
Unfortunately her brother Aegon had already taken the island, and so captured Rhaenyra
and fed her to his dragon sunfyre.
Aegon however also died soon after, leaving the throne to Rhaenyra’s son Aegon III who’s
ascension to power ended the war and who later named his son and heir Daeron as the new Prince
of Dragonstone.
So many dragons died during the Westerosi civil war that the race went extinct soon
after, however the Targaryens never forgot their connections to the powerful beasts and
some even died attempting to bring them back into the world.
Under the reign of the last targaryen king Aerys II, another attempt was made to hatch
dragon eggs found in the depths of dragonstone, but again they failed.
In keeping with tradition, Aerys eldest son and heir Rhaegar was named Prince of Dragonstone,
moving to the island with his wife Elia Martell, and there had a daughter Rhaenys and son Aegon.
But war again came to westeros, seeing Robert Baratheon rise against Targaryen rule, leading
to the death of the king and heir.
Rhaegar’s family were killed by rebel forces in the capital, while the King’s wife Rhaella
and last surviving son Viserys managed to survive on Dragonstone.
However Rhaella was pregnant and died giving birth to her daughter Daenerys, born during
a terrible storm that destroyed the last of the Targaryen fleet.
Soon the newly crowned King Robert, sent his brother Stannis to capture the last Targaryen
stronghold, but found that the children were smuggled away to essos.
Robert had no legitimate children when he took the throne, and so named Stannis his
brother and heir as Lord of Dragonstone, both in keeping with tradition and knowing that
the island needed a strong ruler to see it thrive.
Stannis however took it as an insult, seeing his younger brother Renly named Lord of Storm’s
End, given a much easier and more lucrative position.
After the death of King Robert, the continent again fell to civil war, with many believing
the king’s children illegitimate.
The war of the five king’s as it was known, saw Stannis crowned as King on Dragonstone,
and there raised a force to invade the capital in the Battle of Blackwater bay.
However a timely alliance between House Lannister and Tyrell saw Stannis defeated, retreating
to his island where he planned his next move.
Convinced by his friend and advisor Davos Seaworth, Stannis led his army north to help
the brother’s of the Night’s Watch defend the realm against a wildling invasion.
Although he knew this left Dragonstone vulnerable, Stannis called on Ser Rolland Storm to defend
the island in his name.
During his time at the wall, Stannis became aware of the need for obsidian, also called
dragon glass, as they prepared for the coming of the Others, and so sent word to mine as
much as possible while he still held Dragonstone.
Unfortunately, the Lannisters were eager to take the island and sent 2000 men along with
the Redwyne Fleet from the Reach to take the island, laying siege to starve them out.
However the Iron Islands, under their new king Euron Greyjoy began attacking the Shield
islands of the reach, making it necessary for the Redwyn fleet to return home.
Yet the Queen Regen Cersei Lannister refused to allow them to leave until dragonstone was
conquered, and so Loras Tyrell, personally led the attack to take the island by force.
Loras Tyrell was reported to have survived the battle but was gravely injured, and his
father Mace Tyrell reported that Stannis left no wealth behind.