[Center][img] http://gobmush.wdfiles.com/local--files/house-arms/Arms_House-Velaryon.png [/img]

[B]Name:[/B]House Velaryon
[B]Seat:[/B] [url=http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Driftmark]Driftmark[/url]
[B]Words:[/B] "The Old, the True, the Brave"
[b]Affiliation:[/b]House Targaryen (Dragonstone)[/Center]
[b]Description:[/b]
House Velaryon of Driftmark rules the island of Driftmark, the largest island of Blackwater Bay in the crownlands. Their castles include Driftmark and High Tide, as well as the towns of Hull and Spicetown, though the latter was put to the torch during the Dance. High Tide was also sacked. The head of House Velaryon is titled Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark. The Velaryons are sworn to Dragonstone.

House Velaryon is an ancient and proud house, with the blood of old Valyria in its veins. The Velaryons traveled to Westeros before the Targaryens, having settled on the island of Driftmark, and they claim that they received the Driftwood Throne from the Merling King to conclude a pact. The Velaryons filled their coffers by gaining monopoly over the passing trade and Velaryon ships dominated the middle reaches of the narrow sea while their allies, the Targaryens, ruled the skies with their dragons.

The House continued to maintain close ties with the Targaryens after the Doom of Valyria, as evidenced by the marriage of Aerion Targaryen and Valaena Velaryon, the parents of Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys. When Aegon and his sisters began their Wars of Conquest, Driftmark men followed, and the lord of the house, Daemon Velaryon, became Aegon's master of ships. Furthermore, the first ever Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was Ser Corlys Velaryon. Since the Conquest, Velaryons have intermarried with the Targaryens several times.

[Center] [img]http://i43.tinypic.com/23k1xyp.jpg[/img][/Center]

[B]History:[/B]
During the Dance of the Dragons, the Velaryons were major supporters of the blacks against the greens, as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen's first husband had been Laenor Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was, was wed to Lord Corlys Velaryon. Dragonriders from the house during the civil war included Laenor's sons Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon, although accusations persisted that Harwin Strong was actually the father. Even without these champions (all of whom died in the civil war), the House's wealth and fleets at the time made them a significant power of Westeros, with only the Greyjoys able to match them at sea. Corlys used these fleets to blockade Blackwater Bay. However, Spicetown and High Tide were sacked after the blockade was broken in the Battle in the Gullet, with the Velaryons losing nearly a third of their ships.

The death of Corlys's wife, Princess Rhaenys, angered the Sea Snake against Rhaenyra, who had refused to send her sons at Rhaenys's side. Rhaenyra brought Corlys back into the fold by making him her Hand. To gain more dragonriders, the blacks recruited several dragonseed smallfolk, among them Addam of Hull and his brother Alyn. According to their mother, Marilda of Hull, the two boys were fathered by the late Ser Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra's first husband, but Mushroom hinted that Addam and Alyn were actually fathered by Lord Corlys himself. Corlys had spent many of his days at the shipyards of Hull where Marilda's father was a shipwright, and Mushroom claimed the boys were kept far from court and away from the fiery-tempered Princess Rhaenys.

Upon Prince Jacaerys’s call for dragonseeds, House Velaryon gained two ‘lost sons’ in the shape of Addam and Alyn. Where Addam succeeded in bonding with a dragon (Seasmoke), and was thus raised to knighthood, Alyn failed to find his intended mount (Grey Ghost). Instead, he attempted to bond with Sheepstealer who set him ablaze. His brother beat out the flames and so Alyn’s life was spared, though he would bear the marks of dragonfire on his back and legs for the rest of his life.

Addam was able to bond to the dragon Seasmoke, though Alyn failed in his own attempt. Lord Corlys adopted both boys into the House, petitioning Rhaenyra to remove the taint of bastardy from them, making them his heirs. Later, as Rhaenyra grew paranoid, she suspected the boys of treachery. Corlys spoke in their defense and warned Addam in time for him to flee King's Landing. Addam went on to fight at the Second Battle of Tumbleton, defeating Rhaenyra's foes at the cost of his own life. Meanwhile, Corlys was thrown in the dungeon, costing Rhaenyra the Velaryon fleet. He was eventually pardoned by King Aegon II Targaryen.

Of the princely Velaryons (Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey) none survived. Nor did Vaemond Velaryon, who had attempted to overthrow Corlys and Laenor for which he paid with his life. His sons attempted to inherit Driftmark as well, but had their tongues cut out. This leaves the Velaryons thinned out. Only Daeron Velaryon remained true to the old Sea Snake.


[B]Sworn to your house:[/B] lesser landed nobles

[B]Members of the House:[/B][List]
[*]Lord [url=http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Corlys_Velaryon]Corlys Velaryon of Driftmark, Lord of the Tides[/url] (elderly)
[*]Ser Laenor Velaryon, his son (slain by his friend Qarl Correy over a quarrel in Spicetown in 120 AC)
[*]Jacaerys, Lucerys, Joffrey, Laenor’s sons (perished during the Dance)
[*]Laena, wife to Daemon Targaryen (died during childbirth in 120 AC)
[*]Ser Addam Velaryon (formerly of Hull, dragonrider, died at 2nd battle of Tumbleton, reputed son of Laenor)
[*]Alyn Velaryon, Corlys’s heir (formerly of Hull, reputed son of Laenor, 18)
[*]Ser Daeron Velaryon (nephew to Corlys, cousin to Alyn)
[*]Daenaera Velaryon, Daeron’s daughter
[/List]


[hider=Alyn Velaryon:]
[Center][B]Alyn Velaryon, formerly known as Alyn of Hull[/B]
[B]Age:[/b]18
[B]Appearance:[/B]
[img]http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2014/02/vikings_s2_gallery_bjorn-E.jpeg[/img][/Center]

[b]Affiliation:[/b] House Velaryon

[B]Personality & Biography:[/B]
Born a bastard, Alyn never had great hopes in life until the day the call for dragonseeds came. Together with his brother, Addam, he answered the summons from Dragonstone to attempt a wild dragon. While his older sibling was successful, Alyn was paid in dragonfire. Fortunately, he survived without any permanent physical damage. Nevertheless, he will bear the marks on his back and legs for the rest of his days.

Born of Marilda, daughter of a local shipwright in House Velaryon’s service, the two boys grew up around ships and sea. Rumours are about though that it was Lord Corlys himself, not his son Laenor, who sired Addam and Alyn. Regardless of his exact origin, Alyn was elevated to House Velaryon at the same time as his brother.

With the Two Betrayers (Ulf the Sot and Hugh Hammer) on their minds, many voices in the black council questioned his brother Addam’s loyalty. Only their adoptive grandfather, Lord Corlys spoke in defence of the dragonseed, remarking that Addam and his brother Alyn were “true heirs” and worthy of Driftmark.

Having gained three trueborn brothers and a name, Alyn lost them over the course of two years. Lucerys was shamelessly butchered by his kinsman Aemond on a diplomatic mission to Storm’s End in 129 AC. Luke was soon to be followed by his two brothers. Jacaerys took a quarrel during the Battle of the Gullet, which saw High Tide and Spicetown sacked, and Corlys’s treasure stolen by the Three Sisters (Myr, Lys and Tyrosh). Joffrey, the youngest, perished trying to save the dragons during the Storming of the Dragonpit.

While they had known one another for only a short time, Alyn had grown fond of his trueborn siblings. Their loss was still fresh when the biggest blow hit him. Not only were he and his brother indicted by the increasingly unreasonable Queen Rhaenyra, but Addam instead sacrificed himself proving his loyalty. He and his dragon fell at the Second Battle of Tumbleton Now truly alone, for Corlys had been imprisoned, Alyn watched events unfurl from Pentos.

Growing up in this vicious turmoil, Alyn has become apprehensive in trusting others. The Velaryons had even purged their own house in 126 AC, when Ser Vaemond wished to inherit Driftmark in lieu of Laenor’s sons. While Alyn has immense respect for his fabled grandfather, he deems the Sea Snake’s methods too soft. In his youth, Corlys was supposed to be a great adventurer and leader of men, but has aged into a careful old man. Obviously he does not doubt his grandfather’s courage, merely his resolve. It is as if the Sea Snake is too busy trying to help other people stay on course, that he forgets he can set one for his own.

With the other Velaryons either dead or too distantly related to stake a claim, Alyn has become heir to Driftmark. The pressure and realisation of his position have stirred the fire of ambition, and with Corlys’s fleet and men flocking to him in Pentos, Alyn now has the means to do his name proud. His grandfather may have been forced to serve Aegon II, but Alyn could still bring that murderous usurper to justice.

[b]OOC:[/b][/hider]