Thousands of years before the dragons of House Targaryen conquered Westeros, the powerful
creatures were believed to originate in the Far East, perhaps in the Shadow Mountains
or beyond.
From there they migrated west and spread throughout the known world, with dragon bones found as
far Ib and Sothoroyos.
Dragons were born from eggs, and started out the size of a cat, but would grow throughout
their lives, with some becoming large enough to eat an Aurochs or mammoths whole.
Although it is difficult to determine their gender, most Maesters believe you can distinguish
them by observing which lay eggs, and which do not.
However some like Septon Barth disagree, and believe Dragons were able to change their
gender as needed and therefore could not properly be categorized.
Dragons were believed to be connected to the seasons and magic with some claiming winters
worsened after their extinction, and that with their departure, magic also left the
world.
Roughly 5000 years before Aegon’s conquest, the Valyrian people discovered dragons in
the 14 Fires, a chain of Volcanos near their territory.
Legends say the Valyrians were simple sheepherders when they found the creatures, using magical
dragon horns to tame them and over time developing a bond which allowed some of their people
to mount and ride Dragons, making them near invincible in combat.
The Valyrian Freehold conquered much of Essos with the help of their Dragons, establishing
many cities and building the Dragon Roads, connecting territories throughout the continent.
In the year 114 Before Conquest, the Valyrian Peninsula was destroyed in a cataclysmic event
known as the Doom which eliminated the central government, killing nearly all known dragons
and leaving Essos to descend into a century of chaos and war.
House Targaryen, a minor Valyrian noble family, survived the Doom because they left Valyria
years earlier, having moved to the far Western Island of Dragonstone.
House Targaryen also possessed 5 of the last dragons known to exist, and while 4 eventually
died they left eggs behind which hatched into Vhagar and Meraxes who along with Balerion
The Blackdread joined Aegon, and his sister wives in their conquest of Westeros over a
century after the doom.
The dragons made a lasting impact of the people of the continent during the burning of Harrenhal
and the Field of Fire which killed many and convinced a number of realms to bend the knee
to the Targaryen conquerors.
However Dorne refused to yield, launching a guerrilla war supported by the small folk
which ousted the invaders, even killing the dragon Meraxes in 10 AC during the First Dornish
War.
For a hundred years the Targaryens would thrive, supported by their powerful dragons and dragon
riders.
However devastation came during the Dance of the Dragons civil war, when a dispute for
the Iron Throne between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon II erupted and
plunged westeros into war.
Of the 20 dragons alive when the war began, only 4 survived the fighting, greatly diminishing
their population and breeding potential.
Over the reign of Aegon III, the son of Rhaenyra who was crowned king after the war, the remaining
dragons died, with those born to House Targaryen in later years proving sickly and weak, with
nearly all dying in their infancy.
Aegon III became known as Dragonbane, because it was under his reign that the Dragon race
was believed to have gone extinct.
Though some contend Dragons may have survived the doom of Valyria in the far east and may
continue to exist in remote areas.
Although the dragons were gone, a number of unhatched eggs remained.
In 259 AC, King Aegon the V attempted to hatch 7 dragon eggs in a ritual at Summerhall, however
the attempt failed, causing a massive fire which killed the king, his son Duncan and
many others.
Decade’s later three eggs made their way to Pentos, where Illyrio Mopatis acquired
them to give as a wedding gift to Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled child of Mad King Aerys,
last Targaryen King of Westeros.
Although the eggs were simply believed to be decorative stones, they later hatched when
place in the funeral pyre of Khal Drogo, which held the Khal’s dead body, Daenerys stillborn
child and the witch Mirri Maz Dur.
As they burned Daenerys entered the flames but survived and emerged with 3 freshly hatched
dragons.
Although they were small in the beginning, Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion grew over time
aiding Daenerys in her conquest of Slaver’s bay.
However they soon grew out of control, and Daenerys chose to lock two of them away in
Meereen to prevent them from hurting innocent people as they hunted for food.
The largest of the 3, Drogon flew away however and continued to grow large, later returning
during the reopening of Fighting Pits, carrying Daenerys away and flying her to the Dothraki
Sea.
Back in Meereen, Quentyn Martell released the other two dragons from captivity when
he attempted to tame one in the hopes that the minor amounts of Targaryen blood in his
lineage might make it possible.
But Quentyn was burned alive in the attempt, and died several days later of his injuries.
Although the Maesters were responsible for preserving knowledge in Westeros, some have
come to theorize that they were directly and indirectly responsible for the extinction
of the winged race and the suppression of works related to magic and dragons.
Some go as far as to say the Maesters conspired to encourage fighting during the Dance of
the Dragons, and may have poisoned and killed off the last of the dragons after the war,
sabotaging Aegon III’s attempts to breed new hatchlings and even may have caused the
Tragedy of Summerhall.